Our Hill Of Stars

Chapter 2: Initiation Night

Cold water rushes over my head in an instant. How the hell did he manage to grab my hand?

I break the surface with a gasp and start treading water. Ace's head pops up a couple seconds later. I realize at that moment our fingers are still intertwined. I quickly wiggle my hand out of his grip.

His formerly fluffy hair is drenched, looking darker than before. It's covering his face but somehow still curls around his ears. Chuckling, he dunks himself under the water and comes up, brushing his hands over his head, pasting his hair place.

I decide to do the same, still scowling. When I come up, Ace is staring at me. I distantly hear laughing from our companions.

"Awe, you're pouting." Ace sticks out his bottom lip mockingly.

"Am not" I push away from him, splashing him in the progress.

"Oh you're totally pouting."

"I'm scowling, there is a difference."

"Looks like pouting to me. Poor Tuffs, she got a little wet."  He teases, getting on my nerves.

"If you think I'm upset about getting dragged into the lake, you are incredibly stupid." I retort.

"Oh, I see. So you're upset I won the race. From what I can tell, you were a little surprised to see me beside you." Ace says to me.

Cocky bastard.

"I told you before, it was beginners luck. Plus, I was barely even trying."

"Ah. Okay." He smirks.

I am going to strangle this man and I'm about to tell him so when we are interrupted by the people still on the docks.

"Mind if we join you two?" Charlotte shouts while Archer whistles behind her.

"Please do. It's getting insufferable with this lump in here" I say, referring to Ace. Obviously.

"Last one in is a rotten egg" Charlotte yells, taking off her shoes then jumping in.

I wish I had taken off my shoes. They wouldn't be dry for days. I mentally add another thing to my list of reasons to not like Ace Beckett.

My number one reason was literally him.

Dax is the last to jump in. When we are all in the water it is a constant splash battle. Using every limb I have I throw water at my friends.

I'm not sure how long we stay in the lake but soon the sun starts to set. We haul ourselves onto the docks and stand there looking like drowned rats in our clothes. It was an unexpected swim.

I would have to get in the habit of wearing my bathing suit under all my clothes. You never know when it's time for a swim.

"We should get back to the cabins so we can change in time for supper." Charlotte says as we shuffle towards the land again.

With the sun slowly going down, the wind picks up slightly, sending a chill down my spine. I cross my arms around myself, trying to keep the warmth in. It's still hot out but the water was sucking any heat out of my body.

I follow the rest of my friends back to the cabins. I fall behind slightly after stubbing my toe on a tree stump. I curse it silently before moving on.

"Cold, Tuffs?" Ace had slowed down, allowing me to catch up.

"Never." I lie, "You?"

"Nope." He denies it even though I can see him trying to hold back the shivers.