Chapter 5 - I'm not a chicken I just don't like being touched.
Conversation carried weakly with every step into town, though it was a comfortable decline into silence. Like the way a breeze passes through just long enough to move the stale air out of the area, and then it's gone again. But, you feel a little better.
Talk of the season, how Chloe's summer homework was going and findings in the Garmon Mines filled the spaces between stress rambling about the failure of a summer crop I had. There was an extraordinary lack of questions asked, and I fully admit the noninvasive company was nice.
Our steps at one point fell into sync, odd little things that made me inexplicably happy were things like that. Natural occurrences that came and went without many noticing. Though slowly, they began drifting farther and farther apart again. Considering Owen's longer strides wound up making him faster.
It was a smidge distracting at first. I'd glanced down due to it, and then I'd nearly busted my face on the ground after tripping over a part of the raised stones that made up the bridge from my lousy fields to Harmonica Town.
But hey, in my defence, it wasn't just thin air!
Downcast and hidden thanks to the ball cap, my eyes had lingered on my feet after that. Partly out of trying to subtly resync the steps I was taking, and partly not wanting to directly look at the gentle giant next to me when he asked if I was good. I merely said yes. Never mind the inevitable burning sensation of anxiety that rattled around inside by nearly face planting.
Totally good.
Good at being a clumsy, awkward mess.
The heavy anchor of anxiety in my stomach only dropped further when approaching the docks. Overnight colorful streamers had been put up. Tied to the railings along the water, and even those that lead up the path to the lighthouse. Sunwashed yellows and blues that shockingly stood out against the gray waters behind them.
And there were people. Everywhere.
Okay well, not everywhere. Certainly more than the small population of Castanet though.
With how Owen was seemingly preparing me for a dud of a festival, the turn out was much livelier than I'd been lead to expect. Faces I hadn't seen before even, some who I was informed were from a few neighboring towns, were bustling about the few food stands set up; some were extended family, too, by the resemblance of a woman named Natalie, to Jake's wife Colleen.
Soon enough an arm slipped around my shoulders again. I'd stopped dead in my tracks in the middle of the path down in front of the fishery, and was guided off to the side a bit to let Yolanda and Chase pass with coolers. Apparently I'd frozen, my name had been called a handful of times. Request to pass rather irritably spoken under the surface of thoughts that… I wasn't even sure what they were after those few moments.
"Sorry…"
"You're fine," Owen's voice was just as firm as the shake he gave my shoulders. Thankful he didn't mention my habit of apology again, I nodded. "Got a while still before Kathy has the Karaoke all set up. I think Toby helps her once the fishing competition is over."
"Missed it by about ten minutes, I was heading over in a few actually."
Speak of a devil and it will arrive, my father always says.
Holding up a small fish shaped medal as he approached, Toby's soft laugh held a fair amount of pride.
"Got first this year, too, but man! Candace almost got me this year, I was really surprised. Normally my only worry is Renee, but if she keeps this up we'll both have someone to worry about."
"Always have to look out for the quiet ones. Obscure is her strong suit, she never fails to surprise me."
"Right? She makes her own tackle too. That was the real kicker, but anyway. I'm going to go help Kathy, see you two later."
One of Toby's flip flops was falling apart. Horribly. Every second I stared at the fraying strap was a second concern pulled my brow tight. Internally, and probably quite a bit externally too, I was panicking for him. Walking must of been a nightmare in those, but with a lazy wave he shuffled off like it didn't matter. Without tripping.
Oh, how envious I was.
Envious… of a dude walking just fine in broken flip flops…
"Kase… yo, come back to me." Fingers snapped in my peripheral, and a croon of a laugh broke the wall of a space out.
"Wait, what?"
Thinking back, the realization of just how pathetic I was becoming was equivalent to having your ice cream fall right off the cone midlick. Painfully disappointing.
Before I could blink, or even think to apologize for leaving planet Earth mentally, a finger was held up in a halt, "Ah-ah, no apologizing. You were getting all spacy is all. Just watch your step, boardwalk ends abruptly up here."
In that moment, following behind him, the burn of embarrassment was high on my cheeks. So hopeful, I was, that the trip up I made on the bridge was forgotten. A slide by not to be worried about after the first few moments after it happened.
But here he was. Worrying about where I was walking because of it.
Further down the beach, a handful of large umbrellas were propped up. Chloe and Paolo were running up and down in the shallows, laughing up a storm as cold sea water splashed up from under their feet.
Where the water met waist height, some of the others were lounged on pool noodles and oddly enough… a very large inflatable waffle. Of all things to expect Luke would be model posing with, I never thought one would be an inflatable waffle.
Cheerful greeting was sent our way by Renee and Bo. Though much to my immense thanks, Maya merely waved. Too concerned with staying on top of the rainbow row of pool noodles she was collecting from everyone when they weren't looking.
Fine. By. Me.
"Heeey! We need two more people to play chicken!" Luke shouted, pointing both his index fingers at Owen and I.
In my past history, which isn't that extensive, of pool parties… I was certain it was a girl on a guy's shoulders. There were only two girls…
"You wanna play?"
