Mia Carter THE DARE
CHAPTER TWO – THE PARTY
In Colorado Springs it was a warm sunny afternoon, no rain clouds to darken a bright day as Taylor turned down the familiar route to one of her best friend’s house. Her emerald green eyes filled with excitement thinking about a wonderful celebration for another friend’s birthday. Though her actual birthday had already passed, May still wanted everyone to get together to celebrate and combine it with their college graduation party. All her friend’s college graduations came and went in a blur of colorful hats, gowns and parties. They were all now racing towards an unknown and exciting future. They could hardly believe how fast four years of their high school lives had flown by and now college had just ended for all of them. In the blink of an eye, it seemed it was all over. A new world opening before them. Bright young women and men just starting their own journey on a new life. They had all kept in touch over the years, staying close and in contact with one another was easy thanks to the birth of social media and the ever-growing technology of cell phones.
For now, Taylor thought, an afternoon at their friend May’s house held an evening sure to be filled with laughter and mischievous fun. Taylor’s chestnut brown hair flowed freely in the wind as she raced down to her friend’s house in her graduation present. Her father, a sucker for classics, had been saving up money and working night and day to surprise his daughter with a classic 1970 Cherry Red Chevrolet Chevelle SS. Taylor had almost lost her mind out of excitement when her father brought it to life the night of her graduation dinner. When she was younger, she, her two brothers and her father would go to the drag races together where she’d come to love the sound and feel of the machines that sped down the quarter-mile strip in the blink of an eye. They would go to car shows and drool over the pristine, glistening classic muscle cars people had spent countless hours, blood, sweat and tears on. She appreciated what her father had built for her with nothing but her happiness in mind. Her father had however made a few modern additions to the car. A new stereo system and docking station for her iPod allowed rock music to be blasted and heard through every road she travelled. Grinning and singing AC/DC’s Thunderstruck, she punched the gas and soared the Chevelle down the street. The engine roared to life and to her devilish pleasure, set off a few of the neighbor’s car alarms. Laughing at the stern looks one of the neighbors was giving her, she pulled into the drive way of her best friend’s home and honked her horn.
“Come on! We’re going to be late Kala!” Taylor hung out the window and nearly had to scream at her friends open bedroom window over the rumble of her car. Kala, tall and gorgeous with chocolatey brown hair that flowed in gentle waves to her middle back, blue eyes that echoed the clear oceans of Hawaii peered out the window and held up five fingers; indicating she’d be down in that many minutes.
Taylor opened the squeaking door of her Chevelle, a touch her father left in saying it gave the car character and climbed out to wait for her friend. She glanced at her phone, reading a text that buzzed in. It made her smile and grow nervous at the same time. She distracted herself by smoothing out her new sundress that had sweet little sunflowers on it and fidgeted in her short-heeled shoes. Taylor wasn’t one for dresses, but May had insisted. Grudgingly, Taylor found the dress randomly shopping and to her surprise, she actually liked it. The dress was soft, comfortable and she loved sunflowers, so all in all, it wasn’t too bad. She had brought a bag with a change of clothes as the party would go late and she didn’t want to be stuck in the dress and heels all day. The front door opened and revealed Kala in a mid-length, navy blue sundress with little white polka-dots sprinkled all over. She too had chosen short heeled shoes for the occasion. Kala slung her bag of clothes to change into over her shoulder and walked up to meet Taylor. Kala was a good head taller than Taylor, the two grinned at each other, eager to get the day started. These two friends were inseparable, they had come through very rough times together. Kala and Taylor excitedly jumped into the car and headed to May’s.
“We’ll be there in about twenty minutes.” Taylor said to Kala as she turned the iPod on to play their favorite songs. “A truth or dare party, leave it to May to have a silly theme like that!” Kala snorted in reply. “Do you know what else I just heard about this party?” Taylor turned her eye to Kala and added a smirk, ready to reveal the text May had sent her.
“No, what?!” Kala asked excitedly.
