I Wanna Be Free, I Wanna Be Loved

Ch. 14: Things Have Changed For Me

RYAN'S POV

"Rach?" I asked. She was sitting on her bed and it looked like she had been crying "Rachel look at me"

Her eyes were red and teary, her cheeks puffy, and her hair clung to her face "Go away, Ry"

I ignored her request and sat with her on the bed. I hated when she cried, absolutely hated it because it took something really bad to make her break down like this. I grabbed a box of tissues from her nightstand and handed it over.

"Ry" she said "Why am I such a bitch?"

"You're not, Rachel. This isn't the real you. Slash and his stupidity changed you but now that he's out of the picture you can change back!"

"People will think I'm fake! I am not about to ditch my status as a nightmare for cleavage-exposing shirts, a tan, and a bellybutton piercing. I am not Malibu Barbie!"

"Rach, I never said you had to be a Barbie! Try washing the dye out of your hair and wearing some brighter colors"

She still had her trophies, medals, and ribbons from volleyball displayed around the house and I knew she missed it, and maybe she would re-join the team. This could be a brand new start for her as well as the return of the girl she used to be. I prayed she would take my advice to heart, I really just wanted her and Hannah to be able to be friends too.

"Ry, why don't I have any friends?"

"Well you have a potential best friend living right downstairs"

"Maybe" she said.

"Just think about it. People do like you, Rach"

"Yeah right"

"Brendon really likes you" I said.

"Really?" she asked "But I've been so awful to him. He really wants to be my friend?"

"Uh...more than that"

She blushed and I had to laugh; maybe she had developed a soft spot for him during all their tutoring sessions.

"We're gonna swim if you want join"

"Yeah sure, just gimme a few seconds to find my bikini"

"We'll be in the pool" I told her before going back to my room. Brendon was sitting on the floor, his pale skinny body exposed as he was playing my guitar.

"Bro, get up. Pool time"

"What took you so long??" he asked.

"I was talking to my sister..."

"WHAT'D SHE SAY? ANYTHING ABOUT ME?"

"Chill, she's coming swimming with us" I told him.

"Score! Last one to the pool is moldy guacamole!"

He sped out to the pool and jumped into the water; he started splashing around and just being a little ADHD water freak. I saw Rachel slide open the back door and joined us, having put on her favorite dark green bikini. I looked over at Brendon whose eyes looked ready to pop out of his head.

BRENDON'S POV

"Oh no!"I thought. She looked better in a swimsuit than I remembered. The fabric clung perfectly to her pale body and her curves were amazing; it was a shame she chose to hide them under baggy black tanktops and hoodies. Her black hair was now clipped up in a ponytail and all her dark makeup had been removed; her face looked better without it. As she walked over to Ryan, I felt something twitchy under the water; oh god I was going hard. I made my way through the water to the side of the pool where they couldn't see me. I placed a hand on the front of my shorts and my suspicions were confirmed.

"Okay Bren" I whispered "Think of something awful like cafeteria nachos...gym class...failing a chemistry exam"

The last thought worked a little bit because I could feel my problem going away. When it was fully resolved, I swam back over to where Ryan and Rachel were now in the water.

"Where's Hannah?" Ryan asked. Of course he would be concerned about her whereabouts "I haven't seen her since school"

"Oh she's will mom at the DMV" Rachel said "Getting her California ID and stuff"

"Oh" Ryan said.

"Somebody misses his blonde bombshell" I joked.

"Do not!" he blushed.

"Come on, Ry. Everyone knows" Rahcel said.

"Yeah, man. Just ask her out" I said.

He shot me a glare and I stopped talking.

"I'll talk to her" Rachel said "Now can we go back to our fun?"

We kept splashing around until my mom called me and asked where I was. I changed back into my normal clothes and said goodbye to Ryan and Rachel before driving home in my hand-me-down Mormon mobile; this had certainly been a fun afternoon.