The Championship

IV: Pool Party

Pool Party:

Understanding Jason was getting harder rather than easier to understand the more I got to know him, which wasn't very intuitive. Practice hadn't really gotten better and I thanked god that we didn't have practice on Friday afternoon because I'm quite sure Lilly would kill me if I didn't help her set up for her pool party.

"This has to be the event of the year," she said, grabbing my shoulders and looking at me seriously. "Seriously, Syd. This has to be absolutely perfect. First week of senior year all done, and now? We party. Hard." She turned back to face the mirror, meticulously applying another layer of waterproof mascara which she really didn't need. Lilly was naturally stunning.

She was already in her bikini, a shiny silver metallic piece that covered just enough but not too much. I had been ready for the past five minutes, and now I was really just watching her and savoring my last few minutes of freedom before she put me to work. I knew Paul and Reid were downstairs, hanging decorations and filling coolers and buckets with ice.

After finishing what I was sure was her third layer of mascara, she put the wand back in the bottle and turned to me with a frown, "Hey! You're not doing anything! Go check on the boys for me," she commanded, "they're useless..." I heard her mutter under her breath

I walked downstairs to see Paul flipping a water bottle, and Reid dutifully putting up streamers and beach themed decorations. He was so whipped.

"Paul! Get back to work!" I cried in exasperation as I walked down the steps, "How dare you make poor Reid do it all!"

Reid dropped what he was doing to glance at Paul. As they made eye contact, a subtle, almost imperceptible smirk passed between them, and I realized something was gonna happen, barely having time to mutter "oh shit-" before I was picked up by two of the best football players in the nation and carried to the pool. Paul had my wrists and Reid my ankles as they started swinging me over the pool.

"1-"

"Paul no-"

"2-"

"Reid don't-"

"3!" They shouted together as they let me go. I shrieked slightly as I peaked in the air and fell down to my doom. The freezing cold water sent my body into temporary shock, and I held my breath as the icy water engulfed me.

"I hate you guys. You suck." I groaned, thankful that, like Lilly, I was also wearing waterproof mascara.

Paul and Reid ran off back into the house laughing and I came after them hoping to try and get revenge. As I walked into the house, slightly sliding across the floor and definitely leaving wet footprints, I spotted Reid and Paul.

I decided to give them big hugs since I was still soaked, but unfortunately Paul knew me well enough to combat it, so he wrapped a towel he'd been hiding around me as I threw myself toward him.

He twirled me around in the towel until it completely restricted my movements and I felt like a burrito. I started laughing.

"You guys suck so much," I huffed.

Of course it was that moment Lilly chose to come down the stairs, and as soon as she saw me, dripping wet and wrapped up like a burrito, Paul, laughing his ass off, and Reid, being a dutiful boyfriend (and sneaky bastard) and decorating, she shrieked.

"Oh. My. God. There is still so much to do, and people will be arriving in thirty minutes... and Sydney why the fuck are you wet?" Lilly exclaimed.

+++

Thirty minutes later, the place was carefully decorated. After being scolded, Paul and I got to work quickly and before we knew it, the backyard was filled with buckets of ice and drinks, decorations, and snacks.