Where The Waves Break

“Dustin, go to bed,” I command and stare at my younger brother.

“But Greta, its only midnight! We’re on vacation, I think I should be allowed to stay up.”

“Yeah?” He nodded, “Well that’s nice, get upstairs before mom gets home and kicks your butt. I don’t care if you go to sleep just get upstairs.” He walked away from me and muttered ‘Bitch’ under his breath while doing so. I exhaled loudly to keep from yelling at him before he stomped all the way up the stairs.

Since Cat and my mother had left a few hours ago to go out to dinner and shopping, all of us had been ‘bonding’ downstairs in the movie room. We ordered about five pizzas, and ate just about all of them, and watched a countless amount of Christmas movies on ABC Family. After we had put all the little kids to bed and forced the older ones to go too, it was just Ryder, Hunt, Clarke, Nathan, and I. MTV was on but no one seemed to be watching. Nathan was distracted by his phone, Clarke and Hunter couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other, and I was getting my hair played with by Ryder because my head was in his lap.

“Sorry about that,” I sighed. Clarke, having detached herself from her boyfriend but was still looking at him lovingly, flicked her wrist in my direction, and I took it that she didn’t mind.

“So, what do you say we go down by the water when the women get back?” Nathan asked when he put down his phone. Ryder looked down at me with one eye brow raised and then at my older brother.

“At this time of night?” He replied.

“Well sure! We go down when it’s the summer, what’s the difference if its winter?”

“Well,” Hunt started to say, “It’s kind of snowing, the water is freezing, and its pitch black.”

“So, we’ll grab flashlights, put our heaviest jackets on, and stay out of the water. Come on guys, its officially Christmas Eve!” He had this huge smile on his face, he had obviously been planning this out.

The four of us shared a look around the room, there was really nothing stopping us. Sure its below freezing outside, and the water is even more cold, but it was no big deal.

“I am in,” I declared and Nathan leans over from the chair he’s sitting in to give me a high five.

“I am in if Gee’s going,” Ryder says.

I see Hunter and Clarke share a look before Hunter decides, “We’re in too.”

__________

A half an hour later we’re armed in the heaviest winter jackets, furriest boots, and huge flashlights. We all but flew out the door when our moms’ got back. The sand is half covered in snow and half covered in ice which is making our way down to the water hard, with each of us gripping onto another for support.

When I had slipped for about the tenth time, Ryder leaned down in front of me and told me to jump on his back, at first I shook my head but he insisted and I quickly found myself getting a piggyback right. He was obviously feeling brave, because as soon I was straddling his back he was running toward the water.

Everyone else approved of this and started to follow us. It was tricky but Ryder worked really well on his feet and he somehow managed to keep up from falling. My klutz of an older brother on the other hand, had fell more times then would seem possible. By the time we got to the water, plenty of snow flakes were visible in our hair and we all had the kind of bruises that we would keep us from being able to move in the morning.

“Want to go for a swim?” Ryder teased as he started wading into the water. I took this as an invitation to start flailing my arms and legs.

“Ryder! No, no, no! You will let go of me right now! Right now!” I screamed.

“Your wish is my command,” He says and lets go of my legs. As soon as this happens, I realize that, that was not what I meant or wanted to happen. I go to say this, but ice cold water is filling my lungs and its too late to take it all back. The water is too cold to stay under water for long and I when I come up, Ryder is standing a few feet away from me, knee deep in water.

Since I was already freezing in the ice water I started trudging over to him, “Ry, come here, I want to tell you something.” I smiled. By now, he was in arms length of me.

“No, you know Gee, whatever it is, I am sure you can tell me later when we’re dry and out of the water.”

“Nope,” I shook my head, “I am telling you here and now.” I reached out and pulled on the collar of his jacket. Even in the darkness I could see his face redden into a blush, “I wanted to let you know that I am so going to get you back.”

