1 Hot summer night

Hot Summer Nights

If it wasn't for Sienna, we all wouldn't be doing laps around the track under the scorching heat of the sun. I glared at the back of her head and continued running, annoyed as hell. We were in the middle of the summer break, which meant no classes, no studying, no tests, no homework, nothing. So why was I doing this shit? It was hot as hell and the sun was shining so bright that I could feel its burning rays through my sunglasses.

I turned my head to catch a glance at the other girls in the race, who were running behind Sienna and me. My eyes immediately landed on Sienna's twin, Brittany, who was running just as fast as us. Unlike Sienna, she had long brown hair that she tied in a high ponytail. It wasn't like there was any other way for them to tell each other apart except by the color of their hair and the fact that Sienna was the smaller twin. I was glad to be her friend because she always treated me well and didn't judge me. She also came from a wealthy family and didn't think of herself as better than everyone else. I mean, we all knew who her parents were but she never flaunted her money around like most other rich people.

"Come on, you lazy bitches! If you don't pick up your pace, I swear to God I'll rip your hair out," Sienna yelled, panting slightly.

We were almost at the end of the track where Jay was standing and waiting for us. As we neared him, the smell of sweaty bodies filled my nose.

"What took you guys so long?" Jay asked when we finally reached him, holding back a laugh. He wore a pair of old shorts that showed the waistband of his boxers and a red tank top. His short black hair was damp with sweat.

Sienna rolled her eyes, taking off her headphones and letting them dangle from around her neck. She glared at him who was laughing at her. "Shut the hell up, Jay."

He threw his hands in the air and turned to me. "You look like you're about to puke."

"Oh, fuck off. She just hates the heat," Sienna snapped, grabbing her water bottle and taking a sip. "Oh my God, I think I'm going to pass out." She sat down on the grass, placing her hands on top of her sweaty forehead.

I sat down next to her and put my bottle of water on the ground, fanning myself with my hand. "Why do you always have to make us do so much shit?" I asked, wiping sweat from my forehead. "I mean, there is no gym class."

Jay rolled his eyes. "The girls never do shit anyways. So why should it matter if I make you guys do more? Plus, this is a great way for me to get in the coach's good graces. She's been on my ass about getting girls to run more. And thanks to Sienna, I had you guys do it with me." He glanced at me with a smile.

I shook my head at him and leaned back on my hands. I watched as the rest of the girls finished the laps and slowed down when they came up to us. I could hear them complain about how hot it was, how Jay was a bitch, and how they hated Sienna for giving in their names to run laps with Jay. I knew how they felt; I was thinking the same thing.

Sienna raised her middle finger at them as they walked past us.

"So, since we have nothing else to do," Jay began. "Are we still going to the lake?"

Sienna and I looked at each other. "Hell yes!" she exclaimed, jumping up to her feet. "It's so fucking hot out here. Let's just go swim for a bit." She turned to look at her twin, who was still laying down on the grass. "You coming, Britt?"

Her sister groaned, standing up. "I guess so."

"Great!" Jay grinned. "Meet up at my place in half an hour." He looked at us and nodded before walking away.

I picked up my water bottle and took a long gulp before standing up and looking at the rest of the girls, who were just now making their way back to the locker rooms. "So, we're really going to the lake?"

Sienna nodded her head and turned around to follow the other girls, leaving me behind. I quickly grabbed my bag from the ground and rushed after them, joining them in the locker room.

We all showered and dressed in fresh clothes before heading down to Jay's house, which was a couple of streets away from mine. I didn't like going to his house because he was constantly inviting people over to get high, have sex, or drink.

His mother wasn't home and his father wasn't a factor in the household since he died a couple of years back. The house was in the middle of a neighborhood that had about 50 houses, each one of them more expensive than the next.

Sienna and Brittany's father owned a large corporation in New York City, making them both rich beyond their means. Their mother, who was a trophy wife, had a career as a model for fashion magazines. Sienna and her sister had it so fucking good.

And then there's their brother Daniel. Daniel was a year older than the girls and the apple of everyone's eyes. He was an amazing football player and the most popular guy in school, well besides Jay. He was also a jock that could have been on a reality show or some shit like that. Everyone wanted to date him, and they would kill each other just to have one minute with him.

He was the personification of everything I hated: a perfect athlete, the school's golden boy, and the perfect brother. Sienna and Brittany were constantly compared to him and I never understood why they weren't more like him. Sienna was the most popular girl in school while Brittany was just a pretty face that couldn't do anything else but model and get guys to ask her out.

Jay, Daniel, and a few other guys from the football team were standing out on the driveway waiting for us. As soon as we got out of the car, Daniel turned to look at me and smirked, sending chills down my spine.

"What's up, Raven?" he asked, walking over to me and stopping a few inches in front of me. He reached out his hand, which I accepted and shook. He was an attractive guy. Tall, tan, and fit. But I couldn't help but feel weird about him.

