"And that's Whitney Gregory's house. She's The Bitch, and you seriously want to avoid her. She also likes Zac."

"Nicole, you can give up on that Zac thing…I barely even know him, and besides, I don't want a boyfriend."

"Yeah, you say that now, but you can't help but fall for him."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I know you."

"Yeah, the whole three days you've known me." Katie said, shielding her eyes.

Up the street two boys were coming, and one was on a small bike, and the other two were on skates.

"Who's that?"

"I don't know, I can't see, the sun is too bright." Nicole said.

The two figures quickly approached, and Katie's stomach did a flip flop when she saw who it was. It was Zac on the skates and Jabin on the bike, then another boy she didn't recignize on skates. .

"Hi Nicole, Hi Katie!" Jabin yelled.

"Hi Jabin!" Nicole said, rolling over to where Jabin was. He slapped her a high five, then turned to Katie.

"You guy going to the pool?"

"Yeah, we were just going for a ride, and I was showing Katie where everyone lives." Nicole said.

"Did you show her my house?" Zac finally piped up.

"No, not yet. I will if you want." Nicole said.

"Great." Zac said.

"So you guys will be at the pool later?" Jabin said.

"Yeah, we have to go home and change yet." Nicole said.

"Oh. Say, did you hear what happened to Shea and Lindsey?" Jabin asked her.

"No, what?"

"They did the mattress mambo, and then he dumped her." Jabin said, proud to know that tidbit of information.

Katie giggled at Jabin's ateration of 'sex'

"That's so typical." Nicole said, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Yeah." He said.

"Hi Katie." Zac said, turning to her.

Katie looked at Zac just in time to see the boy look at her, then look at Zac, and nudge him.

"Oh yeah...." He said, turning to Katie. "Um, Katie, this is my friend, Ian."

"Hi." She said, giving a slight wave to the tall, blonde haired boy next to Zach. "He just moved here." jabin said glumly.

"Hi." She said, knowing he was letting her know that he knew about her vow not to look at him.

"This gonna be your first time at the pool?"

"Yeah."

"Ah." He said. He seemed to be at a loss of words, and he looked as thought he was panicked a little.

"Um, are you going to high school this fall?"

"Yeah." She said slowly, not really knowing what he was implying.

"Oh, well, I am too."

"That's nice."

"Well, I'll see you at the pool."

"Yeah, see ya there." Ian said. He smiled at her, then left.

"Okay."

With that, he motioned to Jabin and the two continued.

"Wow, did you see that guy?" katie asked her as they pedalled home.

" Yeah, i didn't like him. Just stick with Zac for now."

"yeah, but that guy was hot."

"I thought you didn't go for guys these days. You were too busy or somethin." Nicole said, eyeing her.

"Well, i just might have to change my plans." Katie said.

"So, are we going to go to your house and get ready?" Nicole asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Yeah. DO you want to swing by your house first so we can get your bathing suit?"

"No, I took it with me. I knew you had a pool, but I wasn't sure if we would go swimming."

"Oh, well, I think it needs cleaning. I haven't really been out there yet."

"Okay, we'll let's head back. I'll show you Zac's house later." Nicole said, and turned her bike around.

They pedaled back to Katie's house, and went straight up to her room.

"What does your bathing suit look like?" Nicole asked, as she pulled out hers.

Katie walked over to her dresser and fished around for a second, then pulled out a plain black one piece.

"You've got to be kidding me." Nicole said.

"Nope."

"You're never going to be able to get his attention in that!" She said, looking disgustedly at her suit.

"I'm not trying to get his attention." Katie said smugly, and walked into the bathroom to change.

"She's got to be kidding me." Nicole said to the empty room as she flopped on Katie's bed.

Katie walked back out, and went over to her dresser to put her hair in a braid.

"Say, I know what we could do sometime before my party." Nicole said, walking over to her when she was finished changing.

"What?"

"We could get you a new hair style." Nicole said.

"Like what?"