Just as I say this, Hunter quietly comes up to behind Ryder’s back, I let go of Ryder’s jacket just in time to watch Hunter jump on his younger brother’s back, leaving Ryder no choice but to disappear into the water. Hunter comes up first, laughing so hard he’s doubled over and holding his stomach. By now, Nathan is also in the water and Clarke’s standing at the tip of the water, obviously debating on whether or not to come in. Nathan laughs with Hunt and gives him a high five. Ryder comes up and lunges at the older two boys. The three of them start to wrestle and I take this an opportunity to escape and go stand by Clarke before I am dragged into the wrestling match in the water.

“Is it cold?” She asks when I am out and dripping from head to toe.

“So, so cold. I advise not going in, unless you enjoy being an ice cube.”

She laughed and shook her head. We look at the three boys out in the water. She sighs,, “Boys will be boys.” She noticed I am shaking and handed over her scarf, “Here, you need this more than I do.” I smile and somehow manage to grip the scarf and wrap it around my neck.

“Thanks,” I said and I sank down to the sand and wrapped my arms around my legs. Clarke drops to the ground after I do and copies my posture. We sit there for a few minutes in silence, listening to the waves before I say, “So, how did you two meet?”

A smile spread across her face, “I work at a café on campus because I want to open my own bakery and it looks good on résumés, but anyway, Hunter used to come in there like every day and I am not going to deny it, I thought he was the cutest ever the first time I met him. The more and more he came in the more we would talk, eventually he asked me out. The rest is history as they say,” She sighs happily, “I really like him though, he’s so…perfect.” She smiles, “Anyway, what’s going on with you and Ryder? Are you two like secretly together?”

“What?” I stare at her. My eyes are practically bugged out of my head, and if it weren’t so dark she would see that my face is bright red, it has to be anyway, I can feel the heat that had crept up my neck to my face. “Ry and I?”

“Yeah! Oh come on, its so obvious! You’re always holding hands, your head was in his lap like the entire movie, and then he carried you down to the water with out you having to ask him to, and you weren’t even mad when he threw you in.”

I continue to stare at her; never have I been so caught off guard. “No, it’s just the way we are. We’ve always been like this, it doesn’t even phase me anymore. We’re just really close.”

She nods but doesn’t believe me. I go to tell her it’s the truth but Hunter comes up to her and extends his hand to help her up. He engulfed her in a cold, wet, hug that she squealed about but lets happen anyway. Nathan walks past me, his teeth chattering, but he’s smiling. Ryder stands above me, “Cold?”

I nodded, “I don’t think I can move.” He chuckled and picked me up so I am cradled in his arms. Ryder and I together. I shook my head at the thought. We’re just best friends.

__________

When we got back I took the hottest shower of my life and I still end up ice cold. I boiled a pot of water for hot chocolate and go to tell my mom we’re back. By now, its two thirty in the morning but her lights are on and the door’s open a crack. I go to push the door open when I hear it.

She’s crying. Not just crying, but sobbing. It’s the kind that choke you up, make your face turn bright red, and your eyes puffy for hours after. I am so taken back that I don’t know if I should open the door. Luckily, Cat comes down the hallway with a carton of ice cream. She sees the look on my face and shakes her head. “Let me handle it. She doesn’t want you guys to see her like this.”

I nodded and back away from the door as tears well up in my eyes. I run downstairs to keep from crying and to ask the guys if they want hot chocolate, like I planned on doing after I told my mom we were home. No one was in their rooms so I went into Ryder’s to wait. I collapse onto his bed while taking a deep breath. Whatever my mom is crying about, is making her very upset. I have never in my life heard her cry like that. The only thing I could think of that would make her like that is my dad. I still have yet to hear from him. I am not sure if that’s the same for my mom, because I haven’t really gotten around to asking her. We’ve both been too busy and sidetracked to talk to each other for the past few days.

I roll over and end up on top of a small rectangle object. I fish it out from underneath my stomach to see what it is. Its my phone, I had left it down here hours before. I had five messages: one from Blake asking to hang out soon, a few from my friends who are wondering where I am, and one that shook me to my core.

It’s from my dad.

Where are you guys? Are you okay? Why is no one answering their phone?

He still doesn’t know we’re here.