Pride and Passion

by Tracey Mellert

  Brynley’s bikini, was of course, a little more conservative. It was light pink with dark burgundy, light burgundy, pale green colors. The print was shady, with burgundy palm trees, flowers, and mountains. It was a romantic, Hawaiian look. Brynley’s bikini top matched the bottom. She loved the colors with her golden tan. It was a nice contrast to her blue eyes. She decided that she would braid the front of her hair and leave the rest wavy. It was going to get wet; this way, she could keep a decent style and out of her face. She had a pair of dark burgundy sunglasses and light pink flip flops. Her towel even matched the print of her bikini; she had bought the whole set from a high-end store. Paid a pretty penny for it too! She had a dainty, gold belly ring. She wasn’t sure if she should wear it, but Kendra insisted that she should. She had one too, and of course, she was going to be wearing it.

  Satisfied with their choices, they decided to head to bed. They were going to get up early tomorrow, work out, and tan for a little while, before meeting the boys. It was a bit hard for Brynley to fall asleep because of her nervousness about tomorrow. Somehow, she finally did.

  The next day arrived. Kendra and Brynley got up, ate breakfast, and remained quiet because Brynley’s aunt had to go back to work that evening. Kendra and Brynley jumped into the car and drove to the local gym. The girls had to pay a fee for them to be allowed to work out. They were letting the girls see if they liked the facility. There were a lot of people there. The building was huge. It had a free weight section, aerobic section, rock climbing, racquetball, Olympic size pool, and the shower rooms had saunas. It was very nice! First, Kendra and Brynley hit the free weights. They worked on arms, back, and shoulders. It took about two hours, but they decided to take a dip in the pool when they finished. Brynley had brought a light-blue, one-piece swimsuit that was a little scanty but still appropriate. She was a swimmer at her school at home last year. She hadn’t been in the water for several days and was excited to do some drills. Kendra swam on the team too. The girls decided to race, using the breaststroke technique. They did four laps, and Brynley felt a little winded. Brynley won; her body was longer and leaner than Kendra’s. Brynley had the perfect swimmer’s body. Strong shoulders and arms, long and tight torso, with long, lean, strong legs. She had been swimming since she was five years old. In Germany, she had coaches to help her learn to swim and work out. She was going for a swimming scholarship to either Duke or Stanford University. Kendra had the same goals, and they had planned on going to college together. Luckily, Barboursville High School had a swim team, and the girls would try out on Monday afternoon.

  After the workout and swim, the girls decided to sit in the sauna for a little while. Brynley’s mother had a special skin concoction that both the girls used. It was a family formula, used for many years. Brynley liked to put it on in a steam room because it allowed the oils to penetrate into the skin. Brynley and Kendra’s skin glowed from the oils. They had gorgeous skin and were sure to age very well. It was a blend of Almond, Avocado, Emu, Coconut, and Vitamin E oil. The girls waited until they started to sweat slightly, and their pores were open, then applied the concoction all over. Their skin had a radiant and healthy shine to it. The girls even used it on their hair. That’s why their hair was so shiny and healthy.

  Both girls hit the showers and then went to grab something quick to eat. After leaving the gym, they had determined that they were going to join the gym. It had everything that they were looking for. Food was next on the list. They decided to go to the Greek restaurant, at the mall. They chose a Greek salad and a wrap. It was delicious, and they would definitely be back to eat there again!

  It had already been a busy day, but now it was time to prepare for the evening. Brynley’s aunt was up and was going to get ready for work in a little while. Brynley told her aunt where they were going; and that she would text her aunt ever so often to let her know that they were ok. Jimena knew the area and the kids well enough to feel confident in letting them go. The girls jaunted up to their room to get ready. It was two-thirty, and they had to meet the boys at four, back at the restaurant.

  The girls dressed in their appropriate outfits placed their swimwear and accessories in beach bags and started fixing their hair. Brynley wore her hair down with wavy curls. She braided the front of her hair and to the left side, with intricate detail in the braid. It was a very sensual look for her; she wore waterproof mascara and waterproof nude lip stain. Her tan gave her an appealing and alluring look, without a lot of makeup. She looked seductively natural, and that’s the way she liked her look. She felt good and looked good; she was ready for Jamison.

