One Summer

Chapter 8

“Lexi, we’re waiting for you! Hurry up!”

“I’m right here,” I replied, walking up behind Mum, who had just yelled up the stairs.

“Oh there you are.  Where have you been? We’ve been waiting to go down to the bonfire.”

“I was over the road. I jumped in the shower before Chris did, so I’ve been ready for ages. Casey is still over there. These pastries are nice by the way, who made them?” I added, holding up the half eaten savoury pastry I had stolen off a huge sliver tray in the kitchen.

“I did,” Dad said, joining us at the bottom of the stairs. “And they aren’t for you so stop eating them.”

I pulled a face at him, and stuffed what was left in my hand into my mouth.

“So we’re ready to go then?” Mum asked.

“I don’t know why we couldn’t make our own way down,” Chris huffed.

I rolled my eyes. “Haven’t you been through all the girls in this part of California yet?”

“New chicks are arriving all the time,” he scoffed.

“How do you pull girls when you call them chicks?”

He cocked his eyebrow and smirked. “My smooth talking and charm,” he told me, as though it was obvious.

“You’re a disgrace to mankind.”

“You’re such a prude.”

“I am not!” I protested.

“Yes you are. Do you even know what a penis looks like?”

I felt my cheeks burn. “Yes, thank you, I do.”

“I bet you haven’t even seen one in real life,” he snorted.

“I don’t think-“

“Can you two not go a day without bickering?” Mum cut off my protest.

 “Not when he talks like Hugh Hefner but plays like a monk.”

“She shouldn’t be such a prude. Everyone has sex, and I’m sure she will one day.”

I drove my fist into his shoulder at the same time Mum slapped him upside the head. It annoyed me no end when he said stuff like that; which he does all the time. He makes out like I’m the biggest prude since the Virgin Mary, even though I’m sure he knows that I have actually had sex. I came home the day after I had lost my virginity, and he gave me a very awkward talk about how I need to stay safe throughout life. To be honest, it didn’t make much sense, and I still don’t know half of what he said, and I’m not entirely convinced he knows either.

“Hey!” Chris cried, trying to rub both his head and shoulder simultaneously. “There was no need for an ambush.”

“Let’s just leave, shall we?” Dad interjected, trying to usher us out of the door.

Our neighbours were already waiting for us when we got outside. Nicole and Rob were stood by our gate, holding hands and talking quietly to each other; Casey and Ava were sat on the porch of the Richards’ house, laughing at something Case had said; Alex was using the wing mirror of their car to perfect his hair, and Chase was lazily leaning on the hood of our car, looking expectantly at our house. Chase began cheering when he saw us emerge; Chris and I still arguing.

“Finally decided to put in an appearance?” He asked sarcastically, a grin finding its way onto his face.

“Lexi was being a prude again.”