Page 22
W atching the sunset from the porch revealed how the day gradually transformed into night. Sunsets had always enchanted me because it was that rare moment when the sun and the moon met.
Just once.
The horizon removed one of their images before Earth completed its rotation. They spent their time patiently awaiting their next meeting the following day.
Thinking about it brought me joy because it felt like a melancholy love story written by nature.
The moon fully illuminated the sky above me as I strolled down the street with my worn-out Converse shoes while I walked onto the beach.
I heard distant voices growing faint as I ascended the hill. Ahead of me were other people while the only illumination came from the flames of a large wood stack burning brightly.
This party followed the same pattern I was familiar with but stood out because we found ourselves in another state surrounded by strangers.
A person brought a cooler to this location which allowed everyone to get drinks before splitting up. Camden and JAMIE went looking for girls while Kylie and Elijah slipped away, and Felix and Jaxon found themselves surrounded by girls.
Hazel and I spent our time walking aimlessly. We engaged in conversations with multiple people simultaneously, but everyone remained anonymous with each other. I hope to make some new friends while we are here.
No one caught our interest, yet we kept walking and doing what we pleased.
One hour after we began wandering, I found myself stopped while Hazel clutched my arm and her face was absorbed by her phone screen. She showed me the screen with laughter after saying
"Look at this."
It was a text from Felix.
Could you help me?
Please.
I turned my head towards Hazel and saw her expression remained completely unaffected.
"Are you going to respond?" I asked.
She gives a shrug before taking her phone back. "I'm mad at him, remember?" she says, referring to Kylie's earlier words.
I smile. "Look at you," I pushed her shoulder. "Growing some thick skin."
She laughs, and another notification chimes.
Hazel. Please.
I'm begging you.
We're
"Who's we're?" I ask, hovering over her phone.
I heard my phone ring in an unexpected tone before she could say anything. A Facetime? I laugh while observing the person on the other end of the call.
My murder victim.
I'm at a loss about what drove me to press the accept button. My screen reveals his face which appears as much as the view allows when the call connects.
"Hello?" My voice carries some excitement as I ask.
"Emerson, help us." His words come out so quietly that he needs to be right next to the speaker to talk.
Their voices around him blast through the screen in a way that is both obnoxiously loud and excruciating to listen to.
I wonder if you guys can help us escape from this place? He asks, his lips barely move.
Hazel sits beside me with a slight smile on her face. She urges me to ask him about the special word. I raised my brow at her. Bold Hazel. I like it.
"What's the special word, Rowan?" I give him a taunting response.
The sound of his groan makes my smile stretch wider. "Seriously?"
"Does it look like I'm joking?" The girls pry into their business as I chew through the camera.
"Who is that?" One of them asks.
"No one." he deadpans.
"Oh, so I guess I'm nobody then. You can kiss our help goodbye, asshole!" I raise my voice.
"Emerson, stop." He sounds almost desperate for our help. "Please, please just help us." He says the words, and Hazel giggles.
"Where are you guys?" I ask.
"We're by the fire. You really can't miss us." The pleading tone of his voice made me smile and then laugh.
I tell them we'll arrive shortly before I hang up the phone.
We walk back towards the fire while Hazel holds onto my arm. I spot a big group of girls with a dark-haired boy among them at the center as we approach, and the voices grow louder.
I believe his head spins in search of our location until he finally catches my gaze and then his face shows relief. The dark-haired boy taps on Felix's shoulder then turns their gaze toward us.
I recognize that a girl touches Jaxon's bicep with her hand before we arrive at their location which reminds me of typical movie flirting. I was unable to comprehend why my stomach felt twisted and why I disliked it. I don't understand why it occurred to me, but I definitely didn't like it.
The girls are completely unbearable. I literally don't understand where to begin my rant.
They're just loud. Really fucking loud. And obnoxious. Extremely fucking obnoxious.
I dialed Emerson's number just moments ago, yet it seemed like an eternity since I made the call. My eyes kept searching for them as I paid no attention to the questions flying at me.
"So, what position do you play? Quarter pounder?" One of them asks.
I need to get away from this place immediately!
My shoulders loose tension as soon as I see her small figure in the distance. I touch Felix since he's been sending Hazel many texts and then gesture toward them.
"Oh my god, finally." He breathes.
My attempt to push through the crowd to get away from this mob situation is interrupted when a girl grabs my arm. I lower my head to notice her hand on me and pull it away.
"Do you have Instagram?" The girl requested my Instagram with an overly sweet voice.
"Yeah," I say nonchalantly, looking up again.
"Can I, have it?" She follows up.
I respond with a "No" to her request before moving on.
I took a step forward after escaping from the group before I felt small hands touch my stomach. I looked downward to find Emerson peeking out from beside me.
"Who was that?" She looks at the girl whom I believed had pulled me earlier.
"I don't even know." I exhale.
Her eyebrows move together into a furrow before she decides to turn around. I place my arm around her shoulder to signal the girls at my back that I'm unavailable.
If I pretend, I already have a boyfriend then nobody will make passes at me.
"What are you doing?" She asks me what I'm doing as she tries to remove my arm from around her shoulder.
