Bev's Five

Chapter Three Niki

Chapter 3 Niki

“That was an amazing lunch mom thank you.”

“Only my baby's favorite when she comes home.”

“Oh mom I'm not a baby anymore I am a grown woman now,” I say with a sassy smile. “I will take your grilled cheese sandwich and spinach salad any day though.”

After lunch, I go up to my room and start to unpack. It is nice to be in my old room again and with that thought my sister Megan bolts through my door, jumps on my bed flops on her tummy and starts with the 20 questions. “How is college? Are there cute boys? Do you have a boyfriend? Are your professors hot? Are you dating one of your professors? How many boys do you live with?”

“Stop stop” I say laughing. “Holy what's with all the questions? No hey how are you? I missed you?”

Megan rolls her eyes. “Of course I missed you. Now give me all the college gossip” she demands.

I just laugh and start answering all the questions. I know she is not going to like my answers. I'm not as interesting as I would sometimes like to be. “Ok first question, college is super busy and crazy. There is a lot of writing and studying and tons of essays and tests.”

“Boring” Megan interrupts. “Get to the good stuff, like the college guys. My friend Destiny's sister Heather is in college and she says the parties are wild and everyone is naked and drunk and always getting it on.”

“Whoa’ I say. “I don't know what college your friend's sister Heather goes to but the people who go to college to have a future are not naked and drunk and getting it on ok! There are parties. I never really attended any” I say with hesitation

“Why not?” asks Brittney.

I turn to face my other sister. I greet her with a smile. “To answer that question I didn't have time between classes and studying and sleeping, my time is all booked up.”

“Fun” Megan replies with a sarcastic face, “but there are major parties at college right?”

“Yes” I answer as I roll my eyes, “if that is your kind of thing. I know one of my housemates likes to party more than study” I state.

“Oooh which one” asks Brittney.

“We all know him.”

“Who?” They ask in sync.

“Sam Wade.”

“What? Oh you're so lucky he's so dreamy” Brittney said.

“Oh really” I answer. “You girls need to get out more if you think he's dreamy. He's a total player and doesn't take anything serious. I wouldn't be surprised if he flunks out by the end of next semester” I state while putting the rest of my clothes away.

Megan hops up on her knees. “So have you seen him naked?”

“Oh no, you girls need to find something else to do. Out both of you”, I say as I hold the door open

“I have stuff to do and talking about Sam is not on my list.”

“Boo you're no fun” Megan whines and starts to stomp out.

“No wonder she's single” Brittney whispers to Megan as they scoot out after each other giggling.

I love my sisters but we don't have much in common I think to myself as I shake my head and close my door. Now that I am all unpacked and full from lunch I can't wait to talk to Mel. I open up my laptop and check my e-mail. She responded but she won't be home for another couple of days. Her flight got delayed and now she has to re-book her connecting flight so she is staying at a hotel for the next 2 days. Darn, I was so looking forward to seeing her.

Well now that I have some free time on my hands what should I do? I don't start at the gallery till Tuesday. There is a shipment of new paintings for a new and upcoming artist coming in. My mother agreed to do a showcase for him, so we will be doing set up from Tuesday till Thursday and opening night will be next Friday. My very first showcase, I am pretty excited. I haven't seen anything from the artist yet but my mother believes he has very good potential.

It is so hot out I think a swim might be nice. I haven't been in our pool forever it seemed like. Mel and I used to live out there every summer. I change into my swimsuit, grab a towel and head down to the backyard to take a dip. It is so nice to get some sun on my skin. I could use a bit of a tan. I haven't been hanging out in the sun lately. With my workload, I didn't see much of the outdoors. I get all set up; ready to take a dip then sunbathe for a while.

Then I hear two squealing screams and a huge splash. I'm covered in water and I look over to see the twins splashing around and laughing at me. “Thanks, girls,” I say as I jump into the pool to splash them back. It's nice to play around with my sisters again. We have an epic splash fight followed by a great game of Marco Polo. I am happy to be out of the water and to lay back and take a break. I feel like I swallowed half the pool during our splash fight. Now time to relax. The twins are long gone. They didn't want to risk getting sunburn. They don't own any outfits that match the color scarlet. I giggle to myself with that thought. It was starting to get to dinner time. I had ended up taking a nap on my beach chair. I'm not burned but that's enough sun for one day so I head back inside.

