Josh
Last summer…
Alice and Ariel were both at my house, we were all swimming. Alice was wearing this red one piece and splashing around towards the deep end. She had her long blonde hair up in a ponytail and only half of it was wet. Her body was almost perfect. From her red swimsuit sticking on her and swimming around, it got tighter on her breasts and rode up her butt.
Ariel was wearing a brown t shirt and some small blue shorts and her long dark hair was down. She was laughing at Alice splashing her and I almost thought about joining their war and confessing my attraction towards her.
They started having a splashing competition.
"Bring it bitch!" Alice squeals and Ariel giggles.
Ariels hair is completely damped from all the water Alice was shooting at her.
"Joshykins come join us!" Alice beams.
"Yeah Joshykins stop being lame." Ariel smiles and splashes me.
I take my now soaked shirt off and Alice whistles.
"What a hunk!" She rolls her eyes back and shapes her mouth in circle.
I just laugh to brush her off.
It was very obvious that Alice wanted me but I knew her game too well. She just wanted to screw around meanwhile I craved more. I wanted a relationship and I wanted it with Ariel. Ariel was so sweet, innocent, and too good for that damn fool she loved so much. I just wanted to give her the best love has to offer. Alice would be great for a couple months but Ariel is the girl you want to wake up next to on Sundays.
When I decide to hop in the pool, I dive in. I splash both of them hard and swim towards Ariel. I tickle her sides and pick her up then dive her in. After she dunks I go over to Alice.
"On no, back up." She squeals as she tries to swim away. I barely grab her but when I do I pull her close and sink myself in with her. I hold for a second and then swim back up and she follows. Ariel is already out.
"Asshole!" She splashed me and laughed it off. "So what are we doing for the birthday girl tomorrow?"
"You've ruined the surprise now." I tease.
"Awe you guys were going to throw me a party?!" Alice puts her hands together and pulls them up to her face. She leans towards them like an innocent angel.
"More like a kick back but we can make it a party." I say. "Invited a few people from school."
"Hopefully you invited me a good birthday night," Alice winks at me. Ariel notices and she's uncomfortable while she's in between us.
"I'm sure there are prospects. Maybe your boo Charlie." Ariel shifted from the eye candy that was me.
"He's stuck on some new girl Riley for now." She smirks. "I'm sure I could convince him since it's my birthday."
"Disgusting." Ariel mutters.
Alice splashes her. "Be nice to me it's my birthday week." She makes a puppy face.
-
The next night Ariel and I had decorated my backyard. She put up balloons, window stickers, a banner, and set up a stand for Alice to take pictures at. It was Alice's thing to post on all her socials, she was head cheerleader after all. I invited her whole cheerleading squad and some athletes I've done homework for. The ones that were kind of douchey just so Alice could have some prospects.
Around nine, lots of people had shown up already. Lily, a cute ginger on the squad had spiked my interest. Ariel snuck up behind me as I gawked at her.
"Boo." She says and hands me a red cup.
"Not a whole lot of male prospects." She teased.
"Are you sure?" I take a drink from my cup. "I ordered them extra douchey, I know that's your girls type." I let out a small chuckle.
"Ha!" She sarcastically says. "Alan's been too busy with Mandy lately." She half whispered. "Any female prospects for you?" She takes a drink out of her cup then looks up at me.
I pretend I don't notice. Ariel will flirt sometimes but I don't mind it, I wished she'd make a move.
"Eh." I lie. Sure I wouldn't mind hooking up tonight but if I'm really being honest I just want to kiss her. I think about telling her now. It'd be the perfect time.
"Anne says hi by the way," she finishes her beer, "I think she wanted to come."
"She's too young to drink." I stand my ground.
"You're no fun." She makes a pouty face then leaves me alone.
I walk over towards Lily and her friend, Natalia.
"Hey Lil, haven't seen you since school was out." I say to her. "Hi Natalia." I wave.
"Hey." Natalia says and walks away, she winks over to Lily but not to subtle.
"Hi Josh," she twirls one of her curls around her finger. "Want to swim with me? I wore a swimsuit underneath."
"I'd be honored." I chug my beer and take my shirt off then jump in. Splashing a few people. Most of the guys cheer over the music and jump in. When I'm up to the surface I look over at her. She's undressing and reveals a neon green two piece. She pulls her hair up in a high pony tail and slowly dips in. I extend my hand to her to help her and she takes it. I pull her in and we're two inches away from making our lips touch. She giggles.
