Out of Ink

Chapter 6

Serina had been avoiding him all day. Granted that wasn’t very hard given that he and Emmett were just hanging out in the front living room. Emmett was playing an online first person shooter game while Zack watched a never ending spiral of comedic movie reviews on YouTube. “I should probably go get my stuff.” Zack said in a lazy voice. He was sprawled on an armchair with one leg thrown over the arm rest.

“Want me to come with?” Emmett offered.

“Yeah okay. We could jump in the pool for a bit while we’re there.”

“Cool. Just let me finish up this campaign and I’ll grab my board shorts.” The timer in the screens corner only had about five minutes left. By the time they were ready to go, Sam was just walking in from her shift.

“Hi boys.” She greeted them, looking completely worn out.

“Hey mum.” Emmett greeted his mother. “We were just heading over to Zack’s place for a swim and to grab some more stuff.

“Are you going to be home for dinner?” She asked with a frown. It was already three in the afternoon. The boys exchanged glances. Zack shrugged one shoulder. It was up to Emmett.

“Nah, don’t worry about us, we’ll sort ourselves out.” He told her.

“Okay have fun.” Sam heard footfalls on the stairs. Serina was coming downstairs for a glass of water. “Why don’t you take your sister with you?” She suggested. Emmett groaned dramatically.

“Take me where?” Serina asked nonchalant.

“The boy are going swimming.”

Zack heard himself saying; “I don’t mind.” Before Emmett could protest again. His best friend shot him a questioning look. Then his face split in a devious grin. No doubt he was thinking of all the ways he could annoy his sister by the water. Zack had just been interested in seeing her in a bikini.

“No thanks.” Serina said. “I was heading over to Sydney’s for a bit.”

“You could all go?” Sam suggested. Her children both looked disgusted at the idea of spending time with each other. “I don’t know what happened to you lot.” She said. “All three of you used to get along really well. What happened?”

“He’s an i***t?” Serina said at the same time Emmett said;

“She’s a b***h?” Sam sighed.

“Fine. Hate each other forever.” Throwing her hands in the air, Sam walked away. Her secret chocolate stash was calling her name.

While walking to her best friend’s house, Serina wondered when she and Emmett had actually stopped getting along. It was hard to pinpoint. Maybe when they’d gone on holidays when they were nine and he’d locked her in the hotel closet so that she’d get left behind. It hadn’t worked. Their parents had obviously noticed she was missing. Or was it when she’d gotten her first bra? He had teased like crazy for an entire week. It was easier to recall the moment her relationship with Zack had changed. Emmett had always been annoying, but Zack had maintained a friendship with both of them for ages. Until they were seven. Serina had been sitting in Zack’s family’s backyard. Their housekeeper June had helped her set up a tea party of sorts. Emmett was too busy being a jerk, but Zack had come sit with her. They had been chatting and eating tiny sandwiches when Emmett and another boy showed up and started teasing them.

“Are you guys like boyfriend and girlfriend?” The other boy had teased. She thinks he might have been Zack’s cousin.

“Yeah, and that doll is their baby!” Emmett pointed at the cabbage patch doll Serina had been holding on her lap. Zack had gone red and started getting defensive.

“Yeah right!” he yelled. “Girls are gross. I was just hungry!” He grabbed a cookie off the table and threw it at the boys. The thrown cookie had started a free for all food fight between them. With her tea party ruined, Serina had started to cry. Zack, Emmett and that other boy got in a lot of trouble from Zack’s mum. He’d started avoiding her after that. And then he’d become even more of a bully than Emmett had been. The comment in biology about her looking better all blurry was a great example.

Sydney only lived a couple of streets away, so it didn’t take long for Serina to walk over there. Sydney let her in when she arrived and the pair set up their books in the living room. They were there to study. With exams only a few weeks away, they really needed to put their heads down. Not like her brother Emmett or even Zack would care. “Zack is going to be staying at our house for the next two weeks.” Serina informed Sydney. The other girl grimaced, her freckled nose scrunching up.

“Ulgh! What a nightmare. Want to see if my mum will let you stay here?” She offered.

“Mum would never go for it.” Serina told her.

“What if you told her we’d be like studying every day?”

“Not even then. But I probably will come over to study every day.” Serina told her. “Just to get away from them. At least I can just hang out in my room and read when I’m not over here.” Her memory flashed back to finding Zack in her room. Something about her face must have tipped off Sydney about her thoughts.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“I caught Zack reading one of my books this morning.” Sydney laughed.

“I wouldn’t have pegged him for the supernatural romance type.” She said biting the head off a green lolly snake.

“Well, he seemed to be enjoying himself. That guy is such a butt.”

“You mean he has such a nice butt?” Sydney teased. Serina gave her a flat look. “Sorry. So, what are the annoying duo up to this afternoon?”

“They’re at Zack’s grabbing his stuff and swimming in the pool. Hopefully they won’t be home until late.” Sydney let out a sigh.

“I wish we were swimming instead of studying.”

“Mum tried to get me to go with them. As if?” Sydney grabbed Serina’s arm.

“You mean we could have been swimming right now instead of studying?” She asked with a groan.

“With Zack and Emmett.” Serina reminded her.

“So? His pool is huge. Divide it down the middle.” She joked. “Oh, what if your brother is wearing a speedo? Oh! What if they’re skinny dipping?” Sydney was excited by the idea. Serina cringed at the mental image.

“Eww. Please don’t say stuff like that. And I highly doubt two heterosexual guys are skinny dipping alone.” She said dryly.

“Do we actually know that they’re hetro?” Sydney wondered.

“Pretty sure Emmett only likes girls.” Serina said. “And if the way those two seem to have carved their way through the girls in our year, I’m thinking yes.” They had to have each dated at least six different girls over the past few years. And as far as Serina knew they’d never dated one of the other’s exes. They also very rarely went outside their year group either.

“Okay. But next time they invite you to go swimming with them, invite me too.” Sydney added.

“They didn’t even invite me. Mum was the one who suggested that I tag along.” Serina reminded her.

“My statement still stands.” Syd insisted.