The Girl in the Striped Bikini

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

 

Kendal Bryce

　

　

I fled from the bathroom as soon as I spotted the perfect opportunity. After getting past Jude, I went downstairs where I found Carmen lying on the couch flipping through the channels on the TV.

This is bad, I think to myself as I reach the bottom step. Jude may have acted okay, but I can see right through his joking exterior. He was jealous, and I knew it.

“Kendal?” Carmen says. I immediately turn my attention to her. Carmen’s eyebrows are knit together with worry. “Is everything okay?”

I’m not sure, I answer mentally. Instead of saying what I really feel, I say, “Y-yeah…Everything’s fine.”

“I call bullshit.”

I raise my eyebrow at her, and go to join her on the couch. “How so?”

“It’s pretty obvious, Ken… By the look on your face and by how quiet it is upstairs, I can tell something’s up.”

I sigh and turn my attention to the TV. She was watching a rerun of a Pretty Little Liars episode. I tried my best to keep my eyes glued to the screen and follow what was going on, but I couldn’t. What is taking them so long?

“Hello?”

Tearing my eyes away from the screen, I look at an impatient Carmen. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on, or am I going to have to go find out for myself?”

“It’s Jude…” I surrender.

“…What about him?” she urges me on.

“He’s jealous of Cale,” I say.

Carmen let out a little snort. “Why?”

“He walked in on me putting aloe on Cale’s back.” I could feel my face flush in embarrassment once the words escaped my lips.

“Is that all-… Wait… Are you blushing?” Carmen asks. I wasn’t looking at her, but I could hear the smile in her voice.

“No!” I mutter defensively.

“Oh, my God! Yes, you were! You like my brother, don’t you?”

My eyes widened at her accusation. Me? Like Cale? No.

“No, I barely even know him,” I say.

There was a mischievous glint in Carmen’s eyes as she stared back at me. I knew she wasn’t about to let this go.

“I call more bullshit.”

I groan miserably and roll my eyes, “Can we not talk about this, please?” I plead.

“For now,” she grins widely at me.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, growing more and more impatient. What’s taking them so long?

A flash of Jude’s ‘mock’ angry face entered my mind, and I glance at the stairs. I know that was real. I’ve seen it before. I may have not realized it at the time what it was, but now I do.

“Kendal!” squeals Keana, from the other end of the hall. Her hair was bouncing up and down right along with the rest of her. She was waving her hand over at me excitedly, ushering to come to her.