Upstairs I take a nice cool shower. It feels good to replenish my skin and wash all the chlorine out of my hair. After I towel off I blow dry my hair and pull it back into a ponytail. As I stand in the mirror I stop and take a long look at myself. I'm average, my breasts are not huge, a B-cup and I have an hourglass frame, nothing too skinny and nothing too sporty. I think I’m ok. Not hot and sexy, just normal. I do wish I had the nerve to buy the fancy lacy bras and underwear that I see in catalogues and store windows but who am I kidding no one is interested in me. I have no one to show sexy lingerie off to. I do like the look of black leather. It would look so sexy against my creamy white skin but again never mind with these little fantasies. I don't need sexy. I need to finish college and get a job. With that, I stomp out of my bathroom and into my closet to find something cool and comfy.

I get dressed and head down to the dining room. I could already smell dinner. I meet my family at the table and we all sit down and hear about everyone's day. The twins were busy talking to each other about the summer bon fire party tonight.

“It's the first night of summer bon fire tonight at the beach. Can we go?” they ask in sync.

My father looks up at me. “Are you going Niki?”

“I wasn't planning on it” I answer. “I never go so I was just planning on staying in tonight. Mel's flight got delayed she won't be home for a couple more days.”

“Well,” my father says to the twins, “you two can go if Niki is willing to take you.”

The twins look at me and start with the “Pleeease Pleease Niki?” I look at them then at my dad thinking really! Why do I have to take them? I don't want to go. There's nothing but drinking, smoking, and people I am not friends with. What am I going to do there? Who am I going to hang out with? I take a breath and see the pleading looks on my sister’s faces.

“Fine”. I will go to the bon fire party too.”

The twin's scream with joy and bolt from the table giving my father and me big jumping hugs and then run to their room to call their friends and figure out what they are going to wear. I laughed as they run away. “Wow,” I said, “I did not think the summer bon fire was so important.”

“You will have fun I'm sure,” my mother says with a smile.

“Yes, I'm sure I will,” I say back. “Well please excuse me I guess I need to go get dressed to go out tonight.”

“Thank you Niki” says my father. I smile and walk out towards the stairs to my room. I have no idea what to wear to a bon fire so I dig through my closet and pick out a pair of jean shorts with a purple tank top and pair it all with black sneakers. There I am beach party ready. I go and brush my teeth, tighten my ponytail, double-check my outfit. Then I head out the door to see if the twins were ready.

They have on bikini tops covered with fish net shirts and Britney had on a black pair of shorts and Megan had on a white mini skirt. “Wow has dad seen you two yet?” I ask. They both run back into their room and throw on a sweater and walk right past me down the stairs to give our parents a big hug and to wait by the door for me texting to all their friends on their phones. I come down the stairs, say goodbye and head out the door.

My father was letting us take his jeep out. It's cute, all white and he had the doors already off and the roof removed. It was still really warm out and it isn't looking like it would get much colder tonight as it was already half past eight. The bon fire will be lit at ten so we have lots of time to get there. The twins are so excited I can't drive fast enough for them. We park and before I am able to get out and turn around to make a plan with them they are gone running and screaming to a group of girls that are screaming and jumping up and down and of course, their warm sweaters were tossed in the back seat. I just shake my head and looked around. I don't really expect anything else to happen.

I just don't know where to go or who is here so I stand back for a minute then make my way towards a stand where I recognized a group of people I went to school with. I get up to the stand where a girl I had gym with leans out and calls “hi Niki.”

I answer “hi,” and ask “how is everything? Enjoying the summer break?” Her name is Trish. I don't know her well and don't really feel like changing that but since I am here alone I will make the best of it.

“Yes” she says as she walks out of her group of boys. She bounces towards me with two cups in her hand and a smile on her face. “I am so happy to be back and taking time off from classes,” she says while handing me a cup, “here have a beer I'm sure you could use one with all the books and lectures we have been subjected to.”

“Thanks,” I say with awkwardness. I accept the beer and look around for a second trying to scan the crowd as politely as I can without seeming rude to Trish. She is a nice enough girl but we have nothing in common and I wasn't up to small talk.

Just then I hear a loud holler” HELL YEAH BITCHES IT'S SUMMER.” I turn around knowing who it is before I even lay eyes on him. Sam Wade. What was he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be in France?