The Boy Next Door

ｓｉｘ

Rachel

My alarm blasted in my ear, waking me up. I flipped over onto my back. I didn't want to get up. I was so comfortable under the covers. The alarm was still going off across the room. I got out of bed to turn it off. It would be a dangerous game to have the alarm clock next to my bed. I took a steaming hot shower. When I got out, I slipped my robe on and walked back into my room. I put my swimsuit on underneath my t-shirt and shorts.

I texted Colton that they could come over. He responded immediately, as if he were waiting for my message. I threw my phone into my bag before going downstairs.

"Mom! Wyatt! Are you guys ready? They are coming over now!"

"Jeez, Rachel, tone it down. I have been ready for a while. You're the one that took so damn long." Wyatt said, annoyed. I shook my head at him. "Are we good now, or are you still mad at me for being worried about you?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess we are fine, but please stay out of my business."

"Only a little." He said, putting a hand out for me to shake. I extended mine for the handshake.

I tried to pull away, but he squeezed tighter.

"Wyatt let go!" I hissed.

"Never!" He said squeezing my hand even tighter. The doorbell rang. They were here.

"Seriously?" I groaned as I shook the pain in my hand out.

"I'll get it!" Wyatt yelled.

He turned the doorknob and swung the door open, revealing Colton, his mom, and sister. As soon as he opened it, Hanna ran into my house and jumped on me. Her arms clung to my legs in a hug.

"Hey, Hanna."

"Hi Rachel! I'm so excited! Are you?"

I nodded.

I heard Wyatt telling Colton and his mom to come in. Colton smiled as he watched his sister grip to my legs. My mom came down the stairs with a woven hat and sunglasses.

"Are you guys ready to go?" she asked us.

In unison, we all replied yes. She opened the front door, and we all walked out to her car, which seated eight. Wyatt was the last one out, so he shut the door and locked it.

"I call shotgun!" Wyatt yelled as he ran past me, almost knocking me over.

"Jennifer is already sitting up front, so get in the way back with Colton and Rachel." my mom told him.

"Fine." he said, opening the back door and climbing inside.

I sat in the middle, and Colton sat on the other side of me. My mom started the car and put it in reverse. No one said anything until Jennifer broke the silence. She looked back at Colton and me.

"You know, I think that you two would look so cute together. You just complement each other so well." Jennifer said.

"Mom!" Colton said. "Please. Don't start this."

"I don't know about that." I said.

"Really? You two seem perfect for each other. You just don't know it yet. You came from mothers, like us. We are pretty exceptional." she said.

Colton and I looked at each other. Then I looked at Wyatt, who looked mad. I heard my mom in the driver's seat, snickering.

"Mom! Why are you laughing?" I asked.

"Have you looked at your brother, he doesn't like the idea of you and Colton sitting next to each other, let alone dating."

I already knew that he didn't like me being near Colton. So, hearing someone say that we are perfect for each other was probably driving him crazy. I laughed. For the rest of the drive, Wyatt was tense.

"We are here!" My mom announced from the front seat.

Wyatt opened the car door then slammed it, then he stormed off to the entrance.

The rest of us laughed and filed out of the car. We ventured towards the entrance. Wyatt was leaning against the brick wall.

"What crawled up your ass?" I asked.

Jennifer, Colton, and my mom laughed.

"Nothing, Rachel." he said, turning his body away from me.

"Immature much?" He looked like he was about to punch me, but he didn't and wouldn't even think about it. "Jeez, I'm just joking around. Lighten up Wy."

Wy was a nickname I had for him since I was six.

"Let's go." He announced.

The six of us walked to the ticket window. Hanna grabbed my hand. My mom talked to the person inside the window.

"How can I help you?" I heard the man in the booth say.

"I pre-ordered six tickets online."

"Last name?" he asked her.

"Summers."

"I have three adults, two teens and one child. Does that sound correct?"

"Yes."

"May I see an I.D.?" She showed him her driver's license.

He handed her six blue wrist bands.

"Thank you." She said.

"Enjoy." he said, smiling.

My mom handed everyone their wrist bands.

"Mom, I can't put this on. The sticky part is stuck to my arm hair." I heard my brother say.

Colton and I chuckled.

"Really, Wyatt, you are twenty-three years old, yet you function like a seven-year-old." She said, sighing and helping him.

We walked through the gates to see a giant pool, a kids' area and huge water slides surrounding us. We continued to walk until we found a few lounge chairs to sit on.

"Rachel and I are going to go get in line for the water slides!" Colton said, pulling me toward the slides.

"Okay, have fun. Just don't do anything stupid, Colton." his mom said before she sprayed sunscreen on Hanna.

"Yeah whatever." He said, groaning.

"That goes for you too, Rachel." my mom added.

"Okay bye." I said before I was pulled away.

We walked over to the line for the slides. The line continued to move slowly. There was quite a bit of silence between the two of us. I didn't know what to talk to him about. I had fallen asleep in his house and he had cooked for me, but I hadn't asked him much about himself. I almost broke the silence between us. Instead, I became fixated on a person out in the distance.

"Rachel, what are you staring at?" He asked.

I didn't answer him. I just continued to stare, becoming filled with worry. Today was supposed to be a good day.

"Rachel, are you okay?" Colton asked.

My ex-boyfriend was here, and he was walking towards me and Colton.