Categories > Original > Romance > You, Me, and Arizona.
I was dreaming peacefully when I heard a loud crash then a cry of pain as my eyes fluttered open and I sighed, not liking the interruption to my slumber. I looked around the small empty room and for one second I forgot where I was. I stood up and stretched my limbs as I walked into the living room and looked at the clock. It read 11:00 and I raised my eyebrows in surprise, I don’t even remember falling asleep last night.
“You jerk off!” Nick smirked as he pushed Sam down on the floor as they wrestled over the TV remote. Valerie was too busy on her laptop to take notice of the two goobers on the floor. I smirked as I had a great idea and looked about the kitchen as I smiled when I found what I wanted. I grasped the spray bottle and filled it with water as I pointed it to the boys and squirted them as they immediately whined and got off each other. Before they glared at me while I just looked at them innocently.
“What the fun?” Sam asked annoyed as I just shrugged and smirked.
“That’s the only way to break up you’re little fight, and to keep my ears from bleeding.” I retorted as they mumbled under their breath. While I smiled satisfied and looked back at Valerie.
“So Val, what are we doing today, as this day being our official day here.” I asked curiously, sighing when she didn’t respond. Her eyes were glazed on the computer screen, I even waved my hand slowly in front of her.
“Paging Valerie, come in Valerie.” I said, still didn’t do any good. I shrugged and looked out the window, the blue lake smoothly rocking back and forth, I don’t understand how people find that comforting…it was making my stomach twist only slightly. I shook the thought away and went to the cupboard, happy to see there was cereal in stock. While I was making rather delicious bowl, Valerie finally decided to look up. I’m assuming she’s blogging again. You know those ‘blogs about every single detail of my life, even though nobody cares’ kind of people.
“What? Did you say something?” she asked absentmindedly while I just looked at her.
“Nope. Not all Valerie.” I mumbled.
“Oh okay.” she replied before going back into her zone while I could only just eat my cereal bitterly, I hated being ignored…
As I finished my cereal, I didn’t even notice the guys had left before I heard a girl like scream and then cheers of laughter. I looked at Valerie who shared the same curious expression I had on my face as we both walked towards the front of the boat where Sam was ‘attempting’ to shuffle dance. You didn’t even have to guess to know he failed at that miserably.
“What’s going on?” I asked before the guys turned around and smiled before pointing. I followed the direction of their fingers and gasped at the two objects in front of me. A beautiful and completely placid set of jet skis sat perfectly hitched to the boat as I felt my stomach flutter. I had never ridden those before. In the life I was raised in, we couldn’t exactly afford one of those. I smiled at the thought of me actually squashing those days and getting my own chance at riding them.
“Wipe that smile off your face.” I heard Nick say to me as I scowled at him for ruining my own little moment there. I didn’t have to be psychic to know I would probably end up fighting over the jet skis with Nick, because that’s just the type of person he is. I always had a theory he suffered from Peter Pan syndrome. You know the ‘I don’t want to grow up and actually have to act mature’ kind of thing.
“Don’t give me that look Nicholas Kemp, you have no authority over these jet skis, much less authority over anything.” I retorted at him as he simply smirked.
“You don’t even know how to ride it!” he retaliated as I rolled my eyes and looked at my nails.
“It’s called learning Nicholas. I’ll learn to ride.”
“That’s a joke and a half. I guarantee you’ll end up falling on your ass at least once.” he said to me as I looked at with no expression.
“Is that a challenge?” I mocked him as he shrugged.
“Maybe, maybe not. You know what they say, it’s not over till the fat lady sings.” he retorted as I glared at him while he giggled.
“Well in that case Nicholas, I suggest you stop speaking, rest up your vocal cords.” I smiled at him as he flipped me off while I giggled this time.
“You guys bicker so much, you would think you and Nick were the ones who were actually related to each other.”
“Hell no!”
