Young Writers Society

My lips were pressed against Christian's, making me blush in the process. I didn't know what to do to. He was the first guy I ever liked in that kind of way. I felt dizzy from his kiss, which made me pull away to breathe in air. "C-Christian, u-um.."

"Ah! Was I going too far?? I am so-"

"I-It's not that." I looked down, my face getting hotter and hotter as I thought about him. "I-It's just... you're the first guy I ever liked, and well um... kissing is a new experience for me."

Christian chuckled as he placed his forehead on mine, smiling at me. "We can take things slow, okay? I know you're new to this. To love. I'll teach you everything."

Christian kissed my cheek gently then left the room.

I placed my hand on cheek, smiling to myself. I got up from my bed and walked out the room, seeing Casey standing in front of me. "A-Ah, Casey."

"So you and Christian are together, huh?" Casey smiled at me.

"A-Ah.. I.. I guess so." I smiled at her, blushing lightly.

"By the way." Casey whispered in my ear. "One of his exes said he's reaaallly good in bed."

"W-What do you mean? Like sleeping?" I tilted my head.

Casey just laughed as she patted my head gently. "You'll know soon." Casey walked away as I rubbed the back of my head, feeling confused. I shrugged it off, heading to the bathroom to take a warm shower. As I walked in the bathroom, I took off my clothes, heading in the shower. I turned on the shower, washing my hair gently. A few moments later, I turned off the shower and once I stepped out, I heard the door open, seeing Christian walking in. "A-Ah... Ahhhhhhhh!!!!" I screamed as loud as I can, covering myself up in the towel.

"V-Verine?!" Christian's eyes widened as I ran out the bathroom, heading to my room and slamming the door. My heart was pounding fast, my face turning bright red. I... He... No way!

"I... I can't face him now, or tomorrow, or the rest of summer..." I put on my white night gown, falling onto my bed. I turned my head, seeing Katrina and Keith laying in bed together. Naked.

Wait... naked?!

I hid under my blanket, my heart pounding faster. W-What is this..?

Lakeland

Liz and I had decided to have a bonfire tonight, as our parents had just left to meet some old friends in town. Jogging up the stairs, we headed for people's doors to invite them out to the beach to join us. Liz went to get Opal and Tyler, meanwhile I went to get Katrina and Verine. There was no light coming from under the door, so I knocked lightly.

I could hear some shuffling around for a moment before one of them said I could come in they sounded so similar sometimes that it was hard to tell who was who. I pushed open the door a crack, the light from the hall lighting up their room slightly as I took a few steps in and flipped the light on.

The light hanging from the ceiling lit up the room, and I instantly knew something was up.

"What's up, Kat?" I asked, looking her from top to bottom as she sat perched on the edge of her bed. Something was wrong with her...she seemed...scared? Worried? Sad? I couldn't discern which one it was.

"Nothing." She said, pushing her hair out of her face.

"Verine?" I asked the lump under the covers, her head tucked under and everything.

A muffled response came, but I could hardly hear. I closed the distance between me and Verine's bed, reaching a hand out and flipping her covers back to reveal her face. She blew her hair out of her face and I crouched down so I was level with her.

"V, what's going on?" I asked, resting my arms on the side of her bed.

"Oh, uh," she made a nervous look towards Katrina's bed and quickly looked back, "Nothing, I was just really cold."

Cocking an eyebrow, I followed the direction in which her gaze had turned to - Katrina's bed, but nothing was...wait. If Katrina was on the edge, who was...

I stood up peering around Katrina. Keith!? That guy was back?? I thought they had broken up! And the little tramp was sleeping in Katrina's bed!

At the last thought, something struck me and I put two and two together. I glanced back at Katrina, who still sat on the edge of the bed.

"Katrina," I said in a low voice, "Stand up and walk over here." I had to see if I was right. God, I hoped I wasn't, because if I was this would be the last good rest the bastard boy ever had.

She made no move, so I barked, "Now, Katrina!"

Lola came to my side, brushing her nose against my hand lightly.

Katrina's eyes welled up, her bottom lip quivering as she whispered, "I...we...I..."

It was as if I could physically feel my blood boiling, quickening my heart beat and pumping adrenaline. Lola let out a low growl but I ignored it. He touched Katrina!? And with Verine IN THE ROOM!?

