No One Ever Realized That They're Already Dead

♠ Ivory’s POV ♠

“You could be a little nicer Ivory,” Damien complained as we three made it in the water.

“Shut it D,” I frowned.

Damien just growled low in his throat but when we finally made it out and sat up on our broads he started again. “I just don’t see what’s wrong!” I glared at him. “I know you’re upset but mom would have wanted you to give him a chance.”

I could feel my eyes blaze over, “Why? He didn’t give me one!”

“What do you mean by that?” Ellamae asked confused.

“Never mind,” I spat and got down on my broad as I saw a wave.

Usually kids our age wouldn’t have the right to go right away. Surfing and getting a wave was all about respect. But we’ve been here years and know all the usual people, so many of oldies/locals give us the respect we disserve and the newbie’s quickly learn we’re way above them.

I paddle and paddle to catch the wave and I can faintly hear my siblings cheering me on from behind. I need this. God did I need not only this wave but a hundred more to wash away the hate and pain I feel. The wave was a beauty and when I made it out of the curl I had a smile on my face. While paddling back to my siblings I looked over my shoulder to see Matt and the others clapping. I couldn’t make out their details but only the basic shape of them. A surge of happiness came over me seeing Matt clapping for me but I quickly pushed it away.

‘Feelings like that will only get you hurt,’ I scolded myself. ‘Never again will I let him hurt me. I won’t give him the chance.’

“That was good Ivory!” Ellamae grinned at me as I made it back to them.

“Thanks,” I nodded.

“Nice one sis,” Damien nodded in agreement.

“Thanks,” I repeated.

We sat there in silence as we waited for one of our turns again.

“You’re up Ella,” Damien suddenly said.

“K,” she said turning her broad around and paddling.

“Paddle, paddle, go, go, paddle!” I yelled out to her along with D.

“She got it!” Damien smiled.

We were smiling as she rode the wave but then winced. “Ouch,” I state but laugh.

Ellamae’s face finally poked out of the water. “Aw she’s fine,” D shrugged.

“Of course,” I stated.

“Look at Jimmy,” D laughed.

I looked back out to the beach and Jimmy was a little away from the group with Matt attached to his arm. Most likely Jimmy ran out in worry over Ellamae but Matt grabbed him. Matt let Jimmy go and they watched as Ella paddled back over to us. Then they turned and made it back to the others, relaxing again.

“You ok Ella?” Damien asked.

She shrugged, “I’m fine.”

“Yo! Golds!” we head from my left.

Making our boards turn slightly we three groan.

“What the hell to you want?” Damien spits.

They four guys laugh and the blue eyed boy says, “Aww be nice.”

They finally get to us and sit up on their broads.

“What to you want?” Ellamae asks with a frown.

“Calm down Baby Gold,” the leader of this little group says lightly. “We just wanna talk.”

“Well talk,” I command to way older surfer in front of us.

He rubs the back of his neck, “I— we just wanted to say sorry.”

“Sorry?” Ella asks.

“Look,” the one with lip ring. “I know we don’t all get along but we’re not complete assholes. We heard what happened to your mom. She was a cool lady. We just wanted to say sorry.”

“And,” the blue eyed one interrupted. “We’ll lay off you three. You’re cool kids. You got mad skill on land and surf.”

“We were hatin,” the blonde nods.

I didn’t know what to say but thankfully Damien did, “It’s cool guys. Thanks but we’re moving to California soon.”

“Cali!?” the blue eyed one said shocked as the other three looked it. “Why?!”

“That’s were our dads live,” Ellamae says.

“Really?” the tattoo sleeved one said looking at her. “Who’s your dad baby Gold?”

“His names Jimmy,” she answers.

“And how is he?” the blonde asked with a note of protectiveness in his voice.

Hey… they might be jerks most of the time and jealous of our mad skill but they would put bigger asshole punks in their place if they mess with us.

Ellamae looks at me a moment before answering, “He’s ok. Seems nice.”

“Good,” they all nod and look at me.

“Names Matt,” I speck before they can ask. “He’s an asshole and don’t want to live with him.”

“Ivory,” Damien scowls. “Don’t curse. And you haven’t even given him a chance.”

I could feel my eyes blaze over again, “Why?! He didn’t give me one!”

“What does that mean?” lip ring asks.

“Forget it,” I glower and lay down on my broad. “Leave me alone.”

“Ivory!” Damien calls as I continue to paddle away.

“Leave her D,” Ellamae tells him.

I continue paddling away till I reach a larger group of older male surfers.

“Ivory!” the 8 of them cheer with smiles.

I give them a weak one back, “Hey guys.”

“Tony and them giving you three trouble?” one asks about blue eyes and the three others.

I shake my head no, “Nah. It’s cool. I just need to get away from D and Ella for a minute. Think about some things.”

They all nod in understanding and one says, “Well grab a wave or sit out here, Ivory. Stick with us for the day.”

\ ♠ ♠ [[Fast Forward]] ♠ ♠ \

♠ Johnny’s POV ♠

It was about an hour later when Damien and Ellamae finally made it out of the water and headed towards us. Ivory was still with that large group of other surfers.

“You guys did great!” Jimmy smiled as the two gently set their broads down.

“Thanks,” they both nodded.

“Where’s Ivory?” Matt asks.

“She’s fine,” Damien shrugs. “She’s with some of the older surfers. They’ll watch her.”

“Are you ok Ella?” Lacey cuts in changing the subject. “You took a bad fall at the beginning.”

She grinned, “Yeah. I’m a Gold and Gold’s are scared of nothing.”

Damien grins in agreement and I look at Jimmy in the corner of my eye. His smile is a little forced. I know that he wishes his daughter can have his last name, Matt too.