“Uh double negative.” we shouted in unison as we shot each other a glance before Sam just looked at Valerie in a way I’ve never seen before. His eyes were softer, his smile more genuine. Valerie took the hint of someone watching her before she smiled back at Sam and looked away quickly, a slight blush to her apple cheeks.
“Umm shall we get started on today’s events?”
__
Never in my life did I ever fathom the idea of possibly dying from heat exhaustion. I was well aware Arizona was this hot, but good Lord. It was like constantly being in a sauna, I was really dreading the fact that I was indeed sweating, which I never really do. It was frustrating to have to wipe my forehead every two minutes or so. I sighed as I adjusted my sunglasses and redid the ponytail that helped hold my hair away from my face. The boys were of course trying to drown each other while me and Valerie sat on the patio’s ledge, our feet dangling in the warm water. It was so hot, the water felt like a nice bath, I supposed that helped a little bit.
“What do you think so far?” Valerie asked me as I looked at through my glasses.
“About what?” I replied confused. She giggled and looked around.
“Everything! The trip, the boat, the people.” she said pointing at all the boats around the dock. I shrugged, and figured I could leave out the minor complaints. All in all, it wasn’t too bad. The elderly couple next a couple boats down, had even gave us some of their food they barbequed earlier, that was until Sam and Nick squirted ketchup and mustard at each other, getting it in their black lab’s eye in the process. They didn’t appreciate that too much…
“It’s good…I mean it’s practically the only trip I’ve ever been on that was out of state.” I replied as she smiled sympathetically. Her and Nick’s parents always brought them along on trips, they’ve vacationed everywhere from The Bahamas, to Alaska, hell, even China. My family was too busy figuring out ways to support each other, so the money for trips was spent for other things.
“Well now you can cross that off your list. I can’t wait until we’re in NYU, we’ll have plenty of opportunities to travel, it’s going to be amazing.” she sighed daydreaming as I awkwardly shifted in my sitting position. If she only knew the truth about us going. If she only knew…I wasn’t going, I should say.
“Valerie about that-”
“Hey!” Nick shouted at us as we looked at him.
“What do you want?”
“Can you get me a soda? Pretty please?” he begged as Valerie shook her head.
“No, you got a perfectly good set of legs, use them!” she shouted back as he groaned.
“Come on! Please!” he asked again as I rolled my eyes.
“Cheese on cheese stick, I’ll get it.” I said to her as she smiled thankful that one of us was able to get off our lazy asses. I figured it was almost a lifesaver, I was figuring a good time to talk to Valerie. She was going to be crushed if I told her, and I wasn’t quite ready to do that. But I knew deep down, I didn’t have much time before school started, then the pressure would really sink in.
I sighed and shook my head as I opened the fridge door and reached for a coke before bringing out and tossing it to Nick who actually caught it, even though I was aiming for it to land in the water on purpose. He gave ‘a nice try’ look before I shrugged it off and watched him swim back to the jet ski next to Sam. For some strange reason his abs were appealing to me. They were so muscular, it was almost…
“So what were you going to say?” Val asked as I snapped out of my thoughts and mentally cringed to myself.
“Wha?” I mumbled as she held her hand out.
“You were going to say something before Nick asked for a soda, what was it?” she asked curiously. I stuttered on my words before shaking my head.
“Oh I was just going to say being in New York was going to be kind of trippy to me, that’s all.” I lied as she looked at me carefully before shrugging.
“Of course, but just think about all the possibilities! The fashion!” she smiled as I nodded and flipped through the latest issue of Esquire. Even the wonderful picture of Emile Hirsch couldn’t take away the guilt that was building inside.
“Yeah all the possibilities…”
__
I watched in awe at the desert sunset. No thunderstorms so far, which for that, I was grateful. The heat never let up, but eventually I got over it. I sighed as I looked at the jet ski sitting by itself in the corner, looking rather lonely. I imagined it was calling out to me, my desire to ride was getting the best of me. I hadn’t even had the chance to attempt to even sit on it because of the guys. I crept towards it before I heard footsteps and I immediately walked back and sighed in sadness. I was hoping to teach myself how to ride it without any of Nick’s nor Sam’s help. It was only going to give them more ammunition to mock me, especially if I couldn’t learn, that would be just embarrassing.