  Kendra was tantalizingly gorgeous in her outfit. She wore her dark auburn hair down with long curls. That girl looked great, even when she was wet. Her hair would dry, with layers of waves. She wasn’t worried. She was going to look irresistible wet or dry, and no matter what she wore. She just had that look! As far as she was concerned, Skylar was in the bag!

  The time was getting away from them. It was three-thirty, and they needed to go. They didn’t want to be late for the boys. The girls hopped into Kendra’s car and drove off for their adventure.

  Chapter Six

  The girls pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. A large, red truck was waiting for them. Kendra smiled when she saw it was Skylar driving; she also noticed Jamison at his side. That seemed to put a smile on Brynley’s face. The boys insisted that the girls ride with them to the barn. As the girls went to get their bags, Jamison got out and waited for Brynley to come to the door. As Brynley approached, he held open the door and helped her inside the truck. She thanked him, and he gave her an adorable smile. Brynley was excited about tonight’s party. Kendra had hopped up into the front seat, next to Skylar. He made sure that she had her seatbelt on, and then, off they went!

  The drive was a little long, about forty-five minutes. They drove down a single lane, rocky road for about twenty minutes of the ride. Finally, a clearing presented itself, and there were already fifteen cars parked in the grass. Skylar pulled his truck up beside a blue car and parked. Skylar made Kendra wait until he got out to help her down and out of the truck. That was very genteel of him. Jamison did the same thing for, Brynley. Jamison and Skylar both placed their hands behind each girl’s back to help guide them to the large gazebo. As they walked up the four stairs to the gazebo, Reed just happened to turn around to see the couples arrive. His face looked edgy. His jaw was tense and set. Brynley saw a girl attached to his side, and she didn’t look any happier than he did. It looks like the two of them deserved one another.

  “Alright, girls, I’d like for you to meet Tabitha. Tabitha, this is Kendra and Brynley.” Reed sounded carefree, but his face told a different story. Kendra and Brynley said ‘hi,’ but Tabitha just nodded her head. Hhmm, you could tell that she was covetous over Reed and, therefore, possessive.

  Skylar felt the tension that Tabitha was putting out; so, he jumped into the conversation. “Ladies, over there to your right, are the restrooms. Please go in and change, because we are going swimming in Pine Lake. Jamison and I are going to change, and we’ll meet the two of you right here.” Skylar was pretty enthusiastic; and helped settle the awkwardness that Tabitha had created. Kendra and Brynley trotted into the restroom and changed into their swimsuits. The girls were looking very fine, and they put their cover up on and walked back outside. They found the boys, and they seemed to be, very eagerly, awaiting them!

  Kendra’s eyes were wide and round, taking all of Skylar’s physique in. The boy was defined very well. His blue eyes glistened in the light against his tan skin. Brynley noticed his boyish grin as he was looking at Kendra. She didn’t know who was looking more desirously at one another; Kendra or Skylar? She wanted to laugh but thought that would not go over well. She then went to look over to Jamison but caught Reed’s facial expression first. She wasn’t sure what he was thinking. He had this greedy look to his eyes, but his face was cold and stony. Tabitha was a scarier site, to be sure! She looked like she
was ready to murder, Brynley! She heard Jamison clear his throat, and she immediately averted her gaze to him. His cheeks were a little reddened. She thought that maybe he thought she looked pretty. Brynley wasn’t being conceited, but she did know that she looked pretty hot, right at this moment. Between swimming and working out, the girls were built to kill!

  “Wow, Brynley, you are the most gorgeous girl I have ever seen.” Brynley’s cheeks turned red, which just furthered her embarrassment.