"I'm… not a huge fan of being touched, let alone in the water." I lifted a hand in pass and took a small step back. "I'll just watch."
"Gotcha, well… Cheer for me?" Going off the expression only, Owen didn't seem to skip a beat in joining the others. His voice was where the blow was, laced with disappointed understanding. My head was heavy to nod it off, and the force it took to make a small smile had to be painful to watch.
But I'd never been one for playing Chicken to begin with, with the discomfort in having someone sit on my shoulders mixed into water play. It just wasn't my thing. So, I parked myself next to Mira in the sand, half under the shade of her lilac umbrella.
She gave a bright smile. Which genuinely came as a relief in comparison to the rain cloud that followed her weeks before. The trail mix she and Julius were snacking on was offered over, but I didn't feel quite like dying today.
"Aahhh, no thanks. Allergies, can't… really enjoy that."
"Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't think about that." Quickly pulling the bag back and closing the zip lock, the smile flipped. Along with my stomach. After seeing her so cheerful, a wave of guilt crashed into my mind at the fact it'd slipped away so quickly because of me.
"No no, no it's fine. You didn't know to heh, it's fine."
"Stay away from Yolanda's curry then, Kasey, she usually makes it with a nut oil." For a warning, it was fairly lackadaisical, especially from Julius. The man's attention was clearly elsewhere, he hadn't even looked my way. Not that… I particularly minded. The less I heard about the state of my appearance the better, really.
Targeted behind his round sunglasses, was blue haired door mouse. While it wasn't entirely obvious, in the corner of my thoughts, I figured he had a thing for her. Every once and awhile he made an attempt to pull her out of her shell but to any other introvert one thing was clear.
She didn't want to come out of it.
Take myself as Exhibit 'A,' Luke had trudged out of the water while the other two continued in a final round of chicken, and right over to us expectantly. Attempting to get the two of us to come join with Mira's teasing help. I made one glance over to consider, but much to my surprise, Bo was on Owen's shoulders. Maya on Renee's, and Maya was winning…
Soon enough Bo was down with a splash and laughter erupted from the girls. I made my final decision then.
Still not going to happen.
Candace and Shelly were set up under an umbrella not too far from us, and I shamelessly used that as a focus deterrent while Energy-McGee and Julius chatted.
It was precious really. Watching their interaction reminded me of my sister and our grandfather before he passed away. Shelly even seemed to have a little extra sass today, by the way Candace's face brightened in embarrassment now and then. They were both so soft spoken too, and despite sitting only a few feet away all I could make out were a few words here or there.
Julius' and Luke's laughter didn't make it any easier to eavesdrop either.
So I decided, then and there, to attempt to be social on my own with the low key ulterior motive of a little more quiet company, and shuffled on my knees across the sand to Candace and Shelly.
"Hello, dear. Come to get your hair braided too?"
"Ahah, no not quite." Briefly removing my hat, I shook my hair loose. A haircut was still desperately needed. It was so long now that it was tempting for Chloe's puppy eyes to appear and a beg to make me a unicorn rise in the short periods of time I saw her. "Heats not bothering you too much is it?"
"Not at all," her dismissive wave was shaky. Something saddening to notice, what with her profession. "I get cold so easy, I miss the warm weather more often than not. Ahah."
Candace finished off the French braid Shelly"s hair was being woven into with a little flick to send it over the woman's shoulder. The gray strands of hair were still thick and healthy, regardless of the woman's climbing age. As unoriginal as it might be, it did remind me of yarn.
"Do you think you could do mine, or are your fingers bothering you, Nana?"
Her hair hadn't drawn my attention till then, but rather than twin braids, she'd left it completely down under her sun hat. Years must have gone by without a haircut, given the gentle waves she had nearly reached below her waist.
"Just a bit, dear, perhaps in a little while." Shellys voice was soft, but it did nothing to hide the apology in it. The way I often heard her speak made it sound as though she could barely hold onto a fork without some discomfort. Anxiety, deep in my stomach, shifted itself to the other side of the spectrum. In its place sat heavy sympathy.
"I can, if you want." Before I'd even realized what I was doing, the offer was extended. I must of looked just as surprised as Candace. Which meant the two of us together must of looked like cliche stunned comic characters. One of us, not me in case you were wondering, recovering much faster than the other.
"I— I mean, I don't mean to be rude or anything… but I didn't think you knew how to do braids or the like…" Speaking idly with her hands, they came together in a facade of neatness. A polite way of hiding embarrassment, anxiety. Really she was more like me than I thought, wringing them together the way she was. "But… if you uhm, if you can. One braid is always nicer for being in the water. It's just so long, I get tired halfway through and give up. Heheh…"
Back peddling was already in process mentally, letting my shoulders drop in an opinionless shrug, but I'd made a single mistake.
I'd glanced over to Shelly. Who sat in front of me with the biggest, and likely the most encouraging smile on her face I had ever been graced with.
Saying no to elderly people was already difficult, but when they looked at you like that?
It was impossible.
yo
my life is super inconsistent but here's an update.
feedback or anything really is always appreciated, even if in like a dm or something. always encouraging to know what's being done right, and helpful to know where i'm going wrong!