I pounced, bounding across the room and tearing Katrina's blanket off the bed to reveal Keith in only his boxers and t-shirt. His eyes snapped open at the sudden chilled air and change in atmosphere.

I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and tore him out of Kat's bed faster than she could let out a scream.

"What the hell, man!?" Keith yelled, trying to push me away as I slammed his back up against the wall.

"Did you touch her?" I growled, gripping his shirt tighter and standing close to his face.

"Get off of me!" He said, pushing my back.

"Did you touch her!" I shouted, my body tensing in anger.

Lola began barking at us, but I barely heard it as Keith grinned.

I couldn't hold back. My hands balled at my side and I let go, my fists swinging right for his face and making a lovely crack at the contact.

"Lakeland!" Someone screamed.

"You touched her!?" I shouted louder than I knew I could, demanding an answer.

He held his jaw, glared up at me, and muttered, "Yes."

Before I could even see him move I felt his fist make contact with my own face, catching my jaw and flooring me. Lola alternated between barks and growls, dancing nervously as I jumped up.

"Keith!" Someone yelled.

I threw a punch, flooring him as he had just done me, and he pulled me down, scrambling on top of me and getting in his own hits. His fist landed first on my eye, forcing my head in to the ground. Two hits came after, one to my mouth and another to my nose, and I could feel and taste the blood.

Lola, trained to protect me, went crazy, jumping on and nipping at Keith. She had been trained to protect me but she had also been trained not to bite. Keith stopped hitting me and turned to push Lola away. He pushed her aggressively and she lost her footing, going sliding across the room and in to the wall. I just barely saw someone run over to her as she tried to stand before another hit came to my jaw.

He had gone too far. I would protect Katrina but she made her own decisions. No one treated Lola like that.

With a fresh supply of adrenaline, I grabbed Keith and flipped us around. I was shaking as I hit him, pinning him down with my knees on his chest as I let out blow after blow until I lost count. I lost track of even sound as blood pounded through my head, but Lola's barking became a background noise and she came after me, biting down lightly on my arm. I ignored her, pulling away and hitting Keith again and again.

My vision grew hazy and I could barely stop shaking enough to yell, "NEVER touch my family!"

Lola pounced, flooring me to get me to stop and calm down. But it was too late, I was losing control. My jaw clenched and my body clenched, so through gritted teeth I begged, "Opal!"

Opal was by my side in a second - who all had just seen this!? Opal kneeled beside me, placing a hand on either side of my head but not before I could snatch a glance at the door. Was everyone here? I looked up at Opal and begged her silently to get me out of here. Opal's apologetic eyes and Lola laying against me in comfort were the last things I could sense before everything blacked out and my worst nightmare came true. Right there, in front of everyone, I had a seizure.

Christian

I heard yelling, then thumping.

Lola could be heard from a mile away.

Quickly, I found where all the commotion was coming from.

Keith was here.

Wait, why's Keith here?

Oh, my chance to beat his- was that Lakeland?

Lakeland was on top on Keith, pounding him, but started slowing. His body started jerking. Flailing around.

What in the world..?

Opal pushed herself into the room, and threw herself next to Lakeland, trying to coax him, it looked like. What was wrong with him?

I leaped over, and grabbed Keith by the shirt he'd had on, and dragged him out.

I still had no idea why he was here.

"Keith!" I heard a girl yell.

Katrina?

As I dragged the slum down the hall, Katrina ran up behind me, and pushed me out of the way, making me lose my grip on his shirt.

"Oh, Keith!" She wailed, as she got on her knees and held his face in her hands.

"Kat?" I said loudly, my eyes wide.

She didn't remove her concerned look from Keith.

"Katrina!" I yelled, grabbing her arm and hauling her up.

Her cheeks were stained with tears.

"What's he doing here?" I asked, my tone softening.

She stared at the ground, and shrugged.

"Don't play dumb with me, Kat." I whispered, and watched as Keith moved his hand up to his head, and groaned quietly.

"..he..we...we were just...hanging out.." She replied in a small voice.

"Half naked?" I ask, anger building up slowly. "So Lakeland beat his ass just because you guys were hanging out? Is that what you're telling me?"

Her mouth quivered more than it already was, and a tear escaped from her eye. "We just...had some fun."

"Fun as in sex."