  “Thank you, Jamison; I appreciate your kind words.” She was a little nervous now. Suddenly, she could feel eyes staring a hole in the back of her head. She kept focusing on Jamison because she did not want to see Tabitha’s face. Jamison grabbed her hand, and she followed him to Pine Lake. It was such a pretty piece of land. The lake sat in the middle of a large, open field. Far behind the lake was a gorgeous setting filled with enormous trees. She could imagine how quiet and serene it would be here if it weren’t for the sounds of all the kids laughing and music playing.

  Brynley watched Jamison spread out a large blanket close to the edge of the lake. She smiled at him and placed her towel and bag towards the back of the blanket. She removed her cover-up; and as she was about to put it over her bag, she noticed a large shadow looming beside her. She looked up, and it was Reed. His gaze brushed over her body. He looked at her and then to Jamison. “Let’s see who can swim the fastest, to the other side of the lake.”

  Brynley looked at the lake, which was wide and long. She looked at Jamison, who was now looking very anxious , she grabbed ahold of Jamison’s hand and pulled him towards the lake. Then, she looked back at Reed and said, “We’ll take you up on that bet”! The girl was feeling a little cocky, because she was an excellent swimmer and rarely lost a race. Kendra and Skylar were getting in on the race, too. Everyone took their positions on the edge of the lake; then dove right in when another guy said the word ‘go.’ Brynley swam with precision. Occasionally, she lifted her head to see her competition. Brynley expected Kendra to be close behind her, but she was extremely surprised when she saw that Reed and she were side by side. Brynley kicked harder and glided through the water and won; but Reed was extremely close behind, mere seconds, actually. She gave Reed a blinding smile, “I won”! Reed smiled back at her, and she thought he was the most handsome guy she had ever met.

  “Wow, you are an excellent swimmer. Did you swim for your school in California?” Brynley felt so much pride right then.

  She smiled brightly. “Yes, I was state champion for the breaststroke.” The others caught up to them, with poor Jamison last.

  “Brynley, you are super-fast, girl. You’ve got to swim for our school this year!” Jamison was such a sweet guy.

  “Thanks! Actually, Kendra and I have try-outs on Monday. Hopefully, the coach will take us both on. Kendra is state champion in the butterfly stroke.” Kendra smiled at me, and then I heard Skylar say, ‘cool.’ Brynley glanced back and saw that Reed was still looking at her, this time with appreciation instead of disgust. She couldn’t help but ask, “Do you swim on your school’s team”?

  Reed’s smile was immense with pride. “Yeah, state champion for the guy’s breaststroke category.” Brynley started laughing! Of course, he did; what a coincidence!

  “That’s great! Gosh, you must be crazy busy between swimming, football, school, not to mention trying to keep up with your girlfriend.” Brynley noticed that her statement elicited a frown instead of a smile. What did she say wrong?

  “Yeah, I’m really busy. I don’t have time for much else, actually. Tabitha is very understanding of my demanding schedule.”

  Why did he have to mention the girl? Brynley was enjoying the conversation, up till now.

  Jamison chimed in, “Tabitha is crazy about Reed. That girl would travel through Hell for that boy.” Everyone laughed, except Reed. He looked irritated and gave Jamison a scornful look. Jamison didn’t catch it because he was too busy looking at Brynley. Everyone watched Reed pull himself up out of the water and walk towards his towel to dry off. Skylar and Jamison encouraged the girls to stay and have some fun in the water before nightfall.

  About an hour later, the group left the lake and dried off. Skylar and Jamison walked the girls to the restroom; so they could change back into their outfits.

  The girls towel-dried their hair, which was going to leave it very wavy. They walked back to the boys, who were waiting for them outside. To the left, the girls could see a large bonfire was already started. Skylar took Kendra’s hand as they started walking towards the fire. Jamison decided to follow suit. When they reached the fire, Brynley noticed that it seemed like Tabitha and Reed were fussing with one another. Tabitha’s mouth was going a hundred miles an hour, and Reed just kept staring into the fire. Brynley felt a little sorry for him because he looked miserable.

