Crushing Gravity

Chapter 27

I study the wall with fascination and a bit of longing.

Pictures are resting calmly against the green plaster, adding a splash of color to what would otherwise be bare.

They are of black hair and green eyes. Mum.

Her image is freshly painted new in my mind, the fuzzy image renewed to its former clarity.

She has her arms around a little girl, Lyla I assume, and grinning into the camera in joy. Both of them have ice cream smeared across their faces in front of a roller coaster.

And that's as far as I've gotten on the wall of pictures, frozen at the sudden face of my mother.

"That was on your fifth birthday. The amusement park was in town and you'd been begging to go for weeks. She saved up enough to take us and get us sweets."

"That's me?" I ask startled.

"You're in most of them," Lyla says, eyes not leaving the wall but roving from photo to photo, taking them in with a familiarity and regret.

I eagerly search out the others now, spotting Lyla and me in many. Young teenager Lyla holding me as a baby, four year old me clinging to her face as she carries me on her shoulders, both of us with mum, smiling at the camera in some mystery location.

An intense longing cramps my stomach. "I don't remember any of these," I say. I don't remember smiling as much as it shows in these pictures or even posing for them.

"You were young," she defends simply.

Farther along the wall I see wedding pictures, and I move along to study them too. They both look happy in them, smiling at the camera or at each other.

The bathroom door opens, upsetting me from my thoughts.

"Alright, I'm finished," Leah says, walking out and running fingers through her hair to straighten it some. It's gotten longer since I've known her, falling to her shoulders now. "You should get dressed," she tells me.

My eyes widen, suddenly blushing in embarrassment as I realize what I'm actually wearing out in the open next to Lyla. It's just the soft fluffy shorts and loose tank top that Leah bought for me, but only she had seen me in them. It's more skin than I would be comfortable in front of someone.

Lyla smiles. "Great! Matt has the cooler and it's just a short drive. We can walk, really, but we'll get there faster in the car."

I stiffly brush into the bathroom, struggling not to appear uncomfortable.

It's a straight shot to the beach from the house, and only a five-minute drive through neighborhoods and storefronts. The parking lot is worn and pale with sand.

It's very different from the La push beaches that are short and more rock than sand. This ocean is not the custom grey, but the blue green that the ocean is supposed to be with white sand shores.

And it's very warm. Gone are the clouds and in with the cloudless baby blue sky with the blinding sun that hurts your eyes that always has you directing them to the ground or squinting.

It makes me wish for the cold Washington weather that always allows me to dress in layers, even over the summer.

Now I'm in basketball shorts and a T-shirt with my newly purchased flip-flops dangling from my hand.

Leah helps Mathew with the cooler, the large beach bag, and the umbrella Lyla decided to bring.

I look back in concern of their struggle of juggling all the things.

"Um...shouldn't we help?" I ask Lyla as she pulls me forward by my arm.

"Oh, they're fine," she says unconcerned. "That's what they're for: to be our pack mules. I'm assuming Leah is the boy in the relationship, right?"

"Well," I stutter. "I wouldn't really say either of us is a boy-"

"No, no," she shakes her head. "You know- the boy; the one that holds doors open, carries bags, seems dominant but actually does whatever we ask."

I bite my lip. That does actually seem very accurate.

Lyla smiles in self-satisfaction. "I thought so."

When she finds a suitable spot on the sand that she likes, it's several minutes before they both finally make it over, a towel falling out or dropping the umbrella every few feet.

Mathew drops the large beach bag and his end of the ice chest in relief once they reach us. Leah's face shows only mild annoyance as the tip of the umbrella catches the ground again and falls from her divided grasp.

He huffs, plopping into the sand next to me as Matt starts to struggle with putting the umbrella in the ground and angling it just right.

"Hey," she smiles at me, leaning back on her hands.

"Hi," I return her smile somewhat shyly.

"Hello," Lyla grins, popping her head between us, laughing as I turn a false glare toward her. "Well, go on. We're at the beach, go swimming or something."

Leah pops to her feet immediately, shucking off her jean shorts and pulling her tank over her head.

My mouth goes dry, and she grins cheekily at me before turning and jogging toward the waves.

A tongue clicks by my ear. "You're drooling, Sis."

I scowl, shoving her softly, and she laughs as I march towards the ocean.

I don't really go into the water, settling down in the damp sand to start sculpting it. I don't particularly like going past where the waves break; my mind creates all kinds of monsters lurking under the surface just out of sight and circling my feet. Plus, the salt always gets in my eyes.

I start digging a hole, building a wall to block the tide. Every now and then, I would glance up to find my girlfriend farther and farther out in the water.

At one point, my heart leaps into my throat when I look up only to not be able to find her.

When I do, an odd emotion comes over me. It's a rotten one that burns like acid in my stomach. I don't like the sentiment very much, I think as I examine Leah in shallow waters.

The waves splash against her waist and I can see her wet hair plastered to her scalp and chest. Her hands rest on her hips before gesturing. The handsome boy she's talking to smiles charmingly, leaning forward to say something in her ear.

My cheeks flush as I watch her lean away.

I tell myself to look down, to mind my own business and finish the trench to my castle. Instead, I'm jogging into the water where I can't see my feet.

