For those of you waiting for this chapter, I'm sorry it took so long. I just moved into a new apartment and I've been busy as hell. This is my first time writing anything in the past couple of months. Anyway, I hope the wait was worth it, and I hope you're not waiting even longer for chapter three. Enjoy.
Jack was angry with his brother, Kyle. He knew he should have been more forgiving of his demeanor, knowing him well enough to understand that he probably didn't mean to act like an asshole, but throughout that afternoon, Kyle had repeatedly been rude to him for no reason.
He tried not to let on that it was bothering him. He knew that if he brought it up to Kevin, he would most definitely lecture Kyle about his behavior, and he didn't want his brother becoming any more upset than he was before. They had some tension between them that was worsening as the years went by, and he didn't want to have to explain all of that to Kevin, especially when he couldn't tell him the real reasons why they had been feuding and fighting on and off.
He knew Kevin could see how forlorn he appeared, but he told him he'd be fine, and he was enjoying the afternoon with all of them. He didn't want to let on that something was wrong, even though Kevin could tell he was hurt from a mile away. When they decided to go swimming later on after coming back to the hotel room, Kyle denied the offer to swim with them, and stayed in the hotel room.
"Is Kyle having a bad day, or something?" Kevin casually queried to Jack, who tried to look none the wiser.
"I, uh, don't know," he answered, hiding his look of discontent. "I guess he is. He's like that sometimes."
Kevin chuckled. "Hey, you don't have to explain that to me. I know how he is. I was just wondering what he was acting so pissed at you about."
Jack was hoping Kevin wouldn't bring this up. He never even mentioned Kyle's actions to him, and yet, he still managed to know what was wrong. "I don't know, Kevin. I don't know what his problem is, and I don't care right now. If he wants to be alone right now, let him."
Kevin gave him a cautionary glance. "All right, but tell me if something happens, or if you want to talk."
"Let's just enjoy the rest of the afternoon, all right?"
Kevin nodded in agreement and headed for the pool, draping a towel over his shoulder, following Andrew to the steel gate surrounding the water. Jack trailed after them, hoping some swimming would ease his nerves. He didn't want to think about his problems with Kyle.
After they prepared for swimming, Kevin was standing at the edge of the deep end of the hotel's indoor pool, looking hesitant. He was wearing the tiny bathing suit he had tried talking Andrew into buying, but instead bought for himself, and earlier Andrew had argued with him for nearly an hour about how wearing it could probably get him arrested, and Kevin told him it'd be fine, but Andrew was unconvinced. Even after Andrew had tried to persuade him into buying a different bathing suit, Kevin was indifferent about a fashion change.
"Is it cold, or what?" Kevin asked his son who was already in the water.
"No, dad, it's fine, just jump in before you get jumped yourself."
Kevin clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes. He then carefully slipped into the water and shrieked. "I think my bathing suit just doubled in size!"
"That's probably a good thing..."
Kevin frowned at Andrew as he floated near the wall, trying to adjust to the water's temperature. "Shut up, you. I know you like it on me."
Andrew quickly looked at Jack, who was climbing into the water as well, hoping he didn't hear what Kevin had just said, then waded to his father's side. "Yeah, I do, but now other people are checking you out."
Kevin laughed. "Oh, they are not."
"No? Not even that huge fat guy over there who has been staring at you since you walked in?"
Kevin looked over his shoulder at the rotund man sitting in a lounge chair, who was indeed looking straight at him. Kevin shuddered and turned back around. "Well I wouldn't worry about it, all right?"
"Just don't do any cannonballs. I don't think those little strings can withstand the force."
Kevin chuckled. "I wouldn't worry about that."
"Uh, nice suit, Kev," Jack nervously complimented.
Kevin smirked in flattery. "Thank you, Jack."
"I hope it doesn't blind or scar any young children."
Kevin then frowned. "Uh." He then used his hand to send a large wave of water at Jack's face, and he squeezed his eyes shut and squealed. They splashed each other for several minutes, until Jack leapt onto his back and began trying to submerse Kevin beneath the surface. Kevin fought with him, flailing his limbs, flipping Jack over his shoulder. Jack wailed and spit water as he surfaced and gave up the fight.
"Well I was going to ask if you guys were having fun, but I can see the answer to that." It was Kyle, who was standing on the wet floor above the pool, looking in at them.
Kevin met his friend's gaze. "Kyle! I'm glad you decided to come down and join us."
Jack smiled at his older brother. "Feeling better?"
Kyle sighed. "Yeah, I guess. Right now I'd really just like to get wet and float around." He tossed his towel onto a vacant table, then climbed into the pool.
"Are you all right? You seemed kind of bitter earlier."
Kyle sighed, glancing at his best friend. "Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just in a funk, or something." He avoided making eye contact with his brother.
"Don't worry Kyle," Andrew spoke up to him, in a voice that was layered with snide sarcasm. "There
will
be beer." Kevin snickered quietly, trying to hide it from his friend.
Kyle glared at Andrew. "Shut up, half-pint." Andrew stuck his tongue out.
The four of them spent a few hours swimming and conversing, splashing and roughhousing, until Jack told the others he was finally getting out of the pool. "Aw, you're done already?" Kevin said in disappointment.
"What do you mean 'already?' We've been swimming for three hours. My hands look like raisins."
"Fine, fine. Leave the exercise to the studs." He winked, then Andrew splashed him in the face, making him squint his eyes shut. He spit water out of his mouth.
Jack shook his head, then walked across the room, his wet feet slapping on the tiles. The smell of chlorine was overbearing, and he was nearly dizzy from it, but getting out of the warm water caused goose bumps to rise in his skin. He hugged his thin chest, following the signs on the wall that guided him over to the sauna. He shivered as he pulled open the wooden sauna door, and was pleased to see the cramped room was empty. He sighed in relief at the surrounding warmth, then plopped his skinny rear onto the bench, breathing in the sent of burning coal and sweating wood. He used his towel to dry off his skin, and shook his short, brown hair from side to side, sending drops of water flying in every direction. He had now wished he hadn't spent so much time that morning putting gel in his hair to get it spiked up, since the water had flattened it and ruined his hard work.
Jack pulled the towel under him and sat on it, the wood beginning to burn him slightly, and leaned back against the upper bench above him. He closed his eyes and tried to relax and dry off, but he heard the sauna door open, and he opened one of his eyes to look at it. He saw Kyle there in the doorway, soggy and dripping wet, his swim trunks sticking to his legs and groin and his brown hair clinging to his face.
"Hey, bro," Kyle voiced lowly, his head somewhat dipped.
"Hey." Jack looked away uncomfortably.
"You mind if I come in?"
Jack shook his head. They were both silent for a moment, but Kyle entered, letting the door shut behind him. He was drying his skin with his own towel as he took a seat next to Jack, sighing.
"Feels good in here," he moaned with a light chuckle.
Jack's eyes fell on him, and they gradually moved downward from his face to his bare chest, which was shiny and glistening. "Yeah, it does."
Kyle leaned his back against the wood, turning his head to the side to look at Jack. "You wear yourself out?" Jack nodded, his eyes quickly shifting. Kyle tried to find the right words to speak, folding his hands in his lap on top of his soaked, green swim trunks. "Jack, I really have something I want to tell you."
"Oh?" Jack responded, feeling slight chills.