I sighed once more before going back inside, feeling a bead of sweat trail down the back of my neck and I cringed in distaste and deciding to go take a quick shower. I don’t think we were going to do much more tonight, I sure as hell wasn’t going in the lake when the sun went down (I was afraid of bats), and I’m more than certain Sam and Nick were only going to con their way into sneaking beers from the other residents here, just like they always do when we go places. I began to wonder why I even hung out with these people, but it’s pretty obvious. They completed me…or at least Val did. Nick and Sam just happen to come with the package.
I slipped into the bathroom and quickly undressed myself. I pinned my hair up before running the water, making it slightly colder, since it was hot everywhere else. I stepped in and let the cool water run down my body before grabbing my soap of the small shelf. I lathered myself before rinsing off and sighing in content of feeling clean again, or at least until I went back outside. I wrapped the towel around myself and dried off before slipping into a pair of shorts and a polka dotted spaghetti strap and still keeping my hair up and out of my face. When I stepped out I bumped into someone, and I realized the person purposely bumped into me. Guess who?
“Goodness Queen Elizabeth, what record for longest time in the bathroom are you going for this time?” he asked me as I looked up at him.
“I wasn’t even in that long!” I replied as he nodded sarcastically.
“Yeah sure, did you at least save some warm water for the rest of us?” he teased as I smiled.
“Of course I saved your skinny body some warm water.” I smiled at him, knowing he hated to be called skinny. He liked to think of himself as a well muscular football dude or something another.
“Please it’s this skinny body that you dream of at night.” he smirked as he leaned in a bit closer for my liking. I looked back at him and smirked back.
“You’re right Nick, I’m so tired of pretending. I want you, I need you so bad, take me back to the room and punish me.” I whispered in his ear as he tensed slightly and looked at me. I leaned in to kiss him before smacking his head as he winced.
“Get over yourself Nick.” I grinned before blowing him a raspberry as he watched me leave with a smirk that said ‘This isn’t over.’
Somehow I didn’t doubt that for one second…
“You jerk off!” Nick smirked as he pushed Sam down on the floor as they wrestled over the TV remote. Valerie was too busy on her laptop to take notice of the two goobers on the floor. I smirked as I had a great idea and looked about the kitchen as I smiled when I found what I wanted. I grasped the spray bottle and filled it with water as I pointed it to the boys and squirted them as they immediately whined and got off each other. Before they glared at me while I just looked at them innocently.
“What the fun?” Sam asked annoyed as I just shrugged and smirked.
“That’s the only way to break up you’re little fight, and to keep my ears from bleeding.” I retorted as they mumbled under their breath. While I smiled satisfied and looked back at Valerie.
“So Val, what are we doing today, as this day being our official day here.” I asked curiously, sighing when she didn’t respond. Her eyes were glazed on the computer screen, I even waved my hand slowly in front of her.
“Paging Valerie, come in Valerie.” I said, still didn’t do any good. I shrugged and looked out the window, the blue lake smoothly rocking back and forth, I don’t understand how people find that comforting…it was making my stomach twist only slightly. I shook the thought away and went to the cupboard, happy to see there was cereal in stock. While I was making rather delicious bowl, Valerie finally decided to look up. I’m assuming she’s blogging again. You know those ‘blogs about every single detail of my life, even though nobody cares’ kind of people.
“What? Did you say something?” she asked absentmindedly while I just looked at her.
“Nope. Not all Valerie.” I mumbled.
“Oh okay.” she replied before going back into her zone while I could only just eat my cereal bitterly, I hated being ignored…
As I finished my cereal, I didn’t even notice the guys had left before I heard a girl like scream and then cheers of laughter. I looked at Valerie who shared the same curious expression I had on my face as we both walked towards the front of the boat where Sam was ‘attempting’ to shuffle dance. You didn’t even have to guess to know he failed at that miserably.