"Yes, bu-" I cut her off.

"This is a summer home. We're here to spend our summer like we do every summer. Not bring strange guys that cause trouble here so we can do things with them, Katrina." I felt my face heating up.

"We're here to spend our summer like we do every summer? Then why in the HELL are all of you guys pairing up? Making out with each other?" Her voice rose, and her hands shook.

"Last time I checked you didn't have a problem with any of us making out with each other, because you kissed almost all of us guys, willingly." I argued back.

She shook her head, and glared at me. "Let's go Keith."

Katrina held him up, and disappeared with him into another room.

I couldn't believe any of this.

Liz

Oh my God. I had no idea what to do. I was so confused, I had no idea what to do or where to go I just felt frozen. I saw him look at Opal, terrified. I knew he did not want all eyes on him. "Ira help him into the other room." I whisper.

He nods and Tyler helps him do so. Opal took my hand, seeing that I was just at a loss of words. I wanted to help him, I just did not know how. "Liz, it is going to be fine." She says.

"Opal, I should've... I don't know, been with him." I say.

"There is nothing you could have done Lizzy, it is fine. You don't know how to pick these things up. It is not your fault." She says. "When these first started, I felt like I had to do more, like I could not help him. Some times you can't." She says.

I sigh. "Thanks Opal." I smile.

"The best thing to do is just acknowledge that it happened, then move on. Lakeland hated it when you dwell on it." She explains.

I nod and hug her. "Will do. I don't want to treat him differently, I know he doesn't want that."

"Your right, he doesn't." She says.

She goes in and checks on her brother and I thought it was best if I did not go in the room until everyone calmed down.

I went down stairs to the freezer and got him his favorite. Once I thought everything was calm, Opal let me into the room. I held out his popsicle and smiled. "Hi."

"Hey." He says, taking it. "Thanks."

"I was tempted to eat it, but I gave it up for you." I say dramatically.

"I am glad you can burden yourself for me." He laughs.

"It is a true struggle." I roll my eyes and laugh with him. There was a silence. "Are you going to tell them? Everyone is really worried." I say, then I get worried that I was pressuring him. "I mean if you don't it is fine. I just wanted you to know that I would be with you if you did..." before I could say more he cut me off with a kiss.

"Stop worrying." He smirks.

Katrina

"Let's go Keith." I say as I glare at Christian. We both walked out of the house and went to sit down by the beach. Maybe what I did was for the best. Not that Keith was a damn virgin to begin with. "Uhm, I'm sorry I got you bitched out at. I mean, its not like I intended to do that with you." Keith said looking at me all upset. "I know, they just need to understand I'm not a little kid anymore." I say and look out to the ocean.

"I need to go check on Lakeland, maybe you should go for the day?" I ask. He nodded and we both got up to say our goodbyes. "I'm truly sorry, Keith." I kept saying. We began to walk different ways. "Text me!" He yelled before revving his engine. I smile and throw the peace sign up at him.

Walking into the house I heard mutters but didn't know who it came from. My heart ached and I finally reached the hallway. Seeing Lakeland standing up gave my heart a huge break. Even though I was severely pissed at him too, I gave him a hug and then patted Lola on the head. Luckily she was fine.

Lakeland hugged me back but with sort of hesitance. "You know I could always have a regular hug. Its not like I'm a disease." I say looking at him. I don't know what it was, but I immediately felt like a ticking bomb and I ran into my room and slammed the door.

"Screw this house!!!!!" I say loud enough for everyone to hear. All of a sudden I opened my door and screamed. "I love how y'all think yall can be happy but the second I am everything is ruined!" I took a breath then tears came out of my eyes.

Maybe I am a drama queen but that's the only way I get my piece out.

Hayden


Everything was shit again. Kat had exploded, Lakeland had flipped out, and everything sucked. Ira's room was the only safe place left. Luckily he was out helping Lakeland with some stuff so I crawled under his covers and cried into his pillow. I breathed in the sweet smell of him, musk and lemons, and wrapped the blankets tighter around my shoulders. I was the only person in the house who hasn't totally flipped off the edge. Now maybe it was the time to show my true colors.

I sat up from my fetal position and walked into my room. I grabbed a lighter and a pack of cigarettes out of my bottom drawer and walked outside. I smiled to my self as I stuck a cigarette in my mouth and lit it up. My mouth instantly felt alive and I breathed out the smoke creating a cloud around my head.

