I Never Liked Summer Anyway

Clumsy

"Seriously Tessa." Sam laughs, as Dylan clutches his stomach for support, laughing hysterically as I try to serve the shuttlecock and miss by quite a lot.

"Hey!" I shout across at them "I'm trying, ok?"

Even Lucy's laughing at me, and she's supposed to be on my team. We decided to play badminton, as Sam had brought the stuff. Chloe and Sophie lay in the distance 'soaking up some sun' as Chloe put it. Sunbathing, pah, in England we call it cloudbathing, because that's practically the closest we get this elusive 'sun' everyone speaks of.

"Let me try again" I say as I grab the shuttlecock of the ground.

"I'll give her that, she's very determined." Dylan says through laughter to Sam, who snorts in response.

"Do I get points for determination?" I ask, glancing up pleadingly.

"You wish." Sam smirks.

I pull a face and try again. Ok, come on Tessa, just bat it up in the air and hit it. Hit it! I flail my arms around for a moment and try to hit it with so much force that I fall over onto my butt.

The others burst out into a fresh fit of laughter and I just sit there.

"I never said I was good!" I exclaim, pulling hair from my face, but I can't help it, I start laughing too.

A few minutes later everyone's calmed down and Lucy offers me a hand up. I shake my head "play without me, you stand a better chance of winning."

She laughs and does exactly what I say. Without me she narrows the gap so much that she only loses by four.

Sam offers me a hand and I take it, springing to my feet.

The next thing I know he's swinging me over his shoulder.

"Saaam." I complain.

"Nice butt." Lucy says, slapping my butt that I am more than aware is in everyone's face right now.

"Shut up" I groan as we begin to walk back to the others, with me still placed awkwardly across Sam's shoulder.

"Nah, I like a butt with a bit more meat on it" Sam says "What's your opinion on Tessa's butt Dylan?"

Now I can't see very well past Sam's head but I think I see Dylan's cheeks grow a little pink.

"It's a perfectly acceptable butt." He says, and I could swear that's where his eyes moved to for a second before rubbing his neck and bounding over towards Chloe and Sophie.

Sam mutters something to Lucy and she shrugs, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"Hi, guys, I am here you know." I say sighing.

Sam glances up at me and swings me down effortlessly "There you go Tessa, I release you back into the wild."

I snort and walk back to the picnic rug Chloe and Sophie had pulled out to sunbathe on. I throw myself onto it, stretching out my black Dr Marten clad feet. I pull the material on my shorts down because they're prone to ride up quite a bit and then cringe, a lot. That's embarrassing, these must have literally shown off half of my nonexistent butt to everyone when Sam was carrying me. No wonder that made Dylan uncomfortable.

Dylan. I watch as he says something that makes Chloe giggle and nudge him. I bite my lip and drag my gaze away.

"Chloe, we should be going now."

I hear Sam say from somewhere behind me.

I glance at his tall, lean silhouette. Then I glance at Lucy and notice the way she's looking at him laugh quietly. Sam is pretty good looking. Most girls find him very attractive, and Lucy's no exception to that. Unfortunately for her I've never seen him look at her in the same way.

We all walk back to the car park together. As I unlock Bertie, Dylan whistles "that's a nice car for someone who's not been driving long." I smile.

"Birthday present. Yup, I'm very lucky and definitely wasn't expecting it. Not complaining though."

"Spoilt." Sam coughs and I punch him on the arm.

We all say our goodbyes and make our way home in our respective cars.

Once I've dropped Lucy back to her house, I sigh, clutching the steering wheel. We need a party. A party with boys, lots of them. I need a distraction,