Summer Fling

Chapter five:

Picture: Kate, Amber, Giselle

The universe is a cruel mother heffer and it likes to laugh at me, a lot. Maybe it's punishment for giving Henry Fuller a wedgie on the playground in the 4th grade or maybe it's punishment for slapping Holly Sanders in the 6th grade. In my defense they were not nice kids. And none of the other students seemed to hate me for it. But i'm a changed girl. Learned the importance of using words instead of body parts. At least that's what I had my therapist believe right before I slashed his tires and used a bat to smash his windows for the way he chose to use his. Cause if he was going to choose to use his words like that then I was going to choose to use my hands like this. And so maybe this is all just karma for my behavior as a child. I mean it's got to be right?
"It's Raelynn right?" Claire questions. Furrowing her brows with her finger pointed at me.
Claire has on a bright pink tank top and skin tight neon yellow shorts. Guess I didn't get the 80's memo. Not that i'm complaining. She also has on some clipped back black sandals and a pool bag with towels.
Ray has on some black swim shorts and a grey cotton fitted t-shirt. His biceps more than visible. Believe me, I'm super aware of it. Checking a boy out right in front of his girlfriend, totally not cool. I know that. I also know that he even makes a t-shirt look way better than it's supposed to. But i'd rather die then ever tell him that. Cause I hate that my eyes are on him when I dislike him so much.

Amber's daughter Elly comes up to me and taps my leg along with Amy, Giselle's daughter.
"Where's Hazel?" she asks.
I point them over to a swimming Hazel, once they spot her all 4 kids go and join her.

"The weather is so nice isn't it?" Claire questions but it comes out more of a statement.
The thought of sitting here all day talking about the weather with Ray and his 80's gymnast had me dreading the next few hours completely. Even worse I couldn't stomach the thought of them acting all mushy right in front of my face. So I got up and left.

I closed the bathroom door shut behind me. Releasing the large amount of air that that was being contained by my checks through my air bubble.

"Well look who's returned for the summer girls."
Kill me now. The universe really does hate me. I really need to get down on some volunteering ASAP. Maybe some hours in the soup kitchen, roadside community trash. Anything, anything for this to stop. For the universe to take it easy on me.
"Val, Kayla,Gabby. It's nice to see you girls again." I grit through my teeth. My cheeks hurting from the tension of my forced fake smile.
"Speak for yourself." Kayla remarks.
"Oh well I just assumed you liked people talking for you since Val seems to be always doing it." I spit.
"Nuh uh, Val let's us speak all the time." Gabby inputs.
"I'm sure she does." I say throwing another one of my fake smiles.
Gabby turns to Val and gives her a smile but it slowing fades as Val ignores it and begins to speak instead.
"So I saw Ray out there with his new girl. It must hurt seeing him someone else right?" Val inputs. Her words filled with venom. The hurt she's trying to ignite through her words is obvious. It obvious through her sickening devil smile. Cause this girl right her was the devil. I believe in the devil and I believe i'm looking at it straight in the eye.
"As long as he's happy." I say, showing no emotion in my tone nor face.
"But you don't really feel that way. Do you Raelynn? Look, all i'm saying is you should've listened to me when I told you he's never going to change. There will alway be another girl. I know because I once was that girl. Until he left me for you." she says.
"Ray Prescott will never settle. That girl out there will not be his last and it's just a matter of time before he replaces her too." she continues bile dancing around her words and bitterness flowing through her veins.
"Just because you're a lonely spiteful person doesn't mean you have to bring everyone down with you. " I state.
"She's Val, she can do whatever she wants." Gabby inputs proudly.
"Look thing two or three, whichever you prefer, i'll let you know when i'm talking to you kay?"  I turn back around to Val and open my mouth to speak.
"Now if you don't mind, I would love to stop this conversation." I say stepping aside and walking past them. But just when I thought I got rid of these Regina George wannabes, Val placed her cruel spoiled manicured pig hand on me.
bitch. laid. hand.
"I mean, did you really think he was going to stay with you? If he left me, why wouldn't you think he'd leave you?"
I grab it by the wrist and yank it of my shoulder. She scolded at me and a let out an annoying 'ouch'.
"Don't you ever place your disgusting pig hands on me, got that? Ever do it again and I will leave you so damaged your going to need more than your little daddy paid salon visits to fix it." I spit.
I open the bathroom door and walk out slamming it behind me.