"Fuck this," I said turning towards the house and flicking it off.

I laughed my cigarette hanging from fingers then to my mouth. I hopped back up the deck stairs and into the house breathing out the sweet smoke. I smiled at the gasping Liz and Lakeland.

"Having fun yet?" I asked them smirking.

I pranced over to Lakeland and kissed his cheek and pranced upstairs to find Ira. I threw my cigarette in the sink putting it out and kissed him.

"Hayden?" He said concerned.

I shrugged and skipped out him following me. I smiled as I grabbed a beer from the fridge and walked back out the beach. I opened it up and smiled at Ira's concerned face.

"What up, Babe?" I said sipping from the sweet drink.

I shook his head and took the drink from my hands and smashed it the liquid dripping out. I sighed and walked up to him. I dragged my finger down his torso and kissed him to only be pushed off. I landed on my butt, hard.

"Well isn't that rude," I said standing back up and brushing off my shorts.

I stomped back inside and stormed straight into Ira's room. Then I completely lost it. I started crying and huddled up in a ball and cried.

Ira

I don't think any of us knew what to do, not even when we heard the yelling and came to see Lakeland was beating the crap out of Keith. We could put two and two together, Keith being barely clothed in Kat's room and Lakeland pummeling him, but I think we were all shocked - it was extremely rare to see Lakeland get upset and show it, and he had never done anything like this. But then again, no one had done anything like this before. Still, we were all at even more of a loss when Lakeland collapsed, looking distressed, and suddenly began seizing. Opal was acting like it was no big deal, and I think that's what scared us the most.

It wasn't until Tyler and I carried a barely conscious Lakeland in to another room that we got our answer. He, rather embarrassedly, explained it to us all. It was a result of his accident, something that only happened every so often or when he got really worked up. He explained his medical bracelet, he explained Lola, and he explained why he wouldn't video chat with us after his accident. He apologized a thousand times for keeping it from us, but when a guy is lying in bed recovering from a seizure it's hard to stay mad at him. He was up and moving not long after taking a few pills, though.

I would have done the exact same thing if I'd been in his shoes, the thing with Keith I mean. Except he probably would have kicked my ass instead of the other way around - it's not that I was weak, it was just that Keith was that kind of guy that only Lakeland would be crazy enough to take on and strong enough to win.

Now we were all kind of meandering around not sure what to do. We knew Lakeland and we knew he wouldn't want us to treat him any differently, but what do you do after you watch your best friend since childhood seize on the floor in front of you after beating some guy in to a bloody mess. Personally, I was just wandering around to wait out the storm - Lakeland was trying to get everyone to act normal, Liz was distraught and trying to hide it, Katrina threw a fit and stormed off in to her room...we were all either breaking down or trying to move past the breakdowns. I needed to find Hayden - I had lost her when Tyler and I moved Lakeland, and she seemed to be the only one with some sanity left.

I spotted her prancing in to the bathroom and followed her, only to be greeted with the stench of smoke. Hayden flicked a used cigarette in to the sink and skipped over to me, reaching up and kissing me square on the mouth. She even tasted like smoke. I didn't even know she smoked!

"Hayden?" I questioned, as if checking to make sure it was really her. She pranced out of the bathroom and downstairs to the kitchen, me following close behind. Was she feeling okay or...

She pulled a beer from the fridge and opened it, smiling up at me cheekily. This wasn't Hayden...or was it? I only knew her here, at the summer house. The rest of the year she was christmas cards, texts, and video chats. But this wasn't my Hayden.

"What up, babe?" She said, downing her drink.

No, this wasn't Hayden. I didn't know who this was, but suddenly I felt the only stable thing here slipping from my grasp. Without a word, I took the bottle from her hands and threw it to the ground, looking down at her with searching eyes, trying to find my Hayden.

She merely sighed, placing a had on my chest and dragging a finger down my torso before kissing me. Normally I would have loved this, but seeing her like this and tasting the smoke and alcohol on her repulsed me. I shoved her away from me, breaking this kiss, and she landed on her butt with a thud.

"Well isn't that rude," She said, coming to a stand a brushing off her shorts before running off in a whirlwind.

