Chapter 4

“Who are you chatting with?”

Siobhan turned her phone over to hide the screen. She looked up and smiled guiltily. “No one.”

We were packing our things to return home for school. It was the last day of the summer vacation after all and school resumes in 3 days. Siobhan’s mom had called our room that the driver was on his way to take all four of us to the airport. After the dinner disappointment the other night both Mr. and Mrs. Hayes had made it up to us by getting a contractor to work on a new swimming pool in their house back at Hudson. For as long as I can Siobhan has wanted her own swimming, who knew all she needed to get it was her parents disappointing her for dinner? Turns out the business meeting her dad had skipped dinner for was successful, hence the promise of a swimming pool. I look forward to taking dips in it though.

Siobhan had begged me to promise not to tell her parents about the club even though we barely spent ten minutes in there. I hadn’t even taken a sip of my coke – cola. I promised I wasn’t going to tell. But I couldn’t help but notice that since that night and yesterday at the hotel pool, she was even more preoccupied with her phone than ever. She merely nodded and grunted at anything her parents said and she didn’t even notice when I nearly slipped into the pool.

“You can’t be doing nothing and be glued to your phone for the past 24 hours,” I said, folding another pair of jeans I didn’t wear throughout our stay in Mainland.

“Have I been glued to my phone?” she asked innocently. “I didn’t notice.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Fine, let me guess, it’s a new boy.”

When she simply smiled and said nothing I poked my head over her shoulder to peep at the screen. Laughing she turned off her phone and pressed it against her chest.

“Go away,” she giggled.

“Nope! Not until you tell me!” I laughed with her standing to pick a shirt off the floor to join the rest in the bag.

She smiled wider and plopped on the bed with a dreamy sigh, her blonde hair fanning out in waves. It’s ironic that though we are best friends, opposite from each other, we share similar looks. I look like my dad who is tall, handsome, blonde and has the most beautiful green eyes you’ll ever see although my eyes are more like my mom’s, hazel. I always like to joke that my dad looks like a movie star and my mom looks like a tired scriptwriter because my dad is hot and my mom is pleasantly pretty. Siobhan on the other hand got her mother’s good looks. I’m telling you, fate brought Siobhan and me together.

“Am I right?” I asked as I pulled a skirt from under her to fold into the bag.

She giggled. “Of course you’re right! Do you remember that guy, the tour guy? What’s his name again? Andrew?”

My heart sank. The skirt in my hand almost slipped from my fingers. No, Siobhan, Andrew is the other loser from Class 2 who tried to force you to have sex with him. “I think you mean Andre?”

“Yes Andre!” she sighed dreamily again. “Oh my God, he’s so hot and funny!”

“You guys have been talking?” I tried to keep my tone neutral as I resumed folding the clothes. “How did you get his number?”

“He slipped it to me yesterday.”

“I see. That’s nice.” Fuck! I should have known he was going to find a way.

She rolled on her belly and pressed her chin into her palm, her eyes sparkled and boy do I know that look. That’s the look she gets every time there’s a potential love interest. It lasts for a couple of weeks and then it’s gone. “You know what I think?” she said. “He’s got that bad boy thing going and I’m dying to know what he’s capable of.”

I frowned. “Sorry?”

She gave me the don’t-be-stupid look. “You know what I’m talking about. I bet he’ll be good at sex!” she whispered.

“Siobhan!” I flung the new cloth I was folding on the floor so that I could march in front of her with my arms akimbo. “Are you crazy?! You’ve only just met him and talked for what? A few hours and you’re already thinking about sex with him?”

“I’ll use protection.”

“You don’t even know him!”

“Uhm his name is Andre Rios, he is 18 and only worked here for the summer. He has a dad who owns a small business and his mom is actually his stepmom. I think I know enough.”

“That’s not enough. I know you, you don’t usually jump into foolish things like this. Did he use the lines and boobies pick up line on you?”

She frowned. “Boobies? Nah. Andre would never do that. He is very gentlemanly actually for a bad boy like him.”

Sure! Right! Of course, he is gentlemanly. He only uses his boob jokes on girls like me. God, I hate his guts!

I felt Siobhan’s hand on mine. “I know you probably don’t like him but I do. I don’t need your permission to date him. Christ, I’m 18, and I’m not a child anymore. I’m a senior now, ready to graduate in 8 months. You’ve never acted this way before whenever I want to date someone.”

Yeah because they aren’t usually playboys with crude lines like Andre Rios.

“Or maybe you’re jealous because no one asked for your number?”

I stared at her aghast. But she was only joking because there was a small smile on her face and her eyes twinkled like it always did whenever she made fun of me.

“Right sure, I’m jealous.”

She laughed and stood up to hug me. “Of course, you’re not. Now I know you’re worried but please don’t try to talk me out of dating him.”

“Like you would listen to me if I did.”

“Nope, I won’t. And don’t tell mom and dad too.”

“Why would I do that? But he’s going to remain here in Mainland and we are going back to Hudson today so how will you guys deal with a long-distance relationship?”

“Actually we haven’t talked about that. But I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”

Sure. Andre would figure something out while he flirts with every other girl in Mainland. I guess it’s a good thing. He can’t hurt Siobhan if they are living miles away from each other and with any luck, the distance would reduce this silly crush she has on him.

But I was still mad though. Yesterday he had slipped her his number and I didn’t know?! Even after I promised I was going to keep his playboy bad boy ass away from my best friend.

I watched Siobhan tap happily away on her phone with reckless abandon. I was worried for her. I don’t trust boys like Andre Rios. The last bad boy Siobhan dated had tried to force her to have sex with him and he did it because of a dare. I don’t see a guy like Andre being any different. When I went back to arranging our stuff I hoped that the distance between them would cause her feelings to wane. And with any luck, going back to Hudson, to the hot boys in Edwin and Co. would distract her well enough to forget about him.