Chapter Twenty Two

She picked me up around 11 am.

Gina had just bought a new scooter. A blue one. She was immensely proud off this purchase, and she drove it everywhere.

I placed my beach bag in the little suitcase area, or whatever you called it, and sat behind her. She handed me a pink helmet.

"Yes, finally a pink one," I exclaimed.

"What?" She was confused.

"Never mind. Just drive."

"Ok, hold on girl."

"What do you mean, 'Hold on'?"

She showed me what she meant with it. Her start was anything, but slow. After, the initial fear. You know, fear of dying, I relaxed. I put my hands around her waist and rested my head and pink helmet on her back.

"You ok?" I heard her, barely.

"Yup, just enjoying."

"Good."

We got there fast, and circled a bit, trying to find a place, for her to leave her scooter. Then we paid for out tickets, and headed to the locker room, to change.

I've never loved the smell. The smell of chlorine. I didn't hate it, but I preferred, the smell of the sea. The salty one.

"So, I have to tell you something," I heard Gina's voice. I was in my stall, changing, and she was in the stall across mine.

I had just put on my swimsuit, and opened the door, "Tell me what?"

She opened her door.

"You didn't?!" I put both of my hands on my mouth, in shock.

Gina, now, had a tattoo. It was a small one, a tiger, that rested on her hip.

"What do you think?"

I couldn't believe it. She hated tattoos and said she would rather jump from a building than get one. I, on the other hand, didn't hate tattoos, but wasn't really planning on getting one.

"I though you hated tattoos?" My mouth was open, and I was looking at the tattoo.

"Yeah, I'm allowed to change my mind."

"Of course, you are. It's beautiful, by the way. What made you change your mind?"

"Nicholas."

I looked at her, "Oh, please don't tell me, he made you get it?"

"No, no," she protested," I wanted one. He has the same on, on his other hip."

"I never saw you as a 'matching tattoos' girl."

"I had amazing time with him, and now I have this as a reminder of it."

I smiled, "Ok, then. Just don't turn into one of those girls we hate. The ones that change the moment they get a boyfriend. And the ones, the ones that start every sentence with 'We did this', 'We did that'."

"I won't. Don't worry. Now, let's go and swim a little."

The moment we walked out in the sun, I realized it was a big mistake. The pool was crowded, but in that crowd, I recognized a face. Sam.

Gina noticed how I froze in the spot.

"What's going on, what's happening?"

"That's him. Sam. Zach's younger brother?" I pointed in his direction. He was with his friends standing in a group around the pool, laughing and pushing some boy into the pool.

"Who? That stereotype of a bully?"

I nodded. The sight of him just made me angry. I noticed that they kept pushing that boy around, and since we were standing way to far to physically do anything, I noticed a lifeguard, and I approached him.

"Do you not see the bullying that's happening behind you?"

The lifeguard, a skinny kid, probably a year or two older than me, turned his head to where I was pointing.

"Oh, crap. Hey, you, stop that!" He used his whistle, to warn them.

At the sound of his whistle all the boys turned their heads our direction, and I saw Sam recognize me.

"Shit," I said while I was plugging my ears with my fingers. The whistle was right next to us, and to loud.

"Just, let him come, and I'll smack the shit out of him!" Gina was more of a doer, than a talker.

"Calm down, we'll see how it goes," I said removing the fingers from my ears.

And she was right. The minute he recognized me; we saw him start to walk towards us. Why didn't he slip, or something?

"Look who it is, Jessica," he chuckled, "Acting like a savior. If I remember correctly, not long ago, you were the one who needed to be saved?"

The mouth on this boy. I, know, wanted to punch him.

"Not long ago, I also told you something. If you don't stop, I'll punch you so hard, your one ball will feel it."

"Damn girl," I heard Gina.

He smiled maliciously.

"Shouldn't you know better, than act like this stereotype of a rich guy, bullying everyone around him?" I asked him, trying to understand how someone can be like this.

"Yeah, we've seen way too many movies, and we all know you end up?" Gina joined me, "Focus your energy on something else."

He laughed sarcastically, "Sure girls, I'll focus it on something else," he noticed a girl swim past us, so he squatted down, "Hey girl, wanna let me buy you a drink?" He put on his charming smile, and the girl fell for it. Soon, he helped her out of a pool, and the two of them were off our sight.

"Typical," Gina commented, and I agreed.

"So, let's go swimming, and enjoy it, now that the stereotype has left."

Gina laughed and we headed off to the big pool. We spent that morning swimming, diving, doing all kinds of tricks in the water, that we used to do. My body remembered it. I couldn't do endure it, as long as I used to, so we had to cut our little trip shorter, and settle for a nice ice-cream, near our neighborhood.

We sat outside. My phone started to ring. Dan was calling me.

"Hey Dan, what's up?"

"Nothing, just letting you know, I'm coming tomorrow?"

I smiled wide, "You are?"

Gina started to gesture 'What's going on?', but I told her off.

"When are you coming?"

"Ah," Gina said, when she realized who the mystery person on the phone was.

"My plane lands at 4, but a friend of mine, the one who I'll be staying with, is going to pick me up, so you don't need to worry. I'll call you the moment we get to his place."

"Good," I nodded, not for him, but for me, "Remember my best friend Gina, the one I told you about?"

"Yeah, what about her?"

"Well, she's here, she's back, she's sitting opposite me, and she can't wait to meet you. Also, she had a great idea, where to take you dancing, when you get here."

"That's great," he exclaimed.

"If you're not tired, we'll do it tomorrow night, if not, then…."

"No, no," he interrupted me," I'm never tried to party. You WERE planning that, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, we did," I chuckled.

"Ok, then. Gotta go now, and do some paperwork here, and I'll call you when I get there."

"Great, Dan. See you tomorrow."

We ended the conversation, and I turned to Gina, "You…are…going…to…love…him."