Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Ren

I never thought it'd come to the place where I'd be panicking on what bikini to wear. Megan is already at the mall with Alanna when I remembered Kristen sells great bikinis. I call Kristen immediately and meet up with her at her dorm.

I knock on her door and another answers it. I narrow my eyes at her and she smiles widely before pulling me into a hug. "You must be Ren!" she pulls away and grabs my wrist pulling me inside before closing the door.

I look around the room and see different bikinis on the bed. I smile, Kristen is such a great friend. I look around and don't see Kristen. I turn to the girl who answered the door. I tilt my head in confusion, "I've never seen you around here."

She smiles and extends her hand. "That's because I don't study here. I'm Shaia, Kristen's younger sister."

I thought Kristen was the only child. I guess I stand corrected. I take her hand and shake it. "I'd introduce myself but it seemed like you already knew who I was," I laugh lightly and she does the same.

"That's alright. Kristen told me you'd stop by and told me to keep you company while she gets her charger in her car." She says and as if on cue, the door opens and Kristen comes in.

"Yay, you're here!" she pulls me into a quick hug before walking to her bed. She gestures to the bikinis. "So?"

I look at the various bikinis laid on the bed. I'm overwhelmed with the number of bikinis on the bed. I don't even know where to start. I turn to Shaia and Kristen. "I never wore a bikini my entire life, so I don't really know what'll good on me."

Kristen grins and claps her hands. "Luckily, you have me."

"And me!" Shaia waves her hand at her and Kristen rolls her eyes at her.

Kristen grabs a red bikini; strapless bra and the panty's side is tied into a ribbon. She puts it aside and looks for more. She grabs a white halter bra with its matching panty and puts it together with the red one.

"Oo, add this one," Shaia hands Kristen a simple black bikini that has one white line that goes across the bra.

Kristen turns to me and tells me to choose between those three. I fiddle with my fingers and shuffle in place. "Do have any one-piece swimsuits?" I ask sheepishly.

Kristen rolls her eyes. "And cover up that amazing body of yours? Nu-uh."

I sigh in defeat before picking up the black bikini. I don't normally wear black nor bikinis, but I guess tonight it's time for a change. I tell Shaia and Kristen about picking the black bikini and they both squeal in excitement.

I grab my wallet from my bag to pay Kristen and she refuses to take the money. "Call it a gift," she shrugs and I hug her, thanking her.

I hang around Kristen's room with her and Shaia while waiting for Alanna and Megan to come back. They come back around seven o' clock, bearing food. Luckily, they brought salad. We don't want to eat so much when we'll be wearing bikinis later. I introduce them to Alanna to the both of them and later introduce Shaia to them.

We leave for the party around ten and bring a bag with us for our towels and dry clothes. We get to the party and immediately hide our bags in a tree. Kristen, Alanna, Megan and Shaia start stripping into their bikinis and I stand there awkwardly.

"Ren, come on!" Megan tells me to take my clothes off.

I rub my shoulders. "I don't know..." I look around and see a lot of people. They will all be seeing me in a bikini.

Megan grabs both my shoulders and shakes me. "Ren, listen. Yes, people will be seeing you in a bikini. But hey, they will also be seeing your amazing body. You got a model's body, show it off."

I smile and nod at her. The girls give me time to strip and after I do so they all whistle and wave them off. "Let's just go and get in the water already." I tell them. We all link arms and walk to the river.

I feel a pair of eyes on me and I look around, meeting a pair of green eyes. Austin looks down at my bikini before looking back at my face. He narrows his eyes at me and when I wave his eyes widen and he looks away immediately. Did he not know it was me?

The girls and I all jump together in the water. Once I emerge from the water, Kristen starts splashing at me. I laugh and splash back and so does the others. We laugh and splash around when we hear Travis.

"Hey girls!" he calls our attention and we turn to him. "Who's up for a chicken fight?" he smirks.

Alanna and Megan raises their hands and swam towards Travis. "Me and Megan versus Alanna and Adam," Travis announces. Adam swims towards them and Alanna climbs onto his shoulders. Megan does the same with Travis. Another guy comes out of nowhere and starts rambling about the fight.

I look around and see Austin with Andre. I swim to them and Andre smiles when he sees me. "Hi guys," Andre pulls me by the waist and hugs me.

"You're here!" he spins me around the water and his enthusiasm makes me laugh. Austin coughs and it makes Andre stop. He loosens his grip and I take the chance to pull away.

"You're not joining?" Austin nods at the chicken fight that's going on.

I shake my head. "I don't have a partner."

"Alanna and Adam wins!" the guy from a while ago yells and Alanna and Adam cheer in victory.