I stood there hesitantly, not sure whether I should go after her or not, not sure whether she wanted me to. I couldn't help it, I couldn't just leave her angry. I was too nice. I went in after her, hearing a door slam as I entered the house, and went upstairs. Listening, I heard the sound of muffled crying coming from...my room?

I approached my door and opened it slowly, revealing Hayden balled up on my bed shaking with tears. So she was still Hayden. She was just Hayden afraid and sad. I shut the door behind me, darkening the room, and walked slowly over to the bed. I climbed on, laying down beside Hayden and pulling her close, stealing myself against the smell of smoke coming from her. Burying my face in her hair I found her neck and placed a kiss on it, attempting to comfort her. I swallowed hard, too worried to speak properly. So I did the only thing I knew how to. I sang to her.

I was hiding under my bed, shaking in fear from the commotion that was happening in the room. I couldn't help but cry to myself, after seeing how violent Lakeland was. Next thing I knew, it got quiet. I guess everyone left the room... I didn't want to leave my room, not after what happened. All I could do was stay under my bed, away from the drama and anger.

"I wish Christian was here..." I looked down on the ground, thinking about Christian.

My feelings for him turned into love, actual love. This was the first I fell in love with someone. It was all so new to me. I blushed deeply, thinking about the kisses me and Christian shared. Next thing I knew, I closed my eyes, falling into a deep sleep.

My eyes widened as I saw the fight between Lakeland and Keith. I stood there, shaking in fear as I screamed out, crying loudly. I wanted this to end. All of it was so scary. I know I am acting like a child but this hurts me and scares me more than anything. I didn't want our family to fall apart. Not like this. Please... please stop this!

"Ah!" I woke up, breathing heavily. J-Just a dream... "That's weird... Christian is not coming here..."

I guess Christian forgotten about me. Then again, he did see me... like that in the shower, so I guess he hated it, hated me. I sighed sadly, getting out from under my bed and looked out the window, staring at the stars. I guess it's me and my lonesome again...

I smiled sadly to myself as I kept staring at the stars. Tears fell down on my face. Why do I feel like I want someone here with me? Even though in my mind, I prefer to be alone?

Hayden


Ira started singing instantly making me feel better. His voice was smooth like butter and it slithered into me leaving nothing but relaxation behind. I let myself stop being sad and escaped into the sweet sound of Ira.

I twisted around in his arms trying to find a smile through my tear caked cheeks. I slowly wrapped my arms around him and tangled my legs through his. I closed my eyes and stuck my head onto his chest focusing on nothing but him. Then he stopped singing.

I looked up at him and finally broke through the wall of dried tears and smiled. It was weak, but it was all I could do.

"Y-you okay n-now?" He asked still a bit nervous.

I nodded and whispered, "I need to change out of these smelly clothes. Don't move, I'm gonna be right back."

He smiled at me and I unlatched my self from his body. I dragged my broken self into my room and changed into a skirt, a plain white tank top, and Peej's letterman jacket. I walked back into Ira's room, tying my hair up in a pony tail as I did, to find him pulling a guitar out of his closet.

"Can I play it?" I asked him quietly sitting down on his bed.

He nodded and handed me the guitar. I smiled and started playing a song my mother taught me when I was younger. It was sweet and simple and was perfect for what ever was happing right now. Ira sat down next to me and pulled me onto his lap still playing the song as he did. I stopped playing and looked up at his smiling face.

"C-can I a-ask y-you a question?" Ira said into my neck.

I shrugged putting the guitar down on the ground.

"W-why did y-you go a-all crazy j-just now?"

I sighed and replied, "Its a thing me and Peej used to do when we were mad. We would drive out to the skate park and just blow everything off with something illegal. It's sorta a way for me to feel better now."

Ira nodded and kissed my temple, "D-don't smoke e-ever again, y-you hear me y-young l-lady."

I nodded and kissed his cheek. He smiled and lifted me off his lap and onto the bed. I giggled a bit as he flopped down next to me. I twisted towards him and entangled my fingers into his hair and kissed him softly.

"D-don't leave me a-again." Ira said smiling.

"I won't"

Christian

I found Verine under her bed.

"What were you doing under there, V?" I asked.

We sat on her bed, observing each others hands, which were clasped together.