“Well, maybe I shouldn’t tell. Maybe I should just keep it a secret for now.” Taylor teased.
Kala, not amused, punched her friend in the arm, “No way, come on, you have to tell me now!”
“Okay, okay!” Taylor rubbed her sore arm, her friend had quite the punch. “You know how May said it was supposed to just be us girls? I guess May changed her mind, Ken and the guys are coming… and a little birdy told me that Jordan and Joey were going to be there too!”
“No way!” Kala, hearing Jordan would be there, blushed at the thought and started primping her hair and make-up again, “Do I look ok? Oh my gosh, I should have picked a different outfit! The guys were supposed to meet up with us later in the weekend, not tonight! I’m so nervous now. Jordan never notices anything about me though.” Kala continued to fidget with her appearance.
“You look amazing Kala, quit stressing! Jordan will fall all over himself at you tonight. How about me?” Taylor asked a little nervous. It had been a little while since she and Joey had last seen each other. Through the years she, Kala, Joey and Jordan had gone to school together, along with May and the others. She and Joey always seemed to have the chemistry, but the timing was just never right. They were great friends and they both knew there was something more there than just the friendship. Both were just too nervous to take it to the next level. Jordan and Kala also danced the torturous tango of lovers that seemed could never be together. Taylor thought that maybe tonight would change that for the both of them. Maybe things in the relationship department could turn around for once. Was she ready? Kala’s reply interrupted Taylor’s clouding thoughts.
“You always look great Tay and it’ll be a fun night no matter what!” She took a deep sigh, “Can you believe college is over? First it was high school that seemed too short and now... So much happened in such a small amount of time... It’s all just... gone.” Kala almost whispered.
“I can’t believe it either. It all did happen so fast, everything.” Taylor’s thoughts turned to a darker time. To the time and the way that the girls had all become friends. One common dark mark in all their lives that brought them together. A nightmarish shadow in their not-so-distant past showed them that the world was not always roses. They were thrown into a mess that made the girls grow up a little faster than their schoolmates. Taylor shook her head softly and swore to herself not to rehash what had passed. Not wanting to upset Kala, she broke the silence by asking if the turn coming up was the one they needed to take.
“It sure is!” Kala replied. The troubled look that came over her friend was not lost on her. She knew the thought that clouded Taylor’s mind. She shook it off as well and silently promised tonight was for looking to the future and letting go of the past. She was going to find out for certain if her and Jordan had something more or not. She had to move on if he wasn’t going to look at her as anything more than a friend.
May’s family had recently moved towards the foothills just below the mountain peaks of Colorado Springs, the girls were not used to the route to their friend’s house. Kala was trying to use the GPS on her phone, but the old Chevelle drowned out any hope of hearing the not-so-pleasant female voice repeating “turn here” and “turn there” in so many feet. Instead, Kala just read off the instructions and played navigator for the rest of the ride.
They turned down the long, tree-lined street that led to May’s new house and pulled into the lengthy circular driveway up to the beautiful house. Trees as tall as skyscrapers that surrounded the old Victorian style house gave it a soft, warm and cozy feeling. The tan colored exterior with its brown and white trim had large, bright white French doors and welcomed anyone who came up the drive. A large porch surrounded the house, luscious green lawns spread through the property. Big, beautiful, brightly colored flowers blooming along the perimeter of the driveway splashed color against the green of the lawn and contrasted the dark paved roadway. Birds chirping and singing echoed in the trees above, breaking the silence. The sun peeking through the tree tops splashed warm glowing light all over. A slice of heaven perhaps. Taylor had to close her mouth when she noticed it had dropped open.
“Well,” Kala cleared her throat, “let’s go see the interior then!” The two girls walked up the wide wooden stairs leading to those welcoming French doors. Kala pressed the doorbell and a loud, vintage sounding bell rang through the house.
