Summer's Winter

Chapter 3 - Anise

Yesterday, movers came in and finished up the Falters' house. The house looks brand new now. I can see the pool from my room through the window. I haven't seen Tucker in the pool yet. It might take them a while to get adjusted in this neighborhood. The décor that I saw two days ago was amazing so I think their house would be amazing too. 

I look at my phone and see that my tennis coach wants to practice my hits, especially my backhand because I suck at that. Ah shit, I'm not in my backyard yet. I rushed myself into a tank top and shorts grabbed one of my racquets and headed downstairs into the back yard. I look up into the sky and watch as birds fly by. I breathed as I threw the tennis ball into the air to serve fully stretched my arms and struck it down to hit it. 

I heard a door opening at the Falters' house. There he is. Tucker, with his silver eyes, and this time he wasn't in his hoodie but in one of his regular shirts. I try to focus on my tennis shots. I bounce it against the ground and smack it and it hits the fence. Tucker looks right at me. I gulped. He is sending me chills—hardcore chills down my spine. I look at his eyes before he loses eye contact. I am perplexed because what I feel makes no sense. I felt an urge to say something to him. 

"Hey, Tucker!" I yelled and waved at him.

He just waved back. He took off his shirt and I can see his toned stomach and veins on his arms.  He tossed it aside on the pool loungers. 

"Ahem," I said.

He looks at me with those wintery silver eyes with the coldest face.

"What have a problem?" He said with a deep monotone voice. 

I realized it is normal for guys to wear no shirts when they swim. 

"Sorry just had a train of thoughts," I said. 

He looked away and dived into the pool. The sun is melting him down. No actually, he was making me freeze up and I'm the one that makes myself melt. He looks at me with those eyes, those wintery pretty eyes that freeze my soul up. I served continuously in the basting sun. I suddenly need a refresher. I grabbed my water bottle and chugged all the water down.  

Tucker pops his head out of the water. He watches me serve a few balls and me chugging down all my water. He didn't care much and just kept swimming. I stopped in my tracks picked up all the balls and went back inside my house. 

I showered, dried up, and plopped on my bed. I looked up at the ceiling and felt my face getting hot. I want an excuse to go to their house now. I don't know how I would be able to talk with the Falters more. I got up and looked through my window where I saw Tucker in the pool. I watched as he rubbed his eyes and did laps. He looks like a natural swimmer. Maybe water and ice are meant to be for each other, maybe ice and the sun. Wait. What did I think of? Ice and Sun? No. Tucker is ice and he can't be with the sun because he will melt. He doesn't melt clearly. 

I watched him adjust his swimming shorts and splashed water on himself. I'm nervous, nervous enough to where if he asked me something I would probably burn myself. He floats on his back and moves his legs and arm to move against the small currents in his swimming pool. I watch, thinking what if I was there?  What if he drowned and I saved him, will he melt as I burn? God, who knows? 

He grabbed a floatie and jumped on it. He needs a tan, he is pale. At the same time, he looks good either tanned or pale. I watched him tan and relax for a while. His floatie faces my window and he opens his eyes and sees me. ME. OH. SHIT. I closed my blinds super quickly and ducked down. I don't want to make a wrong impression of me. Shit. What if he thinks I am a stalker?

Dammit Anise, you have fucked up.