You Love Me To Hate You
As I was writing this, I realized that I was over 20k words and wasn't even close to a finishing point. I decided to break it up into chapters.
One of the criticisms against me is that I don't develop my characters enough. Maybe I've got that figured out now? Maybe it's just word salad?
This story could've gone in any number of categories, but at its heart it's a romance. There's some cheating, bad language, sex, drama, and some fighting, but most of all there's a love story.
Thanks for reading. -BH
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Craig and Todd were swimming at Todd's house. It was the end of the summer before their senior year of high school and they spent some time every day in the cool water.
They both had an ulterior motive, Todd's older sister Isabella and her friend Mia.
Izzy and her friends spend several days of their summer vacation sunbathing or swimming themselves. Izzy and her friends are going into their freshman year of college and Todd and Craig have been drooling over the girls for years. The only one Craig is interested in, however, is Izzy. Todd can't take his eyes off of any of the others.
"Hey, perverts!" Izzy yelled to the boys. "Go creep out somewhere else."
Izzy and her best friend Mia had gone out in their skimpy bikinis and didn't want to be ogled by the two young men.
"Come on, Sis. It's my pool too," Todd complained using his most annoyed tone. "You're always pulling this crap."
"You know mom and dad agree with me that when I'm out here with my friends, you and your co-conspirator need to leave us alone. Go inside and jerk each other off. Now leave!"
Craig silently got out of the large in-ground pool and walked over to the lounge chair where his towel and shirt were.
Mia watched him as Todd and Izzy argued. She noticed the growth spurt that was the cause of him bulking up. His broad, muscular shoulders and chest led down to a rock hard six-pack of abs and a thin waist. "Damn," she thought. "It's like looking at Captain America. From scrawny to brawny."
"Sorry, Mia," he said, breaking her reverie. "We'll get out of your hair."
Mia slid her sunglasses down her nose and said, "Cruise on, perv," and watched him walk away enjoying the sight of the wet swim trunks clinging to his sculpted rear end.
Todd climbed out of the pool and ran to catch up to Craig as he was walking into the house.
"Hey, bro. Don't let the bitches win. My mom said if we're here first she has to wait for us to finish."
"Forget it, man. It's not worth the hassle," Craig answered. "Let's go get some lunch."
"In a minute. I want to check Mia out."
He ran up the stairs to his parents' room. Their bedroom had the only windows that looked out over the pool and he spent a lot of time watching his sister's friends from that room.
When he looked out the window he saw Izzy and Mia looking right at him and showing their lack of appreciation by flipping him their middle fingers.
He gave them their one-finger salute back and retreated to his room to change clothes.
"Assholes," Izzy said as Mia was laying a towel down on the hot lounge chair.
"I don't know, Izzy. You could've let Craig stay. He's looking awfully yummy nowadays."
"Ew! There's no way I'm letting my perv brother and his weird friend stay out here and stare at us. They're creeps."
"Your brother for sure, but Craig is turning into some fine eye candy and I want to stare at him," she said laughing as Izzy handed her the suntan lotion.
"Get my back, please," she said looking up at the window to make sure no one was there watching.
Craig slid open the patio door and shouted out, "We're gonna run to Frank's. Do you guys want anything?"
Izzy didn't bother to look at him and said, "No. Just get out of here."
Craig shook his head and closed the door. He couldn't understand why Izzy hated him so much. He understood her annoyance with her brother, but he never got caught staring at her or her friends. Although he'd spent plenty of time watching from the window as well.
"Dude, check this out," Todd yelled out.
Craig walked upstairs to find Todd holding a pair of red thong panties.
"I have Mia's underwear," Todd said triumphantly.
"Don't be a dick. Put them back."
"No way. I found them. They're mine now."
"How do you know they aren't your sister's"
Todd paled and tossed them back onto the floor where he found them.
"Good point. Let's go eat."
*********
Izzy started classes and immersed herself in college life. She prided herself on her studies. She took school seriously and didn't get involved in the partying that many of her classmates did. As a result, she developed a reputation in her dorm for being stuck up. It suited her fine. She was left alone and could get her work done.
At the same time, Craig was putting his nose to the grindstone for his senior year. He realized that he needed to get his act together and put some more effort into it because his grades started slipping in his junior year.
Todd was of no help. Todd wasn't planning on going to college. He was going to find work in the trades and work with his hands. He floated through his senior year and did his best to drag down Craig, though not intentionally.
*********
Thanksgiving came and Izzy came home for the short break. As soon as she walked in her parents' front door, she saw Craig sitting on the couch watching television with Todd.
Craig jumped up to say hello, but before he could speak she jumped down his throat.
"Ugh! Don't you have your own home, creep? Can't you guys hang out there?"
Craig stuttered, "Uh...no...um, my mom works nights and she's sleeping."
"Whatever!" she spat back. "Just leave me alone."
Craig sat back down as she walked through and up to her room. Todd laughed at him and said, "Smooth, guy. Real smooth."
Craig threw a couch pillow at him and went back to watching the show.
A few minutes later, Craig was getting some water in the kitchen when Izzy walked in. He stood tall, threw his shoulders back, and asked, "How are your classes? Are they pretty rough?"
She looked at him in disgust and grabbed the unopened bottle out of his hand and went back to her room without saying a word.
"That went well," he shrugged as he grabbed another bottle and returned to the living room.
The next month around Christmas, Todd and Craig were in the food court at the mall when Mia and Izzy walked by.
Craig looked up just as they were walking by and he said, "Hi, girls."