“So Damien,” I cut in. “Do you do anything else besides surf and skate?”

He nods grabbing two waters from a brown backpack. “Yeah. I love to listen to music.” He hands Ella a water and takes a gulp of his.

“Do you play anything?” Matt asks.

He nods. “Yeah. I can play the piano and some guitar.”

“Really?” Jimmy perks up. “That’s cool. You’ll have to show me sometime. I play piano.” He looks at his daughter. “What about you hun?”

She nods. “I play the violin.”

He smiles, “That’s great. Do you like it?”

She nods frantically. “Oh yeah! I’ve been playing since I was 5. It’s fun.”

“She’s won some awards,” Damien cuts in.

“Really?” Lacey asks. “That’s great. You must be really good.”

“Thanks,” Ella says a little shyly.

“Um-” Matt clears his throat, “Does Ivory play anything?”

“Yeah,” Damien responds. “She plays the saxophone. Oh and she sings really well too.”

“She sings?” Matt asks, he’s face lightly up a little. “And saxophone? That’s different. She any good?”

“She’s great!” Ellamae exclaims happily. “Awards and everything. Ivory can do anything.”

We all laugh lightly at the clear way she looks up to her older sister. “Not everything,” a voice from our right cuts in, “or anything.”

We all look to see Ivory standing there placing her broad down. She then moves to a towel laid out beside Damien.

“So I hear you can sing and play the saxophone?” Matt asks his daughter trying to break Ivory’s icey barrier. “That must be hard.”

She just shrugs and lightly says, “I guess,” and then grabs a water from the backpack.

I clear my throat and say something to save Matt a little, “Ellamae said you’ve won some awards. What kind?”

She looks at me a moment with untrusting eyes. “A couple in everything I can do. Surfing, skating, saxophone, and I’ve won one for singing in a talent contest. Damien and Ella have awards too.”

“Talented family,” Jimmy smiles.

“We get it from our mom,” Ivory cuts in giving Rev a look.

I cut in yet again, this time to save Jimmy, “So what kinda music do you guys listen to?”

“Classical mostly,” Ellamae answers. “Some opera.”

We stay silent for a moment. Ok… wouldn’t have thought that would be the answer. What with Jimmy and Matt being metal rockstars.

“Oh?” Jimmy asks confused.

Damien laughs, “We know. Doesn’t make since considering who all our fathers are and our mom was more into metal and rock.”

“I don’t know about you guys,” Matt smiles. “But I can go for some food.”

“I could go for some,” Jimmy agrees and I nod.

“Sounds good,” Damien nods.

“Yeah!” Ellamae smiles. “We should go to Fridays!”

“Sound good to everyone else?” Jimmy asks.

Everyone nods but Ivory cuts in, “We’re just gonna go wash the sand off us and our broads. Than head home and change. We’ll meet you there.”

“Is that ok Mrs. Harold?” I ask turning to the children’s caretaker till we head back to California.

She looks up form her book and smiles, “Sounds good to me.”

\ ♠ ♠ [[Fast Forward]] ♠ ♠ \

“Classical?” Jimmy asks as we sat around our booth at T.G.I.F waiting for the others. “Opera?”

I just shrug, “Not all kids take after their parents in every way.”

“Pretty talented bunch,” Lacey pips in. “Surfing and skating.”

“And guitar and piano,” I say pointing out Damien’s other talents.

“And violin,” Jimmy adds about Ellamae.

“Ivory sings and plays the saxophone,” Matt says proudly but then his smile slowly drops. “I wish she’d open up. Even if just a little."

[[March 31, 2008]] \Monday\

♠ Jimmy’s POV ♠

Today’s the day. 2 days after the court date and getting custody of my daughter. I didn’t see her yesterday due to the fact the three Gold children wanted to spend the whole day traveling around their home town saying bye to people. Myself and the others had offered to take them around but Ivory replied with some smart-ass comment and Ellamae had just sucked in her lower lip. Damien politely told us that they’d be fine going around town on their bikes.

They did it all the time. That made me frown a little. Ellamae was only 8-years-old and her siblings a year or two older and they shouldn’t be going around alone. I was more than shocked when Mrs. Harold gave them ok to go off.

At the moment we were at the kids condo. From the outside and location you would think that the inside would be wow. However that wasn’t the case because once stepping in the family room was plain, passing the kitchen it was bare and small, then the bedrooms. Damien’s room had a small twin size bed with barely anything in the room. No TV or many toys. He had some awards on one wall, 2 skate boards, his surf board also on the wall, and a pretty nice guitar. The girls room was like his with the small differences of the bunk bed and many more awards that were 80% Ivory’s. Their room also had a saxophone in the corner and 3 skateboards. My daughter’s mother already had her room packed up by the kids. Mrs. Harold said they insisted they do it themselves.

I thought Ellamae didn’t have as much as an 8-year-old girl should. That made me a little upset. My daughter wasn’t being provided for the way I wished she would have been, but that was all going to change. She was going to be treated the way a daddy’s girl should be. Especially when your daddy’s in a rock band. I smiled at the thought that maybe one day Ellamae would be a daddy’s girl. I wish.

“Well,” Matt said cutting off my thoughts, “Lets start packing.”

“The kids already packed their clothes and personal things,” Mrs. Harold told us. “The kids hired the movers since they know them and they know how to pack up the boards and instruments.”

I raised my eyes brows, “The kids hired them?”

She just shrugged her should lightly, “Ivory did. One of Damien's friend's father works for the company, she talked with him about it.”

Matt beside me just smiled weakly. His relationship with Ivory has not improved since the beginning. I wince just thinking of the plane ride to California. Plus I wince again thinking of Leana and Val… and everyone else. Something tells me Ellamae and Ivory won’t take to my wife or Matt’s fiancé.