Concrete Castle

-Devon-

“Hey, Dev!” Garrett called from the lake, “Come on already!” He waved frantically.

I excused myself from the Dutch over that Kennedy and Pat were trying to figure out and ran to the edge of the water, splashing in. John was in the lake, too. His mood had been as sour as mine all day. I can't imagine why.

I only threw his jacket at him. Okay, so, I was a little on the nasty side...but it was his fault. He made me sleep. I hadn't ever been dependent on someone else since I got a job at sixteen. And, now, he was the only thing that would make the nightmares go away. I absolutely could not have that.

I semi-hated him, remember?

While throwing a water Frisbee back and forth with Garrett, my face was hit with a large wall of water. I sputtered, turning to look at John, “Oh no, you didn't!” I laughed, splashing him back.

Which soon started an all out war between John and me. It seemed we had gotten over our pissy moods. Especially as I screeched in laughter when he slung me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“John, put me down!” I pounded on his back lightly as he walked out of the water, laughing. When he set me down, he only tackled me to the ground.

All the bare flash pressed up against my own soft--

I clamped down on the thought before it could escalate, and tried to push him off of me. Finding it useless, I one, made a pact with myself to do more upper body strength training, and two, started coughing, pretending like I couldn't breathe.

John jerked away quickly, and I took it as my chance to hop up and run away. “Cheater!” John called, chasing after me. “That was a dirty trick!”

“I'm a woman! I'm full of dirty tricks!” I laughed, John catching up with me.

Getting to the cars, we stopped facing each other, the hood of the car between us. “So this is how it's going to end?” He panted, just like I was.

“You'd think that, wouldn't you?” I glared playfully, “But this is far from over.” I faked right, and went left. But John didn't fall for it. I only succeeded in coming closer to him. He smirked, starting my way. I ran the opposite direction, around the car. As he neared the end of the van, I popped out, shouting nonsense.

It didn't phase him like I thought it would. And he caught me. Once again, I fell to the ground, laughing on the way down.

John lay, propped up by his elbows, beside me. We caught out breath in between laughing. I was totally oblivious to everyone staring in amusement at us while I was looking into his eyes. His beautiful, sparkling green eyes.

“Go out with me.” He stated not as a question, but a command.

“What?” My laughter stopped and I was shocked. So, this is what all the friendliness was about: He just wanted to date me.

“Tuesday, do you want to go see a movie or something?” He asked. Well, at least he asked this time...

“No.” I said, something flaring up in me. Not quite anger, it was more like...disappointment. “No.” I repeated, sitting up.

“What? Why not?”

“Because I don't want to.” I answered, standing.

“So, you're not even going to give me a chance?” John looked a little offended. It was fine with me.

“Why do you want to go on a date with me anyway? Did every other girl finally discover that you're nothing but a vain, idiot who thinks he can so much as smile at a girl to get her to go down on you?” There was more venom than intended in my voice. But, was it so hard to want to believe that he only wanted to be my friend, not anything more?

Besides, at the moment, I wasn't going to get close to any kind of guy.

“It's better than being a self-righteous, holier-than-thou, calculative, insecure know-it-all.” He shot back without missing a beat. I guess we really can't get along.

“This is exactly why I wouldn't even consider going out with you!” I shouted in frustration, “You lose your temper so easily.”

“What about you? I ask one simple question, and you blow up at me!”

“Because--” I sputtered, “You just get on my nerves!” I stormed away, throwing my hands in the air. Even though I said he got on my nerves, that wasn't quite it either. I don't even know what it was, but he made it so I couldn't think that clearly, and that made me angry.

I always thought clearly.

“Who is to say you don't get on my nerves too? It's okay for you to get mad at me, but God forbid I get mad at you!” He caught up with me, suddenly softening as his wrist gripped mine, stopping my from reaching our group of friend. “Wait, a second. This isn't how it's supposed to go. I'm sorry, Devon.”

