Waters of Disillusion

"I'm not really sure about this..."

"Jus' do it. You'll be fine."

"I don't know..."

"Trust me, you'll feel better."

"I don't-"

"Jus' take your damn pants off, Benjamin."

He still looks hesitant even after I stripped down to my short shorts and tank top. But he obliges, and a moment later he stands in nothing but his boxers. I give a nod of approval and point my finger out towards the water. "Now look over there," I point to a particularly shady patch of the lake. "No matter what anyone tells you, do not jump off'a that tree," I point to said tree that grew right onshore next to the shady water. "Some boys are plain ol' stupid an' might tell you it's fun, but don't. You'll break your neck. There're rocks about a foot under the surface, an' even if you can't see 'em, they are there and they hurt like hell."

He nods. "Thanks for that, I guess."

"Sure," I tiptoe towards my-well, Tyler and my- usual spot, wary of the sharp shells and tree roots underneath my bare feet. "This is a good place. It's not too deep, an' you see that little island over there? It's like... I dunno, a good mile away, but you can swim to it. That's if you really want to, I mean. It makes you so tired, you'd 'probly drown first."

"That's good to know, thanks," he shoots me a grin and stands next to me, hands on his hips.

"You can swim, right?"

"Of course."

"Good," I push him into the lake. He hits the surface with a loud splash and I can't help but laugh.

"That wasn't funny!" he splutters once he comes back up. His dreadlocks spread out like sea weed around him. I jump in right next to him and flip my hair into a pony tail once I reach the surface again.

"Oh, lighten up. Hey, you ain't gonna puke on me, are you? It's been more'n an hour."

"I think I'll be okay, thanks for your concern."

"I'm jus' makin' sure. Between you and me, I always swim right after eating. An' I only puked once, but that was when I was like, eight." Oh my God. Why do I say these things?

But Benjamin laughs. He laughs a lot. He seems like such a happy person. I like it. "So, Nicolette," I mentally cringe. He left out the Leigh again. "Would you be offended if I said this place definitely isn't what I thought it would be?"

"Depends. If you thought we were all dumb, full'a marryin' cousins, and fried food, then yes," he takes a second to laugh again. "Well, not really."

"Nic?" he says, except it's not his voice. I look to where our pile of clothes are and Tyler's standing there. He squats at the edge of the sand. "I've been lookin' all over for you."

I don't know why, but I get the feeling Benjamin shouldn't be here right now. I shake the feeling away. Stupid Tyler. "Well I've been here."

"I can see that. Who's this guy?" I can see his eyes raking over Benjamin; his hair, the tattoo on his left shoulder blade. I can all but taste Tyler's disapproval at this outsider who is now looking right back at Tyler.

"This guy is Benjamin, Dory's grandkid," I tell him. "Benjamin, this is Tyler." Benji nods and says hello, but Tyler just stares at him. He directs his attention to me a second later and stands up.

"You left your bra in my room yesterday. Come get it whenever, I guess," and he grins really wide.

"Go away," I throw a rock at him. I miss by a football field, but he leaves laughing. "Don't mind him," I tell Benji. "He's jus' an asshole."

"Is he your boyfriend?" for the first time, he isn't smiling.

"No."

"So, is the position open?"

"Ha ha, no."