Chapter 4: The Beach is Beautiful
The following day, I sought out to find where Sam lived. This key information that she gave me the day before had to give me something of a clue as to who she is. If not that, then I would at least know where she lived so I could go and visit her. Not that I would, but it was good to consider it. The only problem was, it was a Thursday and not only did I have school, I also had swimming lessons with my mom. Ditching either one of those 'responsibilities' as my mom liked to call it was going to be tough. Carly had me for over three classes and she knew I am never absent. I was too much of a 'good boy' to do anything along the lines of truancy. On the contrary, I am always the one covering for her so maybe this wouldn't be such a bad idea. I say it was time for a little pay off for all those times I had to cover for her.
The swimming lessons however were going to be much harder to get out of. If I told my mom I was coming down with something, she would take the day off and tend to my every need. Which was the last thing that I wanted. If I told her I had extra work to do after school, she would be waiting in her car in front of the school. I didn't know what lie to tell her. I was never one to lie, so coming up with a lie in general was hard. Plus, my facial features always gave me away. That's why, on my way to school, I had to ask Carly for some ideas as well as a few pointers to get away with the lie.
"But I still don't understand why you don't want to go with your mommy to swimming class." She said, making a sort of kissy face in my direction. I groaned inwardly. "Why don't you just tell her that you don't want to go?" She simply asked.
"Because!" I exclaimed, hoping she would stop with her reckless teasing. Normally, I would find that desirably cute. But lately, anything that Carly would do would be borderline annoying, making me feel a little worried about my feelings for her. And it all started when I met Sam, which also made me a little more worried. "I don't want to hurt her feelings! I just want to not go one day so I can do something else."
"Something else like what?" She asked. I could feel myself struggling to find the excuse without actually saying it.
"Well… it's this uh… well how c-can I put…" I was tripping on every word, and when I thought I had the excuse, more words would take its place, making me stumble all over again.
"Freddie spit it out!" Carly yelled, impatient that I couldn't say my reasons.
"It's personal all right?" I said, finally letting out something, but not giving anything away. She eyed me suspiciously, but then gave out a defeated sigh, which made me also give a deep sigh of relief.
"All right, I'll help you." She said, and began instructing me on what to say without saying anything at all. Lying 101.
She told me to explain to her that I had to go to the library, for some research. And if she wanted to come and wait on me I had to say no, and stand my ground. She convinced me enough to know that I was no longer little Freddie Benson. She told me I was a growing man, and space from my mommy (to which she said I should call her either mom or ma because mommy was too childish) is what me, a growing man, needed.
"What about the swimming lessons? Freddie, you could drown! Do you have any idea what that would do to me if you ended up drowning?" Her hysterics were always somewhat amusing, as long as it took place in my house. If she were to go into one of these crazy panic attacks she knew too well, it was beyond embarrassing.
"I'm not going anywhere near the water mom." I said. It was true; I wasn't going to go near the water, just the houses that were near the water. She still had that disapproving look.
"But I don't understand why I can't wait on you like I always do! It's not like I have anything better to do than to make sure you are safe in the library reading your books." She said, her lines very visible on her face. I knew this would upset her. She liked doing things with me. But having her join me in search of Sam was something I could not let her do. This was something I wanted to do.
"Mom, I'm sure you can find a million things to do while I am in the library. If not, you can always take a day off."
"A mother never takes a day off. It is a twenty-four/seven job!" she said, her voice getting a bit high as she said it. "What if you get a paper cut or a mountain of books falls on you and I am nowhere in sight to help you?"
"I'll call the librarian for a band aid, and if the pile of books scenario happens, I'll yell for superman okay mom?" I said, hoping humor could calm her nerves. With the way she was staring at me, it was the opposite of what I was hoping for.
"That is not funny Fredward Benson." She said simply. But her face said more than a simple sentence. It was scary actually. So scary that I found myself backing away from her, and expecting her to turn into one of those dragon monsters that eats a first born child or something. "It is not my fault that I love you to death." She said very calmly. It made me think that that's what a dragon monster would do; lower the defenses and when they are, take the advantage and attack.
"Mom, I won't be in any trouble. I'm going to just look up some research and then I'll just be on my way home okay?"
