Clash Of The Rockbands

Pool Party!

“So, how did your date go last night?” Rayne asked the next morning as all five of us sat in the kitchen, eating various breakfast items.

“Did you smooch?” Jen asked excitedly, leaning forward in her seat.

“Did you guys have sneaky sex in the backseat of his car?” Kim asked with a smirk.

“Great,” I answered, pointing at Rayne. “Yes,” I answered, pointing at Jen. “And that’s just gross,” I answered, pointing at Kim. She just shrugged and took a giant bite of her strawberry Pop-tart.

“Was the kiss at least really steamy and lust-filled?” Kim asked after she had quickly swallowed her food.

“No, not really,” I answered.

“Well, what was the use of the date, then?” she squawked, throwing her arms up in exasperation. “If you ain’t making out with him or anything of that nature, what’s the use of going on a date!?”

“Uh, so we can get to know each other better.” I replied in a ‘duh’ tone.

“Nothing like making out to get to know a person,” Kim told me matter-of-factly.

“What, do you and Johnny just have tongue wars when you two go on dates?” Rayne asked.

“No,” Kim answered. “We come up for air every few minutes. Take a few breaks. I swear I’m losing weight because making out is like a serious cardiac workout.”

“Kim, do you love him because of his personality or because he’s willing to make out with you?” Jen asked seriously.

“Of course I love his personality, Jen.” Kim answered. “He’s the sweetest dude on the planet. He can make me laugh, and he has the same amount of energy as I do, and he loves everything I love, excluding the male half of the human race. Making out with him is like...is like...” Kim looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully, scrunching her nose up. “...I don’t know what it’s like. It’s just the most awesome feeling on the world. Because I know deep down in here,” She jabbed her index finger into her chest right over her heart, “he’s a sweet, adorable guy who loves me for me.”

Silence followed Kim’s speech. I had never really heard her talk about her and Johnny’s relationship like that before. But I could tell that she truly, truly loved him, and he truly, truly loved her, just by the way she said those words, like she was so sure of their relationship and what made it a relationship. There wasn’t any doubt in my mind that she loved Johnny, just by how adamantly and effortlessly she talked about him.

“Now that we’ve had our dose of Oprah this morning,” AM said, breaking the silence. Everyone laughed, shattering the sentimentality. We’re just naturally good at breaking sentimental moments up. It’s like we’re allergic to them or something.

“So, Ay-May, how’s your relationship with Zacky going?” I asked, stirring up my instant oatmeal.

“Superbly,” she answered. “We’re actually spending the day together today, since it’s a Sunday and they don’t work on Sundays. So we’re going to just kind of walk around town.” Suddenly, she grinned. “Maybe I’ll try on some sexy lingerie for him.”

“You go, girl.” Rayne hooted. AM grinned wider.

“No, she’s just interested in what’ll happen afterwards.” Kim mumbled just loud enough for us to hear.

“Kim, get your mind out of the gutter for ONCE!” Rayne yelled, laughing. Kim smirked, rolling her Pop-tart wrapper up into a little ball.

“Sorry, no can do,” she told us, standing up. She threw the silver ball into the trash and then walked out of the kitchen.


**********

“I’ve just come up with the most brilliant idea on the planet!” Rayne exclaimed randomly a couple of hours later. Jen, her, and I all sat in the living room. Jen was watching television; I was reading a book; and Rayne was reading the newspaper.

“And what is that?” I asked, turning the page in my book.

“We should totally invite the Avenged Sevenfold dudes over!” she said excitedly. She folded up her newspaper and set it on the coffee table.

“Why?” Jen asked, looking over at Rayne.

“Well, we always swim on Sundays anyway, so we might as well invite them over too and have a little pool party sort of thing!” Rayne replied.

“Yeah, James seeing me in a swimsuit would totally be a turn-on.” I said in a sarcastic monotone.

“I bet it would be.” Rayne retorted. “You’re a pretty girl, and he clearly thinks so too, so you should totally flaunt it. You were comfortable in those skimpy outfits we wore for that concert.”

“Skimpy outfits and swimsuits are two totally different objects. Those outfits covered a lot more of my body than a swimsuit does, and it was sort of dark, and I bet James couldn’t really see me anyway. But this time I’ll be in complete sunlight, right in plain view, and I’m still unsure about whether he’ll like it or not.” I was blabbing on and on and on. Rayne leaned over and clapped a hand over my mouth.

“Thank you, Rayne.” Jen said. Rayne acknowledged the praise with a nod before turning her attention back to me.

