Margot’s Rumour

The Bedroom

POV Santiago

I heard Margot’s bubbling laughter over the music before I even actually see her. I scanned the massive backyard. There were so many places she could be hiding. The backyard went all the way down to the water. And eventually, the manicured lawn and epic pool with terraces gave way slowly and was taken over by wild forest and rocky shoreline.

The water would seem calm to those that did not know a few feet past the markers a current would take you to the rapids downstream before anyone would know you were missing.

It had happened to me as a child, right when I wanted to push back on what everyone was telling me. I had always thought it was just a trick my parents played on me. Something you tell kids so they won’t do something. “Go too far Santi and the water will take you from us.” I didn’t believe it until it happened to me. And I certainly didn’t forget the true dangers of it when it happened to my mom.

I had to find Margot.

I knew bringing girls down to the water was a popular move among the guys. Damn, I had done it too. It was so easy to find a secluded spot, it was always romantic with little effort or commitment. Then you could casually mention skinny dipping, or on colder nights snuggle up until you were so close to kissing that it just happened.

What if some j*rk wad did that to Margot!

Margot’s laugh was coming from the end of the pool area. There were couches and a small bar that someone had set up just for this party. But just past that there was a path to one of the notorious makeout spots.

I heard her laugh again.

Ugh, who was making her laugh so much, what was their secret? My head turned to follow her laugh, there she was sitting closely with a guy, damn. I couldn’t tell who it was but he was so close to her. There was barely space between their legs, as they sat in the middle of one of the chaise longues. His hand just landed on her knee.

Rage filled me, how dare someone touch her so closely. Who the heck was this guy!

I watched Margot, I wanted to see what she would do. Yeah, I liked her. Yes, I thought we had a moment on Friday, but if she’s not into it and is into this cretin, I’m not going to force her. Margot took her beer bottle to her lips, god I wish I was that bottle.

The girl was chugging that bottle like no tomorrow. She hands the bottle back to the guy whose hand is still on her knee, and she tilts her head and smiles as the guy gets up.

What a good Margot! A classic move. She totally sent the guy to get her a drink to stop him from touching her. Not making a scene, not shaming him. But still protecting herself and doing it on her own terms. I was so taken with how cool she had played it, that I almost didn’t notice Mr. Puts Hand on Margot’s Knee looking at me.

Effing sh*t, it was Chris the captain of Elm’s. Well, F it. I just have to save Margot from that tool.

I walk over to her, having grabbed another unopened can of premixed vodka soda and shout, “Margot! What are you doing here all alone with no drink in your hand, what a horrible host!”

She jumps. And looks up with a smile of relief. I love it. I sit down across from her, I’m not going to make the same mistakes Chris did.

“Well, I’m here to save you! Here it's a vodka soda, not that high sugar stuff in the house, and not that pi$$ water some call beer. You’ll like it, it tastes like grapefruit and it's not too strong.”

“Oh, I love grapefruit!” She counters as she takes the can from me and opens it. “Thanks for giving it to me unopened. I know we know all these people, but it still sorts of freaks me out when guys give me drinks that are open. I can never tell if they are watching me because they like me, or if they're waiting for the drugs to kick in. Then you get all paranoid but you can’t say anything because then you're a b***h. But you know you see it on the news and then…”

She suddenly stopped talking, looked at me and sheepishly said, “I'll stop talking now.”

“Naw it's cool, I get it. Most guys here are a bit creepy. I wouldn't put it past the Elm’s Lacrosse team to do something shady like that.”

“Here’s your beer Margot…” As if on cue, Chris walks up handing Margot an open bottle of beer.

Margot looks at it, then at me and we burst into laughter. Chris seems shaken, holding the beer mid-air obviously expecting Margot to take it from him.

“Aww nothing man, we were just talking about modern-day etiquette and date r**e. And you proved my point!”

Margot looks between us. I feel the tension rise, but I'm looking at Margot, not Chris. I’m not leaving my spot next to Margot, and I refuse to let him flirt with her for the rest of the night. I don’t want it to come to blows, but no way am I backing down.

“Thanks, Chris, I just started this vodka drink though. Sorry. But hey now you have a beer for yourself!”

“Yeah, whatever.” Chris takes a swig of the beer looking off toward the pool as a group of guys did a succession of cannonballs. Chris turned to join the crowd of onlookers. Distracted from Margot for just a second, this is the moment to plan an escape!

I leaned in close to Margot, so only she could hear me. “Wanna escape with me?”

“God yes!”

My heart flips at her response. I grab her hand and shield her from the pool water as I direct her to the side door. Leaving Chris to eventually turn around wondering where we could have possibly gone. That made me pretty happy too.

---

I take Margot to the side door, its use to be an old servant's entrance. It lets us avoid all the people crowding the main floor and patio doors. No one at the party knew it led directly to my room. As we walked up the narrow flight of stairs, me holding Margot’s wrists as we walked I felt my pants tightened. And then I had a moment of fear. This was too forward. What if she got the wrong idea? I just wanted a private place, and the only place I could think of was my bedroom.

“Hey,”

Here it comes, she’s going to find a cool way to escape me now, as she did with Chris, and like the poor ba*t**d I won’t even notice. I take in a cooling breath, “yeah” I answer.

“Could we go somewhere private, I really don’t feel like being cornered by Chris again. And I need to pee!”

I chuckle, “oh really, I thought you two were flirting pretty heavily.”

I turn to look at her as she says with disgust, “umm no."

“Sure looked that way to me.”

“Did you know that people can’t tell when others are flirting like it's less than chance? It's completely based on what the observer thinks of the two people, like if they would be a cute couple. There was this study about it, it was super interesting.”

She blushed a little, I had stopped walking up the stairs when she first started to talk, in fear that I may have to turn around. We were now a step apart in a small stairwell, me holding her hand. It was dark but I could see her blush. And her hair was falling in front of her face.

“I don’t think you two look cute together, he's a total douche, and you're nice.”

I let go over her arm, realising there's no need to pull her along. And start walking up the stairs. “Don’t worry you’ll be safe in here.” I open the door to my large bedroom. Thank god I had tidied just a little bit. The king bed was made, the couch facing the tv didn't have the usual mountains of clothing.

“The washroom is down there. There's no door, but I'll put music on.”

Margot walks down the hall, through the walk-in closet to the washroom.

“OMG!” she exclaims

“What?” I shout back afraid I left something embarrassing in the bathroom. What could it be? A condom, used sock, oh god a magazine?

“This bathtub is crazy big, and the shower! WOW! I want to use it!”

She came back in smiling, she jumps on the bed. Forward much! I didn’t expect Margot to do that. Be so comfortable in my room. To jump on the bed, her flowy knee-lenght dress rides up just below her buttock. I can see the cress, where her leg meets bum. And just a hint of pink cotton undies. Lord have mercy.

“I heard you won the game last night!”

“Yeah we did”

“I’ve never understood the sport.” She gets up, sitting now on the bed, ruining my view, she blushes again. I bounce down on the bed mimicking her style. She giggles and continues, “I mean it looks cool and intense but whats the rules, like are their positions, what's the scoring system?”

Could this girl be true? I was trying to figure out what I could talk to her about that wasn't the boring old school talk when I finally got her alone. And now here she was, and she was asking me to explain my favourite sport. Something I could easily talk about for hours. She made it so simple and comfortable. And best of all she was still looking interested and asking smart follow up questions as I went into another ten minutes about the beauty of the game. Soon I had spoken so much that the distance on the bed closed and she was somehow cuddling in my arms as I explained the beauty of a twister.