By Sunday, five days later, Megan was like a little sister to all the guys, except for Nick, who was still awed by her. Usually, the days were spent by the pool. The concert was the next day, and Megan was coming with them. But Brian had refused to let Megan come on tour with them, regardless of Nick, AJ and Megan’s consistent pleading. That day, Megan and Nick were sitting on the porch talking. Brian was spying on them.
“So, Meg, when’s your birthday?” Nick asked.
“Well, actually, its on Thursday,” she replied.
“Really? Cool. We’ll have to convince B rok to have a party. We can invite everyone and you can introduce me to all your friends.”
“That’d be awesome,” Megan said.
“”So, do you have a boyfriend or someone special that you would like to invite?” Nick asked, praying that she didn’t.
“Not yet…” she said hintingly. From behind the bushes Brian started laughing.
Nick got the hint, but he was too shy to ask her out or anything like that. “Well, that’s cool.” Then he spotted Brian in the bushes. “Hey, Brian, is that you? What are you doing hiding in the bushes? You wouldn’t happen to be SPYING or anything, now would you?”
Brian popped his head out. "Um, no of course not. Why would I do something like that? I was , um, just looking for, um the 8 ball. AJ is trying to play pool, and he um,. misplaced it. Well, I guess it's not out here, better go see if AJ found it yet.”
Just then, AJ and Howie walked out in their bathing suits and pulled off their shirts. AJ said, “Hey, you guys, ready for a swim?”
Megan glared at Brian. “Playing pool, huh? You know B rok, if you’re gonna spy and lie, at least make up a good excuse. But please don’t do it again, okay hunnie? Now, AJ, I think that I will take you up on your offer. Let me just go and change.”
“Yeah, Brian, that wasn’t very nice,” Nick said to an embarrassed Brian. Then he turned and followed Megan into the house.
Megan and Nick got changed and went back out to the pool, where they found Kevin and Brian in their swimsuits, too. Megan laid down on one of the lounge chairs and donned her Oakleys. Nick dove into the pool. “Hey, Meg, come on in, that water is great!”
“I’m sure it is Nick, but, sorry hunnie, I don't like to get wet that much. I think I'll just watch."
"Oh, come on, get in!!!!"
"Um, NO."
"Well, I guess I'll just have to throw you in," said Nick, hopping out of the pool sopping wet and heading in Megan's direction.
"You wouldn't dare," Megan challenged him.
Nick smiled devilishly. "Oh wouldn't I?" He picked her up in his arms and threw her into the deep end of the pool, sunglasses and all.
"Nick!!! Stop!!!" she yelled as he scooped her up. But, in all honesty to herself, she was glad to be in his arms and the object of his flirting. She sat up in the water sputtering. "AHHHHH!!! I'm gonna KILL you!!!" she yelled playfully. She got out of the pool and shoved Nick in, who was laughing hysterically. He pulled her in with him. They splashed around for a couple of minutes, until they realized that Howie, Brian, AJ and Kevin had left.
"Hey, where'd everyone go?" Nick wondered aloud.
Then he saw Kevin waving to him from the porch. "You guys, come on in for dinner!"
* * *
Late that night, Brian and Nick were in the living room playing Nintendo 64. They were talking about Megan, who was in the kitchen, making sandwiches for the next day to take in the RV.
"You like her, don't you," said Brian to Nick as they played "Zelda" for the umpteenth time that night.
"Hmm? Like who?" Nick replied, trying to concentrate on the game, knowing fully well whom Brian was talking about.
"Um, gee, I wonder. Let's see, the only girl that you are associated with right now, my sister Megan?"
"Do I like her? Well, I think she's a babe, but if I did like her, I wouldn't tell you."
"Why not?"
"Because you're her brother. I mean, you might be overprotective of her or something. And why do you want to know anyway?"
"I would not be. But oh well, I already know, anyway. You DO like her. I can tell by the way you, like, totally gawk at her every time you see her."
Nick just looked at him. He didn't have anything to say. What Brian said had been totally true. "Well, if that's what you want to think, fine. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."