“Coming! Coming!” An excited voice could be heard as quickly moving footsteps drew closer. One of the doors flew open and May jumped out and grabbed Taylor in for a hug. She giggled and released a surprised Taylor from her death grip and turned to Kala and repeated the enthusiastic welcome. The girls all laughed, May’s excitement was infectious. May, as tall as Kala, yet a stark difference of olive skin, amber colored eyes and raven black hair cropped to her ears, turned to look at Taylors car in the driveway. She dropped her jaw wide open and ran down to the bright red Chevelle. She ran her fingers along the smooth lines of the car, she peered into the window and whistled her amazement.
“Taylor, it’s gorgeous! Your dad did an amazing job bringing this bad boy to life! The pictures you posted just don’t do it justice. We are going to have to go play around later!” May took the girls arms, she was so excited to have her friends there, she ushered them into the house quickly.
“Come in you guys! You’re the first two to arrive. Come on through, the party’s going to be in the back!” May took their hands and led them towards the backyard.
The dark wooden floors echoed their steps, as the girls walked, taking in the expanse of the Jenkins’ new home. The staircase that lead upstairs had a beautiful tree branch railing leading to the top. The walls, a soft yellow color, gave a light open feeling to the front room and staircase. A dark blue carpet covered the formal dining area, which showcased Mrs. Jenkins taste for vintage and antique décor. They made their way through to the living room and kitchen, which were both equally impressive. A massive flat screen sat above the large wood burning fireplace. An action movie playing on the screen was making noise from the car chase happening in the scene. The room was large, but homey feeling and very welcoming. The couch looked like it would swallow you up in comfort and make you never want to move. A soft, fluffy rug covered part of the hardwood floor in the living room, Taylor wanted to run her hands through it, but resisted.
The kitchen was wide and linked to the cozy living room and it smelled like heaven. Whatever was cooking was making the girls hungry. The stove and its massive oven covered in stainless steel had an intimidating appearance. The extra-large window over the kitchen sink showcased the vast backyard and gave the person doing the chore of washing dishes a beautiful view. On the large island in the center of the kitchen there were birthday decorations scattered all over it, along with birthday plates and napkins for when it came time to eat. The girls smiled and continued onto the back patio. Taylor’s stomach growled at the smell of the large smoker cooking whatever tasty meats it held inside its massive space.
May took them past the great smelling food and led them down the walkway alongside the massive pool. Two Jacuzzi’s, one on either side, bubbled and frothed from the streaming jets under the clear water. The crystal-clear pool water glittered in the sunlight, beckoning anyone who laid eyes upon it in for a swim. Kala was so tempted to plunk her feet over the side into the inviting water, she almost started to kick off her shoes. She fought the urge and followed May and Taylor along the cement walkway towards the large, enclosed gazebo at the end of the path. It was gigantic, more like a small house, its Cherrywood colored stain fit perfectly with the scenery of the rolling hillsides and mountains. The three of them walked into the gazebo, Taylor and Kala smiled at the decorated interior. Brightly colored whimsical decorations covered the inside, balloons and streamers added a fun note to the room. May smiled as her two friends beamed at the colorful, friendly atmosphere. The places for eating were set on the large table, with pitchers of delicious juices and drinks spread across it. Champagne bottles were sitting in ice buckets along with a cooler full of different craft beers. The large cushioned chairs were perfectly spaced so that each diner could have room to move without bumping the person next to them. Kala and Taylor set their bags down under the table. Continuing through the gazebo, on the other side was another door. Surprisingly it led them to another pathway slopping downward.
“May, how big is this place? I feel like Hansel and Gretel getting lost in the woods!” Kala gasped when they walked out the door and she saw the sprawling, wooded hillside. May just laughed and urged them on. As they walked, the sounds of a creek and its waters warbling over rocks and obstacles could be heard. Getting closer to the running waters, there was a beautifully crafted arched bridge way going over the entire width of the creek. The bridge was wide and had benches on either side facing the creek; so that you could sit down, relax and take in the sounds and scenery. The girls stopped at the foot of the bridge, happily gazing around.
