My Beloved Monster

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Bam and I served the food when it was done grilling. The guys commented on how everything looked and smelt. "And I helped so eat up fuckers." Bam stated proudly.

Ville stared at his food skeptically. "Don't worry, It's not poisoned. I cooked it; he just did the cutting." I cleared Ville's doubts.

Ville grinned at me sheepishly. "Hey!? Don't ya trust me?" Bam asked him offended.

"You shouldn't answer that Ville. Either answer will get you in trouble." I grinned as Bam glared over at me.

The guys laughed. "It's true!" Raab cried out laughing harder. After dinner, I went and changed into an actual bathing suit.

"You know you're not supposed to swim right after a meal?" Dico warned me.

"Yeah, yeah." I waved him off. " And you're not supposed to do everything you do." I laughed and he grinned proudly at me.

I was so close to walking out the door to relax when my damn cell went off again.

It was a regular ring so I looked at the id. I took a deep breath when I realized who it was. I figured that it was either now or later and to put it off would just make things worse.

"Hello?" I answered in English.

"Hello Adelina. I hear you are visiting in the states."

"Hey Oma. Yeah I flew over not too long ago."

Well, it wasn't really a lie completely. I loved my Oma, my mom's mother. I was the favorite because I was her first grandchild so she would send me money for cute reasons. Like she always sends me a card for the first day of spring. But facing her meant that I had to face my other disfunctional family. And that is no pick-nick

"How have you been?" she asked me.

Another thing, for me things were always awkward. On my mom's side of the family, things weren't at all the lovey dovey type. My mom was the social outcast in her family. The only reason that she would visit them was for me so I would know my family. My aunt and uncle never respected my mother. My Oma didn't like the fact that my mom was a teacher and then chose to stay home to raise me without a father. But this was my family, and there is nothing I can change about it.

"Busy, but things have been good. How about you?"

"Not bad, not bad. I was wondering if you would like to come visit this weekend?" She asked getting straight to the point. "Irene and John and their family will be there. It'll be a cook out."

"This coming weekend?" I repeated unsure-ly.

"I understand if you can't make it..."

And there it was. Laying the guilt on me. You know Nathaniel Hawthorne says it's guilt that kills us, not the actual sin we commit.

"No I should be able to make it." I gave in. I know I probably shouldn't have, but they are my family. I feel responsible to be somewhat connected to my roots.

"They will be good. Everyone will be happy to see you."

"That's good. Listen I have to go, but I'll see you next weekend Oma."

"Okay, bye Adelina."

"Bye." I hung up. Maybe the world would be put to sleep until next Monday. But that's very unlikely.

That pool looked very comforting right about now. I put my cell back on the counter and went outside. It was absolutely beautiful. The sun had long since been gone and the moon shown over the pool.

I dove off the diving board and swam laps under water so I could block all the sounds of the world out. I just kept going back and forth, taking breaths when I reached the ends, before kicking off the wall and continuing.

About halfway through who knows which lap, I rammed into something...Or better yet someone I realized when I surfaced.

"Didn't you know it's not nice to swim into people?" Bam asked with a smug look on his face.

"Don't you know it's not nice to stand where someone is swimming." I kind of snapped.

He looked at me shocked. I've never yelled at him before except when joking. Not even when he pranked me did I ever seriously snap at him. He stepped aside and ushered me with his arms. "Carry on then."

I felt bad. I'm not one for fights or confrontation, unless they deserved it. And Bam did not deserve my wrath this time. I grabbed his arm, "Wait."

"No, I get it. You want to be left alone." He pulled his arm out of my grasp.

That hurt so much more than he would know. He continued to get out of the pool. I stared at the reflection of the moon floating on the water. "Look I'm sorry. I've just been under some stress and it's not been letting up."

Luckily I was already dripping with water or he might of seen the tears slide down my cheek.

I'm really afraid to face my family alone. It's like someone slicing my wrists before throwing me into a tank filled with famished sharks.

I didn't realize that he had made his way back over to me. "Why are you crying?" He wiped the water off my cheeks "I should have realized something was wrong when you were in a cooking rage."

I laughed. "Why does everyone think I cook when I'm upset?"

"It's because it's true." He smiled and move some hair off my forehead.

I smiled guilty, "And for the record, I was not crying."

"Right" He raised an eyebrow not believing my lie. "Now, why are you upset?"

"Because my Oma called and wants me to visit my family."

"And that's a bad thing?" He asked.

"That is the worst thing that could happen. Well...not the worst, but it's definitely up there. I haven't faced my family alone so I knew that they're going to chew me up and spit me out on the curb. And it's for a weekend."

"You won't be alone." Bam interrupted my breakdown.

"I'm pretty sure I will." I corrected him.

"You know; I think that fall earlier today effected you more than we think." He joked as I glared. Oh, how the tables had turn since dinner. "But really you won't be alone. I'll be there with you."

"Oh? So you're inviting yourself now huh?" I placed my hands on my hips. "Well I'm just going to have to uninvited you to save you from my family."

"Why don't you just accept someone's help for once. I am going with you." He said getting frustrated. "Jeeze you're so thick." he flicked my forehead.

"Hey!" I rubbed my head and flicked him back.

"Oh you did not just go there." He gasped and advanced on me.

I started to back up, but he just scooped me up and threw my into the deeper end of the pool. I swam back to him and tried to dunk him.

"Is that the best you got?" He laughed still standing.

"Never!" I laughed. I tripped him backwards into the deeper end and pushed him under by the shoulder to complete it. But he grabbed a hold of me and brought me down with him.

He leaned his forehead against mine as we stood shoulder deep.

"That's not fair. You cheated." I whispered.

He leaned in and gently grabbed my face. "Who said anything about playing fair." He whispered and closed what ever space was left between us.

His warm lips gently massaged mine as we swayed in rhythm with the water. I slipped my hands onto his chest as he held me closer, deepening the entanglement of our lips.

The end of the cigarette reddened as he inhaled deeply followed by the long train of smoke.

Ville leaned on the railing of the deck and quietly watched the two below him from the shadows of the night.

Novak came up next to him and lit up his own cancer stick. He looked at what Ville was staring at and smirked.

There Bam and I were splashing each other in the pool; just having a good time.

"They should hook up eh?" He stated what everyone has been thinking over the past month.

Ville nodded in agreement, taking a puff. "From what I have seen."

"And that's nothing from how they acted today. He really likes her." He took another drag and chuckled. "She made Ape this photo album, you should see it. But it has pictures of them together when they were little. We've all caught Bam looking through it, practically every night."

Ville chuckled at this out of character behavior Bam has going on. "It seems that you do not have to wait too long." He smiled at Bam and I's embrace. "They look good together."

"Good! It's about time!" Novak laughed and was ready to whistle a cat call, but Ville stopped him.

"Just leave them be. Besides if it took him this long to make a move, as everyone says it has, he'll murder you for interrupting it."

Novak grinned and backed down. "Too true. Maybe we'll start having some fun around here again."

Novak put out his cigarette and went back inside.

Ville shook his head and looked down at his own before taking another drag.

He smiled again, remembering how it felt to be flighty, like them.

It was a nice change to see fresh love, though they haven't realized it yet.

Hopefully theirs will last.