Arabella's POV

"Okay just hear me out." Ace reasoned as he leaned forward, his hands halted before him. I watched silently as he flickered his eyes towards Erika, parted his lips and smiled. "Baby are you an oven because I'd like to whip up my dough and put a bun in you."

Silence. I have never endured such an awkward state of silence before this exact moment. The anticipation of Erika's reaction was eating us all alive as we moved to the edge of the seat. At this moment as she chewed on her sandwich, her eyes drooped lowly and her lips pulled into a thin line, we hadn't expected her to burst into a fit of laughter.

I let out a small huff and chuckled, along with everyone else who joined in after getting the confirmation from Erika that the joke was in fact laughable. "What!? my pick up line wasn't good?" He asked, bewildered. I rolled my eyes and ruffled his hair as he pouted childishly, trying to fathom whether this guy was really in his early twenties or if he was a twelve-year-old in a grown man's body.

Ace smiled in response to my comfort and I averted my gaze from his, purposely avoiding Tyler's penetrating gaze and unintentionally staring deeply into Aaron's brown eyes. I cleared my throat and blushed deeply, ripping my gaze from his and willing myself to stare anywhere else. "I think we should go for a swim. Look all the other students are going," Max proposed as he turned towards the lake.

"But we just finished eating, you guys do know you cannot eat and soon after swim, the food needs to digest first." I exclaimed loudly as everyone began to scatter from the table. "Yeah, yeah, we really don't care, so you coming or what?" Erika asked as she outstretched her hand towards me.

I stared at it for a beat, making it quite obvious to her that I wasn't gonna come. She shrugged and walked away from the table, leaving me with Tyler and Aaron staring at me in anticipation. "Come on sweet cheeks, can't miss the fun." Max said as he came up from behind me, his hand pressed against my shoulder before giving it a soft squeeze.

"Don't waste your time." Tyler grunted as he stood up, discarded his plate into the bin and stalked away. I pursed my lips in a thin line and flickered my gaze away from his retreating back. Aaron leaned in towards me and smiled, his pearly white teeth immediately sending a surge of warmth through my body. "Come on."

"Let's go, sweet cheeks." Max didn't wait for my response as he gripped underneath my armpit and hauled me off the bench. I squealed in shock as he picked me up bridal style, a goofy smile on his lips as he carried me towards the lake, ignoring my screams of protest.

"We're gonna have so much fun today."

~~~

"I'm not getting in guys, you're gonna have to drag me in." I said loudly as I wrapped my hands around my waist, shaking my head vigorously as I peered down at everyone swimming in the lake. "Oh please stop whining," Erika snorted as she walked towards me and grasped the rope dangling from the tree above us in her hand and strode backwards to propel herself into the water.

She smirked, bolted forward with the rope wrapped tightly around her hand before she swung above the water and loosened her grip, falling into the water with a loud splash. The guys hooted in response; I rolled my eyes and muttered that she was a showoff.

I peered at the other students around me, some were currently in the water, others were still eating and if they weren't doing either, they were most likely staring at me. Dramatic much, I wore a simple two piece bathing suit, it's not like I was completely naked or something.

"I'm coming to get you!" Aaron's voice suddenly sliced through my thoughts and I snorted humorlessly. At first I didn't take him seriously, but he began to swim towards the deck, etching closer to my feet, preparing to haul himself upwards. I shook my head vigorously and quickly spun on my heels, preparing to leave, but gasped when a smirking Tyler halted my footsteps.

"Where do you think you're going Bella, you're going in that water," He exclaimed, leaving no room for rebuttals as if he weren't asking but demanding. I frowned, folded my arms over my chest and arched my brows towards him questionably, "say's who?"

"Says me!"

Before I could comprehend what was happening, I was already drawled backwards, my legs dangling sideways as the world moved with my movements, I was staring at the trees that defied gravity, the earth that seemed to rotate only slightly, allowing the nausea to creep into my body. But none of that occurred. The explanation for all of this was Tyler.

I didn't know how but somehow he managed to hold my weight and run down the deck, both our bodies hovering over the water as I gargled in my scream before we dropped below. My heart dropped as well, blood surged through my body as soon as the cold assault of water enveloped it.

I could feel the pressure of the water against my eardrums, the current pulling my body below. The chilliness attacked my bones, froze my body still. I forced my eyelids open, felt the sting for a mere second as I took in my surroundings. Then a pair of legs appeared before me, kicking upwards and towards the surface.

I kicked my legs as well, propelling my body upwards as I swam towards the surface. When the streaks of sunlight hit my eyes my hunger for air forced my lips open and I gasped, swallowed as much as I could before composing myself.

"Whoo hoo, you did it!" Aaron exclaimed loudly as he swam towards me. I slammed my hand against the surface of the water, sending it careering towards his face, which halted his movement. "You guys tricked me!"

Tyler's booming laughter echoed from behind me and I turned towards the sound of his voice. He sat atop a rock that was lodged into the water, his body glistened in the sunlight streaking down from the sky. He ran his hands through his damp hair, his curls more defined than usual. And then he winked, dived into the water and disappeared.

I am so going to kill him.