“This all belongs to my family. Just a little bit beyond the bridge and walk way on the other side is the beginning of our neighbor’s property, they’ve become good friends with my mom and dad. Up that way is another neighbor, but we don’t know them yet.” May explained. She was thrilled at their impressed expressions. She took their arms again, the three of them linked up and they made their way back to the decorated gazebo.
“May, all of this is just absolutely stunning. Your parents did great picking this place out!” Taylor said, taking a seat in one of the cushiony chairs. She was facing towards the back part of the gazebo, her back to the doorway, smiling and still admiring the scenery.
“Thanks! It is rather large, but my parents wanted something that felt like a vacation place as well as a home.” May took the seat across from Kala and Taylor.
“They knocked it out of the park, I’d say!” Kala sat next to Taylor and was also staring out into the green, lush scene over May’s shoulder.
“Haha, thanks. They wanted a place that didn’t remind them of...” She stopped, both Kala and Taylor slowly looked at her. “Well, you know, they just wanted a change of scenery from all the neighborhoods of the suburbs.” May nervously laughed and tried to change the mood.
Kala picked up on it and wanted to make the dark cloud disappear, “How many people did you invite May?”
“Oh, um, it’s just going to be the ten of us.” She took a deep breath and added, “You, Tay, me, Jordan and Joey” May smiled at the two girls now blushing, and went on to list the rest, “Cristy, Judy, Jack, Marc and of course my lovely Ken.” May sighed on that thought. May and Ken were the high school sweethearts of the group. Never apart all through the torrential teenage years and even through college, they seemed to still stick like glue to each other. There was a happiness and joy you could feel when the two of them were together. “I thought it would be good to have the gang all back together and we can have our newer friends hang out some other time.” She smiled as she got up and poured three glasses of champagne and offered it to her friends.
“Well this will be fun! Us gals back together, the um, boys too...” Taylor winked. “What are the rules of our dares, miss ’I need to theme my party’.” Taylor crookedly smirked as she teased her friend and sipped on the cold, fizzing liquid.
“We have to be somewhat good,” May laughed, “Nothing involving the house, my mom will kill us all. Nothing that involves going to a neighbor’s house. Probably nothing that could end our oh-so-bright futures that are just beginning either!”
“So, you mean we stick with the traditional, clichés of the game? If someone says truth, we ask them to spill their deepest darkest secret? If someone says dare, we dare them to skinny dip in the creek or the pool?” Taylor, her mischievous side taking over laughed at the thought.
“That my friend, is totally within the rules!” May laughed, slapping her hand on the table and hoisting her glass in the air. “Why, Miss Tay, are you planning on daring a certain someone to take the nude plunge?” May continued to laugh as Taylor’s face became a crimson red. “Come on girl, we all know you and Joey have been dancing around each other for eternity. Maybe tonight’s the night you two can stop the dance and hook it up!”
“May!” Taylor blushed, but smiled and laughed with her friends.
“Tay gettin’ down and dirty! OW-WOW!” Kala stood and did a provocative little hip movement that had her friends rolling with laughter.
“Hey shut up! I’ll totally revert to a high school dare and dare you and Jordan to make out! You two have been doing the same dance Joey and I have!” Taylor teased.
“Oh, don’t tease on that one, you know I wouldn’t miss that chance!” Kala and the girls exploded into laughter again.
“Wouldn’t miss what chance?” A deep voice came from behind Taylor and Kala. All at once the smiles disappeared and a look of mortification swam over their faces. Taylor’s eyes wide as she sunk a little lower in her chair. Kala looked like she had been frozen in time. May was stifling her laughter in her glass of champagne. She had seen the two men walking towards the gazebo. The girls turned to face the guys they had just been talking about. Taylor gulped down the last of her champagne, while Kala continued to stare. Jordan and Joey stood magnificently in the doorway of the gazebo. Taylor had to catch her breath as she gazed at Joey. He was like a giant standing inside the tiny doorframe. Both men stood at six-foot four and towered over every. Taylor always lost all sense when she would first see Joey after a long time apart. She fought hard to keep her senses now that he was standing so near.
