Unexpected

5| This is it

"I wonder what it's like to be my friends

Hope that they don't think I'll forget about them."

I walked on uneven ground and passed through trees. Touching their rough and scaly barks which reminded me of home. The time we wish we could live again. I stepped on twigs which crunched under my weight. Some branches pricked on my bare skin or made minor scratches. I almost tripped by a knobby root. Just when I stepped ahead and raised my head a branch slapped on my face. I yelped in surprise and Carver laughed and went ahead of me.
We came out of the woods and there it was, few feet away. The water was brilliant blue, calm, and transparent. The lake was big but not much deep. I felt like stripping off my clothes and diving in! It was reflecting the cloudless sky, so blue. It made me look at the sky. I took short strides forward, and a smile appeared on my face.
This view brings back all kinds of sweet and bitter memories. It was tempting to want to drink the lake water...
Jeremy was just behind me. He had lowered himself to the ground and was admiring a wild plant.
A little ladybug which was just near his finger walked away. For some reason, it looked so funny
"What the hell are you doing down there?" Luke remarked. Jeremy plucked out the poor wild plant and stood up. "Admiring wild art" Jeremy replied. May god gift him with some sense of humor. "Shut up and look at that welcoming lake!" Charlotte said nudging both of them. Stephanie walked past us and threw her fat bag on the ground. Jeremy tucked in the wild plant and walked backward, "I am gonna get the bags." He said pointing his thumb at the woods. Carver nodded, "Nice." He said and ran towards the lake, but Jeremy held him by the arm. Before he could go further. "And, you're gonna help me. In doing this nice work." Jeremy said and tried to drag Carver with him. But carver kept on protesting.
Carver was at the ground now, laughing. And before I knew how wild they all are getting. I heard a loud splash. And turned to see Luke in the water, shirtless. A smile was seconds away from reaching my face but I kept my expression neutral.
"I am coming Luke!" Carver said who wanted to dive in so badly but Jeremy had his arms locked. I wanted to dive in too but I'll wait till everyone is ready to swim. I mean, when everyone will be in their swimsuits.
"Go, do the manly stuff, Carver!" The way his name left her mouth something clicked in my brain. The accent she used was somewhat familiar but still foreign. The voice came from I saw Stephanie who had removed her clothes and was now in a swimming suit. Which she was probably wearing under her previous outfit. Her Rosy skin looked like... Rose?
"I am gonna come back for you hun," Carver replied, still in an arm lock. Stephanie rolled her eyes and Carver kissed in the air with a "Muah" sound. She grimaced and scrunched her face.
She was wearing cherry red monokini which I find too revealing. But swimsuits are revealing. She started stretching. Carver on the other hand gave up and now was being dragged by Jeremy to our parking spot.
When Stephanie was doing the tricep stretch she suddenly looked back at us. "Why aren't you guys coming?" She said and continued stretching.
"In a while," Charlotte said. I could see Stephanie nod her hand from behind because I was facing her back.
Charlotte looked at me and raised a brow. Asking me if I'll join them now.
"Ahh... I am waiting for all of you to change." Charlotte shook her head. And we heard a splash again. It was Stephanie who just dived in and Luke swam away from her as she chased him. Laughing all that while. And splashing water in his direction. From how it looked, Luke is a good swimmer. Stephanie isn't even half as good and is lagging.
I heard Charlotte chuckle while watching them, "We gotta turn his attention away from her." She turned to me with a strange glint in her eyes. My eyes traveled to her face which was dry now, and her neck too. Her hair was messy, but a good kind of messy. She has freckles here and there on her neck. But her face is almost spotless.
Charlotte placed her hands on both of my shoulders and shook my body. "You are gonna change. Now!" I hesitated...
"Carter, you like Luke. Go, grab his attention girl!" My eyes widened. She was grinning. Like she could see right through me. My first instinct was that Carver might have leaked my secret. But knowing my brother I let out a breath. Maybe I am that readable.
"No, I don't." I felt like I was in fight or flight mode. No way I am gonna agree to that. I feel like such a stalker, pathetic fangirl already!
"Carter, I know-" she began but I am not gonna let anyone hear that.
"I don't like him, I don't!" Charlotte fell silent. Her eyes looked at the ground. She knew I was lying but what left my mouth can't be taken back. I grabbed a fistful of my dress, trying to feel less, guilty. A single lie won't hurt. A single lie to hide a truth that I don't know how to admit. I am so Pathetic...
"Just go and get out of this dress. I am gonna go in that water." She smiles at the end and I kind of felt more guilty if that was possible. She twirled around but then turned her face back in a second as if she saw something and didn't realize what it was before but now she did.
"Are you guys coming?" Stephanie asked again as she splashed water on Luke's face, continuously. Luke looked like he was having a hard time shielding himself from the water attack. He made a cross with his hands and ducked his head to protect his face from water splashes.
With a dull expression, I turned and saw Carver running for his life. Before I could comprehend what was happening. He ran past me and quickly took off his shirt - - as if his life is on track - and jumped in the water hugging his knees, and dived with a loud splash. Stephanie who was near him was now drenched. She punched him on the back. I shook my head and smiled.