Them and Us

4- Getting to know Ambrose

'Guys we have to go! You have no idea how many babes there would be in bikinis!' I say shaping out a girls body with my hands.

Drew rolls his eyes 'I told you I was in. I gave you the idea of going in the first place,' he slurred.

'I don't know. I have exams t-' Tomas starts but I cut him off. He needs to have some fun
'We all do Tommy. Come on!'

Tomas stared at me a little longer than he sighs 'Fine. But I have to study in free time,'

'Whatever,' I say 'So the trio will be full when we go to camp!' I say smiling. Drew rolls his eyes and Tomas shakes his head.

These were my brothers.

*

I sit in History behind Ruby Hicking. The hottest girl in the grade. She looks real good in our school uniform. But then again she looks good in everything.

'Oi! Hicking!' I whisper shout. She turns her head slowly and hisses 'What!'
'Who's the guy?' I say nodding my head to the guy who keeps staring at her 'My ex of 2 months,'
'Why's he your ex?'
'None of your business Crawford,' she says and turns back to look at Ms Christie.

She still remembers my name.

*

You must be wondering why I'm hitting on a girl that I just met. Well actually me and Ruby Hicking have known each other since birth.

Our mums were maid of honour at each other's weddings and went to each other's birthday parties and still do. So naturally we spent dinner parties out the back of my house or at her house.

But when she turned 15 she stopped coming to my house and was only seen at her house. So we've drifted apart, but the 16 years I have known her I've had a crush on her.

She doesn't know. No one does.

When we were 5 and under we used to pretend to get married and then we'd pretend we were parents to her baby dolls and we'd use Angus my dog as our dog.

People know me as the bad boy. The one who said that my teacher has a big arse (I was being honest). The boy who got a tattoo at the age of 15. The boy who doesn't care.

But I do care. I put up a front. To hide the soft side of me.

I reach my groups usual bench only to have Tomas there.
'Tommy! How you doing?' I pat him on the back but the way he lurched forward suggest a bomb went off and he flew forward.
'Sore now,' he rubs his shoulder.

Drew slinks over and sits down next to me. 'How's the spas?' I smile referring to Ruby's best friend Poppy Parker.

'Why do you even ask me that? I don't like her,'
'Yeah but she likes you,'
'No Ambrose. You've got it all wrong. Poppy is a bubbly girl who doesn't know what four plus four equals,' Tomas says rolling his eyes
'Ok. So maybe we should help her work out what Drew plus Poppy equals,' I say, a sly smile forming on my face.
'Well, she's coming over why don't you help her Ambrose,' Drew says and pulls his jumper hoodie over his face

'Boys,' Ruby says putting her hands on her hips and jutting one side out. I swear all three of us are drooling.
'We're going to camp,'
I give Drew a sidewards glance to show that my 'babes in bikinis' theory was confirmed 'And us 6 are sharing a cabin,'

Us six? That's when I notice the blondie and redhead standing behind her. 'I know Ambrose and I know that he would probably stare at us when we get dressed,' she gives me this look.