"Unfair! There was water in my eyes!" Travis protests.

"Well we are in a river, man." Adam says sarcastically and Travis frowns at him.

"Who dares challenge the champion?" the guy yells and looks around for volunteers.

Everyone else looks around for volunteers. Apparently, no one wants to go against them. Until Andre raises his hands. "I'll do it," he shrugs nonchalantly.

"And your partner is...?"

He turns to me and smiles. My eyes widen and I shake my hands in front of his face. "No, no, no-"

He points a finger at me. "This girl right here."

I hear gasps and whispers and everyone's eyes are now definitely on me. Thanks Andre. Andre offers his hand and I take it as we swim towards Adam and Alanna. Once we reach them, he bends down for me to get on his shoulders.

He looks up at me. "You okay up there?"

"You mean besides the fact that I hate being in the center of attention and now everyone's staring at me? Yeah, I'm grand." I wrap my legs around Andre and grips onto my thighs. I lightly gasp when his hands come in contact with my thighs. I clench my jaw and try to calm myself.

"You do know why they're staring, right?" he asks.

"Do I want to know?" I ask rhetorically.

"They see a hot girl in an incredible bikini. Who wouldn't want to take a good look at her?" he chuckles lightly and I blush like a tomato.

We get to out positions and Andre feels me stiffen in place. He rubs my thigh soothingly. "I won't let you fall. Don't worry," he says.

"Don't make promises you can't keep," I tell him.

He grins, "I don't."

"We'll try to go easy on you," Alanna smiles innocently.

"No need, Ren will beat your asses up." Andre says ever so confidently.

At least one of us here is confident.

One the guy yells fight Andre grips onto my thighs tighter and charges forward while I have my hands up, ready to shove Alanna down. Once we get close enough, I shove Alanna hard by the shoulder and all it did is...nothing.

I hear Travis laugh and it makes me think little of me. What am I doing? I'm not strong enough. I look around and see Austin. He give me a small smile and mouths, you can do it.

I may not be strong, but I have to start acting like I am.

Alanna shoves me and I almost fall off but Andre grips me hard to keep me on his shoulders. I shove Alanna again and she doesn't budge. "You got to do better, Ren." Andre tells me.

I groan in frustration. Okay, perhaps acting like I'm strong enough is a bad idea. I'm not strong. But I am smart.

All I have to do is play defense. I bend down to whisper to Andre. "We're going to have to let her shove me a couple of times," I whisper to him.

"What? You crazy?" he exclaims.

"I have a plan," I tell him.

He sighs, "Okay, I'll do my best to keep you steady."

We move forward and Alanna shoves me and I tilt back but Andre manages to keep me upright once more. She shoves me again and again and again. I feel Andre breathing heavily under me. I pat chest. "Just a few more shoves." I tell him and he nods.

He chuckles, "You better know what you're doing bella."

Alanna shoves me once more before backing up. She starts panting and wipes the back of her hand across her forehead. Travis looks up at her and she shakes her head at him. I pat Andre once more and tell him to attack. He nods and trudges forward and I give my shove all my energy and all I have in me.

Alanna falls into the water with a big splash and the crowd goes wild.

"Winners! Andre and Ren!" the guy raises Andre's arm up and I throw my arms in the air cheering. I look at Alanna and Adam arguing before waving it off. I turn around to look at Austin but see him talking to Madison. I sigh, frowning. I shake my head, I just won a chicken fight I have to be happy.

Andre helps me down and pulls me into a hug. I laugh in his arms and he pulls away with both his hands on my shoulders. "Told you I wouldn't let you fall," he smirks.

I roll my eyes at him and splash some water at his face. "Yeah, whatever."

"Ren!" I turn around and Alanna is swimming her way to me. "Good plan making me use up all my energy."

I give her a sad smile and rub her arm comfortingly. "You okay though? That fall looked painful." I cringe.

She shakes her head, "I had fun. Don't worry about it." She swims back to Adam. Andre tugs on my hand and I follow him out of the water. I grab a towel from my bag and wrap it around my shoulders. I'm pretty beat, so Andre goes a grabs me a water. We sit on a rock by the river.

I ask Andre about Spain since I've never been. He tells me all these amazing things about Spain and I instantly fall in love with it. "Do you miss it?" I ask him.

He slightly smiles. "It's my home, of course I do. But leaving this place will be just as painful as leaving Spain."

I can't imagine leaving home. I'd miss it too much to enjoy my travel. I wrap the towel tight around me and look around the party. My head bobs with the music. I watch the girls flirt with the guys and start dancing. I see a guy standing upside down on a keg with Travis holding him steady.

