Just Swimmingly

Chapter 10

Jennifer

I couldn't sleep. My bruises were throbbing and my brain was generating too many thoughts for this hour. I decided to go somewhere. No, I had to go somewhere. I had to get out of the house. I brought my phone, my pepper spray, and a jacket. I would probably just go sit out by the lake and think where the fresh air slightly rattled the trees. Maybe if I was lucky, the breeze would carry away some of my thoughts. My room was getting too stuffy and my bed was getting too hot. I climbed out my window because I'd seen my mother deliberately stay downstairs after dinner; I bet she planned on sleeping there to, my lip curled, talk to Ricky's dad. I made my way to the park and noticed there was someone else there. My hand twitched toward my pepper spray, and another memory hit me like a brick.

"Come on, baby! Get in with me!" His eyes were shining with excitement, and begging me to share the feeling with him. I laughed. He was great.
"Hayden, it's barely fifty degrees!" Who else would go swimming on an October evening?
"So?"
"So I'll freeze!"
"We'll freeze together." He held his arms out. "I'll give you the last of my body heat, babe." I took my shirt off, glad that I had worn a bra, and he whistled at me. I ignored him, slid my jeans off, and jumped into his arms.
"Now that wasn't that hard, was it?" he whispered into my ear. I turned around and crashed my lips onto his as a response. He reached for my bra, but I smacked his hand away.
"Not tonight."
"Then what night, Jennifer?"

"Jennifer?" Another voice snapped me out of the memory.

Scott

"Jennifer?" She screamed and pulled out a can. Oh shit. "No, Jennifer it's-" She lowered the can.
"Scott?" I smiled. She recognized me.
"Yeah."
"What are you doing here?" Funny you should ask, I was just thinking about you. I decided not to go with that; it sounded too creepy.
"What am I doing here? What are you doing here? It's dangerous out here at night." I could see her eyes light up in defiance.
"I could say the same for you," she retorted icily. I smiled.
"Nah, I could take 'em," I said, flexing. She rolled her eyes, but smiled. I cleared my throat. "But seriously, why are you here so late?"
"Because people complicate things," she said surely.
"How?"
"Oh, in all ways," she began matter-of-factly. "But mostly by interacting with other humans."
"Oh, is this about your ex-boyfriend?"
"A little bit, yeah." She looked at me. "So why are you here?"
"There's this girl I can't stop thinking about," I told her slyly. Maybe she'd get the hint.
"Oh." It was quiet.

Jennifer

"There's this girl I can't stop thinking about." My blood froze. Say something!
"Oh." Could it be me? It was quiet, and I glanced into his eyes. Dark Blue began playing, but then I realized I hadn't brought my iPod. Scott smiled.
"I love this song," he admitted, stepping closer. An earbud dangled in front of him. So do I. I didn't back away.
"So do I," I whispered. I'd done it! I'd successfully told him one of my actual thoughts without being sarcastic and hurting his feelings!
"Dark blue, dark blue," he sung. I cringed. He wasn't very good. He laughed. "Sorry."
"No problem." I leaned in, and his eyes widened. He grinned and leaned in. I could feel and even taste his warm breath on my lip; he tasted like mint. My phone buzzed, making me jump back.
"Hello?" I answered irritatedly.
"You need to come home now, Jen." It was Ryan.
"Why?"
"We're having a family meeting."
"At this hour?"
"Yeah, it's bad."

---

Once I stepped in the door, I knew Ryan was right; it would be bad. Mom, Dad and Ricky were sitting on the couch, Ryan was sitting in a chair, and there was an empty chair for me.
"We're here to talk about a few things," began my dad. "We'll go from oldest to youngest." He looked at Ryan. "You've been runnin' up your phone bill lately, boy."
"Sorry," he muttered.
"Who do you talk to?" Ryan muttered a name, but none of us caught it.
"Who?" we all asked in unison.
"Delaney."
"Now, is this 'Delaney' attractive?" asked my dad seriously.
"Yes," answered Ryan with a devilish grin.
"Smart?"
"Yes."
"Good work, son. Next," he looked at me. "Pull your shirt up."
"What?"
"You heard your father, pull your damn shirt up!" snapped my mother. I glared at Ryan and he shrugged. He sold me out! I lifted my shirt up to show the bruises and my parents and Ricky gasped.
"Who did this to you?" demanded my father.
"Some jealous bitch," I mummbled, putting my shirt down.
"In the school parking lot," added Ryan. I glared at him.
"Why?"
"Because Jen's with the girl's ex," said Ryan again. I looked at him again, mentally telling him to shut up.
"I am not with Scott!" I wish....
"Well if you weren't, why did that girl beat you up?" asked my father.
"Because she's a freak!" exclaimed Ricky.
"You'll get yours," I said confidently, knowing now why my father went oldest to youngest. Easiest news to break to the hardest.
"If you're not with Scott, then who were you just with?" inquired Ryan.
"That doesn't prove anything!" I shot back. I could be with someone without being with someone.
"Jennifer, I'm waiting for an answer," piped up my father.
"I told you, she's just some jealous bitch!"
"Why are you giving her something to be jealous of?" asked my mom.
"It's not my fault her ex boyfriend won't leave me alone!" I was exasperated.
"Yeah, you're a regular guy magnet," mummbled Ricky. I snapped.
"Okay, you know what?! You're barely even a part of this family!" I screamed in his face. "Mom cheated on Dad and got stuck with you!" There was silence in the room.
"They were going to tell him to stop playing so many video games," whispered Ryan.
"I don't fucking care anymore!" I yelled. These people had broken my sanity, and I was indulging myself in the temporary madness. "You act like you're better than everybody, when in reality, you're not! So I'm taking away your superiority by giving you the truth." Ricky looked at my mom.
"Is that true?" he whispered.
"Ricky-" began my father.
"No!" he screamed. "I hate all of you!"
"Son-" started my mother. Ricky turned to face her.
"I hate you the most!" He ran to the front door and left.

Scott

I laid in the grass, thinking of how close I'd been to kissing Jennifer. I licked my lips and could still taste what almost was. I sighed in pure delight and indulgence. I'd have to hang out here more often. I heard loud breathing and fast footsteps. I sat up and saw a kid running. He pulled a phone out and called someone. They talked for about ten minutes, but when he hung up he collapsed into the grass and began crying. I stood up.
"Hey!" I called. The kid stopped moving. "Kid, are you okay?" The kid got up and ran again. He looked young, so I followed him. I didn't want him to get hurt or kidnapped.
"Fuck off!" he called over his shoulder. I rolled my eyes. Maybe he wasn't as young of a kid as I'd originally thought. I got closer and could see the back of his sweatshirt. Baskins. It wasn't Jennifer, and it didn't look or sound like Ryan, so who was it? There had to be another Baskins kid.
"You're Jennifer Baskins's brother, right?" I called after him. He stopped, turned, and glared at me.
"Yeah," he panted. "I know she's a freak, but it's not my fault, so lay off."
"No, I know your sister, and I know your brother Ryan too."
"Then you must know how much they hate me."
"Well actually, I don't think you ever came up-"
"See? I'm not even worth mentioning to them," he said sadly.
"What's your name?"
"Ricky."
"So why are you out so late, Ricky? It's dangerous out here at this time. In fact, I was just telling your sister the same thing not even twenty minutes ago." Ricky got a look of recognition in his eyes.
"Are you Scott?" I was surprised. How did he know? Did Jennifer talk about me?
"Yeah," I smiled.
"Oh, so you're the reason that Jennifer got her ass kicked."