His keeping to himself had created quite a frenzy at school, and like usual, he never even noticed.
When he emerged from the water again, he climbed and settled on the boardwalk and pulled me up to him. We sat side by side, drenched and cool, our feet in the water. He leaned back on his thick forearms after a few minutes and stared up at the night sky, and all I could think about were tomboys and girly girls and the strange jealousy that ripped through me not knowing what he was into.
“Cindy likes you.” I blurted that out without thinking. It was rash and impulsive, but I had to know.
“Okay,” was all he said on the matter.
I turned to look down at him. “Like, if you asked her out, she wouldn’t say no.”
“Okay,” he repeated indifferently, avoiding my eye.
“Aston –”
“Elise,” he sharply cut in. “I heard you.”
I sighed and impatiently replied, “Well, aren’t you interested?”
“No.”
“No?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Cindy’s a drama-queen. I don’t know why you still hang out with her.”
“I hang out with her because she’s still better than the other bitches at school.”
“I met a nice girl today. Her name is Tanya. She didn’t seem bitchy. Maybe you should hang out with her too.”
My face darkened. “Where did you meet her?”
“At the gym.”
I gritted my teeth. “You’re talking about the new girl?”
He raised his brows. “Oh, so you know her?”
“She’s not new, I don’t know why she tells people that. She arrived during second semester, and apparently she can suck-start a lawn mower…or so the boys tell me.”
He laughed. “Right.”
“But…I guess you might like her. She’s a girly girl.”
He raised his brows in question. “So?”
“So…you know, aren’t you into girly girls like Cindy? She doesn’t have a suck-start reputation. You’d be the cutest couple.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
My cheeks heated and I looked away from his “what the hell” face and kicked at the water. “I’m just asking, Aston. Jeesh.”
“Did Cindy put you up to this?”
“No, I just wondered if you’d be interested back in her. That’s it. You don’t have to be butt-hurt about it.”
“She called me a weirdo years ago, or are we going to forget that?”
“But that was before you turned…you know.”
He looked at me. “Turned what?”
“You know…”
“No, I don’t know.”
“Well, figure it out.”
“Just tell me. Before I turned what?”
“Beautiful!” I yelled in frustration before gesturing at all of him. “That was before you were an Adonis, Aston. Now they’re all over me asking me, ‘Oh, Elise, is Aston available? Oh, Elise, give him my number. Oh, Elise, have him date me and I’ll be your best friend and do whatever you ask of me.’ Like if I wanted to, I could have a slave camp with all these girls who’ll do anything to be with you. It’s freaking annoying and I’m tired of being the messenger. I need a life outside of your stalkers. I need you to just date one of your girly girls so I can live in freaking peace!” And get over you!
There was an unbearably awkward silence that followed. When I found the courage to look at him, I froze in place at his expression. He was smiling from ear to ear, his dimples I never really knew were there deepening, his green eyes twinkling under the moonlight as he stared back at me.
“Wow,” he whispered, amused, “you’re really pissed.”
“I’m pissed that you’ve done nothing about it.”
“Is that really why you’re pissed?” He prodded, but he knew.
“Yes,” I lied.
“I’m not dating airheads, and the girls at school are airheads.”
“What about Delia? She’s smart.”
“Her head’s the shape of a football.”
To my dismay, I burst out laughing. “Oh, so you’re picky about their intelligence, but if they have it, then it’s their looks.”
“I’m a normal guy, too, you know. I like girls, but…I want someone smart too. And pretty. Both those things aren’t too much to ask for. If Delia’s head was more proportionate to a baseball, I’d go for it.”
I wrapped my arm around my sore ribs as I laughed, and he just smiled at me, watching me as I struggled for air. “What about this Tanya girl then?”
“She’s hot, don’t get me wrong. She’s…wow.” Jealousy shook me to the core, but I swallowed it down as he continued. “I’m sure she’d give a guy a night to remember but…that’s all she is. A night to remember.”