"Well, since your hair is so straight, we could give you a perm."

Katie thought about it. Her hair was just blonde and long…and getting sort of dark.

"Well…"

Nicole looked at her expectantly.

"Ok. And I think I'll get it cut a few inches too."

"Like, how short?"

"Um, how about right below my shoulders?"

"Okay, that would look good."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Nicole said.

"Alright. Enough about my hair, let's get going."

"Okay." Nicole said, and pulled her shirt over her head.

Katie grabbed a shirt, and walked down into the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" a little voice asked.

Katie turned around and saw Madison standing in the kitchen with Judy.

"We're going swimming."

"I want to go swimming!" She yelled, jumping up and down.

"Can she?" Katie asked Judy.

"I don't care. One less kid."

"All right. Does Melissa want to come?"

"I don't know."

"Well where is she?" Katie asked her little sister.

"She's in the TV room."

Katie walked down the hall to find her six -year old sister in the TV room.

"Hey Melissa, do you want to go swimming?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay, come upstairs and get changed."

Katie ran upstairs to help her two little sisters get dressed, and Nicole chose to stay and keep an eye on Judy.

"You know, you don't have to watch me all the time." Judy said to Nicole without turning her back.

Nicole just turned around like she hadn't heard her.

Katie soon came bounding down the steps with her two curly headed sisters in tow, lugging their pool bags.

"Okay, we're ready." Katie said, noticing the strange looks Nicole was giving her strange looks.

"Something wrong?"

"No, let's just go." Nicole said, heading for the door.

"Um, just a sec. Judy, we'll be home around three or four."

"Alright, I'll be home if you need rides."

"Okay." Katie said. Judy really wasn't that bad, and she didn't see what Nicole saw in her that she was missing.

Little Ben came tittering in rubbed his stomach.

"Um, okay, let's see, what does that mean…?" Judy said to herself, trying to remember.

"Tummy ache?"

He shook his head no.

"Okay, um, bathroom?" He laughed and shook his head no again. He repeated the action and it finally dawned on her.

"Oh, hungry."

He laughed again and shook his head yes.

"Oh, okay, what do you want?" He pulled out a chair, scooted it over to the cupboard, opened it, and peered inside. He picked out a box, and handed it to her.

"Cake?"

He smiled and shook his head yes. She looked at the directions, and then shook her head.

"Honey, Judy doesn't know how to bake."

He shrugged and got down off the chair. After replacing it, he just looked at her. So, cake she would make.





When they arrived at the pool and paid, and went into the locker room to change out of their clothes.

"Hurry, Katie, I wanna go swimming!" Madison yelled, tugging on her sisters hand.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." She said, and went out into the pool area. The pool had a main pool, a kiddy area, a sunning area, a giant slide, and a few other things. It was by far a nicer pool than Katie was used to. Madison and Melissa immediately wanted to go over into the kiddy area and play.

"Will they be alright over there by themselves?" Katie asked Nicole.

"Yeah, they'll be fine." Nicole said, and started to go over to the main pool area.

"Where are we going?"

"Just over here to set our stuff down." She said, and picked out two chairs for them. They laid out their towels and then put their bags down beside them.

"What should we do first?" Nicole said.

"Let's go in the big pool, then I wanna try that slide."

"Okay."

They jumped in the pool, and Nicole immediately saw some people she knew.

"Just a sec, I wanna go say hi, okay?"

"Alright. I'll be right here." She said.

Nicole swam over to the group of girls, and was talking to them about something that must have happened at the party.

"Hi." She heard someone say.

There were lots of people there today, so she assumed that the person wasn't talking to her.

"Katie?" They said.

She turned around, and saw Zac.

"Oh, hi." She said.

"You sound thrilled to see me!" He said, laughing.

"Oh, it's not that."

"Then what is it?"

"Oh, Nicole dragged me here then dumped me."

"Aw, that sucks." He said, glancing over at Nicole and her other friends.

"Where's Ian?" She asked, looking around him.