She shrugged. Verine was laying sideways. Her legs were on top of mine, and her head was on her pillow. I leaned against the wall.

She seemed uncomfortable. As if she felt like she didn't belong here, with me.

"Would you please tell me what's wrong with you?" I pleaded, while turning to face her.

"...there's nothing wrong, Christian." She muttered.

"Don't lie to me, Verine. I can see it in your eyes. What in the world is botherin-" She cut me off.

"Why are you here right now?" She interrupted, tearing her hand from mine.

I didn't understand.

"Don't you hate me?" Her eyes were locked on mine.

My eyes widened, and my mouth was slightly ajar. "Hate...you?"

"..I...I thought you hated me...because of earlier." Her voice was low, barely audible.

Earlier..?

What happened earlier, other than the fight, and Lakeland's little...whatever it was? Oh, and the argument between Katrina and I?

"What?" I was still confused.

"...when you...um...walked in on me." She mumbled.

"When you were in the shower? Oh! Why in the world would I hate you for that?" I laughed.

"...because.." She fiddled with her shirt. "..you saw me naked.."

I raised an eyebrow. "I saw nothing but steam coming from the shower."

She frowned, and some of the red faded from her face. "..so you didn't see me naked? Whew.."

"Well, I wouldn't mind seeing yo-" She pinched my leg. "Ow, okay! Sorry!"

She giggled quietly, which I thought was adorable.

"You don't hate me, do you? Cause if you do, then I think I'd be able to fix that." I whispered, which made her blush more than she already was.

"I don't hate you, Chris."

I leaned forward, close to her face, and whispered, "..good."

She closed the space between us, which I thought was weird, cause she'd never done that before.

But I kissed her back, with more force.

I moved her legs from off of mine, and moved to where I was hovering over her small body.

"..yep. I definitely like it when I'm above you." I smirked.

Verine pulled my hair, her face pink, and smiled a bit.

"You hungry?" I asked randomly.

All she did was nod.

I kissed her again, then got up, and pulled her up with me.

"I think someone was talking about having a bonfire earlier. Wanna help me make the fire?"

Katrina

No one even noticed I was in the room. Well as in Verine and Christian. I am so happy people think they have a right to beat up my boyfriends. Shouldnt they be beating Verines boyfriend??? Well of course not, because everyone just loves Christian.

Maybe I should text Keith and tell him to come back. Maybe I should just go home and stay with dad. Hmmm.. Decisions decisions.

Finally after figuring things out, I started packing. "Verine, I'm going home." I tell her. She looked at me all confused, and Christian buts in, "you can't go home Katrina. None of this would be the same." He said.

"Plus aren't we a family?" Verine mumbled. I didn't care anymore. After a moment of sitting, I got my bags and started walking to the door. I guess they don't care that much that I am leaving. Mom wasn't to know until after I left, mainly because I'm taking the car to drive home.

"Oh yeah, I'll be back at the end of summer for you and mom, unless yall ride with PJ and Hayden."

No reply.

I got in the car and texted Keith before buckling up. I smiled at the relief and began my ride home.

Ira

"W-watch out!" I yelled, running to the edge of the diving board and cannonballing in to the pool with a large splash.

It had been a week. One week since the relationships formed, since Keith, since Lakeland's secret came out, and since Katrina left. Her mom had been furious, and we could hear Stella yelling at her through the phone throughout the entire house. It had been a week, but we had all started to get back in to the swing of things.

Night swimming and bonfires, lazy days and hanging out in town. Summer was becoming what it once was, the only reminders of change being periodic kisses between couples, Lakeland's split lip from his fight with Keith, and the fact that Katrina wasn't here anymore.

I resurfaced, breaking through the water and taking a gulp of air.

"Show off!" Tyler yelled tauntingly, sitting in the shallow end with Opal. Her necklace from him glistened from around her neck - she hadn't taken it off since he gave it to her, and it put a constant thought in my head that I should provide a similar gesture to Hayden.

Thinking about it, I swam over to her. She was clad in a black bikini, contrasting to my pale blue swim trunks, and I loved it. Resting my feet on the ground, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her towards me for a kiss.

The moment our lips touched, Lakeland shouted, "Get a room!"

Pulling away, smiling, I whipped around and sent a wav of water towards him, "L-like you c-can ta-talk!"

