Twelve thousand words about you

Chapter 3: Another day another 'friend'

I run to the swimming pool and there were way more people than this morning. Most people preferred going there in the afternoons and stayed home in the mornings. I went over to our usual spot, where my friends had their towels and their stuff. They weren't there so I assumed they were bathing. I went over there and saw Lea and Mia sitting. Julian and the rest of our friends were on their left and they were all laughing and talking. I got into the pool. I couldn't understand how my friends didn't go in and could just sit there frying in the sun. 
-Nora! What happened? We called you a million times. 
-I lost track of time, sorry. How are you? Did anything exciting happen? - I looked at Lea with a mischievous smile when saying the last question. She shook her head.
-No, nothing really. But there are two guys to our left that have been jumping into the water SINCE WE GOT HERE. And they splash A  LOT. I swear to God that if they keep splashing I am gonna duck them and drown them. - Mia said, without worrying about them hearing us.
And she was right. A guy ran behind us and jumped right over us breaking into the water a couple of meters further away. They jumped OVER us. Not next to us. Over us. I was shocked. Who in their right mind did that? I thought people were a bit more respectful. He hadn't splashed us, but I could feel Mia getting more pissed by the moment. The friend went after him but landed closer to us, making us fully wet. Well, I was already in the water, but Mia and Lea weren't. Mia finally burst. Seeing that she couldn't duck them, she started splashing them and they were completely caught by surprise, amused at what they were seeing and shocked at the same time. 
-What in the world are you doing? - Said the friend.
-If you wanted to talk to us, you could've just done so. And if not, you could behave like normal people and not go around disturbing others and splashing all over the place like motion-sick ducks. - Lea and I tried not to laugh at the stupid situation while Mia nearly yelled at the guys.
-If you don't want to get wet then don't go into the swimming pool. Try using some common sense.
They started arguing and then, looking at them, I realized that the guy who had jumped into the swimming pool first was they guy with the red drink and the one I had seen jogging, although this time I instantly recognized him. Our eyes crossed and I looked away, taken aback. Suddenly, Mia and the guy had stopped arguing. 
-What's your name? - he asked.
-What do you think I'm called? - Mia replied.
He thought about it for a few seconds. 
-Stella. You seem like a Stella, don't you think so? - he said turning to look at his friend.
-Yeah. Or Sarah.
Mia widened her eyes, faking, as if they had guessed right. She looked at the guy with the drink.
-How did you know? 
-Is it really Sarah? 
-Yeah. How did you guess?
Lea and I were standing behind, trying not to burst out laughing.
-What are your names? 
It was Mia asking
-Your turn to guess. 
We looked at each other. I was horrible at guessing names.
-Hmmm. I don't know. You look like a Ric. And you look like a Alex. - I said pointing at the guy with the drink first and then at the friend.
-Close enough. I'm Alexander, but everybody calls me Alex. - the friend said.
-And I'm Marc. What 'bout you? What are you guys called?
-I'm  Lea.
-You'll have to try and guess once more. - I said.
-Maria
-Tanya
-Julia
-Ana
They said lots of names super fast one after the other, each saying one of them. I smiled.
-I'm Laura.
They looked at us. We were trying really hard not to laugh. But I guess they kind of could see it on our faces.
-No but seriously now, what are your names?
We tried to keep up the act but ended up cracking up.
-I'm Mia.
-And I'm Nora. - I locked eyes with Marc as I said it.
It was too much of a coincidence that we had met three times in the past two weeks in two very different places.
-And how old are you? - Alex asked.
-We just graduated this year. 
-So you're eighteen. - Well, Mia was actually still seventeen, but she didn't say anything so neither did her friends. - We're nineteen.
-And where are you from? Because we haver never seen you here.
-We are from Ireland.
-How come you were in France last week and now you are here?
I wasn't able to hold the question back. The moment it came out of my mouth I wanted to step on myself with a heel.
-We've been traveling around Europe and now I've come here to visit my mom. - Marc answered my question.
-But weren't you from Ireland?
-Yes, but my parents split up years ago and my mom moved here, so I'm visiting her. Since Alex and I were already travelling together, he came here with me as well.
While Marc and I talked, my friends looked at me in shock. At some point the two foreigners went out of the pool God knows what for and they both turned to me.
-Why didn't you tell us you knew this guy? He's hotter than hell.
I laughed.
-I don't know-know him. I just saw him twice, once when Mia and I went to this beach bar and I ordered the same drink as him, and when we bumped into each other when we both had gone for a run. - I shrugged my shoulders.
-Nora. This is a sign from the universe telling you that you have to be together. 
-Don't start please. Besides, there are two problems regarding that. One, he lives like five hundred kilometers away. Two, he seems like his a fuckboy.
They both looked at me with a lifted eyebrow. Alex suddenly jumped into the water and Marc followed. We kept talking and playing around. Alex had gotten kind of close to Mia. They were half flirting. I thought about it, and Mia and him could have met that night when I met Marc, and even though Mia was too drunk to remember, Alex might have recognized her.

-Who do you think flirts more out of us two? - they asked us out of nowhere.
We looked at each other. 
-Go away. We have to talk it through.
They went over to some other girls to splash and annoy them.
-Alex is more handsome. 
-And hotter.
-And taller.
-But there's just something about Marc.
-Yeah, I get this feeling that tells me it's Marc.
-Marc then?
-Marc.
We called them over.
-So, who do you think?
Marc ducked Alex and I pointed at him with a silent, small smile.

-Who do you think get's most asked out? - Mia asked in return.
I didn't think even we could answer that question. I felt like we all three flirted more or less the same. They whispered in each others ears and looked at us. They pointed at me. 
-You.
I was taken by surprise by they're answer. I thought they would say Mia, which was what people usually said. 
-I think we honestly flirt equally.
-Hm.
We talked for the rest of the afternoon. They told us about their exes, the girls they had hooked up with, etc.
-Actually, yesterday, we asked two girls for their numbers. And we found out that one of them, the one I liked - Marc said - , was the lifeguard's cousin. So we went over to talk to her, convinced her that she would speak with her cousin and got them to give us their numbers.

During that conversation, it was Marc who mainly talked. I turned around and saw a girl I knew. And it wasn't that I didn't like her, but we didn't really get along and I didn't want her to see me. I looked at Mia so she'd understand. She looked behind me and then back at me. She didn't know her so obviously she didn't understand.
-It's Vanessa. From summer camp. The one in the blue bikini. - I whispered.
The guys looked in her direction and kept doing whatever they were doing. I felt something around my leg, I looked down and I saw Marc grabbing me from beneath. I let out a small scream before making myself shut up. And I laughed as he let me fall back down into the water.

                                                                                            *** 

-What's the time? - We looked at the clock.
-Almost 20:30.
-Do you have plans for later? - Alex asked.
We looked at each other.
-Not really.
-If you want, we could go somewhere and grab dinner. We don't know anyone here so we're kinda bored. 
-I mean, it's fine with me.
-Same here. I'll just let my parents know I'm not going home for dinner. 
-Let's go change then. - we all said.
All five headed to the changing rooms and agreed to meet outside. We took a bit of time to get ready.
-I hope they haven't gone home. We're taking long to get ready. They might think that we aren't gonna show up. - I said.
-Well, let's hope not.
We went outside and saw them sitting on a bench.
-We already thought you weren't gonna show up. Let's go. How do you get to that big street in the centre from here?
We laughed and left.