"Incoming!" In the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of my best friend running toward us. Everyone ducked. Because, you know, when Carlos yells anything having to do with getting out of his way, you move. Immediately. Or you get trampled. Your choice.
I glanced toward his general direction to see what Carlos was doing this time. I grimaced, he was on roller skates. Heading toward the pool. This will be...erm, interesting. He didn't look like he was planning on stopping, either. I am pretty sure he's going to...
"CARLOS!" the entire population around the pool screamed as he caught air and his body collided with the pool's surface, soaking everyone within a 15 foot distance.
"THAT WAS EPIC!" Carlos yelled, surfacing the pool. Everyone groaned and threw things at him. I went up to him and hit the top of his head with a foam noodle. He shot me daggers before jumping out of the pool, grabbing a noodle and chasing me with it. My other best friends, Logan and James, sat on their poolside chairs and laughed at us.
"You are an amazing help," I managed to say as I whizzed past them.
"We know," they said in unison, watching us as if we were the most entertaining thing since slinkies.
"I hate you both." I scrambled past them again.
They looked at each other and waited for me to pass by again. "We know that too."
They went back to their magazines, casually sipping on their smoothies as if their best friend wasn't trying to kill their other best friend.
Finally James stuck his leg out in front of Carlos, causing him to trip. James, who didn't even look up from his magazine, took another sip of his blueberry smoothie and acted as if he didn't do anything.
I nonchalantly sat on the chair beside Logan which was where I had been before Carlos went and drenched everyone. I seized my strawberry smoothie and put my sunglasses back over my eyes while grabbing my sports magazine. Carlos growled as he stood up, dusting himself off.
"I'm going to go find something somewhere else to do," he stated.
"Good luck with that," James, Logan and I waved him off. As soon as Carlos was gone we burst out laughing.
"That kid is an idiot," James decided, taking another gulp from his smoothie before yelling about a brain freeze.
"How is it that he's older than us?" Logan pondered.
I chuckled. "No idea."
We went back to our magazines and smoothies.
"BRAIN FREEZE!"
"BRAIN FREEZE!" Logan and I mocked, not looking up from our magazines.
"That's not fun-whoa."
"What is it now, James?" Logan asked, reading an article about a new player for his favorite football team.
"Girl!"
"Yeah, there's lots of those. Get used to it." Logan never looked up.
"But she's gorgeous!"
Sighing, we looked at him. "Okay James, what girl are you talking about now?"
He pointed. Logan's jaw dropped. I followed their gazes, and I found the most beautiful creature I've seen in my life. Long, wavy-ish curly hair, piercing blue eyes with a dazzling smile. She looked to be around the age of nineteen or twenty, and about 5'7 in height. She was wearing a blue plaid shirt with skinny white lines and some slivers of silver thrown in. Underneath that was a white shirt that said, "hello friday, i've been waiting for you." and black flare jeans. I looked at her shoes and found that she was wearing black high top converse. In one hand she was carrying a black duffel bag and a purse with different colored music notes all over it. In the other was a black guitar case.
"Whoa." Logan and I mused.
"Told you."
"Dibs!" We all said at the same time.
"Darn it." We looked at each other.
"We need to spend some time away from each other," we stated together.
"This is annoying. I'm going to go get the girl." Logan said.
"What? No way, you got to talk to the new girl last time. I'm truly interested in this one. It's my turn with a new girl." James stated.
Logan thought this over. "Fine. But if she blows James off, she's mine."
James sipped his smoothie before jumping up and giving himself a once over. "How do I look?"
"Eh." I cocked my head to the side.
"Like a girl," Logan stated, picking up James' Sports Illustrated magazine. He looked it over once before throwing it back on James' now empty seat.
"I hate you guys."
"Sure. Now stop standing here talking to us and go get the new girl!" Logan exclaimed, throwing his magazine at him. James caught it and threw it back at Logan, who did this high-pitched squeal because the magazine hit his face.
"Well, that was manly." I said, looking at Logan.
"Now go!" we shooed James off when Logan recovered. He walked away quickly to avoid being target practice. He slowed down his quick pace when he was about 8 feet behind the girl.
"Do you need any help?" Logan and I heard him ask.
"That would be amazing, thank you," the girl said, flashing him her gorgeous smile. James grabbed her duffel bag and introduced himself.
"They call me James," he said, holding out his free hand.
"They call me a lot of things, but Heather is at the top of the list," the girl smiled, shaking his hand with her now free one. This response made Logan, James and me smile
"Where are you from?" James started a conversation as they walked toward the lobby.
I glanced at them sadly before forcing myself to scan over the page I randomly flipped to in my magazine.
"Wait a second, the last time there was a new girl-"
"-James got to talk to her first and they ended up going out. I know," I sighed.
"Then why didn't you argue with James? It's your turn to talk to a new girl."
"Because that the new girl that he went out with broke up with him for her co-star. He's been down lately and I think a nice, pretty new girl will cheer him up."
"You've been down lately too."
"Pfft. No I have not."
Logan looked at me. "Yes you have, Kendall. I can hear you when you sing in the shower."
I reflected on what I had been singing. Yeah, those weren't happy songs.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, my eyes remaining glued to the magazine.
"Why have you been sad?" Logan ignored my last statement.
"I haven't been sad. Slightly depressed, maybe."
"Okay, why?"
"Because James, Carlos and you have had girlfriends within the last five months. I haven't had a girlfriend in around eight months. I guess I'm just depressed with you guys having girls. I don't think a girl has looked my way in at least two months."
"What? This coming from the guy who thinks every girl within a two mile radius has the hots for him?"
"I know, crazy right?"
"Very crazy." Carlos popped up from behind my chair. I was so startled I screamed and fell off the side of my chair. They laughed at me.
"Thanks guys." I said, standing and brushing myself off.
"Sure."
"Hey guys." James plopped down on his seat.
"Any luck?"
"Yeah, we're going to the movies tonight!" he smiled.
"Good for you man." We congratulated him. I sighed.
"So when are we going to meet her?"
"When she finishes unpacking."
"Cool."
"Where'd my smoothie go?" James asked, searching for it. He spied it in Carlos' hands.
"Carlos."
"James."
"You owe me a smoothie."
"You owe me a...a...oh, fine. What flavor?"
"Wild berry."
"I'll be back." Carlos said, trudging toward the smoothie stand.
"We won't miss you."
"Good to know." he said, walking out of hearing range.
"Oh there she is." James waved the new girl, Heather, I believe her name was, over.
She found James and smiled as she walked toward us.
James jumped out of his seat and stood next to her. "Guys, this is Heather. Heather, this is Kendall," he pointed at me. I smiled and waved at her from my seat. "That's Logan, and the hooligan with my smoothie is Carlos," he said. Heather smiled. Carlos came running up to us, two smoothies in hand.
"Dude, the smoothie stand is less than thirty feet away. How did you manage to spill almost half of each smoothie?" Logan asked.
Carlos examined each smoothie. "I don't know." He handed James his smoothie. "Gee thanks." James' words were dripping with sarcasm. Heather laughed.
"You guys remind me of my cousins," she stated.
"Is that a good thing?" Logan inquired.
"So far, yes." We all smiled as Heather giggled. Suddenly something caught her eye and she turned to stare at it.
"ALEX?" she yelled. She looked very surprised.
A tall guy turned to see who called him and gaped back at her. "Heather?"
Heather did a running leap into his arms, and he picked her up and spun her around while she giggled, leaving a brokenhearted James and three irritated best friends.
Why would she lead him on?