Sink or Swim✓ (Teen Romance)

Chapter Three

            There's a parent meeting right after the game, so the little private beach is clustered with a variety of moms and dads, many still in their work clothes.  My mother shows up in her fittest suit—the one she always wears to court cases—and huddles beside Jenna's mother, who works as some sort of nurse, by the looks of her green and blue scrubs.  One of the freshmen mothers comes with a tray of cut watermelon, which is an obvious attempt to make her weird son some friends, but it works.  How can you not like the kid that has one of those overly-involved parents that bakes all sort of treats?

            I sit beside Keely and Sarah, quietly chewing on my half-eaten piece.  They're not mad at me anymore, but they're still too wrapped up with each other's drama to talk to me.  I pretty much just sit on my towel and stare across the dock at Cassi.  As usual, she's attached to Jenna's hip with a few senior boys sitting a yard away.  Alex is over there too, which kind of annoys me for some reason.  I really thought he and I would be friends, but of course he has to choose her over me.  Nothing new, really.

            I try to turn my attention back to Keely, who's telling a story about her puking brother, but I can't seem to focus.  Instead, my eyes wander to Elliot.  He's over at the watermelon bowl, plucking a few triangles of fruit onto his plate and somehow looking like a freaking model while doing it.  A towel is slung over his swim trunks, almost making it look like he's standing naked on the dock.  A warm blush creeps over my cheeks, but I can't seem to avert my eyes. 

            Suddenly, Elliot looks up, our eyes locking immediately.  I turn my head so fast I almost break my neck, but it wasn't fast enough.  Oh gosh.  He definitely saw me watching him, which means he most likely noticed that I was blushing.  It probably looked like I was eye-raping him.  To be fair, I kind of was, but I didn't want him to know that.

            "Are you okay?" asks Keely.

            I nod, but it's a bit too forced.  Still, she doesn't say anything.  After a moment, she jumps back into her tale, which has somehow moved from a puking brother to a ripped teddy bear. 

            I announce that I'm going to throw my watermelon away—rather loudly to make sure that pretty much the entire team is aware of my plans.  Though I really am tossing my garbage out, I am more importantly going to 'casually' see where Elliot went.  Not that I honestly expected it or anything, but some part of me was secretly hoping he would sit next to me.  And, I obviously know exactly where he ended up sitting.  I just have to see it with my own eyes...without it being too obvious.

            Coach is wrapping things up with the parents, but I don't think any of them are listening anyway.  Everyone is either staring off into space or tapping away on their phones, like my own mother is.  I slink past the yawning crowd and circle around to the garbage can.  Rather than simply dropping the entire plate into the trash, I take my time and individually drop the watermelon crusts into the can.  My eyes slowly scan the dock, checking each cluster of people before coming to the group I already knew he'd be in. 

            Sure enough, Elliot is tucked between Cassi and Jenna, laughing and flashing those stupid dimples.  I don't know why the sight bothers me.  After all, I've only had like two conversations with the guy; one of which involved him hinting that I was sexually assaulting him or something.  I've decided that his 'cute' comment was meant to spare my feelings, rather than compliment me.  Or maybe he meant cute like, little-sister-type cute.  The freckles tend to make me look young.  I don't know.

            I sigh and toss my plate in defeat.  I don't know what I expected.  For some reason, I thought this year was going to be different.  I was going to make more friends and have more fun and maybe even get a boyfriend.  But it's going to be the same way it is every year.  I'm going to have the same two friends and sit in the sidelines as my sister has the time of her life.  That's just the way my life works.