Hello Summer

The Pool Party by @Renlinley

Summer 2005

Indiana's P.O.V

Lincoln Andrews was going to be the death of me. He was going to mess with my head so terribly that the men in white coats were going to come and throw me in the back of a padded van, before whisking me away to a room with cushioned walls and dressing me in one of those lovely white jackets. You know the ones, all stylish with the straps and buckles that keep you snug and tightly wrapped up. Yeah. Lincoln Andrews was going to be the sole reason for my ending up in the looney bin.

He was my brother's best friend and took it upon himself to become mine as well. When we were kids, he was sweet. He would stick up for me against my brother and tell him he shouldn't pick on girls. He rescued my teddy bear from the tree when Nate, being the horrible big brother, because that was his 'duty', threw it out of the window just so I would cry.

He even risked his life by stealing flowers from Old Mrs Macgee's front yard for me. That was the day I fell in love with him. I was six. And now ten years later, those feelings had changed. They were stronger than ever and I hated him for it. As he got older he changed too. He never treated me badly, he still always looked out for me and protected me but he did like to taunt me and tease me.

He seemed to realise how god damn sexy he was with his bright green eyes and tousled brown hair and liked to flaunt his slim, toned and tanned body every chance he got. He knew the effect he had on the entire female population of our school, me included, and it made me hate as much as I loved him.
"Come on Indie, get in the water." Sarah, my best girl friend called out to me, snapping me out of my Lincoln oriented thoughts.

"Ah, nah. I'm fine." I shook my head, and slipped my shades down over my eyes before settling into my chaise beside the pool. From there, I had the perfect view of Linc, while he stood across my backyard looking like Adonis and flirted with Kimberley Winston-Greene or purple or blue. Who knew? I didn't like her, even her name annoyed me. Seriously, who had two surnames and one of them being a colour?

I watched as he whispered something in her ear and she threw her head back and laughed. If she stuck her chest out any further, she'd break her back in half. Who invited her anyway? It was my birthday and I didn't ask her to come. I felt my eyebrows pinch together as my eyes narrowed. Was she rubbing his chest? Uh-uh. No. She needs to get her perfectly manicured fingers off him.

"Indiana! Get in the pool this instant." Sarah called again and swam over to the edge closest to me. "I know what you're doing. Stop ogling the goods and enjoy your party. It's your sweet sixteen."

I rolled my eyes at her but she didn't see since my shades were still protecting me. But I knew she was right. I wasn't going to let Linc's flirty ways ruin my sixteenth birthday. I just wished he wouldn't flirt with other girls in front of me.

He obviously didn't know about my feelings for him and nor could he ever find out. He would just laugh at me and tell me it was a silly crush and that I was like is little sister. So I admired from afar, and shot killer lasers out of my eyes when girls like Kimberley Winston-Orange got too close to what I wanted.

I pulled off my sunglasses and stretched. Looking at Sarah smiling up at me, I finally succumbed to the hot sun and the pleading in her eyes. Pulling off my kaftan that was covering my garishly bright yellow bikini, courtesy of Sarah, I stood up and moved to the edge of the pool. I heard someone whistle and snapped my head around to see who it was.

There were a few people in the pool already and some over by the food table but I had no idea who would have whistled, until I caught David's eye. He was standing off to the side throwing a football around with a few other boys from my class but stopped to wink at me.