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Chapter 13

We hung out at the pool for a while. Chris gave me a lot of attention that day, playing around, splashing water, tickling me, hanging around me the entire time. He was very funny, and I found it easy to talk to him. He always had something silly to say, which was nice. I sometimes felt like I never had anything to say, which was weird because I was always worrying or thinking about something. I just felt like none of it was ever interesting. Chris was a one-person show. He would recite full comedy skits or re-enact funny things that happen to someone from the group. It was fun.

Nicole, meanwhile, found herself cozy with Cameron.

Their attraction was instant. As soon as Maria introduced them to each other, it was as if everyone else stopped existing. Cameron was hot, and I did not blame her. He was an exchange student from South Africa who got a full scholarship despite his parents being wealthy. He met Maria's family because his family did a lot of business in Bolivia. Maria whispered all of this to me. We sneakily peeked at the two love birds whispering to each other at the other end of the pool.

It might have been hard for an outsider to tell, but Nicole took the idea of playing hard to get to a whole other level. But I knew this, Nicole. The enchanted one. I knew her well enough to know she was intrigued by his accent. Or it could be that fact he looked like Michael B. Jordan with an impressive six-pack and a killer smile.

"We should watch a movie," Lana said suddenly, "I'm bored of the pool, and my toes look like raisins."

"Yeah, my hands are pretty pruney," I agreed. "But Nicole and I should be heading out. It's getting late, and I don't want to be taking buses after dark."

"Aww. I thought we were going to watch a move? Sleepover!" Maria said. "All of you! I have another bed, and we could snuggle!"

Nicole's head snapped in my direction, pleading me with her eyes to say yes.

"No, I don't think it's a good idea, we're sleeping over tomorrow, and my dad is not going to be too cool with the idea of two nights in a row."

"But, Lia, you said he was doing an 18-hour shift. How would he even know? We could say that we left early for your track practice," Nicole argued.

"I agree with her, Lia. Sleepover; it will be fun, and your dad will never find out," Maria pleaded. 

I knew Nicole wanted to sleep over to spend more time with Cameron. I felt bad. She had taken her breakup with her ex-boyfriend pretty hard, and this was the first time in a while I saw her so excited.

"Fine," I said, giving in and Maria threw her arms around me. "Yay! The whole gang," She squealed.

"Not the whole gang. I actually have to go. I have SAT prep tutoring this Monday and haven't done anything," Damien said.

"Yeah, that's true; he reee-ally needs to study," Lana agreed.

"Thanks, babe," Damien said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, it is no secret you did awful last time. You took a picture of your score and posted it on Snapchat. Not that it was any surprise you've spent the whole summer playing video games instead of studying. How do you expect us to go to the same college if you can't even get the minimum score for them not to throw your application in the trash?"

"Well, if I recall, you've also been a pretty big distraction," he answered matter-of-factly.

"Yes, well, video games are not necessary; time with me is. So you need to work around that," She winked. He dove at her mouth, and they started making out again against the wall of the pool.

"Ehh-nee-ways," Maria said, "let's go upstairs, we can take turns showering and get some popcorn started, and then we can watch a movie. Nicole, you want first dibs at the shower?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Alright, I'll show you where everything is and lend you some clothes. Lia, do you mind going to the kitchen and telling Darla to make us popcorn?"

"Darla is the one who is always with your mom?"

She nodded and walked up the pool stairs to grab a towel.

"I'll go with you," Lana said. I guess she had convinced Damien to study because I no longer saw him.

"Here," she said tossing me a big shirt from her bag, "Maybe we can see if Darla can make us cookies too," she said smiling. 

The Bennett Mansion was massive, but Lana seemed to know her way around. We found ourselves in the kitchen where a plump woman with a thick Eastern European accent was making something that smelled amazing.

"Ms. Genio, Ms. Gomez, how are you girls doing?" Darla asked, looking at Lana. Darla was the head maid at the Bennetts and the sweetest lady.

"We're good," I answered, "How are you, Darla?"

"Oh honey, I am healthy and working, which is always good," Maria told me that Darla worked for their family for almost 30 years. "She's basically family," Maria had said.

"The food smells delicious," I commented.

"I hope it tastes delicious, Ms. Bennett is having her aunt come over, and then the kid's Grandmother will be here a few days later. She can be a very stern lady. It is very distressing for the mistress, so I'm trying to make a comfort meal, as you Americans like to say."

I had noticed Maria's mom seemed more nervous these days. 

"Darla, do you mind making us some popcorn? We're going to have a movie night upstairs," Lana asked, sneaking some frosting from a bowl Darla had on the counter.

"Yes, of course, is it you three girls?" She asked.

"No, there are 7 of us, maybe 9,"

"Oooh, a fun night, huh?"

