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| Chapter 9 I rustled around and fixed something to eat. I took a shower and got dressed. I couldn�t stop thinking about him. I hoped that I didn�t have to wait until next Thursday to talk to him again. Just then the phone rang, startling me. It was Michelle, once again inviting me over to swim. "Should I bring anything this time?", I asked. She said, "No. It�s not a cook out t this time. Just me, Matt, Jeff and Kristin." Kristin. Just the sound of her name made me uneasy. I couldn�t believe it - I was jealous of her. I tried to shake the feeling. "Jade?", she said. "Oh sorry.", I returned. "So? You coming over or what?", she asked. "I don�t know. Maybe I should hang around here and get some things done." I just didn�t feel like being around them - Jeff and Kristin. I felt like maybe I couldn�t talk to him or whatever. I didn�t want it to be awkward. Michelle sighed, "Jade, that�s all you ever do is hang around and get things done. You�ve got all week to do that stuff. The boys are only here for a couple of days, they want to hang out." "They do?", I asked bewildered. "Yeah, especially a certain one.", she teased. "But his girlfriend is there. I don�t think I should.", I declined. "So. What is there something going on between you two that I should know about?", she pried. I hadn�t told her about our weekly meetings and obviously neither had he. "I don�t know what you�re talking about.", I said trying to play it off. "Well, we�ll have to talk later, but for now, you need to get your bikini on and get over here.", she demanded. "Okay. I�ll be there in a few.", I answer and hung up. I couldn�t fool her about my feelings for Jeff, and she was trying to hook us up anyway, it was obvious. I figured, "What the hell." I put on my bikini and slipped on a pair of cut off shorts and flip flops. I was off to swim at the Hardy house. When I got there, they were all in the back. Matt, Michelle and Jeff were in the pool and Kristin was laying in a lounge chair beside the pool. "Hey Jade!", Matt called. I waved. Kristin sat up and looked at me - if looks could kill. I ignored her and slipped my shorts off. I hopped into the pool and as I did, Jeff climbed out. I couldn�t look at him. I felt like if I did, Kristin would see it too. But that seemed to make it even more apparent. I was floating on a raft when I heard them start yelling. I looked over at Jeff and Kristin who were standing to the side yelling back and forth. "No. I�m not staying!", she yelled. "Why?!", he yelled back. "I�m not going to sit here and watch you two pretend that there�s nothing going on!", she screamed. I could feel my face blush. I looked at Michelle who was trying to ignore what was going on. We tried to block them out by talking to Matt. He couldn�t stand to hear them fight, but had learned to stay out of it. "There�s nothing going on, Kristin. She�s my friend, that�s all!", he screamed at her. "Yeah, right! That�s why you were at her house half the fucking night, cause she�s your friend!", she yelled back at him. Michelle shot me a �oh really?� look. "I think I should go.", I said climbing off of the raft and towards the steps of the pool. "No, stay.", Michelle called after me. I just shook my head �no� and dried myself off. "Yeah. I needed a friend last night. If you hadn�t been out fucking that guy from the bike shop, maybe I would have stayed home!" I was really trying to hurry and get out of there. "I don�t know what you�re talking about, Jeffrey.", she said trying to sound a little calmer. "Don�t play that shit with me, Kristin. I saw you. I followed you to his house and I saw you through the window.", he yelled. So, that�s what was wrong with him. How could she treat him like that, he was such a nice guy. "You followed me?!", she screamed. "Don�t turn this around to make it like I did something bad. I followed you, I didn�t fuck around on you.", he insisted. I could vouch for that. I walked hurriedly for the gate. "Where are you going?!", Kristin yelled to me, "You afraid I�ll find out the truth?" I wanted so badly to turn around and regulate on her - to tell her that she was stupid to cheat on him; that if she would just love him, he would give her the world. I knew that for a fact, cause I knew how he was - look how nice he�d been to me and he�d only known me for a couple of weeks. But I decided to stay out of it. I simply said, "Whatever you want to think, Kristin. This has nothing to do with me. This is between the two of you." As I walked out the gate and shut it behind me, I heard Matt say, "I really don�t want to hear all of this. If you two are going to fight, just go home." I made my way back down the road cursing her all the way. Why did she have to be like that? I would kill to have a guy like him. I felt so bad for him. I took a long shower and washed the chlorine out of my hair. I couldn�t stop thinking about him. Then it hit me. I had fallen in love with him. But how could I fall so fast? I couldn�t figure it out. I had just gotten dressed when the phone rang. It was Michelle. She apologized for what had happened. I told her that it wasn�t her fault, but I knew I shouldn�t have come over. She pumped me for information on what was going on with me and Jeff. I insisted that we were just friends, but she wasn�t buying it. "Is he okay?", I asked. "I guess. I don�t know. Kristin stormed home and Jeff took off on his motorcycle. I don�t know where he went." I looked out the back window and could see him sitting in the gazebo looking out at the pond. "I think I know where he is.", I said. "You do?", she asked. "Yeah. I�ll call you back.", I said and hung up the phone. Last Chapter ..*.. Next Chapter ..*.. Chapter Index ..*.. Home |