  The darkness of night was closing upon them. Everyone found a stick and started roasting their hotdogs, and Skylar and Jamison had brought a big cooler full of soda and water. The girls didn’t drink soda usually; so, they were glad the boys were thoughtful enough to get the water. After two hotdogs and three bottles of water later, everyone snuggled around the campfire. Brynley noticed that Reed was sitting alone. Tabitha wasn’t anywhere in sight. Skylar had placed his arm around Kendra, and it looked like they were in deep conversation. On the few occasions Brynley looked up, she found Reed looking at her sullenly. Jamison sat close to Brynley; and asked her many questions about her family and school. When they started talking about future plans, Reed seemed to be very curious in her answers.

  “What are your plans after high school?” Jamison patiently awaited Brynley’s answer.

  “Well, I anticipate a swimming scholarship through Duke or Stanford University. I’m not sure what degree I want yet, but I’ll have time to figure that out while I’m taking my basic classes.” Brynley had her eyes on these two colleges since last year.

  “Your grades better be pretty good to get into those colleges, swim scholarship or not. I can’t imagine you having decent grades and much of a social life.” Reed’s voice held a bit of sarcasm to it.

  Brynley resented that Reed was alluding that she wasn’t smart enough to get into the colleges of her choice. Her voice held a slight chillness to it as she replied, “I’m a straight-A honor student; so, getting into the college of my choice isn’t a concern of mine. As far as my social life, I enjoy everything I’m interested in.”

  Brynley heard Kendra say, “That’s my girl,”; and Brynley smiled back at her. However, Reed continued to display his dour look. Brynley was starting to wonder what Reed’s problem was with her. She hadn’t done anything to warrant his disdain.

  “Well, if you plan on being any good on our swim team, you better stay focused.” Reed was past Brynley’s last nerve. She felt extremely irritated with his undeserved, sardonic remarks.

  “I have no problem being an excellent swimmer Reed; I can do that and have a boyfriend if I so desire. Brynley felt challenged and irritated with Reed. “You seem to keep up with football, swimming, and your girlfriend just fine, or do you struggle?” Brynley felt like challenging Reed right back!

  Reed’s voice was caustic, “I keep up with my goals, and I don’t let anything or anyone slow me down. I don’t have a girlfriend. I don’t need some girl demanding all of my time or causing drama, which they all seem to do.” Brynley was confused as to what Tabitha was to Reed, then. She thought Tabitha was his girlfriend.

  Jamison decided to chill the conversation some. “I don’t have any real goals, and I would love to have a girlfriend, to demand anything from me. I was built to please.” Jamison had the most cattish grin on his face, and those dimples winked on both sides of his cheeks. He was so charming looking that Brynley had to laugh at him. That Scottish brogue was adorable, too! He looked besotted with Brynley, and it made Reed sick.

  Kendra was laughing at Skylar because he was also confessing his love-struck need for a girl demanding from him, at all times. Of course, he was disp
laying his smitten candor to Kendra and Kendra only.

  Reed was annoyed with his friends. He got up and walked away while they were flirting with the girls. Brynley spoke first after he left. “What is his problem? What’s it to him if I’m able to keep up with my own life?” Brynley was vexed with Reed for putting her on the spot and making her uncomfortable in front of everyone.

  Jamison told her what he thought Reed’s problem was. “Reed got hooked on this girl in tenth grade. She was a year older than he was, and he believed that he was truly in love with her. Reed is a good-looking guy, and every girl flirted with him. The girl, Rebecca, captured his attention, and they started dating. He was hooked on her. She used him badly and then stopped hanging around him. Of course, that caused a really bad fight between them; then later, Reed discovered that she was also seeing some football player from another school, and she got pregnant by him. The news crushed him because he had real feelings for the girl. Ever since they broke up, he’s never dated another girl since. He goes out and has fun, and that’s it. Tabitha is usually cool with Reed; that’s why he goes out with her so much because she doesn’t demand anything from him.” Brynley started to feel a little bad for Reed now. What a horrible thing to go through. Thinking you’re in love with someone and then finding out that they had betrayed you, while you were loving them during the whole time; was a horrific thought. One, she knew all too well. Brynley still didn’t know what started his outburst, but she wasn’t going to hold it against him.