~~~

"Call me crazy, but I think there's ice forming on your brows." Aaron mumbled as he reached towards my face. I slapped his hand away and pouted childishly as I ducked my mouth below the water, my eyes being the only thing visible to him at the moment.

Erika and Max were currently engrossed in a conversation. Ace decided that he was once again hungry, so he went to eat and Tyler. . .Tyler was nowhere to be seen, and I was nowhere with Aaron staring into my soul, his brown pools never seeming to tear away from mine.

"I wanna know the deal with you and Tyler. If there really is anything there before. . ." He trailed off, then shook his head as he swam away. I frowned and followed him, curious as to what he was gonna say.

He propped himself upon a rock, his eyes trailing my movement as I swam towards him and pulled myself up as well, propping my butt down beside him. "Tyler's an asshole, I seriously don't get him sometimes. One moment he's this charming and vulnerable guy and then the next he's this narcissistic, controlling asshole. He even had the audacity to put a claim on me."

"A claim on you?"

"Yeah, he said and I quote 'you.are.mine' like you said on the bus when we first came here, am I a dog? No, he doesn't own me, he can't, he just does not have the right to when he's been nothing but confusing, so far!"

"He claimed you? And I'm here, not so subtly flirting with you." He mumbled, not seeming to care that he just openly admitted to flirting with me. I hid the blush behind my damp hair and coughed nervously, "what does that have to do with anything Aaron?"

"Tyler is a very persuasive person. So when he doesn't get what he wants or when he thinks he has it, but there's a threat to it being taken away, he goes to great lengths to maintain it. In your case you're no object but he claimed you right? If I know Tyler well, then I know you are off boundaries."

"Wha–"

"You really don't know the guy you're associating yourself with, do you?"

"I–I don't know, Aaron. I just know the minimal things. He was my neighbor for some time after I moved back to Washington, he's an asshole but apparently he's smart, was the school's golden boy and he's–"

"Dangerous."

"Dangerous, okay now this is getting ridiculous." I scoffed, a snort escaping my lips as I slid down the rock to leave. Aaron grasped my hand tightly, preventing me from leaving. I peered into his eyes, but there was zero amusement in them. He's serious. "What?" I huffed, he rolled his eyes and hollered at Max who just swam around aimlessly.

Max swam towards us, his eyes flickered towards Aaron's hand around mine. I ripped it from his grasp and hugged myself as the air began to grow chilly. "What?" Max asked as he leaned his palm against the rock, his head tipped upwards towards us. "Bella here said that Tyler claimed her, I mean I tried to the best of my ability to explain to her the situation with Tyler but she thinks I'm screwing with her."

Max suddenly arched his brows and pursed his lips in a thin line. "Tyler is a complicated one, Bella. If he says you're his then. . ."

"I'm not an object, he does not own me, what is wrong with the males of this generation!?"

"Arabella, I wanna talk to you." I gasped loudly when I felt the warmth of his breath trickle at the nape of my neck. It only seemed to make the air chillier the moment he settled himself down on the little space left on the rock. I didn't dare turn towards him, but instead pleaded silently with Max to get me out of this situation.

"Max, Ron. Why don't you two leave, you're gay for one another anyways."

"I'm bi, you asshole." Aaron exclaimed as he dove into the water, disappearing beneath the surface. The sudden revelation made my eyes grow wide, and I snapped my head towards Tyler who shrugged then towards Max who narrowed his eyes at Tyler before swimming away.

"Aaron is a special one, Arabella. Don't talk to him." Tyler grumbled, I tilted my body towards him and frowned deeply, my body flaring with anger as my hand itched to slap him across his face. "He's a friend, Tyler."

"You've known him for five minutes, you do not know him."

"And apparently I don't know you too!" In a swift motion Tyler was peering down at me as his body hovered over mine. His face etched so closely towards mine I could see his brown pupils dilate. I gulped, willed myself to shove him into the water behind us, but I couldn't. He trapped me with one glance. I hated it.

"I am not asking. . . I'm telling you. You're being naïve, gullible and childish amongst a list of other things. I've known these guys for two year's baby and you've just entered the game. Do not use your intolerance and hatred for me to be stubborn. You do not know Aaron nor Max, and you sure as hell don't know me. So be careful, you have a way with your words that piss off a lot of people." The words flew out of his mouth so quickly and effortlessly it took me a while to comprehend them.

This was a warning. But why does he make it seem like these guys will hurt me? Tyler Hart, I hope you know I do not take orders from just anyone, and it'll most definitely not be you.