i bite my lip to keep me from smiling like a maniac. at least parker likes my glasses. "thank you parker," i rush out. "so are you ready to swim?" i try to change the subject. "i am, i brought my trunks and everything." he pats his backpack.

"what's everything?" i look around to make sure that my brother wasn't in front of the school. "just some things i thought would be cool to do while we hang." parker smiles. his dimples pop out and i admire them.

how on earth are you even real? and why are you talking to me? "you like what you see?" he says and i realize i was staring hard at him. "no i was just looking at the toothpaste by your mouth." i mess with him. his eyes widen and he wipes his mouth repetitively. "is it gone?" he asks and i start to walk. "it was never there."

i look straight and walk a little faster. i hear him sigh. "very funny dweeb."

❀

i made sure to wear a one piece instead of a two piece. i didn't want to reveal much of my body. also my mom would kill me. i grabbed two towels then i walked downstairs. "how do you like my cheetah print trunks?" parker holds his hands up. holy shit. i looked at his trunks but only for a split second. what i really was looking at was his body.

i would like to thank god and puberty but mainly god. you sure did spend your time on this motherfucker. "they're... nice." i say walking up to him, still staring at his bare chest. i look back at his abs, i wonder what they feel like.

i have a strong urge to reach out and touch them. why are you like this?

"you have a little drool coming out of your mouth right there." he reaches towards my face but i throw his towel at him. "shut up." i walk outside without him. "damn." i say to myself. i inhale then exhale to calm myself down.

it's freezing out here. i run to the jacuzzi and i basically jump in. the warmth of the pool warms me up immediately and i start to relax. "i brought uno." parker holds up the card game and i slightly laugh. never in a million years would i've thought that parker grey and i would be playing uno in my jacuzzi.

"where are we going to put the cards?" i ask then he looks around. "here." i watch him reach for one of our coffee tables and put it on the side of the jacuzzi by me. "wow you're so smart." i say sarcastically. "i know right." he matches my sarcasm.

"okay you shuffle, i don't know how." he hands me the cards out of the box. i grab them carefully, trying not to drop them in the water. "this feels amazing." he sits down and the water rises to his neck. i put the cards on the table and i start shuffling.

"you really don't know how to shuffle?" i ask looking at him. "no. i'm not really coordinated."

i laugh. "believe me, neither am i." i shuffle again. i learned how to shuffle by watching youtube videos. "if you didn't get your hands all wet i would've taught you how." i shuffle one more time. "you can teach me afterwards." his voice sounds closer.

i watch him swim right next to me. "dry your hands." i start giving us both seven cards. parker wipes his hands on the towels then holds his hands out. i deal out the cards and put the stack on the table. i laugh to myself when i see them. i am so winning.

turns out i was right, i won the first game by saving my plus four card last. "redo!" he demands and i nod. we end up playing three more games and i still won all of them. "you're cheating!" he frowns. "how am i cheating?" i say offended. "i don't know... maybe you're saving all the best cards for you while you're dealing."

"i am not!" i hand him the cards. "here, you deal then." i lay my head on my crossed arms as i watch his horrible attempt at shuffling. i swear it took him five minutes to shuffle. "okay prepare to lose." he says confidently and i go along with it. we start playing and i can already tell that i'm going to win.

i laugh as parker puts down a yellow card. "that was too easy," i put down my last yellow card. "uno." i let myself sink in the water for a second to feel the warmth again. parker stands there with his mouth open. "tell me your ways." he drops his cards on the table and swims next to me.

"a magician never tells their tricks... is that the saying? i don't know." i laugh swimming around for a little bit. "not quite but you were close." he cracks up with me.

when i swim back to him i notice he's just staring at me.

"what?" i ask feeling nervous. he stands and slowly makes his way in front of me. i stand up with him not looking away from him.

his mouth curves into a quick smile before he kisses me. i kiss him back for a few seconds then i back up. "oh!" my brows shoot up. parker just kissed me. "i'm sorry." he stands there frozen. why did i back away? parker aka the man of my dreams just kissed me and i backed away! my freshman year old self would kill me right now.

"i'm so sorry, i don't know why i did that." parker looks just as shocked as i probably do. and i don't know why i stopped it. i just sit there in shock. "no it's okay, i just...uh i'll be back." i make my way out of the jacuzzi and i grab my towel. "yeah, okay." he stays in the pool.

i wrap myself up in my towel and walk back inside.

"parker? bri you didn't tell me you were having people over." i look up to see my mom in the kitchen. shit. i didn't know she was here. "hi, mrs. flores." parker comes from behind me. this is so awkward. why am i being so awkward?

"oh stop it, call me maria. i was just talking to your mom, it's been a while." my mom says making my mouth drop open. i knew she would talk to his mom about what i told her. there's silence as i glare at her. "you guys were swimming? in fifty degree weather?" she questions. "we were in the jacuzzi." i say looking at the floor. "playing uno." parker adds.

more silence. "okay then. dinner is almost ready, you're more than welcome to stay parker." i finally look up and freeze. she notices but just smiles. "i'm pretty sure parker has to g-" i say but he cuts me off. "actually i would love to stay." i am dreaming. i have to be. this has to be some crazy ass dream.

i slowly turn my head to parker. he fake smiles and i just shake my head. "i'm going to change." i say and i start walking towards the stairs. "yeah me too."

i literally run for my life upstairs and when i get to my room i close my door. i let go of a deep breath i didn't even know i was holding. "no way." i start to smile when i think of the kiss. "no way!" i jump up and down like a girly girl.

"hah! take that riley!" i skip to my closet. just kidding, i'm just kidding!