“Wow, you almost sounded sincere there.” I rolled my eyes, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Please, Daisy, can we talk?” He sounded desperate and vulnerable. Something I had never seen from John before. So, in surprise, I nodded slowly. He pulled me further away, fingers still curled around my wrist softly.

We stopped and he leaned against Kennedy's car, having released my wrist he wrung his hands nervously, taking a deep breath. “It's not that I don't like you Devon, I just...” He paused, searching for words. “I just haven't ever met someone like you before, and I didn't know what to do with you. I mean, you were smart, pretty, and so frustrating.” He took a deep breath, “And I liked you...but I was so young and stupid that I pushed you, I did things to make you angry. I wanted you to notice me. By the time I realized you weren't going to fall for it and you only hated me, it was too late. I couldn't stop, and I couldn't make you change your mind.”

I was stunned. No one had ever said anything like this to me.

“When I saw you were in my writing class this semester, I saw it as a sign that I should try to eradicate that image you had of me. I don't mess around with girls just for fun, and I don't hate you, Daisy.” He finished, raking a resigned hand through his hair.

“Are you serious?” I asked, not knowing what to do.

“I've never been more honest in my life.” It was hard to tell if he was lying or not, and I couldn't help but feel a little distrusting. But, I was like that no matter what. “And all I'm asking for is a chance.”

“One chance.” I choked out, my throat feeling suddenly tight. “One chance, and if you screw that up...” I trailed off, letting him fill in the blanks.

“I won't mess this up.” He said confidently, returning to the normal John. “Tuesday?”

I nodded once, swallowing, “I'm free at around seven.”

“Movies?”

“Nah, too cliché.” I smiled. Not going to lie, I was actually a little excited. At least happy that he asked. And confessed all that stuff to me.

“Then...dinner? Someplace with real food. Not pizza or ramen noodles.” John teased, a toothy smile on his bright face.

“Aw, you're no fun.” I pouted for a second, then let it leak into a smile, “Yeah, that would be good.”

That's when the awkward silence settled over us. I scratched at the back of my neck, wiping away itchy mud and a little bit of sweat. “I-I'm going to go...wash all this mud off in the lake. Since you threw me in the dirt while I was still wet.”

I left him to sit there silently while I made it to the edge of the lake. I knew his excuse for calling me all those names wasn't enough. But, at least he was trying? I didn't really know what to think. “Did John just ask you out?” Baylee asked, moving away from Kennedy and the boys as they messed with the water football.

“Yeah.” I nodded, moving my wet hair from my eyes.

“And?” Her eyes were excited even if she put that tentative look on her face. “What did you say?”

“That I would. Go on a date with him, I mean.” I nodded, pulling my two-toned locks in a wet, messy bun. Succeeding with getting myself mud free, I got out of the lake. Wiping down with a towel, I went into the the tent assigned to me, and dug from some clothes to put on. Slipping out of my wet suit, I tugged on my underwear and bra before shorts and a tank top.

Luckily, I wasn't interrupted. If I was, though they, sans of course Baylee, wouldn't live to process what his eyes had seen.

When I went back out, I left my purple striped bikini out to dry in the sun, knowing it would take that long. If I wanted to swim again today, though, I would probably just put on my red one. When I sat down in my camp chair, I realized again how not tired I was. And it was all thanks to John.

Instead of him having to admit all that, I should have just agreed to go out with him because of that. He helped me, in ways he wouldn't ever understand, with the nightmares. Then I let my mind wander to what he had confessed.

Did he really like me? Or was it just a lie? Then again, why would you lie about something like that? I decided to believe him on that aspect for the time being because, honestly, I don't think his motives deserved to be questioned.

Then I reassessed my own feelings towards John. Sure, he'd been nice the passed week, except for our daily spats, but it was mostly me that started them. Why was that anyway? Why did he get to me so much when no one ever really did?

“Who wants to play volleyball?” Baylee cheered, throwing the ball up and catching it. I guess she had borrowed the volleyball net from the backyard at her parents house that she insisted on back in eighth grade when she had taken up volleyball for that season.

Only that season.

Relieved to have a distraction from my thoughts on John, I offered to help set up at well as play.