"But what time will you be home so I can make you dinner or stay up waiting for you?" she asked me, making me roll my eyes, a bit irritated. I didn't know how long I was going to stay out. Beachfront has a ton of houses, but I couldn't tell her that.
"I don't know what time I'll be home but I'll call you okay?" I said, gathering the things I needed which was already in my backpack. I started walking out the door when she stopped me by a simple touch of her hand on my shoulder.
"You will call me every hour that you are at the library all right?" she made me promise her. I simply nodded and bolted out the door before she would make me promise anything else.
I was relieved. This was the first time that my mom actually was going to let me go somewhere on my own. And the only way I was able to pull it off was by not telling her the truth. There was a sense of a rush in that fact alone. That I was, in a way, defying my mom and going somewhere else that she didn't know about. I was ecstatic as I jumped on the bus that would take me straight where I needed to go. I passed all the city buildings, my school, and pretty soon the salty sea breeze was going up my nose again.
For a minute I thought that it was Sam, standing next to me or something, because she smelled exactly like the sea, as if she originated from there. The splashing of the waves was also so tempting, considering the weather was ideal for going to the beach. But that wasn't the reason that I was going to the beach, much like the surfer dudes with their boards, or the giggling girls in bikinis three seats ahead of me (that I have been staring at for a while. What? I'm a guy so sue me).
As soon as I reached the bus stop I was looking for, I jumped off the bus and began walking up this big hill. I decided to start at the nicest of the beach houses. And for some weird reason, all the nice beach houses were perched on the hills. I was getting tired after the fifth house, so I thought it was better than nothing and approached the first door. But as soon as I got close to the door to the first house, I found my knees trembling. My gut was wrenching, and above all, I felt my hands getting all sweaty. I never knew I could feel such a pressure. The only thought that was going through my head was that I might come face to face with Sam's father. Sam, I think I can handle seeing. Sam's father on the other hand, was something I don't think I could even if I wanted to.
There was reason behind this so bear with me. She was a tough person, at least when she would be around me. She looked like a fighter, so naturally I would think that the only reason she would be like that would be because her father was a professional MMA fighter or something. And she lived here along the beach, where there were the most expensive houses I have ever seen. They looked expensive, must mean that they are expensive. And MMA fighters are paid very well, so I think it's safe to say that her dad could be holding that kind of occupation.
So I didn't knock on that door. Or the one after that. Or the one after that. I basically just walked and walked until I reached the sandy beaches. I didn't have open toed sandals, so I took off my shoes and socks and let my feet adjust to the sand underneath my toes. Next thing I knew I just sat there, watching the waves splash against each other, and every one standing, swimming or laying down taking in the rays of the bright sun. I saw the parents that were being cautious as their children were playing in the water or making sand castles. I looked into the sea to see the surfers recklessly taking wave after wave, being pounded hard after eating it. And I couldn't keep my eyes off the girls that were tanning. I wanted to lie down like the others (seeing that I didn't have a surf board or a shovel and pail), but I was risking it all by just sitting here, letting sand bunch up in my pants' pockets. But I didn't want to get up. I wanted to just sit and stare deep off into what could have happened if I did grow the pair that I needed to knock on the doors.
Man I knew it was a bad idea to have come. Well, no it wasn't a bad idea, I just hated that I decided to chicken out at the last minute. I probably had my one and only chance to go and see her, where she lived, talked to her, take in her scent, watch her golden curls as the sun went down, maybe even kiss her…
The point of the matter is, I wanted to see her, and I didn't. I wanted to learn where she lived, and my assumptions about who her father is scared me to the point that I didn't want to know where she lived. I had my opportunity and decided not to take it. I got up and kicked the sand for a bit in frustration. I was mainly angry with myself for not having the backbone that I knew I should have grown by now. But having a mom like the one I have made it impossible to have that apparently.
It was sunset by the time that I decided to call it a day. I couldn't believe that I spent an entire afternoon just watching people have fun at the beach, when I could have gone to class, taken notes, or even do research like I told my mom I was doing. I reached the bus stop and threw my backpack on the floor, crossing my arms and not really focusing on anything. A complete waste of a day. That's all that I could think of. A big fat waste.
"I have to take you home!" I heard a voice say behind me. But it was no ordinary voice. It was a voice I heard from anywhere. I spun around and managed to see blonde curls and silky brunette hair, both of them reaching the small of their backs. I couldn't believe it; Sam and her friend were right there.
