Seeing You - Boys of Tommen

Pool Parties

June 28th, 2003

Katie:

"This might be a bit big for you, but you can just tie these tighter" Claire said pointing to the bathing suit she had brought for Lizzie to wear, that stayed up via small ties. I thanked her and went into the bathroom.

I had a hard time with the way I looked in my conservative school uniform, so this was new territory for me, and had come with a fresh surge of panic, and thoughts of how I would look in this scrap of fabric Claire referred to as a bathing suit.

I thought of how much better Lizzie would look in it, how the boy's eyes would track her, and how they would probably be making the same comparison when I walked out of this room.

I took my time undressing, undoing each of my buttons and sliding off of my thick black tights. I performed each action with meticulous precision, in an attempt to prolong my time in here. I knew I needed to hurry up when Claire called from the room and asked if I was okay. I told her that I was, and that she should just go and join the party and I'd meet her there. 

I put the bathing suit on, making sure to carefully tie each strap and then I inspected myself in the mirror. I wasn't as thin as I was last summer and I felt discouraged, my breasts were larger, and I felt so unbelievably insecure. Thankfully, Aoife had taught me the ins and outs of shaving in the past months, so I was prepared on that front. Lizzie's long legs and small waist flashed through my mind, how the deep blue colour of the suit would compliment her eyes and her tan skin.

Deciding I didn't want to worry Hugh, I wrapped the towel Claire had provided me with around my body and left the safety of the bathroom. I moved through the house and made my way to the backyard where people from Tommen, mainly from Hugh's grade and the rugby team were scattered around. Notably, Bella Wilkinson and her coven of friends were also making an appearance, much to my dismay.

Bella and her friends had been much less tyrannical to me this year, aside for the odd threat. Bella definitely still didn't like me, and would find some way to insult me whenever she came over to our table to get Johnny's attention. And I could always feel the heat of her stare when I would talk to Johnny, Patrick, or Gibsie. So I remained somewhat detached from their group.

"Hey, saved you a seat" Hugh said ushering me to the impressive patio furniture that surrounded an electric fire pit. I sat down beside him and wrapped my towel tighter around me. Patrick sat in a single chair beside Hugh and I's chair, and Johnny was sitting across from us. They were all wearing their swim shorts and had bare torsos.

Bella looked our way, while speaking to Cormac, one of the lads on the rugby team. And then started walking towards us. She had a black bikini on, that left little to the imagination, a full face of makeup, and had her hair pulled up with the front pieces pulled out to frame her face. She looked amazing, and I was envious. She looked like a woman, her curves and the way she walked so confidently, I couldn't imagine her cowering hugging a towel to her. She wanted people to see her.

"You lot always seem to form your own private party" She said as she sat down on the same couch as Johnny. Water splashed her then and she looked downright venomous, she turned around and starred daggers at Claire who had cannonballed into the water, and a cheering Gibsie who sat a safe distance from the water. "God, I didn't know we were letting primary kids into this party." She spoke as if she and Johnny were hosting the party together and it annoyed me.

"Claire goes to Tommen." Patrick said in an even tone.

"My mistake, you can't blame me though with the way she's acting."

"How is she acting?" Hugh asks annoyed. Bella clearly hasn't put together that she's speaking badly of his sister.

"Like a child, is she special or something?"

"What the hell is your problem, that's my sister and she's just having fun." I hated when people fought around me, but I felt some satisfaction from Hugh putting her in her place. Hugh then stood up and walked into the house, I would have followed but I thought he might just want to be alone.

"Didn't know that" Bella responds as if it's an acceptable excuse. Trying to take the attention away from herself, she of course turns it to me. "You naked under that towel or something?"

"What? No of course not." I say taken back by her question.

"Why are you latching onto it like it's a lifeboat or something?" She asked in that sarcastic mean tone I had unfortunately become accustomed to. 

"I'm cold."

"It's sweltering out here, how can you possibly be cold?" Bella doesn't let up, "Seriously, what you got under there?"

I'm suddenly feeling hot and flustered, "nothing" I say, as I drop the towel. from my shoulders and let it pool at my waist.

"Yeah, I'll say." She says, which I assume she thought would earn a laugh, but Patrick and Johnny don't say anything. 

A moment later, I can feel some type of pressure on my shoulder and then can feel as the left strap of my bathing suit is about to fall. Before, I can properly react, I feel something else.

Patrick's hand is now holding up the untied strap, somehow he was quick enough to completely protect my modesty, I look back and see Cormac laughing and making eye contact with Bella. She has clearly orchestrated the plan and had Cormac execute it for her in some ploy to humiliate me.

I felt beyond relieved that Patrick was able to save me. I reached my hands to my shoulder to retie the knot, but my hands are so shaky that Patrick ends up tying it for me. The contact feels electric, the way his hands linger on my shoulder and the way he takes his time double knotting the tie. I'm lost in the way his eyes move over my skin and his usually steady breathing turn sporadic. 

"Thanks" I say and he just nods and walks away, going out of his way to shove Cormac and Johnny follows after him.

"You really are a slut for them aren't you?" Bella asks now that we're all alone.

"I'm not, but given the way you're throwing yourself at Johnny every chance you get, you might just be." I instantly hate the words I've said. I hate tearing her down because I'm hurting, even if she deserves it tenfold, I hate the taste it leaves in my mouth.

"How dare you? You talking back to me isn't part of our arrangement, little Katie."

"We'll call it even, for you trying to humiliate me just now."

"It's nothing they haven't seen, right?" I just glare at her, fed up of her antics. "Little Katie's grown claws? You're fighting with fire little girl." She says in a warning tone.

"Look, I'll stay away from Johnny and Patrick and Gibsie, but you have to stay away from me."

"Do I now?"

"None of them like it when they see you pull childish pranks and tear other girls down."

"I'll stop making fun of you...If you tell me how to bind thirteen."

"Bind thirteen?" Bella just nods, I feel like a traitor to Johnny, but he's clearly interested in her, and I tell myself it'll be better for him, if I tell her how to make him happy. 

"He doesn't want a girlfriend, from what I've heard of his previous....encounters, he wants no strings."

"No strings? I can do that." With that I wrap my towel around my shoulders and escape to find Hugh.

Thanks for reading!  - H <3