“Mel, stop being such a worry-wart. He’ll totally love it. Any dude loves to see their girlfriend in a swimsuit. He’ll love it.” Rayne told me. She leaned back away, letting her hand slide away from my mouth. “Go ahead and call him and tell him what’s up and to tell the others what’s up too. Say to be here at two.”

Being the obedient person that I am, I pulled out my cell-phone and dialed in James’s number.


**********

“Isn’t it strange how much paler swimsuits make you look?” I asked Rayne as we both grabbed a fluffy towel from the bathroom. Rayne stepped back, sweeping her gaze down my body and back up to my face.

“You aren’t that pale. You just need a bit of sun, which you’ll definitely get today.” she replied in that kindred, sisterly, lying-through-her-teeth way.

Downstairs, the doorbell rang.

“Oh, shit,” Rayne muttered. She quickly unfolded the towel and wrapped it around her before heading back out onto the landing. I quickly imitated her and stepped out onto the landing.

Rayne had already descended the staircase and was stepping back to let the guys in. I quickly retreated back into the shadows, pulling the towel tighter around my body. My stomach felt suddenly much too revealed, my legs and arms much too bare. Rayne seemed to have sensed my discomfort. She looked up towards where I hid in the shadows in the back of the large landing. She narrowed her eyes at me, beckoning without moving.

Slowly, I stepped out of the shadows. Almost at the exact same time that the very tip of my foot stepped into the light, James looked up the stairs. His eyes met mine, and for some reason I blushed, even though most of my body was hidden with the towel. Bright pink coloring splashed across my cheeks, and heat burned them.

James winked, which made me blush even more furiously.

Right, Mel, just keep your cool. Don’t lose your head. You can do this. You have performed in front of thousands of people. You can handle this.

I took invisible deep breathes as I descended down the staircase. James hung back as all the other guys followed Rayne down the hallway that led between the two separate staircases.

“Why are you wearing a towel?” he asked as I stepped up beside him.

“I have this extremely annoying modesty for myself.” I answered. We started down the hallway towards the back door.

“Oh.”

“Yeah. It’s really annoying. Anytime I just want to flaunt my body, Mother Modesty comes along and covers me up with a towel. Makes me into the opposite of a total dude-magnet,” I continued.

“Dude-magnet?” James repeated as we reached the back door.

“Yeah,” I replied, pulling the door open. “Like chick magnet, just for girls. Dude-magnet. It makes sense, I swear!”

“I’m not saying it doesn’t make sense, I’ve just never heard that before.” James said as we stepped out into the dazzling afternoon sun.

Kim and Jen were already in the large, glimmering pool. Kim was currently attempting to hit Jen with a large purple noodle, sending water flying everywhere, but Jen was half-dolphin, just like Michael Phelps, and could dodge every swipe. Rayne was spreading her towel out on a long chair with the elongated seat that you can rest your legs on. She usually tanned for a little while before getting into the pool. AM and Zacky had even interrupted their day alone to hang out with us, and were standing by the steps that led into the pool, clearly trying to decide whether to slowly step in or just take a leap of faith off of the diving board. Syn was already inconspicuously sidling over to the lawn chair next to Rayne’s (I swear to God they like each other). Johnny was pulling off his shirt over by where Kim had just thrown her towel down. Matt was putting his stuff down on a lawn chair too.

“Jen—stay—still!” Kim shouted, still trying to hit Jen. But Jen just swam smoothly out of the way, and the noodle just hit the water with a loud smack!

“Jen’s half-dolphin,” I informed James as we walked over to two empty lawn chairs. “She’s pretty good at swimming. She was on the swimming team back in Indiana. Won the State Championships for, like, four years in a row.”

“I’m half-rock when I swim, I think.” James replied as he started to pull his shirt off. “But I can do a mean cannonball.”

I quickly tore my gaze away from his newly-revealed torso area.

Keep your head, Mel. Keep your fucking head.

“I think I’ll just tan a little bit before I get into the pool.” I said to no one in particular. I sat down on one of the lawn chairs and then slowly let the towel fall away from my body.

“I don’t understand that.” James told me.

“Don’t understand what?” I asked, folding the towel up and placing it on the circular glass table beside the chair.

“Why women tan instead of swimming,” James answered.

“I’m pale. I need color.” I told him, slipping my sunglasses on and stretching out on the lawn chair.

“You look fine to me.” James replied.

Don’t blush, Mel, don’t blush.

I just shrugged. James turned around and headed out to the pool.
♠ ♠ ♠
Heyloo.
Once again, let me know if I say his eyes are brown. I'll fix it.
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