"Hold your breath." She says and she dunks my head in. She pushed my head to her breasts and makes me motorboat her.
She pulls me back up by my hair and gives me a quick kiss. "You're so hot." She grins.
And a part of me wants this, craves this girl cradling me but then I look up and see Ariel violently texting on her phone. She paces back and forth and I know she's pining over the asshole who has her heart.
"What's wrong?" Lily snaps me out of it.
"Nothing." I brush it off and pick her up, hands on her big butt. I put her on the steps of the pool and start making out with her. We kiss passionately and she grips my hair. I lick her tongue and they start dancing together while our bodies start to move. She wraps her legs around me and I can feel myself getting excited.
We're suddenly distracted getting splashed when someone else dives into the pool. Lily was soaked. From the splash of course. The body comes up for air and pops up near me. It was Alice.
"Oops I'm sorry Joshykins!" She softly says grabbing my arm for a second, eyeing Lily and swimming off.
"Really?" Lily says annoyed.
"What? You got in here to get wet." I tease her and softly splash her.
"Ugh" she says and stands up immediately "of course you'd defend her!" She runs off.
I go up to Alice
"You owe me a birthday fling." She teased.
"You owe me a fling in general." I point to Lily. "What's your deal?"
"My deal is I'm right here and you've never tried to hook up with me!" She makes a puppy face. Ariel jumps right in, to my rescue.
"Hey guys." She smiles at me. "I will unfortunately be leaving. Aunt Cheri wants me home with Anne right now."
"Booo." Alice says, extending the o.
"Nooo," I plead. "You can't go." I pull her in for a hug.
"I'm sorry, I have to." She says into my ear. "Happy birthday, I love you." She pulls away and gives Alice a hug.
"Can we sidebar?" Alice says and they both get out of the pool. I try to make out what they're saying by where I'm standing in the pool. Alice points over to me and Ariel shrugs and walks off. Alice comes back my way with a huge smile on her face.
"So…" she says as she inches closer. She grazes my bicep with her fingers slowly.
"You already know I like Ariel." I remind her.
"She just gave me the okay." She winks at me with her right eye.
"Have you even asked her if she likes me?" I ask. I hope she says yes she likes me or that she knows.
"Trust, no ones getting through her chastity belt. She's sprung on someone from her old school. Never mentioned who or how." She laughs. "Can you just forget about her? She obviously knows already. She clearly doesn't feel the same. But I do." She pulls me in, closer to her. I try not to let our pelvises touch but they do.
"She really knows?" I question. I always thought if she knew, she'd like me back.
"Unfortunately but then again fortunately because here I am." She points at herself then forced her lips on mine. And I don't know if it's the fact that she's easy and there or because I'm crushed Ariel knew and didn't feel the same. Maybe it's the alcohol too, whatever excuse, but I kiss Alice back.
-
The next day I wake up naked and Alice laying on my chest, also naked. I look around the room and see I'm in my own and I try to slide away. I raise her head up and use a pillow as a replacement. She moves and I freeze but she just gets comfortable. I pick up my phone from my nightstand and I see Ariel has called me a couple times. A voicemail as well around midnight. I open it.
"Hey Josh, it's me. Just wanted to see if you're around. I guess not. In case you wake up come over. I could really use someone." She sounds so sad.
I look over to Alice who's still passed out and from the snoring, she might be for a while. I just get dressed quickly then head out of the house. Once I'm in my car, I pull out my phone and tell Alice to let herself out. I would have to clean up the mess before mom got home too. I text her asking what time she'll be coming home and she tells me I have until five. It's twenty from noon, I feel like I have time. Until I see a notification from local news.
It reads "Local 15year old girl in fatal accident". I click on it and I see her name. Anne.
I race to Ariels house.
When I got there, multiple cars were parked around the house. I had to park around the streets corner. When I walk up, the door is unlocked so I let myself in. Cheri is on her living room couch, sobbing, two older women I've never seen comforting her. I walk up to her and she stands up and holds me tight. She gets a few tears on my shoulder and I Pat her back.
"I'm so sorry.." is all I manage to say to her.
"She was too young," she cries. She starts to sob like crazy. My heart aches for her.
"When did it happen?" I ask her.
"last night, around ten." She sighs. "Ariels upstairs. She hasn't came out yet."
"I'll go try to talk to her," I offer.