The wind blows pass me and I shiver, holding the towel closer to my body. I turn to Andre and ask where I can change. He accompanies me to grab my bag and change behind the tree. Andre stands guard while I change, of course.

After changing, I see Andre already has a shirt on. He extends his hand and I stare at it. He chuckles, "I just want to hold hands not make out with you." I laugh lightly and take his hand in mine. We walk hand in hand and see Adam has set up a beer pong table by the refreshments.

We approach the table and see Austin about to toss the Ping-Pong ball. He glances at me then down at my hands that are entwined to Andre's. He clenches his jaw and turns back at the table. He throws the ball and it knocks out two cups and it falls off the table.

Andre leans down at me. "That's how you play beer pong here?" he asks.

I shake my head. What is wrong with Austin? What's got him so worked up? Travis gapes at Austin and slams his fist on the table. "That isn't how you play, man!" he exclaims.

Austin glares at Travis. "Does it look like I give a rat's ass about the game?" he snaps.

Suddenly, the other guy on their team falls to the ground and starts mumbling things about Spiderman. After that, he vomits all over the fall. In an instant, Andre lets go of my hand and pulls me away by the waist so I don't get hit by the vomit. The guy is so wasted.

Travis groans in frustration and tugs on his hair. "And I knew we shouldn't have let him in our team," he gestures some random guys to pick the drunk guy up from the ground.

The entire night was spent with Andre. And I had fun. We played beer pong (I let Andre take my glass whenever I lose), we danced, and the whole night was just full of fun.

Alanna got drunk and Adam volunteered to bring her back to the UNI. Megan and Travis left together and were probably making out somewhere else. On the other hand, Austin was missing in action. Kristen and Shaia were my ride back home but they were too busy flirting with guys, so Andre decided to bring me home.

We leave around two in the morning, but I feel so wide awake. I don't want to sleep. I feel like if I do fall asleep, I'd waste the entire night.

Andre leans closer to the dashboard and stares at the sky in awe. "Wow," he says. He turns to me and nods at the window. "Come and look."

I lean closer to the dashboard, mimicking his actions. I look up at the sky and see stars. And millions of them. They're so beautiful. I touch the window with my index finger, pointing at a constellation. I point at more constellations and name them.

Andre smiles at me 'nerding' around. I lean back at my seat and turn to him. "Please don't tease me," I say nonchalantly.

He shakes his head, "I find it cute."

I roll my eyes and press the button to open the window. I place my arm on the door and rest my head on my arm. I look up at the stars and watch them twinkle in the dark blue sky.

"Are you tired?" Andre asks without looking at me and I shake my head. He grins, "Good, because I want to take you somewhere."

I furrow my brows. "At two in the morning? Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise, alright? So shush." I frown and turn my attention back at the stars. Andre drives for thirty minutes until we reach a familiar road. He stops the car right in front of the cliff.

"The cliff." I say in awe. I get out of the car and walk closer to the edge. With the stars out this time of the night and the scenery to wide, it's just incredible.

Andre joins me and frowns. "You've been here?"

I nod without looking at him. "Austin brought me here once."

He crosses his arms over his chest and looks out at the open. "Are you and Austin together?" he asks softly and my head snaps at his direction before I burst out laughing.

"Why would you think that?" I laugh, wiping away the tears that start to form in my eyes. "Seriously, out of the people."

He shakes his head, "He's been jealous lately."

"Of who?"

"Of me."

I point at him. "He's jealous of you..." I point at myself. "...because you're spending so much time with me?" I laugh again. "You're delusional."

He rolls his eyes at me. He turns to face me and takes both my hands in his. "And you're sure there's nothing going on between you two?" he asks again.

"Absolutely nothing," I shake my head. "We're just roommates."

He smiles and drops one of my hands and tows me towards his car with the other. He opens the back door, revealing pillows and blankets. I turn to him and pull him into a hug. "We're sleeping over?" I ask, pulling away and looking up at him.

He shrugs, "If you want to." He smiles down at me.

"Yes, I want to!" I grab the blankets and bring towards the back of Andre's pickup truck. He grabs the pillows and opens the back for me to easily climb in. I lay the blankets on the ground and lay more on top. Andre puts the pillows at the end and I sit down and grin at him.

"I've always wanted to sleep under the stars," I tell him.

He sits down beside me. "I'm glad to make you happy." I lie down and he follows me. He wraps an arm around me and I snuggle closer to his chest. We don't talk. Instead I listen to the sound of the wind blowing, the cars passing by, and the sound of his heart beat.

I look up at the sky and watch the stars until my eyes start to feel heavy. I close my eyes and a few seconds later I feel a pair of lips kissing my temple.

"Good night, bella."