"Why are you not sitting with the other girls?" Annie asked as she moved her gaze back to the ladies who sat soaking up the sun, chatting amongst themselves.
"They're... not my type of friend," Ellie hesitated, trying to find the right words.
"Yeah, mine neither," Annie shook her head as she noticed Vanessa and Peggy among the girls. "How about we dip our toes in the pool?" Annie asked with a polite smile, Ellie nodded and they made their way to the other end of the pool.
Annie and Ellie sat on the edge of the pool, their legs wafting in the water.
Occasionally they would hear a grunt, scream or laugh come from the boys who wrestled in the water.
"You met my twin brother this morning, Riley," Ellie started, "though I will say, usually my brothers taste in women is bonkers to me, but he was right about you. You're quite pretty."
Annie shook her head, a light blush to her cheeks. "He said that? He must have been seeing things in the morning light!" Annie chuckled, "thank you though, but I'm no-wheres near as pretty as you," Annie complimented her back.
Ellie and Annie heard a loud "WHOOPWHOOP!" Before a loud thunk and splash was heard, water droplets fell onto the pair and Ellie huffed.
"Riley, you a$$hole! These are my dry clothes!" Ellie hissed as her brother came up for air, a smirk on his face as he looked at his sister.
"Their your wet clothes now, little sis!" He bellowed before his attention was drawn to the girl beside Ellie, his smirk widened as he made his way over to the pair. "Did I get you wet too?" He said in a low, sultry voice.
Annie gasped at his forwardness as Ellie scrunched up her face and gagged, "hands off her, she's like one of the only decent human beings here," hissed Ellie, earning a laugh from Annie.
Riley poked his tongue out at his sister, drawing his attention back to Annie. "I'll keep my hands off as long as shewants me to," he winked at Annie who's face became red in embarrassment. Annie shook her head at the boy, waving him off.
Once alone again Ellie starts, "pleasedon't sleep with him," she grunts, "he is like the biggest playboy around here, nearly ever girl at school, he's like one of the worst!"
Annie giggled at Ellie, "don't worry, it'll take alot to break me down, I don't have an interest in him," she paused before turning her attention back to Ellie, "who is the biggest? Like player?" Annie asked.
Annie figured if she was going to spend her final year at the school, she might as well know who to look out for.
"Kyson," she huffs, "which is so weird because I swear if he wasn't so good-looking, he wouldn't be very liked. The guy is like the literal definition of pissedoff."
Annie let out a loud laugh, drawing attention to her before she waved them off to continue doing their own thing. "That sounds about right, Kyson has always been that way it seems."
"How do you know Kyson?" Ellie asked, Ellie wasn't told much about being there today. Just that she was going to a pool party, being forcible brought there.
Annie let out another chuckle clearing her throat, "step-brother," Annie sighed.
"Oh my God, I am so sorry! I didn't mean to insult him!" Ellie starts rambling apologies.
"Don't worry about it Ellie, he's kind of a d1ck anyway," Annie said giggling.
"Boys, stop rough housing! Dry off and get some food!" Kia snapped from the doorway, as she turned and left the boys said in chorus.
"Yes miss Hawthorne."
Soon the group sat in chairs, Ellie took the far end, Annie sat beside her, broken apart from the group. Not far away but not close. The group of teenagers continued to chatter amongst themselves eating the food Kia had prepared. Annie's father and stepmother had arrived minutes ago and are busy talking with Kia as the group became a buzz of controlled chatter.
"Oh my God, wait, is that Fattie Ann?" One of the girls snickered loud enough for Annie and Ellie to hear, but not the parents.
"It is," Peggy answered, throwing a glare in Annie and Ellies direction.
"Oh how sad, she's sitting with Ellie-Bellie, I guess once a fatty always a fatty," another girl snickered.
"Rebecca, Sarah, stop being rude," Ethan grumbled out.
"Yeah don't make fun of my sister and my girlfriend," Riley says pointedly to the girls.
Ethan felt a slight of jealousy bought within him. He didn't necessarily regret helping his mother, but he had wished it was done sooner so he could watch the interaction between Riley and Annie. He knew what Riley had done since moving here and he didn't want Annie to get pulled into his dramatics.
Annie shook her head at Riley, "not your girlfriend, Riley, cool it."
"Ahh, in time you will be, I'm quite persistent," he gave her a cocky smile. "Come join the group, I can barely hear you from here!" He whined.
Annie gave Ellie a look and they both huffed, pulling their seats to join the circle. Now, Ellie sat beside Peggy, with Annie on her other side. And when Annie looked over to see who she was to be sitting beside her breath hitched. Ethan.
He gave her a toothy grin and grabbed the plate out of her hands so she could set up her chair properly.
Once Annie was settled she murmured a thank you before taking her plate back.
"These cookies are delicious," murmured Max, "did your mom make these, man?" He asked, his blonde hair shimmering in the summer sun.
"Annie did actually," Ethan said, moving his gaze towards Annie with a kind smile. Everyone's attention went to Annie briefly.
"Makes sense, she was and is fat, fat people know how to cook good food, but be careful, could be full of grease," Vanessa remarked snidely.
The group turned quiet at Vanessa's comment, all attention casted back to Annie.