Mutiny Below

Natalia

It was basically afternoon by the time I got out of bed. It had taken me a long time to go back to sleep after waking up when Eric laid me down. I cracked the door open to see if I could hear who was in the living room, but the the only two voices I heard belonged to Nick and Eric. I went into the kitchen to make myself a glass of orange juice before flopping down next to Eric on the couch.

"Well, well. Look who finally decided to show her beautiful face!"

Nick gave Eric a funny look but he just laughed.

"So what are we doing today?"

Eric shrugged. "We have Bachelor Night tonight. But nothing til then."

"Bachelor night?"

"Oh yeah. We all hang out and do guy stuff."

"Really now?"

"Yep. But you're more than welcome to join us! In fact, I'm making you come."

"Eric, that's not neces-"

"I know. But we all want you to come. Are you telling me you'd rather sit in this apartment alone than have Bachelor Night with us?"

"You want me to come."

"Yep."

"To Bachelor Night."

"Yep."

"Where it'll just be a bunch of guys."

"Yep."

I sighed and looked to Nick for help but he just nodded enthusiastically.

"Fine, I'll go."

Eric grinned and squeezed my knee as he stood up then went down the hallway. Nick moved from the chair he was in to the couch beside me. I leaned back against the arm rest and put my feet up into his lap. He cocked his eyebrow at me and I did the same back to him. He laughed and patted my foot just as the front door swung open and John came in. He looked at the two of us just sitting on the couch.

"What are you doing? Get up! Let's go, let's go!"

I then noticed that he was wearing swimming trunks. Oh no. Nope, not going. No.

"Uhh, I think I'm going to pass."

Nick and John both looked at me-- Nick with concern and John with confusion and a touch of....sadness?

"Come on, Nat. You agreed to go."

"Yes, Nick, to Bachelor Night. No one said anything about the pool."

Nick looked at me, right into my eyes. I knew he was trying to tell what I was thinking and why I didn't want to go. He glanced at John and back to me and I nodded. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Come on, Nat. Just go with us. Please?"

"No thanks."

"Do I need to go get Eric and let him beg you?"

"Ugh. No. Fine, I'll go. You boys are so annoying."

John clapped his hands together. "Good! Go get dressed!"

Nick went to the bathroom to change while I went to my bedroom. I was about 200% sure that I wouldn't be swimming but I put on a bathing suit anyway. I of course put regular clothes on over it then slipped on my flip flops before going back into the den where John and Eric were waiting. Nick joined us a few minutes later and we all walked over to the complex's pool where everyone was already. Everyone being Tim, Pat, Garrett, Jared, Kennedy, Justin, and Andrew.

Most of them were in the pool, dunking each other and fighting with pool noodles(Pat and Garrett). I went over to the row of empty pool chairs and curled up on one of them by myself. Nick, Eric, and John all tossed their towels onto the table under the umbrella before doing cannonballs into the pool. I occupied my time by humming quietly to myself and watching the guys do ridiculous things.

Eventually, Eric got out of the pool and came to sit on the bottom part of my chair since my legs weren't occupying it. Of course he had to shake the water out of his hair onto me before he sat down. He just grinned at me for no reason.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Oh, just because I'm smiling at you means there's something wrong with me?"

"Yes."

He rolled his eyes at me and I glanced over at John, who had just pulled himself out of the pool and was now sitting on the edge close to us.

"Let's play 20 Questions!"

"Why?"

"Because! You're living in my house and I barely know you!"

"You're so dramatic."

"Well, it's kind of the truth, Nat," Nick put in from where he was floating in the pool.

"Fine. But make it 10."

Eric looked surprised. "Really?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Okay. Umm.... Favorite color?"

"Red."

"Name two music artists you like."

"Death Cab For Cutie.....Ryan Adams."

"No way!" Garrett shouted from the other side of the pool. I just nodded at him. I still felt awkward around him after his drunken flirting at Jayce's party.

"Favorite flower?"

"Rose, I guess."

"Which kind?"

"Umm....the yellow ones with the pink on the tips."

"What's your middle name?"

"Arabella."

"What's your favorite movie?"

I shrugged. "That's too hard to say. I like so many."

Nick walked around behind me and leaned on the back of my chair.

"Who's your favorite brother?"

I tilted my head back to look at him.

"Ha, not you!" I looked back at Eric. "And that totally counts as a question."