Kala remained completely silent also, as though someone had stolen her voice. Her throat went suddenly dry and hot as Jordan made his way into the gazebo towards her. Kala quickly downed the rest of her champagne as well, coughing as the bubbles fizzed down her throat. The two men stepped further inside, their height and build seeming to dwarf what was once a large space. May was tickled with delight at the scene playing out before her eyes. She loved her friends like sisters and wanted them both to be happy. The two men, not the boys they were once seen as, stood staring at Taylor and Kala who seemed to have been turned to stone. They were both grinning like fools, having heard the last part of their conversation.
Joey was the icebreaker, “So ladies, what’s up?” He laughed and ran a nervous hand through his wavy, dark hair. His hazel eyes showed amusement in Taylor’s discomfort. Thinking about his wide smile accentuating his defined jawline, made Taylor’s toes curl, and she realized she was holding her breath. She tried to play it down, slowly breathing out, fidgeted just a bit in the chair and smiled a playful smile back at him that almost knocked him over. Joey was also trying to keep his senses and keep it light with small talk. He told himself to stay relaxed, but when he walked in and saw her sitting there, his chest tightened, and he had to struggle to keep his own composure. He’d always cared for her, always wanted something with her one day. He was instantly attracted to her the day they had met in high school and now she’d grown into a woman more beautiful than he’d ever known. She was strong too, she had been through so much and he admired her courage. He was having a challenging time keeping his concentration on the rest of the group. Their eyes were locked on each other’s as he sat down next to her. His smiled broadened, her blush deepened.
“No need to blush ladies, we won’t bite!” Jordan teased, he was thoroughly amused at the discomfort both girls seemed to be experiencing. His cool blue eyes and golden colored hair made him look like one of those untouchable models in a fancy men’s clothing ad. His face was rugged and handsome, but he was no pretty boy. To Jordan, the girls discomfort made no sense, they had all been friends for so long. But, he had to admit to himself that the years had changed things. Looking at Kala with new eyes, made his heart beat strange and his stomach was felt like butterflies were wreaking havoc in it. He had always wanted her. Their friendship was strong, and he’d never connected with any woman the way he’d connected with Kala. He was conflicted all the time about his feelings for her. He never made a move because he didn’t want to ruin what they had already. He hated it when she would date someone. He would never admit to the jealousy, but it was always there, rearing its ugly head when some lucky guy tried to steal her heart. None of them ever did though. Just as no woman he ever dated would take his heart, the way Kala already had. His emotions were messing with his head. He shook it off for the minute and grinned as he took a seat.
“Well hi guys, long time, no see!” Taylor finally managed to choke out. Taylor’s voice sounded strange and strained to her. She continued to stare into Joey’s hazel eyes and smile.
“Hi guys!” Kala could only think to copy what Taylor had just said. She was mortified over her tongue-tied prissy sounding – ‘hi guys!’ She resisted face-palming herself and tried to control her suddenly out of control emotions. A noise in the back yard broke the awkward reunion as they all turned to see May’s father opening the smoker to check on the brisket he was cooking up. The scent of the luscious cooking meat filled their noses and made their mouths water.
“Dad, that smells amazing! Don’t burn anything!” May laughed. May’s father, a handsome older gentleman and successful business man, turned their way and waved. His olive skin and dark hair matched May’s, his smile was bright and happy.
“Thanks for the tip sweetie, I think I’ve got this though!” As he gave them all a thumb’s up, the rest of the group came through the back door of the kitchen and into the backyard. Cristy, Judy, Jack, Marc and Ken all came up the walk way and towards the gazebo, laughing and excited to be reuniting with their friends. The girls happily went around hugging their each other, the men gave rough handshakes and back breaking pats on their shoulders. They were all talking at once, trying to catch up on how everyone was doing. It had been a few weeks since they had last been able to get together. Some went off on graduation trips, some were deep in getting applications out to jobs they desperately wanted, some were already working. Once everyone was coming down from the initial excitement, May’s father announced the food was ready. They all made their way into the house and lined up for the buffet style meal spread out before them.
