Until I Met You

Pool party (38)

Grace

Mrs. Davis took the leave right after Beth and Chad left. She needed to leave for some work. So she left. Jake turned me to face him after his mom left.

"Told you not to worry about it. My mom's a badass when it comes to work like this." He said proudly. I couldn't stop smiling at the way Mrs. Davis threatened them, in a not so very subtle way. If I were them I would have shit myself by the way she said those words. Everything around me felt lighter and less heavy than before. Like the air had become clear. I felt like I came out of a chamber and finally could breathe. There in Nathan's office, I felt like I was inhaling carbon dioxide. Here it was like oxygen was in abundance.

"She sure is a badass. But a really nice one." I said.

"Hum. Stay here for a few minutes, I have something to do. Wait for me here." He said and I nodded my head in agreement. Jake went outside and disappeared. I didn't want to wait for him right outside Nathan's chamber... I mean office, so I walked outside and stood outside. It was sunny and especially in the middle of the afternoon, the sun seemed a bit too bright. I felt like even the god was celebrating my newborn freedom. It was not like I wasn't free before. But this time my freedom actually held strong ground. There was a whole system supporting my back if I ever had a problem with them, now. I was finally free.

I looked at my watch and saw that I was waiting for more than half an hour. My phone buzzed and for a second I was scared to look at it. Usually bad news came from it. I was too happy today for anything bad to happen. But then I remembered Jake. I hope nothing has happened to him. I picked up my phone and saw that the text message was from Ethan. I smiled at his name. I opened his text and read it. "Jake is at my house. Come here." The text read.

Jake went straight to Ethan's house. Did he forget about me? I was waiting for him all this time, and he, without even making any effort to inform me via text or phone call, went to Ethan's house? Jake is weird sometimes. Whatever. So I travelled all the way to Ethan's house. It was the first time I was seeing his house. And I was shocked, to say the least.

I expected it to be a mansion or bigger house but it was normal. Way too normal for such a rich guy. It was then I realized that apart from Jake, I don't know if Mason and Ethan were as rich as Jake. I don't know about their background. It's not like I had anything against them not being rich because hell, even I wasn't rich, but it was just like a shock to see it. I somehow assumed that if Jake was rich then his friend's might as well.

Now, I knew how wrong I was.

I walked up to his front door. There was no doorbell, so I knocked on his door. Nobody answered. Giving another chance, I knocked on it again. Still no one answered. I sighed. If no one opened this time then I would walk away. I told myself. Just as I was about to knock, the door opened and Ethan's head peeked out. He looked at me for a second and then smiled. He opened the door completely for me.

"I didn't know that you would be here in such a short time." He said. I tilted my head at him.

"Really?" I asked. He nodded and gestured by his head for me to come inside.

From inside, it was just as small as mine, but he had more space in the living room, and he also had a small pool in the backside of his house. Otherwise, his house was the same as mine. One bedroom, kitchen and living room.

I entered his house but it was quiet and I couldn't see Jake anywhere. I turned around as Ethan closed the door behind us and walked inside. The same smile that he always kept, was still plastered on his face.

"Where's Jake?" I asked him. His smile flickered a bit.

"Uhh... he." He started but his main gate opened, abruptly. And Jake walked in. When he looked at me, he looked startled a bit. He was not expecting me to be here.

"What are you doing here? I asked you to wait for me outside your lawyer's office." He said. I gave him a hard look.

"You disappeared somewhere, leaving me alone, waiting for you. I waited for you like half an hour or more and you did not even make an effort to message or call me. While you were here with Ethan." I complained. His face contradicted his expressions and he looked at Ethan. His eyes were questioning.

"I just came here. I was looking for you there but when I couldn't find you, then I came straight right to his house to help me find you. My phone wasn't picking signals and I couldn't message you." He explained.

"What did you mean by, I was here already?" He asked. It was now my turn to look confused. I looked at Ethan.

"Then why did you send me the message that said Jake was already here?" I asked him. Ethan looked a bit nervous but, again, the doorbell rang.

