Sins 28
He turned back to the boys "All right you lazy asses, two laps, go" said Caleb. They sighed almost as a group and began swimming back and forth the length of the pool. Max just stood and watched them. She envied them their ability to move through the water so gracefully. They did a few more laps then Caleb called time. He swam over to Max. "Now that your warmed up, one at a time, Max here is going to time you," said Caleb.
He handed her a waterproof watch he had set on the pools edge. After showing her how to work it he started calling names. Max dutifully timed them each and every one. He made the boys redo their laps if they were even a few second too slow. Max thought they were all incredibly fast but what did she know.
"Ok break for five minutes" Caleb called. And they swam towards her instead of getting out. Caleb sighed and rolled his eyes heaven ward. They surrounded Max now and she looked a little uncomfortable. Caleb swam over and joined his brothers.
"You did great" said Caleb. He took the stopwatch from her hands and set it on the pools edge. "So you ready to learn?" said Caleb "yeah I guess" said Max "first rule no guessing be sure of yourself" said Caleb the boys smiled at her "I think she's got that down just having the guts to wear that" said Tyler. The others looked at him."Yeah and you do just pointing it out" said Pogue
"Now here's what we're going to do" said Caleb. Then he outlined how they were going to teach her. "Don't worry we won't drop you" Caleb said. Glaring at Reid when he said it. Caleb put his hands on her stomach and had her lay on them. Effectively supporting her in the water. "Now kick your legs," said Caleb "not like that in a scissors motion," said Pogue.
He was helping to support her on the other side. "Now move your arms like this," said Caleb. "Like this?" said Max "no Tyler show her," said Caleb the boy swam around in front of her and then stopped. "Now this is important as you move turn your head periodically and take a breath," said Caleb. "Reid show her," said Caleb. He swam around like Tyler had done. Max was kicking her legs and moving her arms just like they had shown her. Then suddenly their hands were gone and she shot forward across the water.
She went a few feet before she panicked and floundered. Reid caught her before she could go under. "Never ever panic in the water" said Reid "I've got you your ok" said Reid "you did it, or you did for a few minutes anyways," said Tyler
She looked back across the water at the other two boys. "Yeah I guess I did didn't I?" said Max "ready for more?" said Reid."Try it this way," said Reid and he glided into the water and began swimming. Max attempted it too; she was much less graceful and came up with a mouth full of water.
"You ok?" said Caleb "yeah just give me a minute" she said. They waited until she was done sputtering out water. "Lets just stick with this method until she gets it down" said Caleb. He glared at Reid as he said it. "Ok fine " said Reid and he took Pogue's place. Holding her up as she kicked in the water. Max felt absurdly ridiculous, like she was the only one in a mommy me class without a kid. It made her more determined to get this down so she could stop the embarrassment of these lessons.
Not to mention it felt really weird to have her brother touch her like that. Reid and Pogue didn't bother her as much but well it felt strange with Caleb. Especially when he rested his hand on her ass.
It took a few hours but she finally got the movements down enough that they let her practice on her own. Caleb put them right back to work swimming laps. So by lunchtime they were all starving.
They grabbed towels and headed for the kitchen. They got half way to it when Tyler said, "where's Max?" they rushed back to the pool at a dead run. Max was nowhere to be seen and Caleb jumped into the water. He came up a second later holding a sputtering Max.
"Are you ok?" Caleb kept asking. He was holding her around the waist and carrying her. When he reached the edge Pogue and Reid grabbed her arms. Lifting her out of the water. "Max are you ok?" said Reid. He brushed the wet hair from her eyes. She nodded yes, but the boys still weren't convinced. Caleb climbed out of the pool and rushed to her side. "Max baby are you all right, I'm so sorry," said Caleb. "Caleb she's fine give the girl some air" said Pogue
Caleb had his hands on either side of her face and was right up close to her, checking to see if she was all right. "Caleb I'm fine stop crowding" said Max "I'm sorry, how could I have been so stupid" said Caleb "hey man stop being so hard on yourself it was an accident" said Reid "yeah she's fine Caleb, besides she wanted to work on it by herself" said Tyler.
"That is not the point," said Caleb. "Caleb its ok I'm fine relax its all good" said Max. She put her arms around him. He responded by hugging her so tightly that her back popped.
"Easy big brother you're going to break me," said Max he loosened his hold but didn't let go. "I'm sorry you just scared me, that's all, I could have lost you" said Caleb "hey, hey there I'm right here stop worrying about me, I've survived this long without you playing white knight" said Max
"Sorry but I can't help it, you're my little sister I just want to protect you" said Caleb "I know but please try" said Max. "Ok I will so long as you promise not to try and teach yourself" said Caleb "hey that's how I learn" said Max. Protesting the restrictions already. "Maxine Rhyde I want your word that you won't go trying to learn to swim on your own and that you won't try anything from the book without consulting us first" said Caleb.
Max crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her brother "then how am I supposed to learn then?" said Max "we will teach you," said Caleb
"And how will you do that without letting me take risks, all knowing big brother" said Max "so long as they are controlled risks I see no problem with it" said Pogue. He glared at Caleb with a challenge to his eye. "Besides we wouldn't let anything happen to her" said Reid "oh really then why did we all just walk off and leave her here?" said Caleb.
Max still had her arms crossed and was glaring at Caleb. "Wait you left me?" said Max "what happened to building the trust?' said Max.
"Would it help if we said we're sorry?" said Tyler. Max frowned at him. "Ok so we need a little work on the whole teaching thing but this is also our first time doing this" said Pogue "yeah see if that excuse works with your kid's school in the future" said Max
"What kids I ain't having no kids" said Pogue "its I'm not planning on having any kids" Max corrected. Pogue glared at her. "Keep it up and I may drown you," said Pogue. "You will do no such thing," said Caleb "yeah don't even joke about that man its not funny" said Reid. Pogue relented "fine I'm sorry can we eat now?" said Pogue "Pogue!" said Tyler "what baby boy I'm hungry" said Pogue
"Fine come on," said Caleb.
He led the way to the kitchen this time with a hand on the small of Max's back.
Tyler riffled through the cupboards until he found the fixings for sub sandwiches. They each made their own sandwich. Passing the condiments back and forth across the counter. Reid tried to get Max to let him make hers but she insisted on doing it herself.
The boys watched as she put just about everything on it including onions and spicy peppers.
"Are you trying to keep me from kissing you?" said Reid "why are you kissing her in the first place?" said Caleb. "Because that's what boyfriends do, now knock it off Caleb" said Max "yeah its not like she bugs you when your with Sarah" said Reid. "Yeah well I'm not you," said Caleb "which is good cause then that would be incest" said Max. Caleb blushed instead of finishing what he was about to say. Pogue laughed around bites of his sandwich and Tyler just grinned.
