{ two weeks later }

Phil's POV

You know that feeling you get when you exercise for so long and your muscles have been working so hard that you just want to lie down and die? Well, fortunately for you, my friend, that was exactly how I was feeling right at this moment. Basketball training has only gone for two hours and here I am, sitting on one of the benches in the boys' change room, trying not to feel like dying but failing miserably.
"Oi Philpill! Feeling a little queasy? What's gotten into you? Wow, you must be really unfit," comes Jeff's annoying voice, somewhere to my right. I don't bother to open my eyes.
"Mind ya own beeswax, will ya?" I groan, covering my face with my hands.
"How about no?" This time, his voice comes from somewhere closer.
I open my eyes and almost fall off the bench.
"Jesus, what the eff-?"
Jeff's acne-disease prone face stares down at me, smirking. I hear snorts as my teammates gather around us to witness the show.
"Do you guys have to do that every damn time? It's getting annoying, so scram."
No one moves.
"Figures," I mutter, lying back down on the bench.
"It's getting late, imma go home. Bye dudes!" It was John's voice.
I hear scraping and footsteps as my team gather their things to go home.
"Bye Phil! Have fun in the stinky change room!" Someone says before slamming the door shut, and soon I am the only one left.
With much difficulty, I get up and walk to my duffel bag, muscles screaming in agony. Oh god, the stench was very, very bad. I wandered what the girls' change room would smell like. Not that I want to know.
Suddenly my phone rings, cutting off my thoughts. I pick the damn thing up impatiently.
"Hello? I'm sorry but you have reached the mailbox of 047-"
"Seriously? You are such an asshole," comes the feminine voice I knew only too well.
Bam, master plan gone down the toilet. If you get what I mean, wink wink nudge nudge.
"Oh hey Nikay, didn't know it was you."
"Who else would it be? If you haven't been avoiding poor Jess, that is," Nikay replies and I pale.
"I haven't been avoiding her! Sheesh, you guys and your-"
"Don't deny it; then explain the unanswered calls and texts and that time Jess went to your house and said no one was there. No? Well okay, so you've been avoiding her."
"I'm out of credit and I wasn't home that day okay? Sheesh."
Nikay says a very unladylike word.
"Language, woman," I say, feeling a smile creeping from the corners of my mouth.
"Whatever, but that's not what I called you for. Do you wanna come to my house later for a pool party? Like a kind of celebration that we all came home alive from that road trip," she says.
"Nice. But I'm not really sure, I just had basketball training and I'm tired."
"That is NOT an excuse, Lan. You're coming. See you later!" With that, she hangs up.
I sigh inwardly. Women these days, I thought, they were totally unpredictable and manipulative.
After a quick shower that calmed my screaming joints and muscles, head out the door and drive home to change.

As soon as I set foot into Nikay's house, someone jumps at me.
"Phil! You're here! I've missed you soooooo much babbyyy!" I groan. Seriously?
Vincent loops an arm across my shoulder. Yep, drunk is what he is.
"Hey, Phil! Nice to see you here, brother." It was Nikay, looking a little sober than Vincent. "Everyone's out the back; get yourself a drink and let's celebrate!"
I had to admit Nikay had a pretty big pool. Seated around the perimeter were Mishii, Natasha, Dulhan, Kris and Jess. My heart stopped as my gaze swept over Jess. She was seated in a portable camping chair in a blue bikini, her hair swept back into a messy bun, talking to Mishii and laughing along while taking swigs of beer. She looked carefree and younger. I don't know what it was, but I felt my heart just...contract at the sight of her.
Everyone cheers as I step onto the polished decking.
"Look, it's Phil the pill, my bro!" Kris stumbles over and slaps me on the back.
"Hey guys! Wait- where's Ning and Prithvick?" I ask, noticing our missing companions.
"Ning went back to Singapore; Prithvick's busy. Like seriously? Who's busy? More like he couldn't be bothered coming," Mishii replies, her voice just a little too loud.
"Who wants some fried watermelon chicken with syrup?" Nikay's voice comes from the kitchen.
I wrinkle my nose. Her and her recipes. Disgusting.
But everyone else clearly didn't think anything was wrong with Nikay's cooking. Soon all the chatter was in the kitchen, leaving the pool area quiet.
"Phil." I turn my head, and there was Jess, looking as beautiful as ever.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Just wanted to talk to you. Alone. So do you mind?" Jess gestures to the empty chair next to mine and sits down.
"So, I say." Nope, not a good start. Not a good start at all. I try again. "So, what is it you wanted to..um...talk about?" I ask, trying my best not to look anywhere but at her face. But if I accidentally looked down.. I don't want to think about it.
"Nothing." Jess says. Then she kisses me, and I welcome the feeling of the tingling going from my chest all the way to my toes... I don't remember what happened next, but a moment later Jess is sitting on my lap, kissing me harder.
"Whoop! You guys should get a room; we have spares, you know," comes Nikay's voice.
We pull away hastily, and I feel myself flushing. Then a crowd comes charging toward us and we are both knocked backward into the water.
Jess curses. I laugh. Then everyone jumps into the pool, almost drowning us.
"I think maybe I should've brought bathers!" Someone yells over the noise of splashing water.
"Nah, it's a freaking party! We should have some fun!" Someone else yells. After climbing out of the human-polluted pool, I am freezing. But I grab a beer bottle and chug the contents down.
"WOOOO BABBYYYY!" I scream, launching myself into the pool.
"Now we're talking!" Dulhan yells over the noise. Someone had turned the music up full blast.