"Thank you Josh. I'm so glad you're here." She squeezes my cheek and I grab a tissue and help her clean some of her tears.
I make my way upstairs, towards Ariels room and I knock on the door. I don't hear anything but I let myself in anyways. There she is, staring out her window from sitting at the edge of her bed.
"I don't feel like talking." She says. She doesn't turn around to see me, she keeps her eyes on the window.
"It's me though." I say.
"Josh?" She turns for a second then back to the window. From the glimpse I saw of her, she had not slept. Her eyes looked swollen and bloodshot. I walk towards her slowly. "I just don't want to talk." Her voice weakens. I go and sit next to her.
We look out the window together and I put my arm around her. She lays her head on my shoulder and she cries softly. I pretend I don't hear her but I do and I squeeze. She cried on me for at least an hour before she fell asleep.
-
For a whole month, Ariel fell apart. Alice and I had both tried to go over a couple weeks back. It was a few days after Anne's funeral.
"We shouldn't be here," Alice says. She was holding a strawberry cake she made and waited for me to ring the doorbell.
"She's our friend." I remind her.
"She's down in the dumps right now. I don't know if it's the best time to bug her. Plus she'll cry…" she's interrupted by the door opening. It was Ariel. "Ari.." she says.
"I'm not in the mood to be fake to you right now Alice." Ariel says sternly.
"I just don't know how to make you feel better if you keep pushing us out." Alice says.
"Hey!" I snap at Alice. "Ari, I'm sorry.." I try to say to Ariel.
"Everyone is!" Ariel gives me a fake smile.
"I will take your dessert but I will not take your fake ass friendships right now." She snaps at both of us. She snatched the cake from Alice's hands.
"I just want to be here for you. Screw Alice!" I wave my hands.
"Hey!" Alice says, offended.
"You should both go." She says and then shuts the door on us.
I turn to walk away, I debate about ending things then and there with Alice.
"Where are you going?" She chases after me.
"What is wrong with you!" I turn around and snap at her. I gesture towards Ariels house. "She's our friend! Her sister just fucking died! You could show some sympathy after all She's your best friend!"
"Are you seriously mad at me?" She points at herself. "She never called me. But hey she didn't mind calling you at god knows what hour on MY BIRTHDAY! When you decided to fuck me!" She shouts.
"What's your fucking deal Alice?" I snap. "We go out, we screw, we have fun, and yet you can't bother to be Ariels friend anymore?"
"I don't need to constantly throw that girl a pity party! Last time I checked you're the one in love with her! That's why you don't want to label it right?" She lets out a fake laugh. "God you're unbelievable! She can pick up the phone when she's ready." She starts to walk off. "Don't bother coming over tonight." She shoulder bumps me as she walks past me.
I kick a can that's next to the sidewalk.
"Fuck!" I shout and throw my beanie on the floor. I take a deep breath and sigh.
Truth was, I missed Ariel so much. There wasn't a time where I didn't think about her. She was pushing me away ever since Anne died and I understood. But I wished my friend was still here.
And Alice? That crazy bitch Alice. Who was now my friends with benefits and didn't want me to be friends with Ariel anymore. She wanted more and she knew the real reason why I would t give it to her. Hell, we'd been friends since the end of freshmen year. She knew me better than I knew myself. I guess all that jealousy plus being pushed away by Ariel made Alice dislike her. She only kept it okay because she knew she'd lose me if she didn't. I wouldn't be okay without Ariel in my life. I thought so much about breaking it off but everytime I try, Alice seduces me. Alice was a fresh piece of apple pie with whipped cream on a cool fall day. She was this short skinny blonde who I believed could eventually help me get over Ariel. And I knew it was wrong to use her but she made it so easy when she kissed me in sexy lingerie or naked.
I pick up my beanie from the floor and head over to my car. I drive to Alice's house and apologize. She forgives me in a familiar way that ends up all over her face.
"You can't keep doing this, you know?" Alice says once she finishes cleaning herself up. She walks over to me and lays on my chest. Her room was all pink and her bed was the biggest king I've ever laid on. She had a rich dad that was never home too. A huge flat screen with a speaker hung from her wall.
"You can't make me chose." I remind her. I wrap my arm around her. I stare at the television, watching our reflection.
"I know. But there will be a day when you have to." She sighs. "And I know even with how much I feel for you, which usually is never my thing, especially a geek…"
"Your point?" I interrupt.
"Well in your heart, you already know I'll never stand a chance against Ariel."