"I thought I was good for one more night." Sam's voice rung out into the air, making me unconsciously move my feet in her direction. "I was wrong." She groaned a little in pain.
"What's wrong with her?" I asked aloud. Marina turned around, shocked to see me standing there. "If you need help I can-"
"What are you doing here?" Marina said, while Sam started to breathe a little heavier. All of a sudden, she bent over, holding her stomach and threw up. But there was something weird about it: it was nothing but water. She clutched her stomach harder and it looked like she couldn't breathe. Like it was hard to intake air.
"Sam! If I don't get you home soon you'll-"
"Then just take me home and stop talking!" Sam yelled at her face, holding onto her arm again as she tried getting up. "And you," she looked at me with her fierce blue eyes, "get out of here."
"I'll help you get her home." This was my chance. I pulled her over my head and kept her steady. Marina however, yelled and pulled her off me. "What the hell I can help you get her home-"
"Your assistance isn't necessary. Just do as Sam wishes and leave us." She said, carrying her over to the beach.
"Where are you taking her?" I yelled after her, picking up my backpack and running after them.
"Why is he still following us?" Sam said, letting out another harsh groan. Marina let her touch the sand, and I saw how Sam stood up a little better, like if she had more energy all of a sudden.
"Better?" she asked her.
"A little, but not the same as if I were… somewhere else." She locked eyes with me. "Listen, Freddie right?" she said my name and I caught a lump in my throat. The way she said my name was the nicest way she ever said it. "I need an ambulance, but we don't know where we are. Can you go see the streets and call? My phone died so I can't and Marina here doesn't-" she fell down against the sand again, and I went to her, trying to keep her steady. Again she threw up more water, and I saw that she was gasping for air again.
"Please go! I'll wait with her here." Marina cried. I wasted no time. I ran out into the street and pulled out my phone and dialed 911.
"I need an ambulance by the beach." I began, a little short of breath from the quick sprint I did. "Yeah, the streets are-" I turned around and saw that the two girls were gone from where they said they would wait. My legs started running back to the beach as I yelled to the guys on the other line, and ultimately hanging up on them. I looked all through the beach and saw two bodies running towards the pier. It was getting dark quickly, but I still could make out their silhouettes. How they traveled through the sand so quickly baffled me. But I reached them as Sam and her friend reached the end. They didn't notice that I was there with them, by the way they didn't look back or even acknowledge me. And what happened next made me do what I did after.
"What are doing?" I yelled at her.
Marina grabbed Sam and quickly threw her over the pier into the water. And then she turned to me, a look of worry and concern over her face. Like if she just exposed a huge secret and prayed that I would not know about it. Impulsively, I started taking off my shoes, pulled off my backpack, and threw my shirt over my head. I wasn't the best swimmer, but I started running toward the end and climbed over, ready to dive over the water. I felt Marina's hand touch me, but only for a second, because in the next one I jumped, holding my nose and letting the water swallow me.
It was ice cold. Colder than I thought it would be. My mind automatically told me to get out get out get out. Numbness went all over my body. But I went further and further down, stretching my hands out and then pulling them back as my feet furiously kicked to try to keep going deeper. The jeans that I had on had been dead weight, my shirt was floating all over when I pulled my arms forward. And what was worse was that I couldn't see anything. Every time I opened my eyes, sand would go in mixed with water. I kept my mouth shut, but my nose was taking all the sand in, all the salty water. It was horrible, being in ice-cold water, fighting the current underneath the waves; blindly searching for someone I could not see. I didn't want to give up; this was my moment to grow the backbone.
But something touched me, and I screamed under the water, inhaling a whole bunch of it. I started choking on the water, my eyes opened and I felt my body tense. I couldn't believe that my life was going to end in the water, while I was trying to save someone that I didn't know. I felt everything around me darken, I couldn't hear anything, and my body just stopped trying to swim. I just simply gave in to the water. The only thing I pictured was Sam's face, and how I wanted to say how sorry I was that I was unable to save her, and how I wished somebody would come and save me.
The last thing I remember was feeling something grab me, after that I faded into the darkness.
A/N: Finally updated! yay! Leave me a review telling me what you thought (Anonymous reviews are enabled!) and until next time :)