Chapter 22
We finished lunch and took care of the kitchen stuff. Mariana and I worked like little ants, getting everything squared away so my mom wouldn’t have to lift a finger. While we were putting things in order, I told them the story about the guy from the bus. Of course, in the version my mom heard, there wasn’t a single naughty bit. I wasn’t stupid.
After everything was clean and put away, we headed to the pool. The sun was blazing, so we just hung out in our bikinis, lounging there, waiting for someone to muster up the guts to jump in the water. But it was dirty. I didn’t know how to clean it, and even if I did, it took a couple days to clear up. My brothers usually handled that, and I wasn’t about to stick my hand in there and fuck it up.
We just lay there on the hot concrete, waiting for the sun to dry our hair from the shower. This time, there was no fooling around while changing clothes. I don’t know why, but it just didn’t cross my mind, and apparently not hers either. Maybe we were still feeling a bit weird after what went down earlier. Or maybe the sun was frying our brains too hard.
Mariana, lying on her back, suddenly turned her head toward me and blurted out of nowhere:
“Julia, answer me something.”
I already knew shit was coming.
“I already know. You wanna call the boys over here, right?” I shot back, not even letting her finish.
She laughed.
“Fuck, you reading minds now?”
“No, I just know you. But what’s the plan? My mom’ll kill me if they start running their mouths.”
“We call them and say they showed up out of the blue. Your mom knows they basically live here anyway.”
I thought for a second. It was plausible.
“Could work… But I’m scared Pedro’s gonna wanna fuck me.”
She laughed loud.
“Well, didn’t you wanna give it to him? What’s the problem now?”
I sighed, staring up at the sky. I didn’t really know what the problem was myself. Or maybe I did and just didn’t wanna admit it.
“I dunno. That bus guy is stuck in my head now. Pedro’s inexperienced, and Matheus…” I rolled my eyes. “Matheus is a mummy.”
Mariana’s eyes went wide and she sat up quick, staring at me.
“YOU HOOKED UP WITH MATHEUS FOR REAL?! What happened?”
I regretted opening my mouth right away. I froze.
“Uhmm… I’m embarrassed to tell.”
“Spill it, pussy! Did you fuck him?”
“No, fuck! It was some crazy blowjob.”
“Crazy good or crazy bad?”
I sighed, rolling my eyes.
“Crazy bad. He’s really bad, cousin. Weird. His room stinks.”
Mariana made a face.
“Ugh, no way. So… you don’t wanna fuck Pedro anymore?”
I curled up, burying my face in my arm, kinda embarrassed.
“I don’t think so. I dunno. In the moment, maybe… But I get insecure, you know?”
She glanced at me sideways, laughing.
“So let me get this straight… You don’t wanna fuck Pedro, Matheus is a total flop… So who’s gonna take care of that horniness for you, huh?”
I turned to her, all dramatic.
“I’m gonna die a virgin, Mari! Deal with it!”
She burst out laughing, giving my thigh a light smack.
“Oh, hell no. Bet that bus guy fixes that right quick.”
I laughed too. It was true.
“And you? You wanna fuck Otavio?”
She sighed, rolling her eyes and throwing her head back.
“SO MUCH! Holy shit, I must’ve jerked off like fifty times this week thinking about him.”
“Exaggerator!” I rolled my eyes, laughing.
But honestly, I totally got it.
She went quiet for a second, like she was thinking about something, then let it all out at once, no beating around the bush:
“But Julia, you are such a slut! What happened? In the same month you hooked up with Pedro, Matheus, the bus guy, and YOU HOOKED UP WITH ME! Did I forget anyone?”
She hadn’t forgotten anyone. She just had no clue that list also included Carla and her boyfriend… And even less that my stepdad, who was MIA, was part of this mess too.
I swallowed hard, pretending it was a joke.
“I dunno, cousin… Things started moving so fast outta nowhere that even I don’t get it. Sometimes I stop and get scared. Before, I had nobody, and now I can pick who and what to do with them. Weird… But damn, I’m so fucking horny, I dunno! Must be pheromones, right?”
Mariana let out a snorty laugh and rolled her eyes.
“Okay, but don’t mess with me and Otavio today, alright? I’m crashing in your room and you’re staying in the living room, cool? If you’re not doing anything, don’t even show up. Deal?”
I huffed.
“Fine, fuck! I won’t cockblock your fuck!”
She laughed, satisfied.
The sun was intense, and every now and then we’d break off the chat to hit the outdoor shower and cool down. When I tugged my bikini aside, I could see the new tan lines forming. I loved that strip of pale skin contrasting with the rest. It was hot.
That’s when Mariana dropped it out of nowhere:
“Cousin… there’s some stuff I wanna do with you.”
I lifted my head, suspicious.
“What stuff?”
She bit her lip and hesitated a bit before speaking.
“You know scissoring?”
I held back a laugh.
“Mariana, that’s a myth! Porn movie shit! Someone bullshitted you.”
She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.
“It’s not a myth! That dyke Raissa from school said she does it all the time with her girlfriend.”
I stayed quiet for a second. Really? I’d always thought it was made up, but… if Raissa, who actually hooked up with girls, said she did it, then there must be some truth to it.
“Wanna try later?” I said, suddenly curious.
She looked at me and laughed.
“We can try, sure. You wanna now?”
My eyes went wide.
“You crazy? My mom’s probably napping in her room! She’d hear us!”
She laughed and splashed some water at me.
“Then go ahead and call Otavio already. Sucks that Pedro’s dad might know we’re gonna be alone here. We could talk to your mom first, right?”
I made a face. It was risky… But thinking about it, maybe it was the best plan. If my mom found out later, it’d be hell. At least this way, we were trying for official permission. So off we went, half-naked in our wet bikinis, straight to my mom’s room. It was like a rescue squad, except instead of saving someone, the mission was scoring approval for some nighttime fun.
I knocked on the door and barged in with all the boldness.
“Mommy dearest!”
She didn’t even look up from her phone.
“NO, Julia!”
My eyes went wide, faking outrage.
“I haven’t said anything yet!”
My mom laughed. She knew EXACTLY that I was up to something.
Mariana, trying to hold back a laugh, tossed her hair back and crossed her arms, like she was the spokesperson for a super serious request.
“Can we call the boys over to play Uno with us tonight? Just for company…”
My mom looked up from her phone and narrowed her eyes.
“What boys?”
I looked at Mariana. Mariana looked at me. The air got thick for a second.
“Only Pedro and Otavio play…” I mumbled, trying to look innocent.
My mom furrowed her brow, suspicious.
“Hmm… Your cousins?” She eyed us like a detective sniffing out a lie.
I flashed an angelic smile. Mariana smiled too. Two pure, innocent souls.
She sighed, still wary, and finally ruled:
“Fine. But!” She raised her finger, cutting us off before we could celebrate. “Put the mattresses out in the sun right now, ‘cause those things reek of being stored. And I don’t want anybody sleeping in my room, got it? They sleep in the living room, you hear?”
Mariana and I blinked, confused.
It was… too easy.
I looked at my mom with one eyebrow raised. “What was she up to? Where’s the lecture? Where’s the death threat?”
But I wasn’t gonna complain. Mariana didn’t even wait to see if it was a trick. She turned her back right then, already dialing a number on her phone.
The fuck was set up.