Lakeland sent a wave of water right back at me, followed by a jump towards me. He pulled us both down, wrapping his arm around my neck. We popped our heads out of the water for air, but his arm still around me. I grabbed it, ducking down quickly to flip him over me, starting a full out wrestling match.

Hayden


Ira and Lakeland had started wrestling in the pool causing everyone else to go crazy and start cheering them on. They were seriously going at it, guess it was something about the brother tension.

"Hey Hayden!" Liz yelled from the other side of the pool, "Wanna make this a double fight?"

I nodded and hopped in the pool the two boys now breaking apart after hearing Liz's bet.

"Chicken fight it is then?" I said tying my hair up into a bun.

She nodded and gestured from Lakeland to bend down for her to hop on. I swam over to Ira and kissed him on the lips flicking the other couple off at the same time before climbing onto his shoulders. The crowd behind me laughed and grew louder as Opal called out the start of our epic battle.

I leaned out linking my fingers into Liz's as we both burst out laughing as the others pair up starting their own little fights. We pushed against each other till I was finally knocked off from laughing way too hard. I resurfaced taking in a huge breath and nodded at Liz shaking her hand.

I climbed out of the pool and sat on the edge watching Peej and Casey come up from the water laughing from their battle with Chris and V. I winked at Case as she blew me a kiss. I caught it dramatically making her burst out laughing.

"H-hey," Ira said grabbing my feet.

I giggled and splashed him. He shook his hair out soaking me and the moms behind us.

"Hayden control that dog you call a boyfriend!" My mom said fanning off her magazine.

I shrugged at her and jumped back into the pool and swam over to Casey. I coughed loudly interrupting her and P.J.'s kiss.

"Hi lovebirds," I said smiling widely.

Casey laughed shaking her head and climbed out of the pool. She was wearing one of my bikini's and it looked even better on her than it did on me. I am so glad Peej had helped her break out of her shell. I sat her down on pool edge and smiled at her.

"I have a present for you," I said smiling.

I reached over into my bag and pulled out a charm bracelet with her name carved into the back of a flower charm. I watched as tears met Casey's eyes as she encased me with a hug.

"Thank you," She said kissing my cheek.

I nodded and watched as she was met by P.J. again. I made my way back over to edge of the pool and watch as everything fell back into place. This was what summer was about.

Katrina

It had been a week since I left to come back home. It was total relief and luckily my dad didn't bother asking why I had came back. He had just hugged me and told me everything would be okay. He was right, it would be. "I'm going to hang out with Keith, daddy." I yelled to well, my dad. "Okay. Text me to let me know what's up." He told me. I nodded and smiled.

Keith and I met at our usual place out by the lake. "Hey there." He said with a wink, jokingly. I smiled and just held onto him. All of a sudden, my stomach begun to hurt. I sighed and just ignored it, thinking maybe I was just hungry. I passed out.

"Are you okay?" Keith asked me as I got up. I didn't even remember where the hell I was at first. I hurled over and threw my guts up. "Babe what's going on with you?" Keith asked me. Honestly I didn't even know. "Please just take me home." I tell him and hop in the passenger seat of my mom's car. I couldn't drive myself home, at least I didn't trust myself.

When I got home I quickly got into my bed. I felt a little better. My phone began to ring, so I answered it.

"Hello?" I say.


(This could be anyone)

Opal

"You know," I said to no one in particular, more to the entire group as we sat by the edge of the pool, "Katrina's birthday is this week."

We all grew quiet for a moment, and I added, "It's going to be weird without her here. We've had a party for her every summer!"

"Do you think she'll come back up?" Liz asked, squinting through the brightness of the afternoon sun.

"We could always ask." Tyler mumbled from beside me.

I knew things may be tense for a little bit after last week's episode, but it was summer and we were a family. We couldn't be here without everyone.

"I'll call her and ask." I said, stretching over to my phone which was resting on the beach chair.

Locating her in my contacts, I hit the dial button and pressed the phone to my ear. I heard the tone sound a few times before someone answered, "Hello?"

"Hey Katrina, it's Opal!" I smiled.

"Oh, hey Opal. What's up?" She asked from the other side of the phone.

"Me and the others were just talking," I said, "And we were wondering if you'd come back up for your birthday so we can throw a good old fashioned birthday party like we always do. What do you say?"