Serial Hottie (8 page)

“All right,” Angela said, sighing. “Seth, we’ll be five minutes.”

Angela dragged me from the car and up to her room. “You’re lucky we’re close to the same size.” She threw me an olive green wad of fabric. “This will probably be a tiny bit too small on you, but close enough that it will work to your advantage.”

I had no idea what she was talking about. “What is it?” I asked looking at the lump in my hand.

“A swimsuit, moron.”

I pulled the two tiny pieces apart. “Where’s the rest?”

“Just go put it on,” Angela sneered. Then she threw me the tiniest pair of jean shorts I’d ever seen and a tank top. “You can wear that over the top of it. And go get your flip-flops bigfoot. You can’t go the lake in Dickies.”

“I’m not wearing—”

“Two minutes or we’re gone,” Angela said and then went to join Seth in the car.

I knew my sister. I knew she would leave just as she’d threatened, and part of me really wanted to let her. But then I thought of the way Seth had used the word
ravishing
while looking at her.

With a sigh I put on a bikini for the first time in my life. Suddenly I was grateful for the shorts and tank top even if they were meant to fit a Barbie-doll.

I didn’t look in the mirror as I left the house—I was better off not knowing. But I could imagine how ridiculous I looked when Seth laughed under his breath as I got in the car. “Oh, stuff it, Abercrombie!” I snapped.

Seth burst into wild laughter, and I could hear Angela muttering something to herself as we pulled out of the driveway. This was bound to be a crappy night.

Angela made quite the entrance with Seth in tow. And I do mean literally in tow. I hadn’t said a word the whole drive no matter how much Seth tried to involve me in conversation, so about half way there he gave up and started being overly attentive to Angela again. She ate it up, and when they got out of the car she latched on to him so quickly you’d think he was a six million dollar designer purse.

The introductions started with my sister’s best friend, and the party hostess, Rachel. Within seconds a crowd of interested girls swarmed. I stepped back, eager to escape, but then one of Angela’s other friends, Brooke, caught my arm. “And who is this?” she asked Angela. She looked at me asking, “Are you new too?” then turned to Seth before I could respond. “Is this your sister?”

Most of Angela’s friends aren’t exactly Ivy League material, but that comment was blond even for Brooke. Not only was she one of my sister’s best friends, but she sat right behind me in home economics all last year.

Angela and I exchanged a glance and Angela was the one to say, “Brooke, that’s
Ellie
.”

Brooke looked startled, and then gave me a once-over. Before she could say anything, some senior I didn’t know said, “Who’s Ellie?”

“My sister!” Angela snapped, frustrated.

The guy smiled at me in a way that shocked me. “I can see why you’ve kept her locked up.”

I wasn’t impressed with the cheese-ball line, just stunned. It was quite a relief when this guy Dave, who I play hockey with sometimes, walked past and went “
Westley?
” even if he was standing with Vince Kowalski and staring at me like I’d grown a third eye.

“What’s up, Dave?” I said, trying to nod casually.

“Me, that’s what.” Dave looked me up and down with exaggerated slowness and then said, “Damn girl.”

I flipped him off, but we were laughing at each other and then Vince snorted. “All this time Westley, I never knew you were a chick.”

“That’s funny,” I said thoughtfully. “I always knew you were.”

When Vince took a step toward me, Dave held him back and to me said, “Frisbee football. You in?”

I nodded. “Sure, in a while. I owe Kowalski a broken nose.”

Vince grabbed himself rudely and I flipped him off, too, but this time I wasn’t laughing.

I turned back around and Angela’s entire popular posse was staring at me. When I braved a glance at Seth his eyes were burning with wicked amusement. He was doing everything he could not to laugh.

“Let me know when it’s time to leave,” I grumbled to Angela and then stalked off to find a soda. I grabbed a Dr. Pepper and a hot dog and then found a spot to sit where I could keep an eye on my sister without being bothered.

Seth stuck like glue to Angela for a while, going out of his way to touch her or tease her unnecessarily, but I cold tell when he got bored with it. Apparently he had no intention of hurting Angela or taking advantage of her. He was just messing with me. He knew I’d only come because of him just like he knew I was watching his every move.

He’d been manipulating me from the moment Angela found us in the street, and I was totally acting the sucker. When this became obvious, I was mad at myself for letting him get to me. I refused to humor him a second longer.

Hoping that ignoring him completely would piss him off, I went to join the game of frisbee football that was still going on. When I approached, I was met with a few low whistles—all coming from guys I’d played against with the J’s. “I may be in a swimsuit,” I growled. “But I will still whoop anyone who doesn’t shut his pie hole right now.”

“We need one more over here,” someone said. It was the senior who’d fed me a pick-up line earlier. I couldn’t believe he was looking at me like he was really interested. No guy, other than my psycho neighbor, had ever shown interest in me before. Especially not someone who looked like him.

The guy had short sandy blond hair and pale grey eyes. He was a little too muscley for my taste, but still, he was pretty hot. I didn’t know whether to be thankful to Angela for making me show up half-naked, or annoyed. I did everything in my power not to blush as I went to stand by him, but was able to lose myself in the game rather quickly.

