Plan B

28

I clung on to Dale after taking in way too many gulps. 

"Are you okay?" Dale noticed my struggle in the water. 

"Take me out of the pool!" I screamed. 

Dale grabbed me with one arm as he swam with the other. He took me to the side of the pool.

"A little help guys," Dale said to two people walking by; Pete and Chris. Dale lifted me by my legs as the other two pulled me out of the pool. I tried standing but I fell on my back. My legs were weak. 

Dale came to my side after struggling to come out of the pool.

"You do realize  the ladder was right there," Chris pointed out the obvious to make embarrass Dale... hater much.

"Kristie I'm so sorry," he said ignoring Chris. He snatched a towel from someone walking by, sat me upright and covered me with it. "I didn't know you couldn't... I mean, I didn't mean to push you in the water like that."

"She could've died drowning," Chris said recording me, "Now try to smile to give this video a happy ending."

"More like blob's well that drowns well!" Pete said and they both laughed at me. Dale walked towards them furiously. 

"Chris if you don't stop recording I'll..."

"You'll what? Pretend you like Kristie?" Chris said mockingly. Dale then took his phone and he threw it in the pool.

"What do you mean pretend?" I asked weakly. 

"Do you really think this guy would fall for you?" Chris was causing a scene, "We all know you still like Paige. You two still hang out and Kristie doesn't stand a chance against Paige."

"Dude that's enough!" Pete said and Chris fell silent. 

Chris then dived in the pool to get his phone. 

"It's water resistant man," he told Dale with a grin on his face as he left with Pete. Dale then looked at me speechlessly. He was obviously guilty about something, something I didn't know about. 

Kelsie arrived at the scene almost immediately.

"Okay everyone, let's keep the party going! Scram now!" She then came to me," At least this time you aren't grey, let's get you to my room." Kelsie said helping me up. We headed to Kelsie's room and Dale followed us closely behind.

"You can't be here right now," Kelsie told him as we went into her room. She then locked the door.

"I don't know what happened, but I strongly feel he isn't the person you want to be around at this moment."

"Dale pushed me in the pool with my clothes on."

"That sounds like fun."

"I can't swim," I pointed out blankly.

"You can't swim with your clothes on?"

"I can't swim at all! But that's not the worst part," I said in a low voice.

"I'm listening," Kelsie said encouraging me to go on.

"Chris recorded the whole thing and he said that Dale only pretends to have feelings for me."

"He said what? That boy is really something else!" Kelsie said furiously.

"Dale didn't deny anything, even after Chris said he still hangs out with Paige," I said. Kelsie huffed. I knew she wanted to defend Dale but she refrained from it. 

"Let's get you changed. We still have the after party."

"The after party of a party?" 

"Exactly!" 

After raffling up her clothes, Kelsie gave me a dress with polka dots on it. "This is fit for the second part of the party."

I changed into the dress and this is yet another occasion I can say Kelsie truly is a fashionista, "This dress is hella gorgeous!" I told her, "I'm just lucky I can breathe in this."

Kelsie had also dressed in her striped dress. The dresses were both black and white. I took a seat and I looked out Kelsie's paw shaped window. What Chris said earlier was still lingering in my mind. Was he being genuine or was he just being Chris?"

He's friends with Paige and Dale. There's a slight chance that what he said could be false. What he claims could be a fact, one that I might not be ready to accept.

"Kristie," Kelsie said after a long glance at herself in the mirror, "Don't be gloomy. It's your birthday for Pete's sake!"

"I hate Pete."

"For my sake then. This is your birthday party... OWN it!" 

I wasn't ready to show up in front of the people who had seen the scene caused by Chris earlier but I had to suck it up. I looked outside the window one last time and took a deep breath.

"I'm ready."

Kelsie and I walked down the long flight of stairs. Everybody was dressed elegantly. The guys were dressed in black and white tuxedos; what's more elegant than that? The girls were in black with all types of patterns in white. It was a very exquisite dress code. 

Even the food was exquisite. Champagne and pieces of chicken on small sticks, I definitely needed plenty of that.

I couldn't see Dale anywhere, but it was okay. I can now enjoy the night with people I consider genuine... that's pretty much just Kelsie.