Not Another Vampire Story - 3
3. Stripping by the Pool
PG13. Tween, humor, middle school, angst, vampires, summer, manga, Jpop. #ReadFree
Suggested Music: Shanghai Honey on YouTube
And then the spotlight fell fully on Sylvia. . .
Sylvia left and rejoined Holly at the poolside, the sun immediately bringing a dry heat to her skin. "Well, he's here."
Holly gave her a bewildered look. "Brian?"
"No, Terry." Sylvia repositioned her lounge chair so it was angled to watch inside the house. "We get to meet him later. He can't be as gorgeous as Julia says."
"I don't know; she's had some pretty hot ones."
Sylvia looked at the CD player. "Want to get your people out or should I?'
"Back off, Red. No one touches my Kanjani CDs but me."
"That's what I figured."
Holly pulled out her beloved music CD and Sylvia enclosed the KAT-TUN CD and hit play. She sat down in the lounge chair, sighing. For a moment they each got comfortable in the blazing sun, and then a smile crossed Sylvia's face as a Japanese pop tune began.
"I'm thinking about dropping Girl Got Game," Holly said after a moment.
Sylvia frowned. "Why? You said it was the best manga you'd read in two years."
"It's not. Ever since Chiharu threw Kyo out, I just can't sympathize with him anymore. He's not very sensitive." Holly sighed, looking into the house at the two forms they could see through a window moving inside near the kitchen. "She can't help it she has to pose as a boy to play basketball."
Sylvia followed her friend's gaze. They could see Julia inside, leaning against the kitchen island counter, a definite masculine form standing close, one hand around her waist. "Well, Kensuke is coming up in the next volume, I think, and he—"
"You said you wouldn't read ahead." Holly's hand whapped Sylvia's shoulder—right on a spot that was starting to get sunburned-tender.
"Ow! I didn't." Sylvia rubbed the red area. "I just looked at the spoilers, kind of, online. Not much, Holly." She was about to say more when the song on the CD got her attention. She turned the volume up. "Hold it." She smiled as the verse was sung, and then backed down the sound. "Ah, Junno's line."
They looked to where Julia was still leaning her back on the kitchen counter, both of the second figure's arms wrapped around her, their torsos together tight. Holly sighed; Sylvia felt something verging on voyeurism.
"This is kinda weird," she mumbled, but didn't look away. She shook her head, after a moment her eyes leaving the two figures in the house that were intent on each other. "You're dropping Girl completely?"
"I don't know. I was thinking about starting Fruits Basket." Holly was ready for the laughter that erupted from Sylvia. "It's got a big fan-base, girl. And a Kyo."
"A boy-Kyo, Holly." Sylvia giggled, shoving Holly's shoulder, careful not to jar the CD player between them. "I can't believe you."
"Well, I might. I don't know yet."
"Besides, it's old but a classic, like Sailor Moon."
"Yeah, you can't top Sailor Moon for a gateway manga."
Holly made a disagreeable face at the house. "How long have they been going out?"
"I don't know. Three or four weeks." Sylvia watched the two forms separate and go farther into the kitchen. "She's been absolutely gaga and it's so embarrassing. She never goes asinine over guys."
"He must have something, then."
Sylvia nodded slowly, and then looked up at the relentless sun and back to the shade falling from the palm umbrella. "Let's move to the table. We're losing the shade."
"Take a swim?" Holly suggested as they stood and collected their towels from the lounge chairs.
"Yeah, after I get KAT-TUN out of the sun." Sylvia shook out the towel.
Behind her the glass door at the house slid open and a deep voice called out across the small yard. "Hey, Sylvia, Holly, you ladies want some iced tea?"
Sylvia and Holly looked to the deck, each sheltering their eyes from the sun to see Julia's latest boyfriend. But the sun only shadowed from the neighbor's house, allowing Terry to be visible as a dark silhouetted form on Brian's deck.
