Hannah

Summer in Florida is hot. And it's only the middle of June.

  Having a pool literally right next to where I'm living is ideal, and I love swimming. I must have learned when I was little - though I don't remember - because for the past ten years, I don't think I went swimming even once.

  It's my fourth day in Clearwater and time seems to be a very weird thing. Some moments, I feel like I just got here and everything is so new. Other times, it feels like I've been here forever. I feel comfortable in the pool house and around the property. Especially the beach, which is only about twenty feet down from their back yard.

  This morning, I put on my new bathing suit and did some laps in the pool. When I hopped out and dried off, Seb was standing near the edge of the pool, watching me. He looked impressed but he didn't say a word as I tucked a towel around my body and walked towards the main house. I heard the splash of him jumping in a moment later.

  In the house, there always seems to be food either cooking or just made. This is something that is hard to get used to. Erin is home today and she smiles at me as I walk into the kitchen. Before I'm even sitting, she has a coffee ready for me. This type of attention / affection is still new and it throws me off guard a bit, but I am starting to like it.

  "How was your swim? Is the pool too cold?" she asks, pouring herself another coffee.

  "It was perfect," I answer, and then pull out the chair to sit. "Um... did I learn to swim when I was... here?"

  Erin grins and nods right away, pulling out the chair in front of me. "You sure did. Matt was actually a swimmer in college and he was very adamant about teaching you and Seb to swim, when you were young. I'm sure you could swim well on your own by the time you were three."

  "Oh, wow. I don't really remember that."

  "Yeah, my parents' summer house had a big pool, so we were there a lot and Matt was always in the water with you and Seb," she goes on, like this is no big deal.

  This is the first time she's talked about her parents - my grandparents - and it surprises me. For now, I chose to leave it be. I'm not ready to get into the family stuff yet. It's only been a few days and I'm barely getting used to being here. I don't know how long I'm sticking around for.

  "Seb is a great swimmer, he was on the high school swim team," Erin goes on, keeping her eyes on me.

  "That's... cool. I haven't really gotten to swim much but... your pool is beautiful."

  "Well, use it all you'd like."

  And I promise myself that I definitely will.

  I see Cannon - the mysterious guy who crashed the pool house a few night ago - walking down the path, just outside the property later that afternoon, on the beach. My brain says to leave him alone, but my heart and my body do not listen. I kicked this guy out of the pool house and now he's here, right in front of me. It's either a sign or he's trying to get my attention.

  I slip out of the pool house - where I was reading a book that Erin bought for me - and end up having to chase him down, calling him. I feel regret creep up as soon as I'm on the beach, but I don't back down. I mean, I'm already here.

  "Hey!"

  He stops and looks back, but his expression is blank. Is he trying to pretend like he doesn't remember me? I jog to catch up with him, but keep my distance a bit. Something about him seems to pull me to him, like a magnet. That both intrigues me and terrifies me.

  "Hey," I say again, when I'm close enough and he obviously know who I am.

   "Hi." His expression remains blank and his hair is sort of sweaty, on his forehead.

  He's wearing a tank top and blue shorts, his feet bare.

  "I... uh, I'm sorry I was a bitch the other night. It was... I'm still settling in," I say, looking down at my feet and then back up to his face.

  "Oh. No worries." He shrugs. Like a real, full on shrug.

  "Okay..." I'm trying to figure out why I chased him down.

  "So... your Seb's cousin?" This question somewhat surprises me.

  "Yeah. I'm staying in the pool house for a little bit. I lived in North Carolina until, like, four days ago."

  Why am I telling them this? He very likely doesn't even care.

   "Ahh. Okay." There's a sort of smirk on his face that throws me off. 

    "What?" I ask him, seriously.

 "Nothing. I'm just wondering why Seb didn't tell me about you."

  I kick at some sand and look out at the water. It's a warm afternoon and there's some fog out in the distance. "I don't know."

"Maybe cause you're from North Carolina," he says under his breath.

 He's judging me? No fucking way.