Please just act like you feel affection for me while we walk. I tell her it shouldn't be difficult because I'm aware of her feelings just to irritate her.
She lets out an exaggerated gasp. "Oh my god? I never realized but it seems I've become too swept away by you. she jokes.
I wish. "Shut up." Laughter escapes me as I pull her closer with my arm.
She grips my shirt and leans toward my chest to find her balance. She stands before me without any movement except to look directly at me.
I like it very much. Her. Looking at me. The experience activated a part of my brain within a brief period. It makes my chest feel all weird.
"Don't give me that." she narrows her eyes.
"Give you what?" I ask, but then I feel it.
You give everyone that stupid smile.
Shit. When the fuck did, I start smiling?
A whistling noise filled the air coming from something rather than a person right before I could speak. I knew exactly what it was—a firework.
I watched the smoke from the firework shoot up into the sky before blowing apart. The sky became illuminated while the clouds above us seemed to vanish during the fireworks' explosions.
More fireworks exploded one after another while I stood there watching.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I heard a voice ask.
Turning to identify the speaker leaves me feeling confused. What the fuck? "Uhm...yeah," I respond while trying to mask my confusion.
I realized the person standing there wasn't Emerson but some random girl. Where the fuck did she go? I searched for an explanation but failed to locate her.
"So, what's your name?" The girl who had an excessive bleached hair and too much of a spray tan asked me a question.
Oh my god. Not again.
~~~~~
The hour was growing late but this girl ignored my signals that I didn't want to chat. She kept talking despite my brief answers and my disinterest shown through shrugs.
When my phone started ringing it gave me the perfect opportunity to tell her to shut up. I answered the phone and heard Elijah's voice coming through my ear.
"Jaxon, where are you?" he asked.
"Still on the beach, why?" I answer.
"Is Emerson with you?"
I said "No" as I noticed my heart rate increased slightly. "Is she not with you?"
"No. We sent you a text about our departure, but she has not answered the phone call. His voice trembled as he talked about his sister's location.
I took control of the situation before I could fully process it. Remain in place while I search for her.
"OK, meet us back by the entrance. "We'll look around here," he announced before I hung up the phone.
I walked away without taking another look at the girl. Every passing second made me feel as though my chest was getting tighter.
She appeared beside me for one moment before vanishing. Now, no one knows where she is. Fuck.
As I walk down the beach, I call out her name. I turn back when I find myself completely alone. I leave the water and begin walking up the sand while I yell her name once more.
Although it's only been seven minutes since I started looking for her time seems stretched to infinity. When a sizable crowd of young men passes me by, I almost overlook them until I recognize their distinctive laugh.
I turn my head towards them while my feet move forward without a spoken word. "Emerson?" I ask with enough volume for them to hear me.
All eyes are turned towards me while she follows their gaze. When I see her, I frown. When she sees me, she smiles. "Jaxon." Her arms rise in the air as she begins walking towards me while drunk.
She managed only two steps before one of the men grabbed hold of her hand. The moment he touched her I wanted to punch him, but his words stopped me. "Do you know him?" he asked.
"Yes...I know him." She replies and pries his hand off.
I still felt like punching him, though. I wanted to punch all of them.
My open hands catch her as she falls into my embrace. My mind instantly turned away from the guys and I focused solely on her. My head span with a million unanswered questions.
Why is she so drunk?
Why did she leave?
Why couldn't she pick up the phone?
What the fuck happened?
"We're gonna go home, OK? Can you walk?" I ask her in a lighter tone.
Despite their large size her eyes were completely glazed over.
I found it extremely difficult not to ask her about what happened but since she could hardly respond she merely nodded.
She stopped walking after I had led her approximately ten steps. "Jaxon?" She turned around and faced me. The look she gives me makes me want to call off our bet immediately despite her being drunk.
"Yes?" I respond but my voice comes out very faintly."My feet–hurt." she hiccups.
I sigh before turning around to find her leap onto my back. I placed my hands beneath her legs to lift her up as I resumed walking. Her arms dangle over my shoulders in a loose manner that reveals her fatigue.
I proceed with my steps through the sand while my legs continue to strain under the effort. The moment her head comes to rest against my shoulder I find myself compelled to speak.
"Emerson."
She shifts to find a comfortable position while her lips touch my neck. She responded with a mumble to indicate she was awake.
"Don't do that again," I whisper. I say "Please" without caring that I used the word. It was important for her to understand that my words were sincere.
She started to say something but stopped speaking before she could finish her thought. She mumbled about them not being murderers, but that argument sounded so foolish even her sober self would feel embarrassed.
"That's not the point," I sigh.
"They were nice," she says through her sleep-laden voice. I lift her up and embrace her more firmly. It makes no difference they told you they were nice Em. You still don't know them. You don't know them."
"But they were nice."
"But you still don't know them." I reason. Tell someone about your destination next time you travel or tell me at least.
She wraps her arms tighter around my shoulders while burying her face into my neck. God, what is she doing to me?
"Why...why would I tell you,” She murmurs.
I tilt my head sideways while clearing my throat. I'll always come to rescue you. Always."
I hope she knows that.