Disaster • Arctic Monkeys Fanfiction

[thirty five]

Indi's POV

We spent the rest of the night in the indoor pool.  Judging by the size of the pool, the cabin definitely had to be super expensive to rent out, but I didn't doubt they could afford it. 

We had races (which I lost miserably) and cannon ball splash contests (which I won by a long shot). Everybody was smiling and laughing.  Rose was riding around on Matt's back, Jamie and Nick were throwing Alicia around and Alex was was slicking his hair back into crazy hair styles.  We were all having so much fun and I felt like a kid again.  

"Let's play chicken!" Alicia called from the other side of the pool.  

"Yesssss!" Rose yelled.

The boys exchanged looks.  

"Chicken?" Jamie asked.

"Don't tell me you've never played it," Alicia called.  "Holy shit, you haven't."

"We probably call it something different," Matt suggested.  

"It's where..." Alicia began, but then stopped.  "Oh, I'll just show you.  Nick, come here."

He started moving toward her.  "This isn't going to involve pain, is it?"

"Maybe a little," she smiled.  

When he finally reached her, she turned him around so that she was behind his back.  She pushed him under the water and got onto of his shoulders.  When he came up, he looked confused.  

"This is it?" he asked.  "You just... get on my shoulders?"

"No," she laughed.  "Rose will get on Matt's and Indi will get on someone else and the three of us fight until there's only one left standing."

"That's wicked," Jamie said.  "But I'm guessing I'll be reffing the first round?"

We all laughed.  Rose slid off of Matt's back and jumped onto his shoulders.  Alex and I caught eyes and he shrugged, the corner of his mouth turning up.  

He looked so young right then and there, with his wet hair and boyish grin.  The danger that usually surrounded him was gone and he looked so... real.  

We kept our eyes on each other, and it felt like something between us had shifted since we were in the bathroom.  Like somehow everything had changed.  As if we'd gone the whole weekend without truly knowing each other, but now, staring at each other from across the pool, we did.  

We made our way to each other.   He turned his back to me, looking halfway over his shoulder at me.

"Don't let me down, disaster girl," he said. 

I placed my hands on the hard edges of his shoulders and pushed him under the water.  I put my legs around his neck, realizing with sudden fear that it was quite a suggestive position we were about to be in. 

My cheeks went hot as he resurfaced, reaching up and wrapping his hands around my thighs.  

I could tell by the way Rose stifled a laugh that my embarrassment was super obvious.  Great. 

"Alright, everyone in the ring!" Jamie called out.  

I lurched to one side as we started slowly toward the center of the pool.

"Steady," he said up to me.  "We better not lose this."

"And if we do?" I challenged.

He didn't have time to answer before Jamie started the countdown.

"The fight begins in three... two... one!"

Rose and Alicia went after each other first, giving me opportunity to give Rose a good shove.  Matt let out a groan as they tilted backwards, but he caught his balance in time.  Alicia took a shot at me next, but Alex was quick to move us out of the way.  

After dodging her hit, I shoved Alicia hard enough to send her and Nick both into the water.  

"Nice shot," Alex said up to me.  

I looked down to smile at him, and right as I did, my balance was throw off and I lurched forward, unable to stop myself until I face planted in the water.

When I came up for air, everyone was laughing hysterically and Rose and Matt were cheering.  

"Fuck," I said, pushing the hair out of my eyes to find Alex.  "Sorry."

I felt his hand push the rest of hair off of my face and when my foggy chlorine vision cleared, he was there in front of me, laughing.  

"No worries," he said.  "But if you don't kick ass in round two, I'll be inclined to find another partner."

Smiling, I hopped up on his shoulders again and we laughed the rest of the night away and things were fucking wonderful.