Revamped!
[HAPPY 100,000 WORDS!]
Burned to Cinder: Part Seven
Orion's Beach is located on the outskirts of town, out of sight from the main road. Aside from its sketchy vibe, it's already full of underaged teenagers sipping booze from plastic cups and glass bottles while swaying to the blasting music and taking selfies.
The sun has barely set and yet, the party is already alive with a fusion of scents filling the air - alcohol, spray tans, body sprays, narcotic smoke, fire smoke and salt water. At the centre is a giant bonfire that was expected to go for the whole night and paper lanterns that decorate the sand. People were already dancing on one another, digging their feet into the sand and sea. Various beach sports like beach volleyball were being played both on the sand and in the ocean, next to the mechanical water bull that was cast out. There were also couples making out on beach towels as if they had a room to themselves.
The point of this beach party was to celebrate the Lunar Eclipse since that was the equivalent to any other major holiday in Luna. However, this party became the equivalent of a fraternity party; not like anyone was complaining.
-o-
With the combination of the perfect natural lighting from the setting sun, the blue ocean, graham cracker brown sand, and the pink sky, this was the ultimate photo op for Winter. She stands in front of the beautiful scene, wearing her hot pink romper with sandals, rose gold sunglasses, a glowing makeover, and hair up in a top knot. She throws several poses out for Iko who holds Winter's cell phone.
"The camera lens reminds me what kind of a light you are to the world," Iko compliments.
"Oh, stop," Winter says modestly although she's so going to use that as her caption. She looks behind Iko and sees Cinder with a fresh drink in her hand. "Cinder! Come let's take a photo!"
"No!" Cinder yells back.
Iko looks over her shoulder and sees Cinder wearing a white V-neck t-shirt with baby blue parachute pants and sneakers. For once, all of Cinder's clothes were clean and her hair was tied up in a neat ponytail with no loose strands (yet, at least). Iko's jaw drops.
"Aces, Cinder!" Iko yells. "We need to remember that you can look presentable!"
Cinder rolls her eyes as she puts her drink down in the sand and trudges over to Winter. She poses beside her cousin, copying her smile and throwing her arm around her. Winter turns to look at Cinder for some candid shots and she unexpectedly gasps.
"Aces, Cinder!" Winter exclaims like Iko did moments ago. "Your highlight is popping!"
"That's called sweat," Cinder responds straightforward.
"We need a pic with all three of us," Iko says.
Iko looks over her shoulders and tries to find the perfect photographer. She spots Kinney and the moment he accidentally makes eye contact for her, he tries to make a run for it until she calls him over. Kinney unwillingly walks over, dragging his feet through the sand. Iko gives Winter's phone to Kinney as she tries her best to run over in her long tanned skirt with a slit on both sides that went up to her mid-thigh which she paired with a black bando and neon pink slides. The three of them pose, sandwiching Cinder in the middle against her will. Kinney just keeps his finger on the camera button, making it take hundreds of photos in a second, hoping that he wouldn't have to be here for the next hour.
"Done," Kinney says. "Bye."
Before he could run off, Iko holds the back of his navy collared shirt. She takes his phone out from his back pocket and starts taking numerous selfies on it before running off.
"Iko!" Kinney yells as he chases her.
Cinder picks up her drink again and just dumps it in the sand since some grains got in there. Winter laughs to herself as they both watch Kinney try to catch Iko. He eventually grabs a volleyball from the players and spikes it at her. Iko falls, cursing at Kinney but he just takes his phone and leaves her in the sand.
-o-
As the sky starts to turn darker, Jacin finally arrives at the party. With each step, the sound of laughter and shouts grow louder, along with splashes of water. He holds a cold bottle in his hand, he pushes through all the drunk dancing people trying to find the one person he came to this party for. He spots her highlight in the increasing darkness and heads over to her.
"Jacin!" A slightly tipsy Winter exclaims as she runs over to him.
Winter jumps in his arms and wraps her legs around his waist. Jacin holds her with one arm as his drink slightly spills in his other hand. She wraps her arms around his neck and looks down at him with a glowing smile. Her hands rub the softness of his striped tank and she holds her face close to his.
"You're late," she tells him.
"I've been thinking," Jacin responds, smelling the intoxicating scent of booze on her breath and loving it.
Winter runs her fingers through Jacin's blond hair. "What's so important to think about that you missed a good portion of an awesome party?"
"As much as I hate statuses, thinking of you a my girlfriend has a nice ring to it."
Winter's smile turns perplexed as the wind picks up and she keeps her eyes on Jacin. He's serious but in a good way, and Winter doesn't have to be sober to know what's going on. Inside her chest, her heart is clenching and unclenching, skipping beats and fluttering like a butterfly escaping its cocoon - like it's about to burst out and fly to the stars.
"You want to be my boyfriend?" Winter questions, as she gets off of him. She notes that it does have a nice ring to it. "But, Jacin, I'm a mess."
"No, you're perfect," Jacin argues.
"Perfectly messy." She playfully winks.
"That is exactly what I mean." Jacin smiles at her. "You make me feel as if I'm plugged into the sun. How can anybody be by your side and not fall completely and utterly in love with you?"
A single tear falls down Winter's cheek as she continues looking at Jacin. Her smile returns for this is the happiest she's felt for so long. Winter laughs out of pure bliss and Jacin holds her in his arms. She uses one hand to trace his jawline before standing on her tiptoes to kiss him.
Winter shifts her position so that she's wrapping her arms around her shoulders. Jacin holds her hips, pulling her closer. Their kiss is intense and passionate. They're so absorbed in one another that the loud party around them is barely heard. All they can hear is each other's heartbeats.
