Out of Ink

Chapter 10

Saturday came around faster than Serina had hoped. It was the day of Zack and Emmett’s pool party. Sydney was super excited. But Serina felt more nervous than anything. She pawed through her draw, pulling out different sets of swim wear. The blue one was kind of old and faded in spots, so that was out. The red one-piece with the criss-crossing, strappy back was nice. But several of the straps had started to fray, and it showed a little too much of her backside. The black bikini had the opposite problem. It covered her butt, but her breasts were always just one bounce away from slipping out. She sighed. It had fit perfectly just two years ago when she brought it. "Just wear the black one." Sydney suggested from her perch on Serina’s bed.

"The bikini?" Serina asked in alarm. The whole year was probably going to be there. She didn't want everyone seeing her renegade n*****s.

"Not that one. The tank top with the daffodil." Oh. Serina hadn't thought about that one. The tankini set covered her boobs, belly and butt. The top had a little frill that went down to her waist and the shorts were the high waisted kind. Serina had barely worn them because of the bright yellow daffodil pattern. She'd brought them online on a whim, but the truth was that she didn't actually like yellow that much. Deciding that it was probably her best option, Serina grabbed the swimmers and ducked into the bathroom to try them on. "Damn." Sydney smiled when she returned to the bedroom. "I like those". Serina checked herself out in the full-length mirrors on the back of the wardrobe door. Sydney was right. They fit pretty well and sat firm, but not tightly on her body. A quick check confirmed the full coverage of her butt. And a few little jumps made her confident that her boobs weren't going to be making any escape attempts. It looked like she'd found a winner. She grabbed a light cardigan that went down to her knees, to act as a cover-up. Then she shoved her T-shirt, shorts, bra and some clean underwear in a tote bag with her towel and phone.

"Okay. Let's go." Sydney grabbed her own overstuffed tote bag and hopped off the bed. The thing was huge. Sydney had very pale skin, splattered with freckles. She burned very easily, so she was always so dutiful with her Slip, Slop, Slap. Serina knew she'd have sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses in addition to her towel and clean clothes. Sydney had already applied her first layer of sunscreen and would insist that Serina did the same before getting into the water. The pair shouldered their bags and went downstairs. Sydney had borrowed her mother's car since Zack lived too far to walk. Emmett had already gone over earlier that morning to help his friend set up.

There were people everywhere. Zack had invited most of their year and a lot of people had shown up. It wasn’t really a problem though. The pool was huge and he'd supplied a lot of snacks. Laughter rang out as people splashed and played. Upbeat music pumped from a speaker on the snack table. A few boys had even broken out the water pistols and were shooting at some girls in bikinis. Making them squeal and run away laughing. June, his fifty-something housekeeper, had plunked herself on a balcony overlooking the backyard so she could keep an eye on the party. However, she didn't seem to be paying too much attention to them. June had her feet up and a cold drink in her hand as she relaxed with a crossword puzzle book. Zack was pretty sure her presence was part of the restrictions his dad had made. Backyard only. No alcohol. June has to be there. He was pretty sure his dad only put the restrictions in place so he wouldn't get in too much trouble with his wife. Serina and her friend walked around the side of the house and Zack moved to greet them. "Hey!" He called jogging up to them.

"Hi." Sydney beamed. Her freckles shaded by a big floppy hat. Serina greeted him with a slight smile and the barest hint of a blush. The awkwardness she still felt over the previous night was evident in her expression.

"You can just dump your stuff wherever. Emmett’s around here somewhere." Sydney peered around eagerly. She spotted some friends.

"Come on." The other girl said, taking Serina’s hand and pulling her away. "Thanks Zack!" Sydney called back at him over her shoulder. Zack watched them go, admiring Serina’s long shapely legs.

"Hi Zack!" Brittany was next to come around from the front of the house. Carla was right behind her looking bored already. Until her warm brown eyes hit his, and he saw a spark of interest.

"Hey Brittany. Carla." He nodded in greeting. His hands slipping casually into his pockets. Brittany was dressed in a white frilly dress, the straps of a sunny yellow bikini poking out. Carla was the complete opposite with a solid black bikini top and short board shorts. Carla had a very generous chest and the thin fabric appeared to be straining to hold them up. It looked hot. "Put your stuff anywhere." He told them, trying to avoid starting at Carla's chest. "And help yourself to drinks and snacks. Emmett’s going to be manning the barbecue later."

"Are there any vegan options?" Brittany asked quickly.

"Of course." There were more than a few vegetarian or vegans in the year. It was usually a good idea to cover your bases because you never knew who was on what diet. Unless they were the type to tell everyone who'd listen. Stacey had spent months telling anyone who stood still long enough, all about the vegan lifestyle for months. Then she'd fallen off the wagon and just hoped no one gave her slack over it. They did.

As predicted, Sydney made her friends slop on sunscreen the second they put their stuff down on the back patio. It looked like most people had dumped their bags there and hung their towels all along the pool fence like colourful flags. Serina thought Sydney looked great in her forest green one piece. Even if it was the kind with long sleeves and a zipper right up to her chin. It always struck her as odd though, that it had a bikini cut bottom. Apparently, the designers weren't worried about protecting the legs from potential skin cancer. Serina shivered as she stepped into the water. It was a little cold at first. But she quickly adapted. She and her friends huddled together to chat. All around them, people were floating on inflatable rafts. A couple of people were playing with the basketball hoop and some girls were even sitting on their boyfriend's shoulders, trying to push each other off. All around the yard people were having fun. Serina noticed Sydney's eyes constantly scanning the crowd. It looked like she was searching for someone. Emmett, probably. Syd must have spotted him, because her eyes widened slightly and her mouth opened a fraction. Serina followed her friend's gaze and sure enough, Emmett was standing next to the pool talking to another boy. His blonde hair was soaking wet and pushed back out of his face. Water dripped down her brother's bare chest and bright pink flamingo board shorts. Serina grimaced. If he wasn't her A-hole brother, Serina might have been able to see where her best friend was coming from. Maybe. "Why aren't you harassing Emmett to put on sunscreen?" She asked Sydney. Lightly teasing her best friend. "I bet he'd let you rub it in." Sydney’s cheeks turned pink. She was imagining it now. Zack joined Emmett and Lucas, and it was Serina’s turn to stare. He'd ditched his T-shirt, leaving his chest and abdominals deliciously bare.

"Only if you did Zack." Sydney teased back. Their friend Shayna was still with them. She giggled, also eyeing the boys.

"If you don't, I will." A wide smile appeared on her face and Shayna took off splashing towards the boys.

"Emmett! Zack! Come play with us!"