Flirting with Danger Bk 1

Instead, I grabbed my sunscreen from one of the cup holders on the floaty and reapplied it. After that I just lied there, picturing the awesome tan I was going to have after the horrible sunburn went away when a sound ripped through my thoughts. I looked up and saw that Louis had snored. I smiled as a sudden thought came to me.

As quietly as I could, I slipped, gasping as I did so, into the freezing water. Then I ducked under and swam until I was under Louis. As my plan unfolded in my mind I started giggling and I accidentally let air bubbles loose. My giggling stopped as they floated up to Louis, sure to ruin my plan. The suspense was horrible as they came towards him.

They hit his back and all popped. His back jumped a little and he put a hand down to scratch it, but then the hand disappeared and he rolled over onto his stomach and that was it. I smiled at my good fortune and resumed my plan. I swam up to him, planning to flip him over, when two hands shot down into the water and launched me in the air.

I screamed as I went through the air, completely taken off guard, and finally focused on them all looking at me and laughing before I plunged backwards in the water. They were still laughing when I came back up, especially Louis, who was laughing so hard he could hardly breathe.

“That was uncalled for.” I said as I swam back to him.

“Oh really? And you tipping me over was?” he asked, still laughing a little.

“Yes. Your snoring was disturbing the peace.” I smiled.

Louis looked around for a minute and then said, “It doesn’t seem to be bothering anyone to me. Maybe you just imagined it.” His smile was not only mocking but also giving away that he was on the edge of laughing again.

I gave him a look and went under water, but he was suddenly in front of me. I moved to the side, about to go around him, but he moved too, smiling. I smiled and moved to the left a little and when he copied me I launched forward. I almost passed him but he grabbed me and tickled me, pulling me closer to him until we were face-to-face.

He stopped then and just looked at me. His eyes pierced mine in a way I never thought possible. I couldn’t believe this was happening. The light mood was gone now and I could feel it, the feeling that was coming between us that I couldn’t handle right now. I couldn’t be feeling this right now, I was still confused about whether to be with him or Connelly.

I looked at him, trying to resist the feeling when a pull came from my lungs. I don’t think I had ever been happy to be out of air under water until then. I pointed up urgently and he nodded. We both surfaced and gasped for air.

“What were you doing down there?” Dale asked and I heard a hint of protectiveness in his voice that said he was in my big brother role now.

“Nothing.” I gasped.

“I was just tickling her.” Louis said, smiling and trying to bring the happy and easy mood back, which apparently worked because I laughed.

“More like trying to drown me.” I said.

“Oh. Well, okay.” Dale said, relaxing back into his floaty.

I looked at him oddly and said, “What’s wrong with you?”

“Yeah, it’s not like they were making out.” said Sue.

“Yeah!” I agreed angrily, though that statement made Louis and I feel awkward and immediately glance at each other.

“Nothing! I was just wondering is all! I didn’t mean to sound like that.” he said, looking kind of odd, like he didn’t know why he sounded like that, though he gave a look that told me he knew I knew what he’d been doing.

“Yeah right.” I laughed and then Louis and I tipped him. He yelled and made a loud splash.

“Hey!” Louis said, suddenly coming up out of the water.

“RAAGH!” Dale said, holding Louis’s legs. Then he threw Louis into the water, Louis yelling and laughing. Chase then leapt into the water and threw Dale, Sue, and then me! All the while laughing like a maniac.

After Sue and I surfaced, we went back to our floaties and watched Louis and Dale trying to bring down the mountainous Chase, laughing our butts off.

***

“Hello.” Connelly said softly as I walked into History on Monday. He seemed happy to see me and I smiled when I sat beside him.

“Hi, did you have a good weekend?” I asked quietly. I didn’t know why I was talking quietly, but it just seemed appropriate.

“Yes. Did you?” He sounded sad. I looked at him and he was looking at his desk, but moved his head towards me.

“Yes. Louis, Dale, Chase, Sue, and I all went to the lake. You know, just floating around, wrestling, swimming, sun burning.” I said, suddenly feeling bad for not inviting him. It was just that I didn’t think he’d want to come because he had some kind of beef with Louis and he didn’t feel included in the group. But now it occurred to me that it would have at least been polite to ask him to come, even if he was going to decline. I was such a dirt bag.

“Don’t feel bad.” he said, lifting my face with one finger. “I wouldn’t have been able to come anyway. I was busy. Besides, I know I’m not welcome.” he said this all with a smile, like it was no big deal.

“I know and that makes me angry. They have no reason not to like you. You’re a good guy and you haven’t done anything for them to suspect you of being a bad guy.” I said in an annoyed voice and looked down, picturing Dale’s face.

“You don’t know that.” Connelly said, looking even sadder as he looked down at his desk.

“Duh, of course I do. You’ve never done anything to hurt me. You’re funny, sweet, polite,” He seemed to grow more sorrowful and ashamed looking as I said this so I added, “you have a little bit of a temper sometimes, but I think I can knock that out of you.”

He laughed a little, a small smile on his lips, but then the smile disappeared and he shook his head slowly. He sighed and returned to his ashamed expression. I watched him, wondering what was wrong and wanting to find out, but not knowing what to say.

So, like everyone always asks, even though it’s obvious that they’re not okay and something is wrong, I asked, “Are you okay? Connelly, what’s wrong?” I reached over and touched his arm and he stiffened for a fraction of a second, but then relaxed. He shook his head and then sighed again. He was silent for a few minutes, during which I took back my hand and waited.