“This looks and smells fantastic Mr. Jenkins!” Cristy beamed, heaping some fresh made pasta salad on to her plate. There was a perfectly cooked brisket, sliced up and piled high on the cutting board. Everyone oohed and awed over it. The aroma of freshly baked biscuits made the kitchen feel like home to everyone. Side dishes lined the counter tops, everyone was talking and piling food onto their plates. Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins looked at the young group with pride. The teenagers they had come to know and love, were now men and women ready to take on the world. The group was laughing and joking about a party Jack had gone to. He had gotten so drunk he’d confessed his undying love to a tree and asked it to marry him and then immediately passed out underneath it. Bursting into careless laughter the guys all started trying to outdo each other’s college drinking stories. Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins ushered them back outside, where they continued their battle of best party wins and fails. They all sat down at the large table and began to eat and talk joyously.
“Ken, come on, tell us a good drinking story!” Marc called out. Marc, the joker of the group with a large muscular, linebacker build and intense deep brown eyes, that could make a woman lose her mind, was pointing at Ken with a grin that spelled trouble. Ken, now blushing, was one of the quieter guys of the group. He smoothed back his dark brown hair that fell just to his chin, a contrast to his violet-blue eyes. Those eyes were now twinkling with the thought of telling one of his rowdy nights at a frat house. May, ribbed him in the chest, jarring the thought and he politely declined to tell the tale of a night he had a bad run in with a beer keg. The group quieted down as they ate the delicious food and small conversations began to randomly spring up as they enjoyed their time together.
Judy and Marc were now deep in a private conversation. The two of them, who in high school had only been friends, had met up and got together during early college years. They were a good, strong couple and were very happy being together. Judy’s strong but quiet personality helped to balance out Marc’s wild streak. In return, Marc’s wild streak helped bring out some of Judy’s inhibitions at times. Judy’s eyes were a whiskey brown color that sparkled in the light. Her ruler straight, black as night hair was pulled up into a soft ponytail. She was playing with the ends of it while she and Marc were talking.
Cristy and Jack were the next couple to get together, somewhat as a surprise to the group. Jack was tall and lanky, but had a good build, handsome features and he possessed a smile that could melt the iciest of hearts. That smile and cool demeanor is what the group thought had captured Cristy’s attention. The match up of Jack and Christy was odd. She was the blonde hair, blue eyed, cheerleader type while Jack was more of a quiet, textbook nerd kind of a guy. They were polar opposites of each other. One night they met up at a party during college, got to talking and discovered there was more to their friendship. They started dating and seemed to have a strong bond no one thought could have existed between them. Cristy’s height and lanky legs matched Jacks, her soft glittering blue eyes showed the care and affection she held for the man who captured her heart.
The group, as a whole, strongly bonded over the years and they felt invincible when they were together. Nothing could stop them, they had all gone through so much together as friends. The growing up of the group was gradual and natural and strengthened their ties as more of a family now. School, trips and being apart, sometimes months at a time, didn’t seem to stop the bond they all shared and held dear. Today was a day of celebration, not just for May’s birthday, but as a celebration of what new roads lay ahead for all of them. Taylor, Kala, Joey and Jordan had been the slower of the group to move from friendship to something more. The chemistry between Taylor and Joey was almost painful to watch. The whole group was waiting with baited breath for the day they would both finally admit they were head over heels for each other.
Kala and Jordan were even more maddening to watch. The whole group could see the spark between the pair. Kala was obvious about her feelings for Jordan, she couldn’t hide her emotions to save her life. Though she never admitted it out loud to any of them, except Taylor, but they all knew how she felt. Jordan always played his feelings for Kala off as nothing, almost to the point of making her write him off as a loss. Kala began to think it was a silly high school girl fantasy that they would ever be anything beyond friends.