"Dude! Not cool!" Eric shouted. Nick chuckled and made his way over to Jared and Kennedy on the other side of the pool.

"Do you dye your hair like your non-favorite brother?"

"Nope. Never. I have virgin hair."

Eric spit out the water that he was in the process of drinking. I raised my eyebrows at him and he just stumbled out an apology. I guess the word virgin threw him off, even though I was only talking about my hair.

"Are you...a virgin?"

"Hey! Dude, that's my sister!" Nick shouted from where he was standing with his arms crossed. I laughed silently at him before looking back to Eric.

"Yeah," I answered quietly.

John's head had snapped up at Eric's question and I could still feel his eyes piercing through me as I sat waiting for the next question.

"Have you ever had a boyfriend?"

"Nope."

Eric got this big, cheesy grin on his face and he wiggled his eyebrows at me.

"Do you want one?"

"As much as I'd love to answer, that was the eleventh question. Sorry. Now get out of my chair."

He pouted as he stood up. "What am I supposed to do now?" he whined.

"Go swim some more."

"Come with me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pleeeeeeease?"

"No."

"Natalia Arabella Santino, get your butt in the pool!"

He put his hands on his hips and I couldn't help but laugh at him. He was the perfect image of my mother in that moment.

"Fine."

I took off my shorts and tank top quickly and just stepped off into the pool, as opposed to jumping in like Eric did. When I resurfaced, Eric's face was a few inches from mine. He surprised me by throwing his arms around me and picking me up.

"Yay! You're my new favorite person!"

I laughed then begged him to put me down. I looked over at Nick and he was just staring at us. I didn't blame him for being practically dumbfounded. I'd never ever been so open with anyone. Especially not a guy. When he realized that I was looking at him, he gave me a big smile and a thumbs up before going back to his conversation with Kennedy.

Against my better judgment, I glanced over at John who was still sitting frozen on the edge and looking directly at me. I turned quickly in Eric's direction and tapped his shoulder to take his attention from Pat's screeching to me. I told him I was getting out before I swam over to the ladder on the side and got out. I got to my towel and wrapped it around my body as fast as possible before making myself comfortable in my chair once again.

Not long after that, all the guys were ready to leave because, as Nick put it, "We're all going to starve to death!" I followed Nick and Eric back to the apartment and took a speed shower then put on some comfy clothes. As I was checking my phone for missed calls, there was a knock on my door.

"Come on in."

The door opened slowly and I saw John behind it, glancing tentatively into the room before stepping inside.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"On behalf of all of us guys, I have a favor to ask."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Oh really? What's that?"

"Well, Jayce isn't here and she usually cooks so we thought maybe....."

"You want me to make something?"

"Please!"

"Sure. But I'll have to go to the store. Eric has nothing to eat here."

He nodded and left the room so I followed him into the living room. All the guys cheered, I'm guessing because I was going to save them from starvation. Nick took Eric's keys and we went to the grocery store. While I was busy getting ingredients for spaghetti, Nick followed a few steps behind, typing furiously on his phone. I ignored him and continued getting things. After we paid and left, we got back to the house and I immediately went to the kitchen to begin.

I could hear them yelling and talking and just generally being loud in the next room and I shook my head. When it was done, I called everyone in to the kitchen and they all came running. Literally.

After we all ate and I received much praise for feeding them, I cleaned up the kitchen. When I got back into the living room, they were all sitting there quietly.

"We waited for you to start the movie. Aren't we sweet?" Eric batted his eyelashes at me.

"The sweetest. Move over." He scooted over closer to Garrett, which was the opposite of which I wanted him to go. It meant I was squeezed between him and John. Andrew pressed play on the dvd player and turned the lights out, which didn't help much since it wasn't dark for another two hours.

We spent all of "Bachelor Night" watching dumb action movies. I kept noticing that Nick was constantly typing away on his phone. I guess I wasn't the only one who noticed though.

"Dude, who are you texting?" Eric asked.

Nick looked up momentarily. "Oh. Uh..my mom."

I knew that was a lie. Mom didn't text. She could barely turn on the phone without Dad's help. I kept my mouth shut though and decided I'd just ask him later.

Meanwhile, the body on my left, the one belonging to Mr. John O'Callaghan, stayed tense the entire time we were sitting next to each other.

Weird....