Pool Hunny // Benny Rodriguez

18.

Benny.

When Caroline walked into the clasroom she looked like she was fuming, I shot her a smirk as she came in, Emmy had told me about how her date with Benedict had turned out to be a nightmare and it had made my weekend. Because now she finally knew that I was right. "I hate to say I told you so but-." I started but she cut me off.

"I swear to god if you say it I will break your nose a second time." She warned me.

I rolled my eyes amused, "you technically didn't break it."

"Then let me assure that I will this time." Caroline threatened taking her seat.

Emmy glared at me, "I did not tell you that so you could rub it in her face!"

"It's just so hard not to." I replied fighting back laughter. I knew I shouldn't have laughed because he really had been an ass and everything he'd said was completely uncalled for but she should have listened to me. If she had none of this would have even happened.

Miss Grayson walked in taking the register quickly before starting up on this weeks new lessons agenda.

Caroline caught up with me after the lesson, presumably to get the times for our next session. "Can you do four thirty tomorrow?" She asked falling it so step behind me her heels clacking against the plastic floors.
I nodded, "sure, sounds great."

I could see her make a face that told me she would regret every word that was about to leave her mouth, "my father wants me to pass on that he wants to have your family over for dinner tomorrow, so please tell your mother." 

I nodded, "tell him thanks and I'll let her know." 

Caroline shook her head, "also, you should probably know that my father vehemently dislikes slackers and people who dress as such when they're invited to a meal, so when you come to dinner don't wear jeans and a T-shirt wear a nice shirt."

"Thanks Caroline." I replied. 

She made a face before lifting her glasses back onto her nose properly and walking off down the hallway her blonde hair flying out behind her. I was surprised she'd even told me that, I would have expected her to want her father to dislike me. But then again, maybe Parker was right and Caroline really wasn't as awful as I thought. 

Time skip to the dinner:

Lola shot me a disbeliving look as we walked into Caroline's driveway, "ohmygosh! These people are fucking loaded!" she exclaimed. My mother whacked her on the arm, "language." 

"Well it's true." She pointed out gesturing to the Baker's mansion, I watched as she spotted Caroline's car, "that lucky duck. I wish I had that car." 

Emmy nodded in agreement, "oh me too. It's so cool, especially when the top is down." 

My sister's jaw practically slackened at the word, "it opens?!" She turned to me a confused look on her face, "and you're not friends with her why?" 

"Because I'm not that superficial, and she's a total malibu barbie brat sometimes." I replied rolling my eyes. 

Lola scoffed, "well that is just not true. I met her and she seems really nice, plus Emmy seems to adore her which also speaks miles for Caroline since she's so picky about people." 

Em nodded not in the least bit offended, "yeah it's true. I have a very low tolerance for bullshit and unfortunately not very many people are at that level. Caroline despite everything is the most honest person I know, she says everything as it is." 

I rang the doorbell qucikly not wanting to continue the conversation, a woman in her mid thirties with dark brown skin and her hair tied up in a bun opened the door. "¡Carolita han llegado tus invitados!"

Emmy beamed at the sight of her her, "¡Rosita! ¿Hola, como estas?" she exclaimed flinging her arms around the womans neck. 

"Bien, Bien Emmy, y tu?" She contined waving us inside. 

"Bastante bueno gracias. Estos son mis primos Benny y Lola y esta es mi tía Nathalie." She introduced as quickly. (Quite good, thank you. These are my couisins Benny and Lola and this is my Aunt Nathalie."

Rosita smiled, "¿habláis español también?" (do you also speak Spanish?)

I nodded, "claro. Mi madre es de Colombia." (of course. My mother is from Colombia)

"Yo también!" She exclaimed surprised, "déjame enseñarte el salón y luego iré a buscar al Señor Baker y a Caroline." (Me too!) (let me show you to the living room and then I'll go get Mr Baker and Caroline.)

We sat down and she hurried off, moments later Caroline appeared in the doorway a smile on her face. She was wearing white jeans and a pink, pinstripe ralph lauren shirt that fitted her perfectly. As usuall she was wearing a pair of high heels. Emmy leapt to her feet as before she ran to greet Caroline, "hey!" 

Caroline grinned hugging her back, "hey Emmy. It's been too long." 

Emmy laughed, "yeah, those five hours since school have been giving me horrible separation anxiety."

She went to hug Lola and my mother quickly before reluctantly coming to say hello to me, "hey." Caroline muttered a tinge of annoyance already in her voice. 

Mr Baker sat at the head of the table, I sat on his left, Lola and Caroline next to me. On his right was my mother, then Katherine and then Emmy. "You son are making some great progress." He commended clapping me on the shoulder, "Nathalie I have never seen someone with natural talent like your son's. You should be very proud. Buzzie was highly impressed with what he saw when he came to watch you. You're definitely in the top five. I believe you know two of the other candidates from the get together a while back, the other two were unable to make it so you won't be familiar with them." 

"Thank you." I replied grinning, if I got that junior thing I would have a clear shot at playing for the dodgers full time which would have me set for life. 

"Don't thank me, I barely did anything." He told me brushing it off, "this is all thanks to you!" 

Caroline. 

Lola, unlike her brother, was awesome. I wished she was my big sister to be honest, being an only child could be so fucking boring sometimes. "And you thrifted that?" I asked pointing to her outfit, I'd never realy been thrift shopping before because I'd never known where to go but she pulled it off exceptionally. She was wearing a short, lacy, white summer dress and some awesome red cowboy boots that I now really wanted. 

"Yep." Lola replied grinning, "it's vintage love shack fancy, and my job pays minimum wage which means the only way that I could afford it is to thrift. If you want I could take you some time?" 

I nodded, "yeah omg I would love that. It's way more sustainable than what I do anyways, it would be good for me." 

She looked over at Katherine, "so that's the step-monster huh?" 

I snorted, "it hasn't gotten that far yet thank god. I think I'd kill myself if he married her. She's already insufferable enough as it is, I don't need her gloating about the stupid ring on her finger." 

"Em and Benny told me she's a piece of work." Lola replied sipping on her water. 

"That would be putting it lightly. Plus I just know that as soon as she moves in she's going to eradicate any trace of my mother left in the house, and if that happens then not only will I kill myself I'll kill her too." I muttered shooting Katherine a hateful glare. 

"Murder-suicide." Lola mused, "always an interesting way to go out." 

"You could say that." I replied amused. 

I looked over at Emmy who was caught in Katherine's snare, they were talking about Katherine's two second experience as a background dancer in one of the shows in TV. It was something she liked to bring up far too frequently for my taste. When katherine looked away because she'd dropped her napkin Emmy mimed the world help signal over the table to us. Folding your thumb across your palm and then closing other four fingers over it. 

Lola and I bit back laughs as Katherine sat up again and resumed her incredibly dull story. 

"Poor Emmy." Lola laughed shooting her cousin a sympathetic look. 

I nodded in agreement, "that's an understatement to say the least."