Forsaking Lilly

Chapter Sixteen

When the clock stroke nine, everyone was running towards the water. It wasn't planned, everyone just decided on it quietly. The air was just right, and there weren't too many other families here, so the night was ours. Corrie was the first one to step foot in the icy water, and her excited squeal had everyone rushing to be next. A few guys splashed in after her, and the blondes were in pursuit complaining once again.

I hang back.

For whatever reason, I just wanted to watch. I smiled as they splashed each other and sent rounds of laughter up into the air above. There was so much fun in their eyes, so much joy in their movements. Was I apart of them now and would it be okay for me to join? I stood in the grass, just staring. I'd felt accepted earlier, but somehow I still felt alienated.

I wasn't used to doing what they did, I never went out and had fun with friends. I was always inside, in my room. So I could only watch, and enjoy the bitter-sweet feeling.

" Not gonna get in," a deep voice from behind me asked. Startled, I whirled around to see Cooper with his hands in the pockets of his trunks. His hair was tousled in a wild way, but I knew this was because of the wind blowing his hair around while it was drying from the water. He'd ditched his shirt, so I had to make sure that I kept strict eye contact.

" Um, no. I don't feel like getting in the water right now," I muttered as I turned back around to continue watching the group. Now, Mark was lifting Corrie on to his shoulders and one of the blondes were on the shoulders of another guy. I realized that they were playing chicken and laughed as Mark waded forward, allowing Corrie to start to push at the blonde. A laugh escaped from within me and I cupped my hands around my mouth. " Go Corrie," I shouted. She looked at me and smiled, but the blonde took her moment of distraction to push her into the water. Oops.

Cooper was beside me now, and from the corner of my eye I could tell that he was looking at me. I wrapped my arms around myself and rocked on my feet, feeling uncomfortable. " Looks like fun, doesn't it?" His shoulder brushed against mine and I stilled.

" Mhmm," I said as calmly as I could. I could feel heat rising through me and it wasn't a pleasant kind. This was the kind of heat you received when you were flustered, and acknowledgement of this spread the heat to my palms. Clenching my sweaty hands together, I started rocking on my feet again.

Cooper chuckled and reached over, his hand grasping one of mine. " C'mon." I let him drag me out into the water, only this time I was too distracted to wince at the cold. I watched him smile and laugh, leading me deeper until the water had swallowed the lower half of my body. We weren't with the rest of the group, he'd waded us over to the left of them so that we were alone. " Are you having fun," he asked his eyes watching me intensely. Friend zone, I told myself as I pulled my hand from his.

I coughed, wanting to make sure my voice would be in its rightful range before I spoke. " Um, yeah." I let my gaze drift away back towards the group. " I'm glad I came out here." I noticed that everyone was swimming towards the dock, probably ready to go diving. Now, we were completely alone with nothing around to distract me from looking at him directly.

Hopelessness spread through me like a wild-fire and, reluctantly turned back to him. Of course, his eyes were on mine and I squirmed under his gaze. This was getting to serious, and he was getting to personal. I wanted us to be friends, friends just friends! Friends,friends,friends,friends,friends-

" You and Corrie seem to have become friends, I'm glad you've finally gotten away from Eadie." His words pulled me away from my little friend rant and I narrowed my eyes at him.

" I've been meaning to ask you," I'm sure my voice sounded very accusing," how do you know Eadie?" He scoffed, one of his sandy brown eyebrows shooting up on his face.