“What’s going on?” I asked before the guys turned around and smiled before pointing. I followed the direction of their fingers and gasped at the two objects in front of me. A beautiful and completely placid set of jet skis sat perfectly hitched to the boat as I felt my stomach flutter. I had never ridden those before. In the life I was raised in, we couldn’t exactly afford one of those. I smiled at the thought of me actually squashing those days and getting my own chance at riding them.
“Wipe that smile off your face.” I heard Nick say to me as I scowled at him for ruining my own little moment there. I didn’t have to be psychic to know I would probably end up fighting over the jet skis with Nick, because that’s just the type of person he is. I always had a theory he suffered from Peter Pan syndrome. You know the ‘I don’t want to grow up and actually have to act mature’ kind of thing.
“Don’t give me that look Nicholas Kemp, you have no authority over these jet skis, much less authority over anything.” I retorted at him as he simply smirked.
“You don’t even know how to ride it!” he retaliated as I rolled my eyes and looked at my nails.
“It’s called learning Nicholas. I’ll learn to ride.”
“That’s a joke and a half. I guarantee you’ll end up falling on your ass at least once.” he said to me as I looked at with no expression.
“Is that a challenge?” I mocked him as he shrugged.
“Maybe, maybe not. You know what they say, it’s not over till the fat lady sings.” he retorted as I glared at him while he giggled.
“Well in that case Nicholas, I suggest you stop speaking, rest up your vocal cords.” I smiled at him as he flipped me off while I giggled this time.
“You guys bicker so much, you would think you and Nick were the ones who were actually related to each other.”
“Hell no!”
“Uh double negative.” we shouted in unison as we shot each other a glance before Sam just looked at Valerie in a way I’ve never seen before. His eyes were softer, his smile more genuine. Valerie took the hint of someone watching her before she smiled back at Sam and looked away quickly, a slight blush to her apple cheeks.
“Umm shall we get started on today’s events?”
__
Never in my life did I ever fathom the idea of possibly dying from heat exhaustion. I was well aware Arizona was this hot, but good Lord. It was like constantly being in a sauna, I was really dreading the fact that I was indeed sweating, which I never really do. It was frustrating to have to wipe my forehead every two minutes or so. I sighed as I adjusted my sunglasses and redid the ponytail that helped hold my hair away from my face. The boys were of course trying to drown each other while me and Valerie sat on the patio’s ledge, our feet dangling in the warm water. It was so hot, the water felt like a nice bath, I supposed that helped a little bit.
“What do you think so far?” Valerie asked me as I looked at through my glasses.
“About what?” I replied confused. She giggled and looked around.
“Everything! The trip, the boat, the people.” she said pointing at all the boats around the dock. I shrugged, and figured I could leave out the minor complaints. All in all, it wasn’t too bad. The elderly couple next a couple boats down, had even gave us some of their food they barbequed earlier, that was until Sam and Nick squirted ketchup and mustard at each other, getting it in their black lab’s eye in the process. They didn’t appreciate that too much…
“It’s good…I mean it’s practically the only trip I’ve ever been on that was out of state.” I replied as she smiled sympathetically. Her and Nick’s parents always brought them along on trips, they’ve vacationed everywhere from The Bahamas, to Alaska, hell, even China. My family was too busy figuring out ways to support each other, so the money for trips was spent for other things.
“Well now you can cross that off your list. I can’t wait until we’re in NYU, we’ll have plenty of opportunities to travel, it’s going to be amazing.” she sighed daydreaming as I awkwardly shifted in my sitting position. If she only knew the truth about us going. If she only knew…I wasn’t going, I should say.
“Valerie about that-”
“Hey!” Nick shouted at us as we looked at him.
“What do you want?”
“Can you get me a soda? Pretty please?” he begged as Valerie shook her head.
“No, you got a perfectly good set of legs, use them!” she shouted back as he groaned.
“Come on! Please!” he asked again as I rolled my eyes.