I hated when people called me Raven because my name was actually Nadine, but everyone in school just started calling me that because of my hair, which was dark brown and almost black. My mom told me that I looked like a raven when I was younger, so I just kept it.

"Nothing, Daniel." I turned away from him and walked over to Sienna and Brittany. "Are we all here?"

"We're just waiting for Ty and Dylan to show up," Sienna said, picking up her bag from the ground. "And probably some of their other annoying football friends."

I nodded, grabbing mine from the car and throwing it over my shoulder. "So, what's the plan today? Are we just swimming and going for a hike in the woods?" I asked, glancing at the other girls.

Brittany and Sienna both nodded in unison.

"Let's go," Jay said, heading towards the backyard of the house, which was the entrance to the lake.

"Don't worry. I have towels for us," Sienna said, turning around to look at me. She must have seen the panic in my face because she added, "Don't worry. You can wear my bathing suit. I don't mind."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why do you have a bathing suit with you?" I asked, confused.

Sienna shrugged. "You never know when you might need one." She smiled, turning around.

"Yeah, right." I sighed and walked to the backyard.

The boys and girls split up as soon as we reached the lake, all of them jumping into the water. I sat on the edge of the shore and pulled off my shoes, socks, and shorts, leaving them in a pile next to me. I stepped into the warm water, biting my bottom lip at the sudden shock it gave my body. I took a deep breath and dove under the water.

I surfaced back up and let out a breath, feeling the water hit my body as it was replaced with the heat of the sun. I closed my eyes for a second, enjoying the cold water against my warm skin.

"Hey, Raven," someone whispered in my ear.

I turned around, only to come face to face with a smiling Daniel. "What do you want, Daniel?" I asked, rolling my eyes at him.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go for a swim with me," he replied.

I scoffed and turned around, pushing my wet hair behind my ear. "No, I'm good."

"Why not?" he asked. "Are you scared?"

I sighed, not in the mood for this bullshit. I was just here to enjoy the summer with my friends, not deal with the school's golden boy. "No, Daniel. I just don't want to go swimming with you."

"Come on. What do you have to lose?" He reached out and took a hold of my hand. "It's just me."

I yanked my hand out of his grasp and turned around, pulling myself out of the water. "Yeah, I'm sure that's what all the girls tell you," I mumbled.

I picked up my things and made my way over to the shade under a tree. I set down my towel and laid down, feeling my back hit the soft fabric. I closed my eyes, listening to the loud voices of the guys around me. I heard Sienna giggling and assumed that she was probably hanging out with Jay.

I heard a faint sound of a car pulling up to the house and then a door shutting. The voices grew louder as a bunch of people started coming towards the back of the house. I groaned and sat up, turning my head to see what was happening.

I let out a long sigh when I saw a bunch of guys from our school walk outside, most of them holding bottles of beer. I groaned louder as I watched them sit down and open the bottles, taking big gulps. They were loud and obnoxious and it irritated me to no end.

I felt someone sit next to me and I turned my head to see who it was, only to be disappointed when I saw Daniel's stupid smirk. I rolled my eyes at him and looked back at the crowd, watching a group of people walk towards the lake. They were all laughing and having fun while I was just here, bored out of my mind.

"Are you not having fun?" he asked.

I glanced at him for a second and looked back at the crowd of people. "I just wish I wasn't here. I could be at home right now, taking a nap, or eating ice cream while I binge watch an episode of Buffy." I sighed. "But no, I'm here, sitting next to my best friend's annoying brother, not able to relax because there's a bunch of people here that I don't like." I shrugged.

Daniel was silent for a second before speaking. "Well, I don't really like those guys either." He leaned back on his hands and looked at me. "You're really cute when you're in a bad mood, by the way."

I scoffed and turned to face him. "Oh, please. Stop flirting with me." I rolled my eyes. "It won't work."

He smirked. "I'm just giving you a compliment."

I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, right. Like I said, stop flirting with me." I laid down on my back and stared up at the sky.

I closed my eyes as I heard a soft chuckle escape his mouth. I could feel his eyes on me and it made me uncomfortable. I didn't know why he was being so persistent when he knew I didn't want him anywhere near me.

"You're really cute, you know that?" He leaned forward, bringing his face close to mine. "I like it when you're angry or annoyed. You look beautiful. All flushed and pink in the cheeks."

I opened my eyes and glared at him. "Shut up, Daniel. You're being a creep." I shook my head, turning away from him and pulled my headphones over my head.

I couldn't stand him. He was always so touchy-feely with girls and was very popular, having slept with a bunch of them. I always saw him as a player, someone who didn't care about the girl that he was dating. He was an asshole and a total fuck boy, which is exactly why I hated him.

I closed my eyes again and turned up my music, ignoring the rest of the world.