"Mhm," Lana answered sweetly.

"Of course, dear, tell the young Ms. Bennet I will bring it up when it is ready. I just need to finish her mom's dinner."

"Oh, we all need to shower and such, so it's no rush," Lana said.

We decided to take the "scenic route," as Lana called it, through the gardens on our way to Maria's room.

"I'm glad Maria and you became close this summer, it's nice to have another girl around," Lana said, as we walked down a manicured path. 

"Yeah, she's really nice, I was worried I wouldn't know anyone."

"She really likes you. I've been trying to get her to make more friends, she's so outgoing, and it's good for her, but she hasn't been very trusting."

"Oh?" I asked, Maria seemed so sweet. 

"Yeah, she's a senior this year, so it's a bit different, but last year a lot of girls pretended to be her friend and then ditched her once they started messing around with her Robbie. Then once that ended, they pretended they never knew her. She was really hurt by it."

Conditional friends. I understood that feeling very well. 

"Geez, what's wrong with those girls?"

"I don't know, I think it's because they don't know him. Like Robbie is such a nerd they need to get a grip. I mean have you heard him go on about the drones he builds? It makes me want to jump off a cliff," she said rolling her eyes. 

"Well, no worries here, I try to avoid him as much as possible, he's so mean," I said as we headed towards the garden

She gave me a confused look. 

"Robbie? Mean?" she asked surprised, "he can be awkward and dry, but he's not mean."

"Taking your sisters friends is pretty mean."

"Well, he never really went after the girls. I actually don't think he's ever tried to get with a girl they all kind of come to him. I mean, I guess he could have told them, no, but he can be pretty clueless. Maria kind of blew up on him about it, and he felt really bad, things have been calm since then, or I've only seen him around Abigail at least."

"If you say so," I muttered. 

"Isn't this house something else?" she asked, changing the subject. 

"Yeah, it's like a museum."

"The inside sometimes creeps me out, but I love the gardens."

"Why do they creep you out?" I asked her, surprised by her comment.

"I don't know; it's just so large and full of empty rooms. Sometimes it almost feels alive."

"I've only really ever stayed in Maria's wing."

"Well, maybe it's just me who feels that way. Still," she said, looking around at the manicured orchard, "I love this place." 

Lana led me through some very well kept hedges with white carnations and pear trees.

"Have you ever been to my house, Lia? I can't remember," She asked.

"No, I haven't. We've only hung out here."

"Well, my parent's taste is nothing like this. My mom is always renovating, but she's into modern things. When I have my place, I just want to have a forest in my backyard with fairy lights and then a big table in the middle to have dinner with family and friends."

"That sounds really nice," I said, looking at the dream-like expression on her face.

"It's nice to have simpler things."

"Sure," I said. I would never say out loud that the simplicity Lana longed for and romanticized was probably my most ambitious goal.

A big German Shepard came from around the corner. The Bennett's had several dogs around their property. They were meant to act as guard dogs, but they were treated as pets.

"Jack," I exclaimed as this one, in particular, jumped excitedly on me.

I loved dogs. I had taken the habit of sneaking off sometimes to play with all of Maria's 'guard dogs.' My family always lived in a small apartment, so we never had any ourselves.

I pulled on a small branch from one of the pear trees above us and broke off a stick. Jack backed up excitedly, his tail wagging waiting for me to throw it. I threw it as hard as I could, and he ran after it.

"Are you excited to start Trinity? Only two more weeks, oh we always have a party before going back, you're going to that, right?"

"Umm, I haven't heard anything about it," I said, throwing the stick jack had brought back.

"That's probably because Maria just assumes you're coming." She said, sitting down in the grassy clearing in front of the entrance to the back of the Manor.

"Oh, well yeah, I guess I'll go," I said as she sat down on the grass.

"Hey, aren't we going up?" I asked confused at what she was doing. 

"Gimme a second. The sun is going down. I just want some warmth before the cold comes." She said, laying down on the grass and spreading her limbs out like starfish.

It was getting chilly.

I did some running in place to stay warm. Jack thought as I was playing with him. Soon we were running back and forth kicking an old rubber ball he had brought back instead of the stick I threw earlier. I sat down on the grass after a bit of running around, and Jack decided the sweat on my face was a treat to lick off.

Sitting down in front of the Manor, I looked up to see Robbie looking out from one of the windows. I guess that window must be his room. He looked away quickly when he noticed me looking back.

Such a weirdo.

I lay down on the grass, joining Lana. The cool evening breeze was nice on my now flushed face. "Alright," she said after a few minutes. "We can go up now."

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A/N

Hope you guys enjoyed it! Please leave your thoughts and comment, like, and vote if you liked it! It let me know that you like the direction it is going in. Constructive criticism is always welcome!