Jordan, though, never admitted to anyone that he would do anything for Kala, would do anything to keep her safe. He guarded his thoughts and feelings however and kept a small distance between them. A distance, he thought, that was crumbling every minute longer that he stared into her ocean blue eyes while she talked excitedly to him. Jordan was on the verge of almost blurting it out loud, when his thoughts were interrupted by a new topic of conversation.
“I saw a gorgeous 1970’s Chevelle out there in the drive way. Who does that beautiful car belong to?” Joey looked over at Taylor and gave his heart stopping smile. He knew she had gotten it as a gift from her father. Her social media posts that night dominated his news feed. He had been out of town and had not had the chance to talk to her about it. Joey knew he needed to get moving forward if he ever wanted a chance with her.
“Oh, uh,” Taylor had to concentrate on what she was saying after Joey had flashed that smile at her. She never could get over that feature about him. The small scar right above his lip that made a small indentation when he smiled like that, almost had her visibly licking her lips. She knew she had to focus before someone noticed her stupor and offered her a napkin to wipe off the drool. Chuckling to herself, she continued, “Come on, you all know that’s my beauty out there!” She winked back at him and hoped he didn’t notice she had almost fallen off her chair. He lost every thought in his head when she winked at him and instead of speaking all he was capable of giving in reply was the ‘nod of approval.’ He then started a conversation with Jordan about a classic car show he had just been to. Kala used this opportunity while the guys were distracted to lean in to whisper in Taylor’s ear.
“Why don’t you get it together woman and ask the man out on a date!”
“Really Kala? People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones!” Taylor whispered back and threw her chin up motioning towards Jordan’s direction. Kala rolled her eyes, “Yeah, that’s never going to happen. That ship has sailed.” her voice low.
“I don’t think so, you never know. He hasn’t been able to take his eyes off you today. You two have done this since I’ve known you. You look at him when he doesn’t look at you, he looks at you when you’re turned away from him. It’s crazy!” Taylor prodded. She knew how much Kala cared for Jordan, but Taylor had almost written Jordan off as a possibility for her best friend as well. He seemed so guarded, she wasn’t sure anyone could break that spell. Maybe with what happened with... Taylor stopped her thought. No Taylor, not that, move on. She looked at Kala and they broke their dead-end whispered conversation.
“Hey!” Judy piped up, seeing the two girls whispering like kids at the back of the classroom. “Secrets don’t make friends!” She laughed, looked around as most everyone was done eating and nodded at Taylor. Kala and Taylor shook off their heavy mood, looked at each other and giggled quietly as they both carefully reached under the table into their beach bags they had brought. They had a surprise for May for her birthday. They decided it was time to get the party going.
“Well,” Taylor nearly shouted and plastered on her devilish grin that caught everyone’s attention, “If you must know, Kala and I were just saying that it’s time to get this party moving!” Taylor looked at Kala, they grinned and with one swift motion, pulled open champagne bottles from out of their bags under the table and began shaking and spraying the surprised group with the bubbly. The whole gazebo let out a roar of laughter and playful screams as the cool, fuzzy, foamy liquid doused the guests, most of it directed at May.
“We’re soaked!” May screamed, laughter in her voice. Ken rushed over, threw May over his shoulder and ran straight for the pool. Everyone followed, whooping and hollering. May protesting, though not very hard, the whole way to the pool and she screamed again as Ken held her tightly, launching them both into the pool. Everyone shouted and sang happy birthday and laughed as May tried to straighten her appearance. Cheers and clapping echoed through the giant landscape. The afternoon sun was hot and the cool, glittering waters of the pool beckoned the guests to take a dive in to its crisp water.
“Hey! Since Ken decided to make this a pool party, why don’t we all enjoy a swim!” May shouted, making her way to the ledge, “I have some extra suits if you girls need to borrow them.” She jumped up on the ledge and removed her sandals and wet clothing to reveal a cute two-piece, black bathing suit with bright red cherries all over.