The night stretched on with endless partying.
At some point, I see Nikay sneaking back into the house with Vincent to do who-knows-what.
I was standing at the edge of the pool, talking to Dulhan when suddenly someone shoved me from behind, knocking the wind out of me as I tumbled into the freezing water.
I resurface and glare at the culprit, then realising it was Jess. She had her hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh.
"Way to go, bro!" Nat comes to stand next to Jess. "Let's go find other people to push, shall we?" So this was what girl power meant. But no, I had a plan.
"Help me up?" I stick my hand out, putting on my best puppy dog eyes.
Rolling her eyes, Jess sticks her hand out and I pull her into the water and she shrieks, along with several indescribable obscenities.
"Gotcha!" I am triumphant. "WOAH, WATCH OUT!" I yell, pulling Jess with me and swimming away as fast as possible over the blasting music just in time to see Dulhan lift Nat up bridal-style, and jumping into the water unceremoniously.
"People these days," Jess mutters and I laugh. Despite being brought up by different parents, those two were inseparable.
"High five, bruh!" Nat lifts a hand up and Dulhan obliges, sending a spray of water in our direction.
"Where's your boyfriend?" I ask Nat, knowing what she would say.
She blushes.
"Are you talking about Kris? Because we're not-"
"OOOOH. I wasn't talking about him but you know, it's good to keep in mind he likes you and you do too," I say.
"Just saying, he doesn't like me!" She replies, climbing out of the pool.
"Whoop, there's another hint," Jess says. "Girls always-I mean always- turn down facts that can lead to an actual relationship."
"To be honest, I don't really care who anyone dates," says Dulhan, "only not a rapist or murderer," he adds, "because then she dies, I won't be getting any of the pancakes
"You don't care about anything, do ya?" I tease, but it was true. Once I spilt Pepsi on Dulhan's maths homework but did he care? Nope.
"Excuse me people! Attention all partyers!" Comes Nikay's voice. I glance up to see her only half-dressed. I wonder what happened there.
"We're going to watch a movie whether you like it or not so come in, cinemas are open!" She yells.
"But we're all wet!" Someone calls out.
"I don't care; we have a heater!" Nikay yells over her shoulder and disappears into the living room.
"Let's go!" I pull Jess out of the pool after me, and help Dulhan up.

After the movie, I was bone-tired and not to mention a little drunk. Everyone started to leave and I got up, too.
"Phil, do you mind if you drive me home? I don't think I feel well," says Jess at my shoulder.
"Sure," I reply. Calling out a thanks to Nikay for the party over my shoulder, I head out the door.
"Thanks Phil, you're so nice," Jess says, her eyes a little unfocused.
"You alright?" something about what she was saying seemed a little off.
Jess stood up straighter and looked around, surprised. And fell over backward, me catching her as she fell.