Our Hill Of Stars

Chapter 5: The Docks Can't Clean Themselves

I walk out of the Beaver Cabin after swapping out my sweaty clothes for a bikini. It is a simple army green triangle top paired with black boy short bottoms.

My pale skin is so very obvious against the sunlight. I look down, a little self-conscious. Evie and Charlotte were a lot skinnier than me and their skin was flawless. Charlotte's looked like milk chocolate and Evie tanned like a Californian.

As I said before, I'm pretty tall. That also means I grew really fast as a kid. Which leads to stretch marks. The worst is around my hips. The purple and red marks stand out against my white skin.

I look down at them and fight the urge to cover them up. I know my friends wouldn't care. I bet they wouldn't even notice. But it wasn't just my friends this year. Ace stood with the rest of them as I walked out of my cabin. Steeling myself against any doubts, I lift my head and walk towards them.

The girls were in bikinis as well, Charlotte rocking a red one and Evelyn wearing a yellow one. The boys had changed into their trunks and I have to laugh at Archer's. His were a bright blue with yellow rubber ducks scattered around. It was totally him.

They all wore shirts that would probably find their way to the ground once we got to the docks. I finally get to them and Dax hands me a towel.

"Ready?"

"Oh I can't wait, Auto." Dax says sarcastically and I have to laugh.

"Well, the docks can't clean themselves." I say in an over exaggerated, cheery voice.

I get groans in response.

We make our way down to the docks. I take the lock off the boathouse door and walk inside. I find the pails, brooms, and brushes. I carry the supplies out and hand them to the others.

It ends with Archer and Dax on broom duty and Evelyn and Charlotte on scrub duty. That leaves Ace and I with the pails.

"Okay, let's get on with it." I say, walking out onto the docks.

I continue to walk down the wood, pail in hand. I get to the end of the dock and jump in. Cold water rushes over me, cooling down my burning skin.

I break the surface and smile. I fill my bucket up and swim over to the end of the dock where the others are standing. Lifting the pail over the edge, I pour the water onto the docks.

Evie and Lottie start scrubbing with their brushes while the boys sweep the dirty water back into the lake. They quickly run out of water and I have to do the same thing again.

"Care to join me, newbie?" I call up to Ace.

He walks to the edge, his own bucket in hand. I realize then that he really had lost his shirt. I stared down with his impeccable abs, his tanned skin shining with sweat. I count a couple freckles on his chest. I bite my lip to try to stop myself from smiling too big.

My face drops when he looks down at me. He didn't need to know I was enjoying what I was seeing.

"Hurry up" I tell him before he can say anything.

He smiles, then hops in beside me. Water splashes my face and I scowl. Did he really have to go all out on the jump?

When Ace's head pops up I splash him as payback. He just laughs then fills his bucket up with water to dump on the docks.

We repeat this pattern until the docks are scrubbed clean. The others jump in shortly after.

The six of us have another water fight. Archer splashes me and I take it personally. I attack him with kicks, giving him a good douse of water. As he's coughing, Dax and Charlotte double team me.