"Gee, wonder why you came today. Well, Mr. Wonderful had to babysit." He said with an exaspterated sigh.

"Oh." She said. "That's so sweet that he even would."

"I babysit all the time!" He said defensively.

"Oh." She said. Silence.

"So, have you met any new people?"

"Not really." She said.

"Oh."

There was silence for a few minutes, then he spoke again.

"Um, do you want to go get something to drink?"

She looked up. He was trying awful hard.

"Okay." She said, and they started moving toward a ladder.

"Where are you guys going?" Nicole asked, catching up to them.

"To get a drink." He answered.

"Oh, I'm thirsty, I think I'll go to." She said.

"Okay." He said.

He let them go first when they got to the ladder, Nicole noticed. She also noticed that he had a very nice body. I shouldn't care, she told herself.

When they got to the concession stand, they all ordered sodas, then went to find a table. They sat down, and Nicole was determined to take over to conversation.

"So, you think I should have a party this Friday?" She asked.

"Sounds cool." Zac said. He looked at Katie.

"Yeah, cool." She said, not looking at him.

"Well, I think it's going to be kind of small, so we can play games like seven minutes in heaven." Nicole said with a devilish grin.

"I don't think so." Katie said, eyeing her friend.

"Aw, come on. You just don't want to get stuck with someone gross."

"So what if I do? Honestly, Nicole, those games weren't cool in third grade."

"Well, we still play them here!" Nicole shot back.

"Yeah, besides, how else is a guy supposed to get anywhere with you?"

"Then I won't be playing them."

"Oh I bet you won't!" Nicole said with a grin.

"Then you bet right!"

Zac had just been smiling throughout this whole ordeal, and finally spoke up.

"Why don't you just wait until Friday and find out how bad all the guys are?" He asked her.

"I don't care who the guys are, I just don't exactly want to make out with a total stranger!" She said, feeling very uneasy.

"Well, what if you knew them?"

"I don't know anyone."

"You know me." He said, smiling.

She was mad. "So what if I do?"

"Is that an invitation?" He asked.

"NO!" She said, and got up to go into the locker rooms.

"So, was it?" He asked Nicole.

"I'm betting it was, but she just doesn't want to let her guard down yet."

"Oh, I see."

"Hold on, I had better go talk to her."

"Okay."

Nicole walked into the locker rooms to find Katie pacing in front of the benches.

"What is your problem?" She said.

"HIM!" She said, pointing towards the door.

"Well I can't really do anything about HIM." Nicole said, emphasizing her last phrase.

"He is absolutely irritating!" Katie yelled, and clenched her fists.

"He just said one irritating thing, it's not like he's been pestering you for days."

"Yes, but I just wish you would all leave me alone about this thing."

"Okay, okay. Now can we just go back out there without you throwing a fit?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Katie said, feeling very subdued.

They walked out, and saw Zac waiting by the doors.

"So I'm irritating now?" He asked, walking up beside her.

"Yes, if you must know."

"Why am I irritating? He asked her, knowing perfectly well what he had said.

"That little comment you made back there." She said humbly, and kept walking. She jumped in the pool with Nicole, and he followed.

"Would you please leave?" She asked.

"Fine, I know where I'm not wanted. But hey, I'll see you later, okay?"

She didn't answer.

Through out the day, they both continuously caught the other looking at them, and were giving each other snide little glances. Katie knew this was a very childish one, but deep down, she was having fun doing it. She smiled to herself, knowing very well that she liked him now, but she was nowhere near ready to admit it to anyone.

She looked over at Zac, and saw that he was now showing off and doing flips and dives off of the diving boards. She refused to watch, but she couldn't help but look. Just a little, of course.

He caught her looking a few times, and he waved. She was fuming with anger. He actually thought that he was going to get someplace with her? She clenched her fist in anger. What a jerk. Why did he have to be a jerk? Why was he so nice to her at the party? The more she got to know him, the more she didn't like his overall behavior. Oh well, there must be other guys in Tulsa, she thought.