The Sun and The Moon (SatoGou)

Chapter 12

That weekend, Ash invites me to Gary's house. At first, I'm extremely hesitant to go. I want to spend the time with him, not Gary, but he seems keen to go. Gary has a heated pool, because of course he does, and everyone is going in their swimwear. He assures me that if I want to leave, he'll leave with me, which makes me feel a little better, so I agree to go.

It's getting dark when I arrive with Chloe. Both of us are wearing swimwear under our clothes. Chloe expressed how uncomfortable she was wearing the bikini, but I assured her she looked fine. It's a baby pink one with a cherry blossom print.

I knock on the door, and Gary answers, already shirtless, just wearing a pair of dark cargos, a chain hanging around his neck. "Hey," he says. "Come in."

Trying not to stare at his bare torso, I follow him inside, Chloe close behind me. We walk the length of his ridiculously huge house, through to his backyard. I had noticed the pool out here both times I was at his parties, but never bothered to come out here. Now, I see it's huge, and steam is rising from it, curling in the air.

Ash and Dawn aren't here yet, but May and Serena are, leaning against the edge. May's wearing a red bikini, while Serena is wearing a pink one that ties around the back of her neck. They both light up when we step outside.

Gary's playing Chase Atlantic through a bluetooth speaker he has balanced on a sunchair. I wave as we step outside. Drew and a guy I don't recognise are sitting on the edge of the pool on the other side. May is already calling for Chloe to come and join them. Nervously, Chloe pulls her t-shirt over her head, and kicks off her pants, laying them in the pile with everyone else's clothes.

Gary comes up beside me, sipping from a beer bottle. "Not bad," he says, watching Chloe walk away. I bristle, fighting the urge to tell him that he doesn't need to put this gross act on for me. "Want a drink?"

"Sure," I say. I wait until I hear him open the doors to the kitchen to pull my own shirt and pants off, and climb into the pool beside Chloe, sighing at the heat.

"What was he saying?" she asks.

"Nothing important," I say. If I tell her about his comment, she'll feel uncomfortable for the rest of the night. Chloe shrugs and reaches around to take the hair tie out from the bottom of her braid. Her hair falls loose around her shoulder, wild and curly until she dips her head under the water, soaking it. Then it just sticks to her skin. Following her lead, I dip my head under then come back up, shaking my hair off.

"Here," Gary says from behind me, and I look up to see him leaning over me, his chain dangling over my head. I smile and reach up, taking the beer.

"Thanks," I say with a strained smile. Then he pulls off the cargos and walks around the edge of the pool to join Drew and the mystery guy. I turn to Serena. "Who is that?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean Paul," she says, glancing over at them. "I hardly know him. An old friend of Ash and Gary's, I think, from the other school."

From Tokio's school, she means. Paul looks completely unimpressed with everything and everyone, and hasn't looked my way once. Not that I'm complaining. He's kind of intimidating, even from a distance.

Gary looks down at his phone and smiles. "Ash is here."

A few seconds later, the patio doors slide open, and Ash and Dawn step out. Dawn is already taking her dress off, racing over to the pool in her black bikini and diving in beside us, bursting out of the water, splashing all of us. Ash hangs back, and when I finish laughing at Dawn and turn to see him, I see an odd look on his face, and he's staring at Paul. Paul is staring right back at him, his eyes narrowed, and then Ash turns away from him, finally looking at me. I almost wave, but then Ash takes off his shirt, holding eye contact as he does. I turn away so quickly that I accidentally splash May beside me, my skin on fire. A second later, the water is disrupted beside me, and I realise it's Ash getting in.