And entered, Mason. With his hand filled with two big white bags. He looked at all of us, raised the bags and smiled.

"Who's up for the party?" He asked. I looked at Jake and Ethan, smiling.

A surprise party.

They did it for a surprise party.

Jake understood that as well.

"You're all here. Good. Let's get started." Mason said. I gave him a thumbs up.

And we all started working.

I helped in taking out the snacks and setting it up in the kitchen. Ethan locked his bedroom so that idiotic drunks would not go inside, to make out or more. Ethan told me that it's supposed to be a pool party and not a house party. Weird, I thought that anyone who has a pool in their house, their party tends to become a pool party.

"Grace, table." Mason yelled from the poolside. I helped him with tables. Setting up with drinks and cocktails.

I was hesitating but I spoke anyway.

"Ah, Mason?" I started, and he stopped in his mid work of setting up the drinks and smirked at me.

"What?" He asked. I rolled my eyes.

"About my work." I started speaking but Mason shook his head smiling.

"My mouth is zipped on that matter." He gestured in the air, behaving like he was zipping his mouth in the air and then throwing the key away. I smiled at him. I appreciated his silence on that matter.

We went on working and preparing for the party. It was an hour from my arrival that people started entering the house. Some were in their bathing suits and some were dressed casually. And, in, just a few minutes, the whole house was filled with too many people.

"You should change to." Ethan told me.

"I didn't bring any pool party wear." I told him. Jake came up behind him. He leaned on the table beside him. Then he scanned me from the top to the bottom and smirked.

"You'll look hot in your swimsuit." He said. I snarled at his remark.

"Just take off your jeans and top, and you're ready to go." He said. This time seriously.

"Really?" I asked him. Both Ethan and Jake nodded their heads. I shrugged.

"Okay." I said. Ethan gave me a key.

"You can change in my bedroom." He said. I took the keys from his hand.

"Come outside to the poolside after changing. We'll have fun." Jake said as retreated to the pool. I smiled and walked inside Ethan's bedroom to change.

After changing my clothes, I came outside and walked straight to the pool. Jake, along with Mason and Ethan, was in the pool. Just in their boxers.

"Ladies and gentlemen." Jake yelled over everyone's voice to gain their attention.

"This girl, my girl, is finally free from her foster parents." Jake shouted.

"She's finally free." Jake announced and everyone started to cheer and applaud.

I flushed in embarrassment and cursed Jake under my breath. But at the same time, I was feeling good about it. His saying it out loud, made it more real than ever.

During this noise of cheering I didn't even notice Jake coming out of the water. When he grabbed my waist then I realized his presence. He picked me up and jumped in the water. My breath hitched as I could not breathe for a second. Then I came out of the water, hitting Jake's chest.

I didn't realize that I was giggling as Jake held me by my waist. Everyone started chanting.

"Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss." I became nervous as everyone's attention was on us. Jake leaned in to kiss my lips and I closed my eyes. Then I felt his kiss.

On my neck.

I opened my eyes and when he winked at me, I felt my cheeks burning with redness.

Everyone clapped and cheered. I heard a sudden splash of water and I saw a figure of Ethan walking away.

And then, Jake threw me in the water again.

Rest of the afternoon, we spent playing with the ball and all the pool games. Finally, we bid our goodbyes and left the party. I still hadn't seen Ethan anywhere. I even asked some partiers, but they denied seeing him anywhere. Maybe he was with a girl or something.

Jake drove me to my house and stopped it right outside my house. I got off and so did he.

"What's your Date of birth?" He asked, all of a sudden.

"September 26th." I told him. He looked startled.

"Your birthday is next week?" He asked. I shrugged.

"Like you don't know. You've read my file." I said.

"Yeah. But I didn't remember it. Promise that day to me." He demanded.

"It's my birthday and you're the one who's demanding?" I mocked him. He just shrugged.

"Fine. That day is yours. Happy now?" I asked him.

"Of course." He said. Then he told me goodbye and left.

He's weird sometimes. But mostly great.