"Revive Me With Just One Touch..."

Jalen

"So..she's afraid of water?".

I nodded, my attention currently focused on my best friend sleeping on
the couch in our apartment. Before leaving the therapy center she was
sedated again, she would definitely be mad when she woke up.It was
8:45 in the morning, Velair had been out since 10pm yesterday.Everyone
had decided to spend the night just in case Velair woke up raging.

"Because her mom tried drowning her when she was younger?".

I nodded once again.I found it interesting how Tony and Mike hadn't
left her side.They even got into an argument over who would carry her
out of the building.Jaime just pushed them aside and lifted Velair
into his arms, I must admit I was jealous for a brief moment.

"And how did you meet her?".

I turned away from Velair and towards Vic,Leila, and Jaime who all
happened to be standing around the kitchen with me.

"My dad found her".

Jaime's mouth hung wide open,"How?".

I squeezed the mug of coffee in my hands,"He was working out by the
pier, he was a fisherman. She had been sitting on the pier's edge when
he saw her.She was a mess:the veins in her eyes were bulging out, her
hair was matted and wet, and her clothes were stained purple and
red.The red was her dads blood."

Vic made a disgusted face,"He saved her?".

"He came home the minute Velair was pushed into the water.I'm not
really sure about what happened after that, her dad died but I don't
know how.Velair doesn't like to talk about it".

Leila wiped her finger under her eyes,"So what happened after your dad
found her?".

I swallowed the lump in my throat,"After she told us the edited,much
less horrifying,version of her story my mom and dad decided to adopt her.Us
being the same age, it was easy for us to get along.We were best
friends in a matter of hours."

I thought back to the first time I had gone with Velair to
therapy,"The doctor warned us that this might happen, but when it
didn't we just assumed it would never".

I hadn't realized I was crying until Jaime pulled me into his chest
and said,"She's going to be alright".

I wiped my eyes and pulled out of Jaime's hug,"She's been to the beach
before.My dad took us every summer, right before we found out Velair's
real story.It's not that big a problem".

Vic shot me a skeptic look,"So you're telling me that if we took her
near that huge ocean,she wouldn't scream?".

I gave a slight smile,"Just don't force her into the water and she'll
be fine.She likes laying in the sun, she thinks she's too pale".

Leila smiled back at me,"So..beach?Yes?".

I nodded and spoke loud enough for both boys on the couch to
hear,"Yeah but someone is going to have to carry her into the
car.

And just like that, Mike and Tony were at it again.

Somebody likes my best friend..or should I say two somebodies like my bestie!

Velair

My mind woke up first, and fuck did it ache, I felt like I'd been hit
repeatedly with a hammer.
My ears picked up the sound of voices and I sensed myself moving, not
in control of my body at the moment I figured I was being moved.
Not knowing where I was,was starting to get on my nerves and that was
definitely not helping my aching head.

"Hey look, I think she might be waking up".

I recognized that voice, it was Mike.
I groaned and slightly opened my eyes, looking through my
lashes.Colors and shapes danced across my vision.I opened my eyes a
bit wider and things went from blurry to bright to clear.

"Velair! You're awake!".

I groaned again,"Shut your mouth before I do it for you".

Jalen laughed,"Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the car".

I looked around,I was cramped into Jalen's SUV.She was seated in the
passenger seat next to Vic who was driving.Jaime, Leila and Mike were
all in the middle seat staring back at me.With the exception of Mike
who was glaring at Tony...who's lap I was currently laying in?

I bolted upright,"Uhh..s-sorry".

Tony smiled at me,"Don't worry about it, I just wanted you to be
comfortable".

I blushed,"Uhh..t-thank y-you".

He nodded my way and I locked eyes with a smirking Leila,"Soo..where
are we going?".

"The beach baby!",Jaime yelled at the top of his lungs.

Out of reflex, I jumped out of my seat and cupped my hands around his
mouth,"Silencio".

Everyone in the car laughed as Tony unlatched my hands from Jaime's
mouth,"Didn't know you spoke Spanish".

"Velair Payton is no white girl,
Velair Payton has those brown curls!
Velair Payton never says she can't,
Velair Payton is half-mexiCAN!",Jalen sang from her seat.

I shut my eyes and sat back down,"You just couldn't help
yourself,could you?".

She laughed,"You thought it was cute when Billy Fisher sang it to you".

I laughed with her,"We were in 3rd grade! Shut up".

Vic couldn't help himself,"Did it win you over Velair?".

Leila batted her eyelashes,"Did it make your heart soar?".

"Did he sweep you off your feet?", Jaime teased.

I was about to curse Jalen when Tony spoke up,"I could do better than
that".

I couldn't hide the burning of my cheeks as everyone 'ooh'ed and
'aww'ed.

Tony smiled down at me and I only then realized that his hand had
stayed in mine.That didn't help my blush, I thought I was going to
burn with sheer joy.
Not to mention my heart was beating so loud I was positive everyone in
the car could hear it.

At the beach

The ride there was pretty comfortable, my hand stayed in Tony's big
one and we recieved the usual 'Aww how cute'.

I jumped out of the car as soon as we parked, the heat and small space
was not helping me out.

"To the beach!", Jaime cheered.
He threw Jalen over his shoulder and ran with her into the water.

Vic held Leila's hand as they walked casually to where Jaime and Jalen
were now splashing water at each other.

I liked the beach, the non water parts of it anyway.The sound of
cascading waves made me flinch as a figure appeared at my side.

"You okay?".

I looked up at Mike, words couldn't describe what I was feeling at
that moment. I wasn't scared but I wasn't exactly jumping with joy
either.

Mike flashed me a comforting smile,"We won't drag you into the water".

"Promise?",I sounded like a child.

He draped an arm over my shoulder,"Promise."

From the corner of my eye I saw Tony glaring daggers at the back of
Mike's head.
What the hell was going on with those two?

"Heads up!".

I caught the duffelbag Tony had tossed in my direction,"What's in here?".

He laughed, giving me the once over, I looked down at my outfit and my cheecks burned.

"Thanks for bringing me to the beach in my jammies!", I said sarcastically.

He laughed again, "Blame Jalen and Leila, they were the ones who dressed you".

"Wouldn't let me do it", Mike mumbled.

Tony glared at him and Mike turned in time to meet Tony's glare with his own.I felt too small in between both boys.

"Uhh..I'm just going to go dress..",I walked away awkwardly.