Mutiny Below

Natalia

"It's Bachelor Night!" Eric shouted at the top of his lungs, acting as my alarm clock. I rolled over onto my back and stared up at the ceiling for a few minutes before I finally dragged myself out of bed and into the kitchen where Eric was eating a bowl of cereal.

"Morning, Nat. It's Bachelor Night again!"

"So I heard."

"You're coming, right?"

I shrugged my shoulders as I filled my bowl with cheerios. "I guess so."

"Good! Because you skipped out last week," he pouted.

"Well, I'm sorry, but do you not want me to make friends with any girls?"

"Nope. You're all mine and I'm not sharing you."

"Whatever you say, Eric."

After we finished breakfast, Eric begged me to go swimming with him, but he made absolutely certain that we waited exactly thirty minutes before we got into the water. John just randomly happened to stop by when we were getting ready to go in and I decided to wait until he left. I just kicked off my flip flops and sat down on the edge of the pool but John just had to sit down next to me, while Eric did a cannonball in, splashing me.

"Eric, you got me wet!"

"Oh really now?" he smirked.

I could've just slid into that water and drowned myself right then. My cheeks were on fire. John rolled his eyes while Eric just laughed. "Aww, Nat, I'm just kidding."

John quickly changed the subject but I didn't say anything else the entire time he was there. Once he was gone, I slipped out of my shorts and got in the pool with Eric. He snaked his cool arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him.

"Sorry, Nat. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"It's fine, Eric."

"Please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Okay.....Well, I'm hungry. Want to get something to eat?"

"I just got in! And we ate breakfast like two hours ago."

"So? That means it's lunch time! Come on."

He swam over to the ladder and got out of the pool so I sighed and followed. Once we dried off, we left the pool area and Eric went straight back to his car.

"Wait, wait. We can't go anywhere like this."

"Why not?"

"Eric, do you see me? I'm a mess!"

"I think you look cute."

I tried to ignore that last comment and climbed into the passenger seat while he got in the driver side. Our lunch went by without any more awkward moments or me blushing madly and I was thankful for that. But once we got back to Eric's, John was waiting.

"What's up, man? I thought you were going to be with Jayce?"

"Her brother called and wanted her to go early."

"Oh. Well, you can hang out with us, right, Nat?"

"Uhh, sure.....I'm going to go shower now."

I made my exit to the bathroom and took the longest shower I could possibly take. I really didn't feel like going out there, but once I got dressed, there wasn't much else I could do to stall. I went back into the living room and Eric stood up.

"Finally! You girls take forever."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I'm going to take a shower, darlin'."

He patted my head as he passed and I shook my head and made my way to the kitchen. While I was getting some ice out of the freezer, John came into the kitchen and leaned against the counter across from me. He didn't say anything; he just watched me. I had to politely ask him to move so I could get some water but he just crossed his arms.

"Are you sure there's nothing going on between you and Halvo?"

"Never mind." I set my cup down on the counter and turned to leave the kitchen but he grabbed my wrist. "What, John?"

"I was just asking. I mean, watching you guys, it looks like there is."

"Well, there's not. I don't know why everyone continues to ask me that."

"I'm sorry."

I nodded and pulled my wrist from his hand, going back into the living room. I stretched out on the couch so that he couldn't sit on it with me and turned the tv on to Discovery channel, even though I wasn't really paying it any attention. I was too busy thinking. Why did John even care if there was something going on? I mean, Nick would care. But John?

It felt less tense once I heard Eric's big mouth singing as he came down the hall. But that changed when he plopped his shirtless self down on top of my legs and winked. I could feel John's eyes burning into us. I was sort of nervous to do anything while John was watching. I knew nothing was going on with us but John was positive there was and it felt like the slightest thing I did would just confirm what he thought, even though I knew differently.

Those two hours of watching tv were the most tense and awkward of my life and that's saying alot. John finally left when Kennedy called, needing help with something involving Bachelor Night and I groaned when I remembered that I had to go.

It wasn't ten minutes after John left that Nick came in. He stared at my legs, which Eric had pulled into his lap so that he could use my thighs as his pillow.

"What's up, man?"

Nick blinked then looked up at my face. "I had an idea."

"What kind of idea?"

"You up for skipping Bachelor Night?"

"Are you kidding? Of course I am!"

"Hey, you can't do that!" Eric pouted.

"Sorry, but I need a little brother time with my baby sister if you don't mind."

"But you can't take her away from me!"

I thumped Eric's ear and he sat up, whining while Nick rolled his eyes. "Big baby."

"That sounds good, Nick. When do you want to go?"

"Now?"

"Sure. Just let me get some shoes."

I went back to my room and slid on some flats then went back out where Nick was waiting. John had let Nick borrow his car for us to go so we got in and began to drive.

"Where are we going?"

"I figured we could just go walk around a mall or something. That okay?"

"Sure."

When we got to the mall, Nick decided he had to get something for his guitar so we went to the music store. Then we just walked around aimlessly for awhile.

"You're mad at me, aren't you?"

I looked over at him and he was biting his lip, looking as if he were concentrating hard on walking.

"No, why would you think that?"

"You haven't said a word since we got here."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess I just don't have anything to say."

"See, that right there means you're mad. You've always got something to talk about with me."

"Honestly?"

He gave me a look, which I took as him waiting for me to continue.

"I'm not mad. It just kind of upset me that you didn't tell me about your girl."

His eyebrows furrowed, making a crease in the middle of his forehead.

"It's just that....we used to tell each other everything. And I didn't even know you found her. I don't even know anything about her."

"Nat, I'm sorry. I didn't know"

I said nothing. I suddenly felt like a child for being upset about it. He probably just didn't think about how not telling me would make me feel. He didn't do it on purpose.

"Well, she's amazing. She's beautiful, funny, smart. She's fiesty too. Her hair always smells like coconut and she's got this adorable laugh. Just her arm brushing mine makes my skin tingle. Just looking into her eyes makes my heart beat faster."

"Sounds like you're head over heels for this girl."

"I am."

"What's her name?"

He gave me a sideways glance and cleared his throat. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"She-...it's a difficult situation, Nat. It's kind of a secret thing."

I just looked at him. He couldn't even tell me?

"Trust me, she has her reasons for keeping it a secret."

I shrugged, accepting that. At least he told me something about the girl he was so in love with.

"Well, I'm glad you're happy."

"Thanks, Nat. That means alot."

"Can we get some ice cream? Pleeeeease?"

He rolled his eyes and I grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the Dairy Queen. Once we got our ice cream, we sat down at one of the tables in the food court to eat it.

"So what about you?"

"What about me?"

"You said we used to tell each other everything."

"Yeah?"

"Well, you and Eric...."

I groaned. "I do not need this again today."

"Again today?"

"John asked me earlier. Now you. Do you boys not listen when I tell you there's nothing going on between me and Eric?"

"I know you said that, Natalia. But you guys are always so....close."

"Is it bad that I have a good friend? Do you want me to go back to having no friends besides you?"

"No, no. I'm just saying. It doesn't seem like friendship, looking in from the outside."

"Well, I promise, that's all it is."

"Okay."

"You believe me, don't you?"

"I guess."

"Nick!"

"Okay, I believe you!"

"Promise?"

"Promise."

I don't think he really promised.