They part and their eyes are still locked. The glimmer in their eyes is brighter than any star making its appearance in the sky. They intertwine their fingers and begin walking again. In their easy silence, Jacin finds himself admiring her beautiful features: her cheekbones, full lips, sweeping lashes, flawless skin. And he now realizes he loves the way she says his name, really loves it.
-o-
"This is awesome!" Iko says as she shimmies on one of the beach tables. "I feel so alive!"
Iko dives into the crowd and they shuffled her around until she decides to park herself in front of Cinder as Kinney. She takes hold of Kinney and starts dancing with him as if she liked him. Kinney didn't know how to respond to this except to go with it. He turns to Cinder for help but she just records it all on her phone.
"Iko...?" Kinney uncomfortably questions.
"I'm the life of the party but I don't drink," a drunk Iko says. "I already lose enough control when sober."
"How much did you drink?" Cinder asks her.
Iko shrugs. "I'm not done yet."
"Aces…" Kinney mutters. "I started getting tipsy from the sun and one bottle."
Cinder snorts a laugh. "Lightweight."
Kinney gives her the finger and Cinder returns the gesture as she downs the rest of her drink, crushing the plastic cup in her hand, and dropping it in the sand. She laughs at Kinney as Iko continues grinding on her. She was the drunk that was too much for Kinney or anyone because she makes people feel drunk just by her presence - like suddenly, the world's edges are dulled and the colours coming from everyone else spin together like a kaleidoscope.
-o-
Cinder stops to slip off her sneakers. She's far enough that the noise from the party is softer but still close enough that she can still hear the bonfire crackling. She trudges through the sand and when she reaches the pier, she makes her way up the damp, wooden steps just as the moon makes its slow ascension. Through the steps, she watches as the sand gives way to shallow and frothy ocean water before it grows into cascading waves.
Once at the top, Cinder starts crossing the boardwalk. For starters, she's glad that there's no couple doing their business up here or else that would've been awkward. The cold breeze picks up and pushes Cinder back, but she continues her march forwards. She tastes the salt in her mouth and washes it down with the rest of her fruit-flavoured vodka. Cinder reaches the end and rests her arms on the platforms as she puts the empty bottle beside her. She rests her head on her arms, inhaling the wonderful scent of the ocean.
If there was one thing that scared Cinder, it was the ocean. It was because she couldn't swim since she just never learned how. It was just this vast and endless space of water that contained the unknown. The only way to find more about it was to just dive in. Cinder sometimes thought that was how she should approach her past and learn more about her mother and her unknown father. Levana censored the details she shared, giving Cinder only the surface or whatever the media said, correcting the blatant lies without sugarcoating it, but Cinder knew there was more. Everyone hides things and sometimes they remain at the bottom of the ocean for survival. Sometimes, it doesn't even matter. She just wanted to jump in and see what was there for her. The only problem is that she might get eaten alive by a shark or drown in overwhelming tides, and she can't swim.
Cinder knew she was drunk since those ocean-deep thoughts about oceans would never come to her sober mind. Maybe that was what it wasn't like to be influenced by alcohol or drugs: that feeling of casting over everything, of everything looking new and fresh and lit up from the inside all because of a filter out over the part of the brain that controls perspective.
And that's another drunk thought to note. If she were here with someone else and a full drink, she would've toasted to that.
Cinder jumps a little when she feels her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulls it out and the bright light shines on her face. As she lowers the brightness, she sees that she has missed a flood of messages.
Homegirl Iko: Where did you gooooo, Cinder?
Homegirl Iko: Did get lucky somewhere and with someone? ;)
Homegirl Iko: Just remember - be the person you pretend to be on your non-existent dating profile.
Please Help Kinney: CINDER YOU BETTER COME BACK BC IKO JUST THREW UP ON MY SHOES AND I'M ABOUT TO KILL HER SO YOU WILL HAVE TO CLEAN UP HER BODY!
Please Help Kinney: … and my shoes.
Please Help Kinney: … or just buy me a new pair with that Blackburn bank account of yours ;)
Winter Hayle-Step-Cousin: Jacin and I are now official! I haven't been so happy for so long! :)
Winter Hayle-Step-Cousin: The Jacinter ship is now sailing.
Winter Hayle-Step-Cousin: But text me where you are so I know you're safe and not buried in the sand or at the bottom of the ocean.
Jacin Kinda-Maybe-Hate-Him Clay: I hope you're not passed out drunk somewhere because you're about to miss the eclipse.
Cinder smirks to herself as she puts her phone back in her pocket without responding to any messages. She goes back to the relaxing position she was in and looks up at the sky just in time for the eclipse. Besides, being alone up here means that she has the best view to herself.
-o-
Above Orion's Beach, most of the stars have been washed out by the velvet eclipse. Those natural and brilliant lights disappear in the phenomenon. The world around them got darker, making the sparking bonfire, cell phone lights, and narcotic lighters so much brighter. People cheer and drink some more. The waves continue their steady roll and the warm breeze was like a whisper.
The wind picks up but everyone was too drunk and preoccupied with their drinks, dances, and dates to pay attention. Some lanterns fly right into the fire, catching flames, and slowly spreading it throughout the beach. It wasn't until the first scream that everyone else started noticing and reacting, but by that time, it was too late. The fire already had a mind of its own, igniting fireworks and exploding.
[I'm happy with this chapter. Considering how long this is, it only took me a few hours to write.] [2020: Now I'm lucky if I get a chapter.]