Little Girl Blue - 𝐖𝐋𝐖

𝐈. Pragma- TwentyNine

It wasn't the best idea. Nobody has ever taught me to swim and I didn't think the time would present itself to splash around. In the midst of it all, it was somehow easy to forget it was the summer. Even with the heat I had been hopelessly distracted.

I didn't want to believe it had been that long. Long enough for the wound to become a scar, long enough to claim my side of the bed in Harper's room.

She didn't abandon me. No. It felt much worse than that, simply because I felt much more for her. It was betrayal. And once those thoughts settled in my brain, in the next second I began to feel guilty for doing the same to her.

We said we wouldn't go anywhere. We said we had each other and since that night we met, it had been unspoken to do just that. But she had thrown me on my ass like I was the child she always expected me to be.

I hated somehow proving her right, like she won. She couldn't get her way and now she was pouting. I couldn't help but think the woman wasn't as strong as she thought.

Despite my hypocrisies spotting my every move, I had to keep going. Freeloading off of Harper and her mother couldn't last much longer, and quite honestly, neither could working at the grocer. The hours were long and each shift left my body more with an ache.

"I have a bathing suit you can borrow." The day started as any other. Rainbow made breakfast, Harper was up playing with the cat, failing to keep quiet as I slept.

We worked most of the time, therefore most days off were spent lounging around and filling our bellies.

Today, it was the group's spontaneous idea to go swimming at the lake. Harper, being excited to get out of the house, wasted no time in getting ready. Her drawers were ripped apart and lunches were made. I just watched and obeyed, a frantic Harper was scary.

"Will Gideon be there?" The AC blared out my voice, the mini van rocking through the dirt road.

Harper turned and started to laugh, "you say that as if you haven't spent every evening with with him."

I blushed, keeping quiet as we followed the path to the body of water. It was true. I often found myself riding home with Gideon after hours. His sister, Addy, accompanying us on walks around the park and watching cartoons, her giggling laugh trailing behind.

We stopped abruptly on the track. The car next to us was being unloaded, a few of Harper's other friends unpacking coolers and lawn chairs. "Florence grab the bags." She jumped out of the car excitedly, hurrying to the crowd.

Huffing, though without protest, I proceeded to unbuckle myself and twisted my body to the backset full of rolled up towels, a speaker, and our lunch. I backed out of the van, juggling the items between both arms was a task and without realizing, my bathing suit had knitted together.

"Hey oh—" His eyes darted downwards then quickly found interests elsewhere.

Oh? I looked down, the warped strings tangled, half of my nipple exposed. "Oh God," I breathed. The bags were no longer a concern as I struggled to cover the exposed skin. The bathing suit was revealing enough, now my boob was out.

He rushed to the ground to pick up what had been dropped, straining to keep his eyes away. "You're fine, Florence." He tried to laugh it off but in the few weeks I've gotten to know the blond, I knew it was not fine. He was flustered, and his pale skin made it easy to see the red under his cheeks.

To not make it awkward, I gathered the few towels still scattering the asphalt, chuckling. "We've kissed, Gideon. You seeing my chest is just getting us to second base."

He gulped. "Funny."

"Very." I smirked.

There was a small shaded area where everyone was huddled. Harper had already set out our blankets, using rocks and water bottles to keep the corners pinned. Everyone else was readying themselves for a long day. I recognized Raven, the girl Jane was concerned about for smoking, was laying across a rock in the middle of the lake, her back arched over its rugged shape. A few of Gideon's friends from his old swim team were there also, setting up a volleyball net.