“Cheese on cheese stick, I’ll get it.” I said to her as she smiled thankful that one of us was able to get off our lazy asses. I figured it was almost a lifesaver, I was figuring a good time to talk to Valerie. She was going to be crushed if I told her, and I wasn’t quite ready to do that. But I knew deep down, I didn’t have much time before school started, then the pressure would really sink in.
I sighed and shook my head as I opened the fridge door and reached for a coke before bringing out and tossing it to Nick who actually caught it, even though I was aiming for it to land in the water on purpose. He gave ‘a nice try’ look before I shrugged it off and watched him swim back to the jet ski next to Sam. For some strange reason his abs were appealing to me. They were so muscular, it was almost…
“So what were you going to say?” Val asked as I snapped out of my thoughts and mentally cringed to myself.
“Wha?” I mumbled as she held her hand out.
“You were going to say something before Nick asked for a soda, what was it?” she asked curiously. I stuttered on my words before shaking my head.
“Oh I was just going to say being in New York was going to be kind of trippy to me, that’s all.” I lied as she looked at me carefully before shrugging.
“Of course, but just think about all the possibilities! The fashion!” she smiled as I nodded and flipped through the latest issue of Esquire. Even the wonderful picture of Emile Hirsch couldn’t take away the guilt that was building inside.
“Yeah all the possibilities…”
__
I watched in awe at the desert sunset. No thunderstorms so far, which for that, I was grateful. The heat never let up, but eventually I got over it. I sighed as I looked at the jet ski sitting by itself in the corner, looking rather lonely. I imagined it was calling out to me, my desire to ride was getting the best of me. I hadn’t even had the chance to attempt to even sit on it because of the guys. I crept towards it before I heard footsteps and I immediately walked back and sighed in sadness. I was hoping to teach myself how to ride it without any of Nick’s nor Sam’s help. It was only going to give them more ammunition to mock me, especially if I couldn’t learn, that would be just embarrassing.
I sighed once more before going back inside, feeling a bead of sweat trail down the back of my neck and I cringed in distaste and deciding to go take a quick shower. I don’t think we were going to do much more tonight, I sure as hell wasn’t going in the lake when the sun went down (I was afraid of bats), and I’m more than certain Sam and Nick were only going to con their way into sneaking beers from the other residents here, just like they always do when we go places. I began to wonder why I even hung out with these people, but it’s pretty obvious. They completed me…or at least Val did. Nick and Sam just happen to come with the package.
I slipped into the bathroom and quickly undressed myself. I pinned my hair up before running the water, making it slightly colder, since it was hot everywhere else. I stepped in and let the cool water run down my body before grabbing my soap of the small shelf. I lathered myself before rinsing off and sighing in content of feeling clean again, or at least until I went back outside. I wrapped the towel around myself and dried off before slipping into a pair of shorts and a polka dotted spaghetti strap and still keeping my hair up and out of my face. When I stepped out I bumped into someone, and I realized the person purposely bumped into me. Guess who?
“Goodness Queen Elizabeth, what record for longest time in the bathroom are you going for this time?” he asked me as I looked up at him.
“I wasn’t even in that long!” I replied as he nodded sarcastically.
“Yeah sure, did you at least save some warm water for the rest of us?” he teased as I smiled.
“Of course I saved your skinny body some warm water.” I smiled at him, knowing he hated to be called skinny. He liked to think of himself as a well muscular football dude or something another.
“Please it’s this skinny body that you dream of at night.” he smirked as he leaned in a bit closer for my liking. I looked back at him and smirked back.
“You’re right Nick, I’m so tired of pretending. I want you, I need you so bad, take me back to the room and punish me.” I whispered in his ear as he tensed slightly and looked at me. I leaned in to kiss him before smacking his head as he winced.
“Get over yourself Nick.” I grinned before blowing him a raspberry as he watched me leave with a smirk that said ‘This isn’t over.’
Somehow I didn’t doubt that for one second…
Sign up to rate and review this story