Still The One

Chapter 10: The Lake

Harry: Kat texted me with the most simple text of all the next day: Meet me at the lake or your dead. Thanks Kat. I met her at a lake, knowing the one she meant. She smiled.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," I said, but my eyes were on the things behind her. Two kayaks. Great. Would it be worth mentioning I have never been in a kayak.

"You like the plan for today?" she asked, following my gaze.

"Um, sure," I said.

"Have you ever done it before?" Kat asked.

"No," I said, simply.

"Then hopefully you know how to swim," Kat laughed, tearing off toward the kayaks. Great. I had no experience in one of those things and Kat of all people was my instructor. I would be lucky not to drown.

Kat and I dragged the boats into the first bits of the water. Kathryn got in and I mimicked her. Then she pushed off with her paddle. I did the same. I followed her, dipping one side in at a time. We were actually doing pretty good. "Not bad for your first time, cutie," Kat said. I did a double take. I had almost forgotten her old nickname for me. I blushed.

"Um, thanks," I said. Kat laughed, pulling her paddle out of the water.

"The concert was good last night," Kat said. I smiled.

"Thank. We try," I said.

"It pays off," Kat said. I could tell she meant it.

"How about you? What have you been up to?" I asked. Kat shrugged.

"School, work, hanging out with you," Kat said.

"Oh, you work?" I asked.

"Um, yeah. I have to pay tuition,"Kat said, like duh.

"Right," I said, "What do you do?"

"I'm a waitress at the Italian restraunt just down the street from my place," Kat said.

"Hmm, I didn't know that," I said. Then I added, "You know if you ever need any money you can ask right?"

"Okay," Kat said, "Thanks for telling me."

"Hey, I have almost too much money," I said. Kat laughed.

"Do you remember what I said on shore?" she asked. I thought for a second. Hope you can swim then. That's when I realized. I was half a second too late. My kayak tipped over at Kathryn forced it over. I tredded water and Kathryn laughed.

"You think that's funny huh?" I asked.

"No, what I think is funny is you treading water in five feet of it," Kat said. I pit my feet down. Sure enough my feet hit the ground. Kat laughed.

"Ha ha," I said. Then I pushed Kathryn's over. She surfaced and laughed.

"Jerk!"she said as her mascara ran down her cheeks. She splashed me and I splashed her. I laughed as she ran up toward the shore. I followed her. I ran past her. Suddenly I was pushed under by Kat jumping on my back. She ran forward again and raced me to the beach. She flopped onto the beach, breathing heavily. "Crap," she breathed, "We need to go back."

"Why?" I asked. She pointed out to the water, where out tipped kayaks were floating.

"Crap," I breathed, laughing. Kathryn ran back into the water, reaching her kayaks. She tugged it behind her, pulling it to shore. She smiled.

"Go grab your kayak," she said. I did. Once I was back on shore she said, "Beat you too the return!" She ran up to the cabin. I ran after her, my calfs screaming. She was still ahead of me. I ran as fast as I could, but Kathryn beat me to it. "Hi I would like to return my kayak and get a cone of chocolate strawberry swirl. He's paying," she said, pointing to me. I rolled my eyes and pulled my soggy wallet and pulled the money out. Kat smiled sweetly and skipped to put her kayak away.

Kat: I licked my ice cream. It tasted amazing. Harry laughed at me and I licked it again.

"What?" I asked, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

"Could you eat that any slower?" he asked. Me, being me, took that as a challenge and slowed down my toungue even slower. He laughed.

"I walked right into that one," he said.

"Yes you did," I said matter of factly. He laughed.

"So what do you suggest we do next?" he asked.

"I suggest you go grab one of these and sit down next to me," I said. Harry rolled his eyes and got up, walking to the concessions. Wow, that worked well. 

"So, now what," Harry asked. 

"Well, how's everything with you?" she asked. 

"Good. I've been doing very good actually," I said. I was a little surprised. I mean, usually I didn't have a good time while Anna was gone. 

"You're surprised?" Kathryn asked. 

"Well, I don't usually enjoy myself when Anna's gone," I said. 

"Well, you do now," Kat said, smiling. I did now. And why did I feel so guilty about hanging out with a friend.