Along came Avery

3 5 . r e d f l a g s

My feet lightly paddle out the back door and towards the pool, where the culprit seems to be having a relaxing time. I rub my hands against my forearms as I try creating warmth.

"Isn't it a bit too late to be swimming at this time?" I whisper yell, glancing up at my parents' window upstairs. It would be crazy if they come out and see either one of us out at such an ungodly time like this. "What if my parents see?"

"Isn't it a bit too late for your parents to be up at this time?" He shoots back; a wet hand moves the soaking strands backwards from his face as his hazel eyes lift up to mine.

The pool, since a clear blue and white considering the pool lights are on and making the water seem as though it's glowing, bounces it's colour off of his hazel eyes in a way that makes them look blue. He gently sways his body to and fro as he watches me, then ticks his head to the side.

"Come swim with me."

I scoff, cheeks tingling at the thought. "I can't swim."

"Liar. Just get in the pool. It's not the olympics or something, so you won't actually be swimming. Come."

"I can't swim, Avery. I don't swim." My feet carry me closer to the edge of the pool. "Michaela knows, so you know I'm telling the truth."

"Then put your legs in the water."

I eye him momentarily. He doesn't have spare clothes, so what really is he swimming with. "Are you wearing anything under there?"

Avery moves closer to the shallow end and stands up straighter, showing me the swimming trunks he has technically close to sagging off of his broad hips. Even still, my eyes greedily take in his physique. Chest looks lean and on the fairly muscular side, abs don't look like brick walls but the outline is visible. His broad shoulders, letting the water run down all the way to the trunks. I can't see his legs since they are in the water. His arms are lean — not bulky, but not like sticks and skin, like mine. I can see his eagle tattoo on his forearm. I even recognise the silver necklace he's wearing.

"Your brother's shorts." Oh, Zulu won't like that. "Put your legs in the pool, Zinhle." He shifts back towards the middle of the pool, his head and shoulders being the only thing clear and visible to me. "Or would you rather me get out and get you?"

My head shakes from side to side, and as I bite the side of my cheek, I remove my morning slippers and step closer to the pool. I then sit down and inch my toes in, before both feet get in. A heavy shiver skates up my feet right to my thighs, and my body shivers at the bitter coldness of the water. I grip onto my long sleeve pyjama shirt as my shoulders rise up.

Avery casually manoeuvres toward me, and when he's close, he takes hold of the back of my knees and part them. The red flags look much like a carnival in my eyes so I ignore the warnings even when he steps between my legs, soaked basically from head to toe, and his wet hands move right up my hips, pulling me right to the edge of the pool. The roughness of the brick trail scratch against the back of my thoughts right to the hem of my shorts, but I pay no mind to that when he taps my hips twice and completely pulls away.

"There." He mutters, lowering himself under the water right until it's at his chin and looks up at me.

My hands slowly grip the hem of my shirt, as shivers now and again itch up to my shoulders. It's really cold; never mind the lowered temperatures of this weather at such a time, understandably so, and the water is partially numbing my toes already.

I sigh a bit, now looking back at Avery. "Why are you here, really? It really is late to be swimming at this time."

"I couldn't sleep." He shrugs. "You couldn't sleep, too."