Hoax by Lila Felix Page A

“Nope, the truck is mine; the BMW is the Stephenson’s.  So, you know everyone in town, right?”  I pulled out cartons of noodles and chicken.
                  “Pretty much, why?” 
                  “There were some pretty rowdy guys at the Chinese place—harassing the bus boy.”
                  I looked at him and all the color left his face at once. 
                  “What did they look like?”  He took a long pull on his water bottle and cleared his throat.
                  “The main guy had a military type cut.  They tripped the bus boy and called me a snobby slut.”
                  It came out unemotional just like I wanted it to.  I shrugged for effect.  I didn’t want Abel to think that it really upset me.  I had the feeling he was the type that would be in his truck defending my honor in a heartbeat.
                  “Are you okay?  They didn’t try to hurt you did they?” He was in front of me in an instant with his hand cupping my chin turning my face back and forth.
                  “No, that one guy just called me a name.  Who cares?  I just wondered if you knew who they were.”
                  “I think I do.  If they ever, ever say anything to you again, you have to tell me, ok?”
                  “Yeah, okay.”
                  I opened the cartons and got out plates and forks and we ate without any further talk of Chinese food bullies.  He reacted so strongly though.  I wondered if maybe these were his ‘asshole’ friends.  I decided to let it go. 
                  As we ate dusk fell outside and the lights in and around the pool came on automatically.  I put the leftovers in the refrigerator as Abel finished his food silently.
                  “I’ll be back.”  I ran upstairs and changed into a burgundy two piece suit and threw my cutoffs on.  I had never been one of those girls who cringed at the thought of going out in front of someone with my swimsuit on.  Not to mention that Wellsley girls were kept on a strict vegetarian diet and P.E. was not optional.  But even during the summer when I ate whatever I wanted, I didn’t care about the five or ten pounds.  I guess I just didn’t care.
                  I reached the bottom and Abel was not there.  The pool house lights were on so I figured he was changing.  I grabbed some towels and threw them on one of the lounge chairs.  I took my shorts off and waded into the shallow end and swam to the deep.  I came up for air and grabbed hold to each side of the diving board.  I knew he was there.  Without even looking I knew that he was at the shallow end, waiting, watching. 
                  “Can’t swim?”  I smiled at him.
                  He dove under the water and swam towards me.  He came to the surface slowly, eyes open looking at me the whole time.  He reached up and grabbed the edge of the diving board and kicked his legs in front of me. 
                  “What were you saying?”  He laughed.
                  He inched his hands up the diving board until they touched mine and his chest was just far enough away from me for water to run between us.  I remembered that my hair probably was a mess and I leaned back to let the water smooth it out.  When I came back to face him he was staring at my neck and then his eyes bore a trail up my neck to my lips.  I could feel every patch of skin that he looked at bloom to red like flowers coming to life under the blare of the sun. 
                  He let his left hand relinquish its hold on the diving board and traced his fingers across my shoulder blade and then back towards the nape of my neck.  His fingers flexed and I took it as a gentle invitation to get closer to him.  But that was way too