It's a foreign feeling that rots my chest, and I don't like it one bit as I force a smile to my face, wading deeper.

"Leah!"

She turns as I reach her, smile immediately flashing as I throw myself in her arms.

"Hey, baby girl," she greets, uncomplaining as I pull her into a deep kiss.

She blinks dumbly when I rock down off my toes, before amusement settles over her face, quirking her lips crookedly.

"Who's this?" I ask, finally turning to the good looking, shirtless, boy.

"This is Ethan. Ethan, this is my girlfriend, Sam."

"G-girlfriend," he stutters, eyes wide and with an odd glint. "So you meant girlfriend-girlfriend, and not just friend?"

"Yeah," Leah says, amusement lacing her voice as she stares down at me.

"Um," he rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, "well she can come to the party tonight too, I guess."

She finally pulls her eyes away from me. "Thanks, but we're going to have to pass."

"That's fine then, maybe next time."

"Sure."

It was clear to everyone that nobody expected to ever see the other again. The nameless boy sloshes away back to the shore, never to be thought of again by my girlfriend or myself because, at that moment, something brushes against my leg.

It's only then that I remember that I'm some fifty yards away from the shore, waist deep in murky water that obscures what's under the surface.

I shriek, leaping with a wild franticness onto Leah. She catches me instinctively in surprise, linking her fingers under my butt to keep me from falling as I cling to her neck and waist, straining away from the water.

"Oh, Sam," she coos in amused sympathy. "It's just sea weed."

"I don't care," I growl, not appreciating her laughter. "Take me back."

She starts back to the shore, making slow progress against the waves.

...

"You look really pretty tonight; big date?" I glance up at the boy at the cash register, idly, and shake my head before looking back down at the candy selection.

I briefly ponder getting some twizzlers.

"Nah, Christmas Eve dinner with my sister and her husband."

"You're lucky; I'm stuck here tonight eating chips."

"That's too bad," I say, finally deciding on some sour gummy worms. "You should be home with your family."

For some inexplicable reason, his cheeks turn pink.

He's a good-looking boy, I suppose, that can't be out of high school.

"So, uh, you come around here often? I mean- do you live around here?"

"No," I glance around the empty gas station store, casually seeking out where everyone had disappeared. Mathew, I know, is in the bathroom, and Lyla is over by the drinks in the back.

Leah appears around one of the shelves with chips in her hand and starts over. I turn back to the boy.

"I'm just visiting for winter break."

"That's too bad. Maybe if you need help finding your way around, I can show you some cool places."

"Oh, that's okay; my sister has a GPS in her car." That's really nice of him though.

"That's not actually what I-"

Leah sets her items on the counter, amusement coloring her face. Her lips are pressed in a thin line, looking like she's trying to hold in laughter. Distantly, the bell above the door rings.

"Oh," I frown. "What did you mean then?"

"Ah," he glances around, seeming embarrassed. "Forget it; it was stupid."

"If you say so," I back off, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. Someone brushes against me from behind and I see a man squeezing past.

His hood is flipped up but I can still see that his face is kind of sweaty and his hand shakes as he reaches over to fiddle with some mints farther along the counter.

I take a step closer to him curiously.

"Sir, can I help you with anything?" The boy asks politely.

The man's head saps up nervously, and he clenches something in his pocket that pokes out slightly.

"Leah-" I warn, just as he draws the gun, pointing it shakily at the boy.

"Nobody move!" He demands and the cashier raises his hands into the air instantly, eyes wide and terrified.

"Whoa, hey, don't shot!"

Leah makes to move forward, but I clench her arm tightly.

"You're wolf, not bullet proof," I hiss at her.

The gun whips around to point at us, then back to the boy, then back at us.

"You, in the back, come here!" He yells to Lyla, who had dropped her soda when he first yelled. "Come up here now before I blow someone's brains out!"

Lyla immediately start forward, hands held up in a placating gesture and with a glance shot at me.

She stops just at the end of the isle.

"Hey, it's okay. You don't want to do this," she soothes calmly. "Put the gun down and just walk away; you haven't done anything yet."

"Shut up!" He shouts, swinging the gun around again to each person, eyes wide and desperate and shaking hands and sweaty face. "You don't know anything; I have to! Now open the cash register!"

"Yeah, yeah, dude, alright!" The boy goes immediately to it. The man's hands shake.

"You!" He wields his gun on me. "Come here!"

Leah snarls, her body vibrating under my hand, and steps in front of me. "Like hell!"

"Now let's just calm down; why do you have to do this?" Lyla tries again, and the gun moves to her. Then back to the boy, back to Leah, back to Lyla, then back to the boy.

The man's hands shake. Then drops just an inch.

"Hey, Lyla, do you know where-" Mathew picks the worst time to come out of the restroom.

The man spins in a panic, and the gun goes off with a loud BANG splitting the stale air.

A/N: Bwahahahahaha! Feel my evil! *ducks under a table* Don't kill me?

So, this site or something was messed up and nothing I posted was going through a few days ago and, hopefully, whatever it was is fixed now. I hope you guys got to read the chapter before this all right and please leave a review!

~Silver~