"Yeah, thanks!" Sylvia shouted back. When Terry went back into the house, she turned to Holly, who was standing akimbo, shaking her head. "What?"
"Listen, Red, if you're going to speak to him at least make him come out here where we can ogle him properly." Holly shrugged. "That was our chance."
"Julia said she'd introduce us later." Sylvia cast a look at the house. Actually, that wasn't exactly how Julia had put it.
"She better."
Sylvia turned to look at her legs, past her butt, angling out a foot. Yup. Red marks the size of Frisbees below her butt-cheeks. Great impression, Sylvi, she thought.
Holly was already at the table at the corner of the pool, bending over to pull the lever on the half-folded umbrella. Sylvia set her towel on one of the three bench seats anchored to the table. Behind her she heard the door slide open again and looked over her shoulder to see Julia and Terry step out onto the deck, she with a tray of drinks.
"They're coming," she said, turning back to Holly.
Suddenly the umbrella flipped up, making Sylvia step back, but not quickly enough. The tip of an umbrella spine caught her bikini top at the center of her chest, snapping the back strap, ripping the strings behind her neck, and the teal top went zinging over the wooden plank fence and into the neighbor's yard.
For a split second Sylvia didn't move, exposed, and able to only stand immobile as Holly looked back at her in wide-eyed horror. Then a scream burst out of Sylvia, she crossed her arms over her un-tanned self, and dropped to her knees. Holly grabbed a towel and covered Sylvia's shoulders in a James Brown-esque performance.
Sylvia's mouth was still gaping as she looked back to her sister and Terry, who had halted halfway across the yard.
"Sylvia! Stop it!" Julia demanded. Beside her, Terry appeared to be chuckling.
Stop it?! Sylvia thought, slowly rising. She pulled the edges of the towel closer and ran around the pool's side, snagging the KAT-TUN case as she went, dashing past the blur that was Julia and Terry—whom she no longer wanted too close of a look at—and onto the deck.
She barely opened the sliding glass door enough to slip through and dashed into the relative safety of the bathroom down the hall from the kitchen. Once there she sat on the toilet lid, panting and still screaming inside her head, her knees shaking, and what little of her bosom jiggling. She hugged the towel closer. Why now?
In front of Holly. In front of Terry.
A knock came to the door, making her jump and yelp.
"It's me," Julia said from the hall. "I'm coming in."
"Stay out," Sylvia said as Julia opened the door and smiled, closing it behind her. "I said stay out."
"Great. My sister, the streaker." She held out Sylvia's bag. "Put a shirt on."
"I don't have one. Only shorts." Sylvia snatched the bag and looked in it anyway.
"Nice first impression." Julia leaned against the door, throwing her an accusatory look.
"I didn't mean it. Jeez, Julia, how about—?"
"How's Gypsy Rose Lee in there?" came a male voice from the hall.
Sylvia made a confused face. Julia laughed, turning to the door and opening it a crack.
"Stop it!" Sylvia cried, even though the door was only open two inches.
"Can I help?" Terry asked, still unseen.
"No!" Sylvia answered, but her sister nodded.
"Want to give me a ride home to get an extra shirt?"
There was a fumbling sound, then a pleased, flirty look crossing Julia's face, and then a navy t-shirt was reached in through the slot of opening at the door. "Will this do?"
"Thanks." Julia shut the door, smiling. She turned to Sylvia. "Here."
Sylvia took the shirt with two fingers, still clutching the towel. She smelled the shirt. Actually, kind of nice cologne, she decided. She freed a few more fingers to check the size of the shirt. No slouch, Terry. She frowned at Julia. "You told him my name is Gypsy?"
Julia shook her head. "Oh, you unlearned fool. Gypsy Rose Lee was a notorious stripper from the burlesque days."
"What?!"
Julia opened the door, making Sylvia clutch the towel again. "Hurry out, little sis."
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Thanks to Sakurapu for sharing her story!
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