I walk over to our table grab my things.
"Hey, I'm going to head out ok? See you back at the house." I whisper into Alex's ear.
"You okay?"
"Yeah i'm good i'll talk to you later." I tell her. I turn on my heels and open the gate to the pool and walk out of there. Needing the fresh air more than I thought.
I disliked Val with a passion. I don't necessarily hate her because I know that she's hurting. Not that it's an excuse for the way she treats people. No matter how much she's hurting she shouldn't treat people like scum stuck on the bottom of her shoe, all i'm saying is I understand. Especially now. When you get left by a guy, someone like Ray, you don't exactly feel like being all rainbows and sunshine's all the time. So I can relate to a part of her. And as much as i'd like to say what she said to me isn't messing with my head, it totally is. Why would Ray leave her and stay with me? Did I really think he'd stay with me? Choose me? I feel pathetic and humiliated.
A loud truck horn came blasting through my ear and interrupted my thoughts. I turn my head towards the direction of the sound and find a 1986 metallic black Chevy k20 Silverado fleetside. The truck pulls over to the sidewalk and rolls the window down.
"Get in the car Mitchell."
"I'm good. I'm fine walking actually." I answer continuing my steps.
"Come on Mitchell, I'll take you home."
"I said i'm fine walking, thanks."
He parks the truck and gets off. He runs over to the passenger door and opens it wide open signaling me to get in.
I cross my arms over my chests.
"Are you def or just stupidly stubborn?" I ask.
"Get in and I'll tell you." he smirks.
If I knew anything about Ray is that he's not going to leave me alone till I get in his truck. Stubborn little buttcrack.
I blow out annoyed, bothered air and walk over to his truck. I get in and he closes the door behind me.
He runs back around to the driver seat and gets in. He beings the truck and drives off.
"Where'd you steal the truck?" I ask looking out the window.
"It's Amber's husband. Brand new."
"And he trusted you with it?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asks. I feel him glance over at me with a beam but I kept my eyesight out the window.
"Nothing."
"You avoiding me Mitchell?"  I was taken back by the question. But even more by the certainty he held in the question. He was asking something he already knew the answer to but just wanted to hear it.
"You passed Alex's house." I state. Turning to him confused.
"That's not what I asked." he says.
"Why did you pass Alex's house Ray?"
"That's still not what I asked."
"And this is not what I agreed to. You said you'd take me home." I say with slight irritation in my voice.
"I am. Just have to make a quick stop first."

I waited 35 whole freaking minutes. I've been waiting outside in this truck while Ray took his sweet  freaking time ordering pizza. How long does it take to order pizza? I'll tell you, not freaking 35 minutes.
Ray finally steps out with three boxes of pizza and gets into the truck.
"Are you shitting me? Thirty five minutes for three boxes of pizza?" I ask.
"They added some new items to the menu. I wanted to check them out." he excuses.
"Why couldn't you just come get the pizzas after you dropped me off?"
"Can I ask you something?" he asks ignoring my question and asking one instead.
"Will you let me say no?"
He puts on a tiny smirk. "No."
When I first met Ray last summer. I knew exactly what type of guy he was. I knew he was the guy who could get anything he wanted, and knew it. Oh he knew it badly. This guy doesn't have the word 'no' in his vocabulary. Has no idea of its existence. Especially when it comes to the female population.
"Why are you avoiding me?"
"Didn't you already ask me this?"
"You never answered." he states.
"Yeah and that usually means to not ask it again." I say. "God you're a real hypocrite you know that." I whisper, turning my head towards the window so I don't have to look at him.
"What's that's supposed to mean?"
"You avoid me for months with no explanation and you expect me to answer to you?" To give you explanations?" I blurted.
He stayed silent. Deadly silent. I turned to see if he was still alive. He was, but he wasn't looking at me or anywhere near me. He was staring straight ahead, having a staring contest with the steering wheel.
Granted i've been meaning to say that to him since I first stepped foot in this town. But not now, not like this. The anger still flowing through my veins from interaction with the three stooges did this. That's what caused me to loose my cool. And I regret it now and I know i'm going to be regretting it later as well.

"You're right. We should get you home." he finally breaks.  His answers disappoints me, ticks me off even. This is his reply? This is what he musters up to say?
But what did I expect he's Ray Prescott, maybe the one thing twiddle dumb actually managed to get correct is when she said that he'll never change. Because once again i'm left with no explanation and with an empty 5 months of insecurities and desperation.

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