Gym Class

Chapter 12

"You alright Jess?" I asked. We had climbed on the tube and the only thing left was the signal I would make that told dad to go.

"Yeah I just... I haven't really done this in a few years. We don't have a boat for tubing so we'd always wait until my aunt Lindsey came down with my cousins Claire and Tommy. She had a boat so we'd use that." She told me with a small smile.

"The first time she came over was three years ago. That was the first time I had ever been tubing and it was okay. She came over last summer too but I wasn't able to go since I had broken my finger and couldn't hold onto the tube."

"Oh it's fine. Dad'll start out easy and I'll tell him to can go faster once you're comfortable with it." I told her.

"Thank you Tess." She smiled and then copied what she had seen Jasper and Tristan do before.

"All good!" I yelled up to Justin with a smile who passed the message onto dad. Dad gave the thumbs up and started driving slowly. After a few minutes of small waves and a lot of slingshots, Jess gave me permission to tell dad to go faster. I gave dad the thumbs up and he sped up, just like he did for Jasper and Tristan.

Ashley sped by on her boat, Jordyn, Jackson and Gabe yelled and hollered at us and Anna screamed with excitement as the boat pulled her tiny body along on the water skis. Dad sped up and started racing them.

"I can tell them to stop." I looked over at Jess who was smiling, even though her knuckles were white from holding on so tight. "They're going to race, see who falls off first. Me and you or Anna."

"No it's fine." Jess laughed.

"Hey!" Anna yelled as we passed by her on the skis. I raised my hand and waved at her. She signalled for Ashley to speed up so that she was beating us.

Dad and Ashley both steered the boats so they caused massive waves. Both of us on the tube and Anna managed to avoid the majority of them though.

"One hand?" Anna called over to us. I looked over at Jess who just smiled and nodded. I let one hand go of the handle and saluted Anna who saluted back. All three of us held on with one hand held behind our backs. The kids on the boats were laughing but both Dad and Ashley weren't paying attention to us, they were to busy focusing on which boat was in the lead.

Eventually the waves got to big and Jess and I flipped off. We resurfaced soon enough to see Anna celebrating before a giant wave came and she let go.

Jess and I swam over to my little sister who came up sputtering. "At least I won!" She laughed. Yup. She was going to be bragging at dinner tonight.

We spent 6 more hours on the lake.  Tristan and I were on the last run.  We did it every time we went.  We would both try showing off by doing tricks, even though there weren't to many you could do on a tube.  She won, I fell off first.  She had sat up on the tube lying on her side with her head propped up on her elbow.  She was laughing until dad starting driving the boat and the tube slingshotted, causing her to roll off into the water.

Once we had all dried off and changed into different clothes we set up dinner.  Dad started cooking burgers for everyone, Ashley was cooking the vegetables and making the salad. 

All 10 of us kids gathered outside the unlit fire pit while we waited for dinner to be ready.

"I bet you that I can still do that." Jasper said suddenly, looking over to the old wooden board attached to a rope that we used to use as a swing.  Now, the only ones light enough for the swing was Justin, Anna and Grace. 

"No you can't." Tristan laughed.  "Remember at my house? And that swing was a lot tougher looking than this one."

"Oh please." Jasper waved his hand to dismiss her.  "I can do it."

"No you can't." She sang and grabbed one of the daisies off of the ground and started plucking the petals.

"Oh yeah? Watch me." He smirked and ran up to the 5 foot tall stone wall that separated the house and the woods.  He grabbed the top stones and jumped up onto it.  He walked up the small hill through the trees until he got to the old swing.

"Here I go!" He yelled as he hopped up on the board.  He picked up his feet and swung down over the stone wall with a loud creak from the swing. He went across the small section of grass between the stones and the house, and back.  When he got up to the top he smiled smugly at his girlfriend. 

"Do it again." Tristan smirked. Jasper just laughed and jumped up onto the board. As soon as he touched the board, the impact of him jumping on it crushed it.  The rope snapped off the tree and Jasper crashed to the ground.

"Dinner!" Dad called. "What are you doing?" He asked Jasper as he gave a loud groan.

"Oh nothing." Jasper moaned as he rolled over onto his back.

"Come on princess." Tristan laughed and lifted her boyfriend to his feet. We all walked inside, still laughing at Jasper.

"Alright grab a plate!" Ashley yelled to us and we all grabbed a plate, piling on burgers, potatoes, beans and salad onto them.

Dinner was great.  My family tried really hard to get to know Jess and to make her feel comfortable.  I hadn't been worried, they did the exact same for Tristan when she came into our lives.

By the time everyone had eaten and piled their plates up at the sink it was 7:45.  Ashley set out to clean them while dad grabbed his book and went to his bedroom.  Jasper pulled out the pull-out couch that him and Tristan would be sleeping on and Grace and Gabe lied down on if with them. Anna found a spot at the foot of the bed.  Justin, Jackson and Jordyn grabbed a seat on the couch together.  Jess and I pulled two recliners together so we could both lie down.  Jasper set up a movie on the tv on the wall.

"Classic." He smiled as he grabbed one of the cases.  All of us looked around at each other except Jess.  We knew what was coming on, School Of Rock.

The movie finished and we got up. Jess excused herself to go brush her teeth and get ready in the bathroom. Grace and Anna had already gone to change in their room so it was just me, the twins, Justin, Jasper and Tristan.

"So guys," I started, getting all their attention. "Do you like her?"

"She's awesome!" Tristan smiled. We all stared at her for a few seconds before she shrugged and said, "What? I'll most likely be part of this family in a few years. My input should count."

"Really? You wanna be with me in the future?" Jasper smiled awkwardly and fumbled to find his girlfriend's hands.

"Well yeah. We've been together since we were 15 and it's been totally perfect. I can't imagine being with anyone else." Tristan gushed happily.  Everyone groaned.

"And back to Jess." I laughed as my oldest brother and his girlfriend blushed and turned back to us.

"Quick answers please.  She'll probably be back any minute." I pointed to my left at Justin and once he answered I pointed to the person next to him. Everyone had answered and they all seemed to like her, leaving me in a great mood. I was so glad that my family liked my girlfriend and that they were supportive about the fact that I had a girlfriend. My family meant the world to me and if they weren't there for me then I don't know what I'd do.

Jasper and Tristan kicked us out to remake their bed. Slowly but surely we all managed to change and get settled in.

"Can I shut the lights off?" Jackson asked.

"Wait!" Gabe called as he climbed up the steps to get to the top of the bunk. He passed his bag down to Jordyn who shoved it under her bed and rolled over. "Alright now go." He grinned and the lights went out.

I rolled over, pulling the blankets up to my shoulders and wrapping and arm around Jess.  She hummed softly as I kissed her ear.  My phone buzzed from the floor beside me and I rolled over to grab it.

'Have you told her yet?'

The text from Jaime read. She had been texting me ever since she found out Jess was coming with me this weekend.  She wanted me to tell her about moving but I couldn't bring myself to. I know I had to sooner or later, I was just hoping to do it later.