Bait a Hook Ch. 01

*Author's note: The two main characters are 18. This story takes a little while to develop, and for the two main characters to meet. I have most of it completed and will post chapters as often as I can. I hope you enjoy it. *

Chapter 1: Relocation

"I can't believe you are doing this to me!" I shouted as I stormed up the stairs to my room. My parents were sick of the city and wanted to move somewhere with a slower pace.

"Bobby don't stomp away while we're talking to you!" My dad bellowed up the stairs. I slammed the door and quickly changed into some board shorts wondering what had happened, wondering why I deserved being snatched away from my home and all of my friends a couple weeks before starting my senior year of high school. I put on a t-shirt and flip flops before making my way downstairs. On my way through the kitchen I grabbed the keys to my Jeep and shouted to whoever wanted to listen "I'm going for a swim."

"Be back by dinner," I heard mom's calm response as the door shut behind me.

I unzipped my windows and turned the radio on as I headed towards my school, thinking that this might be the last time I made this drive. The trip was short, only 10 minutes or so with no traffic on a Wednesday afternoon. The school was still open for kids taking summer classes, but I turned to the gym and went through the locker room to head to the pool. The locker room was pretty empty; only a handful of athletes using the weight rooms preparing for the upcoming season. I put my t-shirt in the locker grabbed my chamois and headed into the jungle like steam of the pool. Thankfully it was quiet and there was only one other soul in the chlorine filled haze, a girl from the swim team. I waved as I walked over to the lane on the opposite end of the pool.

If this had been a meet, I would have had my tight Speedos that housed the school's bulldog logo over my butt, but I was happy just to swim some laps and relax. Letting my mind wander and trying to see If I could make some sense of the new life that I was about to lead. I went towards the deeper end and eased my 5'10" frame into the semi-cool liquid. I was in shape being on the swim team as long as I could remember. My short light brown hair almost blonde from years of chlorine glued itself flat to my head as I submerged myself into the water, my bangs almost reaching my eyes. I lost count of time and thoughts as I swam lap after lap. It hadn't been that difficult to make friends, but I didn't want o be newly 18 in a whole new town with no support system, well I had my sister, Emily, and I loved her, but she was my sister. Emily of course was the only one I trusted with my secrets. I was shocked out of my contemplation when I felt someone's hand when I did a flip turn. I splashed out of the water to look at Lisa, the girl who was swimming when I arrived, as she said, "they're about to lock the gym." I glanced at my watch and was surprised to see I had been there an hour. Nodding in recognition I waved as she headed towards the girl's locker room.

I hopped out of the pool and put on my flip flops and quickly tousled my hair with my chamois, I much preferred soft terry cloth towels, but this was quick, easy, and didn't take up much room. I made it out of the school nodding and waving to the few people I saw on my way out.

I expected to see my parents waiting for me with meaningful expressions as I walked in, but was surprised to see just Emily sitting on the couch watching a talk show.

"Mom and dad went out," she informed me as I closed the door behind me. I wondered why mom had told me to be back by dinner, but Emily, as she was prone to do, answered my thought. "I heard mom whispering to dad about giving you some time and space. They left $20.00 for us to order a pizza and said they would be back in a few hours."

"Alright, I'm going to take a shower, you can order a pizza if you want, half pepperoni," I suggested as I headed for the stairs. "I already did," I heard her shout as I opened the bathroom door.

I jumped in the shower and turned the water on as hot as I could stand it. I kept my board shorts on just long enough to wash out the chemicals, so they didn't get bleached, stepped out of them, and hung them on a rack in the back of the shower. I closed my eyes and leaned into the soothing spray and just stood there thinking. Would I fit into this new school, new town? I wonder if they would know that I was... I shook my head to clear my thoughts and shampooed my hair. As I was washing myself I realized that what little chest hair I had was growing back on my flat belly, it had been a couple weeks since my last swim meet, so I didn't have a need to remove it. I wasn't one of those guys who shaved their legs and armpits, but I did like the look of my smooth defined lean chest. I rubbed the soap over the rest of my body and was startled when my sister started banging on the door to let me know that the pizza had arrived.

We ate on the couch and chatted about what we thought of the move. Emily was actually excited, she never liked the suburbs of D.C., thought the people were snobs and fake, which to be fair, a few of them were. I liked being in the city, being able to drive 10 minutes in any direction and find whatever it is that I needed. I didn't know much about the eastern shore of Virginia, except that it was rural.

"When is the moving truck coming," I asked as I finished my third slice of pizza.

"Day after tomorrow, around noon." Emily answered and I grunted. "I'll help you pack Bobby, I know you haven't started."

"Thanks Em." I shrugged and waved my hand for her to follow.

Emily took a detour and trudged up the stairs with a stack of flattened boxes refusing any assistance, stating she could do it. She plopped the stack on the floor in my room and trotted to her room for the packing tape.

We sat there assembling the boxes in silence until she spoke. "This could be good for you."

"This could be bad for me," I rebuffed.

"It'll be good for you to go somewhere that you can relax a little, let down your guard, not worry about trying to fit in or impress people, not worrying about your image." She stated matter-of-factly.

"I don't care what people think of..." I started before I nodded my head in defeat. Em knew me better than anyone and knew that I was scared what people would think of me if they knew. I could mostly be myself, I just had a one aspect of my life that I wasn't quite ready to share with the world, for fear of the response. The more I thought about it, I didn't care what most people thought about me, I was worried my family and some friends would not be supportive.

After a couple hours of packing away clothes, and various odds and ends I had accumulated over the years, we heard the garage door opening, a tell-tale sign that our parents were home. I didn't feel like talking to them so I just got up off the floor and plopped in my bed while Emily skipped down the stairs to meet them.

I must have dozed off because I was jolted awake when I felt someone nudging me in my ribs. "Quit it," I moaned as a rolled over and opened my eyes to face my parents gazing down at me. "How you feeling Bobby," came from my mom as she gazed at me with a concerned expression. "We're not trying to upset you Bobby," my dad filled in, " we just think a change of scenery will be good for all of us."

"I know you aren't trying to upset me," I mumbled, "I am frustrated having to upend my life when I'm starting my senior year. All new places, people, no friends, it just seems...difficult." Was the only word I could think of to describe my emotions in my groggy state.

"Get some sleep kiddo, we love you." Came their response as they flicked off my light switch and softly shut the door behind them.

The next day was a blur of packing and getting things ready for the move. Our parents had a cookout and invited their friends as a final get together before we moved. I handful of Emily's and my friends came and we chatted and had a good time. It would be sad to leave a few of these people, but I didn't have a choice. I was more worried about starting a new life.

*The story continues in Chapter 2*