Harper sighed, opening the back of her van. Ellie pulled her surfboard out first and sat on the sand with her board wax. It'd been a week. Seven days since the false accusation that obliterated any chance of Steve and Harper becoming more than friends. It brought them back to square one. Harper didn't know about Steve, but she was done with it. A surf day, Ellie had said, would make everything clear. It would help her think.
Harper grabbed her board and sat next to Ellie on the sand. She began waxing her board and Ellie started humming. Harper didn't quite recognize the song. Ellie sang quietly. "All I need's a little love in my life…All I need's a little love in the dark…a little but I'm hopin' it might kick start…me and my broken heart…" Then Harper knew what it was and sighed. "Ellie-"
"Shot gun, aimed at my heart, you got one. Tear me apart and then some. How do we call this love?"
"Ellie, stop," Harper interrupted. Ellie paused her movements and looked up at Harper with her signature look. "Come on, Harper," Ellie said.
"Don't come on me, Ellie," Harper said, irritated with her best friend. Harper waxed her board a little harder, frustrated. Now that song was stuck in her head. Ellie went back to waxing quietly. Harper finished her board and stood, taking it with her. She didn't wait for Ellie before walking to the water. Ellie stood with a sigh.
Ellie paddled out to the line-up as Harper was coming back from her wave. "Feeling better?" Ellie asked, sitting up. Harper sat up on her board as she reached Ellie. Harper looked at the water, and sighed. She shook her head. "No," she answered. Ellie looked sympathetic.
Harper sat and watched while Ellie continue to surf. After only one wave, Harper was all surfed-out. She just wanted to go home and crawl into her bed with Darcy. After the whole drug incident, Darcy was officially put up for adoption. Harper came to like having Darcy around so she decided to adopt him for herself. "I think I'm done, El," Harper said, as Ellie sat up on her board after the fifth wave.
"Are you sure?" Ellie asked.
Harper nodded. "I'm sure. Let's just go home." Ellie nodded and they paddled back towards the beach. They hit sand and they stood, carrying their boards to the van. They slid their boards in the back and Harper turned and got in the driver's seat of the van, while Ellie stood there a minute. She knew Harper obviously was not herself. Ellie wished she knew what to do to make her normal again. But she didn't.
She turned and went to the passenger side door with a sigh, opening it and sliding in. As soon as Ellie was in the van, Harper started driving. Harper called out for work as soon as they arrived at her apartment. Thankfully for her, she got the time off she needed. Harper walked inside the apartment and Ellie followed, shutting the door behind them. Harper went to her room and shut the door. Ellie sighed and sat on the couch next to Darcy.
Harper changed into denim shorts and a red T-shirt, pulled her hair into a pony tail and sat on her bed. A part of her wanted Steve. But the better part of her said there was no more 'us' in that relationship. In fact, there never really was. How does one get over someone like Steve McGarrett? Harper started by deleting his number from her cell phone. And that was all she had the strength to do. Just then, Ellie peered in the door after a short knock on the wood. "Hey," she said, stepping inside. "I think I know what you need."
Harper looked at Ellie, knowing she couldn't possibly know. "Oh really? And what do I need?"
"A girl's night out!" Ellie said. "I'll call Taylor and she can scrounge up some willing wing-women. Then we'll get dressed to the nines and find the craziest club possible on this one-stop island."
Harper sighed and shook her head. "I don't really think I'm-"
"Harper," Ellie interrupted with a finger in the air. "It's already settled."
"Ellie!"
Harper stood and Ellie shrugged. "You need to do something, and I'm sick of seeing you like this! Now come on," Ellie moved to Harper's closet and started sifting through it for good looking clothes. "Taylor will be here in, like, fifteen."
"You already called her?" Ellie nodded and Harper ran a hand through her ponytail. "Can we just go to a bar or something? Does it have to be a club? I don't think my head could take the pounding music."
Ellie gave an exaggerated sigh. "Oh, I guess. But we're still dressing up." Harper agreed to dress up a bit and Ellie went wild. Ellie insisted on doing Harper's make-up and picking her outfit, and Harper was too emotionally weak to say no. So Harper ended up with really black eyelashes and eyeliner with smoky grey eyeshadow. Ellie picked out a really skanky looking dress but Harper argued not to wear it for an hour, and was able to pick something else.
She chose an Oasis Plain Dip Back Cami in a soft peach color, Michael Kors skinny jeans, and Stiletto and Sequins Designer Pumps. It was casual but still fit Ellie's criteria. Ellie's friend, Taylor—and three other friends—showed up a minute after Harper had gone into the bathroom to change.
The girls all piled into Ellie's Hybrid. It was a tight fit, but it worked—legally speaking. Harper was enjoying not having to talk to anyone on the drive, being the only one not crammed. Until Shake It Off came on the radio and Ellie blasted it. All the girls in the back sang along, howling like dying wolves, and Harper sighed grudgingly. "Just kill me already," she mumbled.
"What was that?" Ellie asked, shouting over the music.
"Nothing!" Harper said, faking a smile. They arrived at their destination in a matter of minutes, and Harper nearly leapt from the car. All the girls piled out and filed into the bar they'd chosen. Ellie dragged Harper along. "I really just want to go home, El," Harper said. Ellie rolled her eyes a little. "You need to get out. You need to get over him!" Ellie said, pushing Harper into the bar.
The bar was small, yes, but on the inside was a full working bar and an awesome karaoke stage in the back with a spot for a large audience. Everyone sat at the bar in a row. Harper slid onto a stool as Ellie said, "A round of shots, please!" Harper groaned. "You know what? I'm going home," Harper said. She quickly moved off the stool and headed to the door.
She pushed open the door and stepped outside, then slammed into something hard. Hands caught her and kept her from falling, strong arms held her up, and she realized she'd run into someone. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching-" She looked up and saw it was Steve. She quickly moved to the side, father away from him. "Hey," he said.
"Hey? We don't speak for a week and you think 'hey' is gonna cover it?"
"Well, what am I supposed to say, Harper?" he asked, just as Harper noticed Danny a standing near the curb.
"I don't know, maybe 'I'm sorry'?" Just then, Ellie stepped out of the bar and stopped as she saw the situation. She quickly moved next to Harper and stared Steve down. Steve, though, wasn't fazed by her. "Really?" Harper asked. "You have nothing to say? Nothing at all?"
"What was I supposed to do? All we had to go on was the dog and the drugs, and you were his guardian at the time," Steve defended.
"You could have supported me! You could have made sure it was me first before condemning me!" Harper shouted, anger and hurt swallowing her voice at the end.
"And if it had turned out to be you? Huh, what then? It'd just be the same thing!" he argued.
"I can't believe I ever had feelings for you," Harper said. She wiped at her eyes as she turned and started walking. "I hate you," Ellie said, pointed at Steve before following after Harper. A slow clap brought Steve from his thoughts as Danny stepped in front of him. "And that, my friend, was a fine example of how we don't treat women," Danny said.
"Oh, don't start-"
"No! Okay? Enough, you have said enough. Now just shut up and listen. You jumped to a conclusion—the wrong conclusion, may I add—and you yelled at her, and you made her feel like dirt," Danny said. "You practically disowned her. And now here, you defend yourself, when you should be kissing her feet and begging for forgiveness. You think that you didn't do anything wrong? She's crying, Steve! How many people do you think a girl like Harper cries for?"
Steve was quiet, the words slapping him hard in the face. "If you want any chance with Harper ever again, I suggest you swallow your pride and apologize until you bleed. Because you're not getting her back any other way."