“Kala and I gave everyone a heads up we were doing this, so we all brought our suits and a change of clothes!” Taylor laughed happily, as she removed her sundress revealing her swim suit underneath. The rest of the group all changed into their suits and jumped in. Taylor, determined to enjoy the remaining sunlight was the only one laying on one of the cushiony beach lounges.
“Come on Taylor, come in!” Joey called from the side.
She smiled sweetly at him and slowly shook her head no. He was fighting the urge to jump out and plant a kiss on her lips. The sight of her was making him regret wasting so much time not asking her out. Why was it taking him so long? The sun was shining down, Taylor’s brown hair glistened in the afternoon light, her skin fair but darkened a bit with the summer sun, seemed to encase her in a golden glow. Joey was lost in the vision before his eyes. Kala broke his thoughts when she swam up next to him.
“Throw her in!” She whispered, trying to stifle a laugh. “Come on Joey, just do it!” She urged. They both looked back over at Taylor, who now had her sunglasses on and was not paying the splashing and shouting any attention. Kala and Joey grinned like fools. Joey had other motives for agreeing to Kala’s idea, but he would keep that to himself. He kept an eye on the sunbathing Taylor and he swam over to the stairs. He managed to keep quiet and sneak up to her side. She still paid him no attention as he crept closer. He had to steady himself, remembering he was about to throw her into a pool full of friends, not pick her up and whisk her away on a white horse like a knight rescuing a damsel in distress. He had a feeling that once he committed this somewhat childish act, there may not be such a damsel in his arms, she might be more like a dangerous tiger. He decided it was worth it to find out which he would get. He slowly crept up, crouching low as he got nearer. The pool suddenly became a little quieter as they all realized what was about to happen. Anticipation from the group made the air thick and Joey grew worried he would lose the element of surprise. He knew he had to move fast before she caught on. He quickly slid his arms under her body, with lightning speed he had her up and off the lounge chair and racing to the edge of the pool. Surprised and awkward she let out a yelp just as she realized what was about happen. Then, as if in slow motion, she was floating midair, her arms wrapped around his strong neck, staring into his handsome face and seconds later plunged into the clear water of the pool. She tried to wriggle out of his grasp while they were still under water, but Joey’s strong grip suggested otherwise. As they surfaced the whole group was shouting and splashing at the sight. Taylor still had her arms around Joeys neck and was trying to catch her breath as they floated over to join everyone. Joey let her put her feet down but kept an arm lightly around her waist. She dunked her head under the water to clear her hair from her face and turned on him. He knew he was getting the dangerous tiger now. Her emerald eyes darkened as she glared at him for a moment before she shouted at him with laughter in her voice.
“You big jerk!” She softly punched him playfully on the shoulder, trying to fix her now soaked hair. She froze as he lifted his hand to clear a strand of hair that had fallen over her eye. His touch was like blazing hot fire and shot straight through her body. She wanted more of his touch she realized. She suddenly wanted it to be just them at that moment and wanted to be back in his arms again. Joey slowly removed his hand, staring into her eyes that had now returned to their paler green color. He wanted to kiss her light pink lips. He wanted to touch her again; he wanted to hold her again. The seemingly magical moment was sharply interrupted when Marc yanked Joey backwards and threw him into the warzone of splashing happening in the shallow end of the pool.
The girls rolled their eyes and moved away from the splash zone. They all grabbed pool noodles and rafts to go float at the deeper end.
“Hot damn Tay, that was a steamy moment!” May let out a breath, having witnessed the romantic scene between Joey and Taylor. The girls burst into laughter and whistled cat-call noises. Taylor wanted to sink under the cool water and pretend she didn’t exist at the moment. None of her friends would let her out of that one. The guys were still in their “who’s manlier” display at one end of the pool, while the girls floated and talked about what their lives were going to be like now that they were looking at careers and futures.