It was just a fun, friendly game of frisbee football to everyone playing except Vince Kowalski, who apparently thought it was the NFL. And also thought I was a tackle dummy. He tried to hit me several times and failed, but the third time I didn’t see him coming and he plowed me right into a group of girls who’d been watching on the sidelines.

In the collision I took a hard plastic sandal to the mouth and about four cups of diet coke to the front of my shirt. After regaining my bearings, I reached up and felt my lip. It was bleeding where the sandal had popped it open. “Oh, that is
it
!” I yelled.

Dave offered me a hand up and as soon as I was on my feet I slugged Vince with everything I had in me. I hit him so hard he flew back into the guy behind him. My knuckles screamed in protest, but it was worth it because blood poured from Vince’s face like a waterfall. “Now we’re even,” I said and went off to find some ice for my hand.

On my way to the icebox I peeled off my soda-soaked tank top. I hated parading around in a swimsuit, but the shirt wasn’t just drenched with dark stains, it was sticky. Wet is one thing, but sticky is gross. Plus I needed the shirt.

I was trying, one handed, to tie the corners of the tank top around a huge mound of ice cubes when someone came up behind me and said, “Need some help with that?”

I smiled shyly at the guy who seemed to be my new admirer and let him take over. He picked up my hand and examined my knuckles for a minute. “That’s going to hurt for a couple of days,” he said and gently placed the ice on top of my hand.

He led me onto the deck of Rachel’s lake house and made someone move so that I could sit on one of the sofas. “I’m Travis,” he said as he sat down next to me.

“Ellie.”

“So I’ve heard.” Travis chuckled. He looked out at the group of guys still standing on the beach. The game wasn’t going anymore. “You’re the main topic of conversation right now. I think you broke that guy’s nose.”

I shrugged. “He had it coming.”

Travis laughed again and then said, “So how come I’ve never seen you at any parties before?”

“Parties aren’t really my thing.”

“That’s too bad. You sure know how to liven them up.”

I smiled a little at that but didn’t know what to say. After a moment Travis broke the silence again. “You want to go for a swim? I’ve already been in, the water’s really nice.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Water’s
really
not my thing.”

“How about the Jet Skis then? I’m a pretty decent driver. I could take you for a ride without dumping you in the lake.”

I hate to admit it, but I chickened out at his offer. Not that I’m a total coward, but I couldn’t believe what was happening. This guy was asking me to hang out with him. It was almost like he was asking me out on a date. I was excited, but the idea of having to be on the same Jet Ski with him, holding on to him and everything... “Thanks,” I said. “But I think I just need to take it easy for a while and maybe find some Motrin for my hand.”

“Oh, well, that works too. I’m sure they’ve got something in the house and then we can find a nice quiet place to get to know each other better.”

Travis jumped up and offered me a hand. He pulled me to my feet and didn’t let go of my fingers as he led me toward the back door. When we got there, Seth was leaning casually against the frame, blocking our entrance. “Going somewhere?” he asked us.

“What’s it to you, dude?” Travis asked, immediately taking the defensive.

I wasn’t about to let Seth start a fight with this guy, which appeared to be what he was trying to do. So instead of telling Seth to get lost, I explained myself. “I’m just getting some painkillers.”

“You mean like these?” Seth asked, pulling a small bottle of Motrin from his pocket.

“Do you always carry Motrin with you?” I asked, taking the bottle from him.

“Since I started hanging out with you,” he said. “Never know when you’re going to need it. That is the kind you use, right?”

“How did you know I—”

“And to wash them down,” he continued, handing me a can of Dr. Pepper. “I know that’s your favorite.”

I hated that Seth mysteriously knew so much about me, but I’d promised myself I wouldn’t let him get to me. I took the can and sighed. “Thank you, Seth.”

I smiled up at Travis, who was staring at Seth in a—let’s just say less than friendly manner. I squeezed his hand reassuringly. “Looks like he saved us a trip,” I said, tugging him back toward the swing.

Travis stopped me before I could sit. He glared at Seth, who was still leaning against the back door watching us, and said, “It’s getting a little crowded out here. Why don’t we go for a walk up the shore?”

I gulped. A romantic walk up the lakeshore with a guy I’d just met? “Um…”

“It’s almost dark,” Seth pointed out, inviting himself into our conversation.

Travis wheeled on Seth. “What’s your problem, bro?”

Travis was bigger than Seth, but Seth never flinched. “My problem is, she came here with me. I’m not about to let her go wandering off in the dark with another guy.”

Travis turned his anger on me. “You came here with a
date
? Were you planning to mention this?”

It was easy for me to match his anger. Neither of these guys owned me. “I came here with
my sister
!” I snapped and turned to walk away.

Travis grabbed hold of my wrist. “Where are you going?”

“Let go of her,” Seth said, eyes blazing in the fading light. But his warning was unnecessary because I’d already wrenched my arm free.

“I’m going,” I said, glaring at each of them in turn, “to find some people to hang out with who aren’t acting like tools!”

Someone started a bonfire and I plopped myself down in front of it. The sun had gone down, and since I couldn’t put my tank top back on I was starting to get chilly. I was still so angry that when I felt a hand come down on my shoulder I nearly knocked my sister’s block off before I realized it was her. “Sorry,” I mumbled, but Angela was far too excited about something to care.

“I can’t believe that just happened!” she exclaimed.

“What happened?”

“I totally get it now.”