  I clear my throat and meet his eyes again. "My mom and I got evicted from our house. Instead of waiting until I got home from school, she took off, so she didn't have to deal with it."

Cannon's expression changes. "Uh..."

  I just shrug, now. I'm pissed at him and at the situation and at myself for telling him that.  I'm ready to run. I should run. Why did I follow him down the beach, anyway? I actually turn and start walking away, but he starts talking again.

    "My parents are always fighting. My dad gets a few drinks in him and picks fights and... it can get bad. I just need to not be there sometimes. So, the other night... I was just going to sleep on the couch in the pool house. I do that sometimes."

  "Why don't you tell Seb? I'm sure you could stay in his room?" I ask, confused. "Also, I'm sure they have extra rooms in that massive house."

  Cannon smiles and then rolls his eyes, like he knows what I mean.  "His parents hate my dad already. Long story," he tells me. "I don't need any more reasons for them to judge my family."

  "Well, they hate my mom, too," I say, seriously.

  He lets out a laugh. "Seb would hate that you're here right now."

  I shake my head right away. "Seb doesn't control me. I don't even think he likes me that much."

  "Yeah, right." Cannon looks like I said something really dumb. "I just have enough respect for him to not be sneaking around with his cousin."

    "I get that. But I am pretty sure he's not all that concerned about me. He didn't even tell you about me," I go on.

  It's weird that I was close to walking away from him and now I'm not interested in leaving this conversation at all. This guy is a total stranger but I feel safe talking to him. I guess because he knows Seb.

  "Probably because he does care about you. And wants me to stay away... so, you can't tell him that we've.... talked."

  "It's not like we're getting drunk together or messing around. We're literally just walking on the beach." I laugh, but when I see that he didn't think that was funny, I stop.

  "I know, but..." He seems legitimately concerned about this, so I just nod.

  "Fine. I won't tell him."

  "Thanks," he says. "I have to get home..."

  "Oh, yeah," I agree, then turn to look back towards where I came from. "See you later."

  He nods but doesn't say another word before continuing to walk in the direction he was already going.

*

The next evening is our first family dinner night.

  I have been told it happens about once a week, when Matt is in town. When he's not, Erin tries to have Seb home for dinner once or twice a week, either with Cannon or Sabrina, his girlfriend, tagging along, too. Now that I'm included, she says they want to do it more often.

  Matt brought home tacos from a food truck near the studio he was working at, so they are all spread out on the counter and it's sort of a free for all. The kitchen smells amazing. I take one soft taco and a plate and walk back across the room to sit at the table.

  The conversation mostly consists of Erin asking how I'm settling in (fine, thank you), Matt talking about work and Seb avoiding questions about how he's been spending his time. I get the feeling he doesn't spend a lot of time at home, especially now that it's summer and he's finished high school. Erin insists I have another taco, so I do, and before I know it we are all finishing up.

   First family dinner done and it was better than expected.

  "Cannon and I are going to meet Sabrina and Karley at the dock soon," Seb says suddenly, pushing away from the table.

  He ate a few tacos and some fries and drank an entire large cup of Coke. I don't know where he puts it, because he's as thin as anything. Now he's staring at his mom, waiting for her reply.

  "Why don't you take Hannah with you?" Erin suggests, trying to sound casual about it.

  "Mom-" Seb says, at the same time that I begin.

  "No it's okay-"

  "Seb, take Hannah with you," she says again, this time more stern.  "She needs to get the full experience of what being a teenager in Clearwater is all about." She finishes with a laugh, though neither Seb or I are even smiling by this point.

  I don't want to argue about it, so I wait to see what Seb says now. He's standing, ready to take off, and finally gives a nod in my direction. Shit. My heart starts beating too fast and I know I'm stuck, now.

  "We're leaving in twenty minutes."

  Erin seems happy with this and smiles at me before she turns around to start loading the dishwasher. I know she's trying to help and wants us to hang out, but I know what this will be. Me, tagging along with Seb and his friends. Sure, I have already  met Cannon, but Seb doesn't even know that.

Awkward - that's what this will be.