Today, I left for Cecelia's. After many, many hours in the car with her mother, her cat, and Cecelia herself, we arrived, singing a combination of Backstreet Boys and hard rock. Her cat didn't throw up until about five minutes from her house, and I presented her family with a giant watermelon, hopefully proving that I wasn't a total freeloader.

Around nine o' clock, we took the boat to a restaurant and bar off the lake for dinner. And, while we're on the subject, I love boats. I love the way the sea (a lake really, but let's call it a sea) and the sky meet, and you hover between the two like an indecisive wave. I often found myself lifting my arms out, like I was flying, just to feel the thrill when we rose over the big waves. I didn't want it to end.

We ate, except Cecelia's cousin, Sammi, a seventeen year old girl, was moody and refused to eat. Maybe she decided to go anorexic or something, but there was no way it had been going on for long. Sammi definitely had some poundage. Anyway, Cecelia's mom had a few drinks, and Sammi was annoying the life force out of everyone. I was ready to leave, sick of the bad singer in the back and the mingled smell of smoke and beer, when the music stopped and silence fell.

I looked up. Adam.

I controlled my urge to cuss him out--he was ruining my precious time with my best friend!--and consented myself with ignoring him, until he came right up to out table and ruffled my hair. "This place is dirty, even for you as a commoner." He said into my ear. Now that the singing guitarist was back in action, he practically had to shout to be heard.

Sammi almost screamed with excitement at the sight of him. She giggled. Cecelia mumbled "stupid slut" under her breath.

I pretended that I hadn't heard Adam, but stood up. "I'll take care of this." I told Cecelia's family, and dragged him by the arm onto the dock where all the people eating kept their boats.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I shouted. "How did you even find out I was here?"

Adam gave a coy little smile. "People are easily bought."

I rolled my eyes. "You can't buy everything with money, Adam. One day, you're going to realize it, and you'll find that you're all alone without a wad of cash in your pocket."

"Actually, I almost always use credit cards."

Adam was called away, and we finished dinner in peace. We were on the way home, in the middle of the lake, when the boat died.

"This sucks." Cecelia said.

"Tell me something I don't know." I replied.

"I want to throw my stupid cousin overboard."

"I knew that already."

Cecelia's parents were debating if they should call the boat patrol and risk getting into trouble for not having enough life vests on board or calling one of their friends, but they never had to make the decision. Adam's yacht pulled up gracefully beside ours and he offered to tow us back. Cecelia's parents conveniently forgot that they didn't like this boy, or maybe they couldn't remember him from last time. So Adam's driver ended up taking us all the way back to C's house. I couldn't believe it, but sometimes that bastard did something nice for a change.

After the dead boat was fully secured and everyone else had gone to the house--Sammi reluctantly, for Adam was just to sexy in a swimsuit--Cecelia, Adam, and I stood on the dock, staring at each other.

"I can't believe you helped me." I told him.

A smile flickered onto Adam's face. "I expect compensation."

My hands flew to my pockets, which were completely devoid of money. "Sorry, I haven't got anything on me right now, I'll pay you back later..." I trailed off. Adam was still smiling slightly.

"All the money in your bank account couldn't cover my daily allowance." He laughed. "You can pay be back with your body."

"Hang on," Cecelia interrupted. "Are you hitting on my best friend? Are you asking me to go Naruto on your pretty boy ass?"

"Cecelia." I scolded. "You can't reference TV shows that someone hasn't seen if you want them to get the joke." I turned to Adam. "Do you know what you just said?"

Adam hesitated, then stepped onto his yacht. "Never mind. Just forget it."

I watched him speed away before we went up to the house, where I was bombarded by Sammi, asking all sorts of questions about Adam. I told her that he was a sadist.

"What does that mean? That he's sad all the time?"