‹ Prequel: Winter Wakes

Summer Shadows

Four.

The sun pouring through the slits in the blinds shone though my eyelids. I groaned, rolling over, pulling the comforter up over my head. Daylight needn’t exist; I wanted sleep again. I could feel the room’s cold chill through the fabric, shivering and curling into a tight ball. Why was it so cold? Dad never kept the temperature that low, even during the hottest parts of summer.

Then, came the smell. It was one so familiar it pulled me into a higher state of alertness, my eyes slowly opened and I discarded the comforter, realizing for the first time that I wasn’t in my own room. It wasn’t even close.

The walls were mossy green, furniture that adorned the room, like the dresser in the corner by the windows or the bookshelf against the opposite wall were both mahogany. Looking down I ran my fingers along the chocolate comforter; it was soft and plush, a material entirely different from the one I was used to. My eyes scrunched against the bright rays of sun as I moved from the bed, pulling the blinds up, pushing back the brown curtains. Staring back at me were the white sand dunes, grass waving in the ocean breeze. Just over their crest I could see the Atlantic Ocean glittering in the sun as the waves crashed against the vacant shore.

This wasn’t my home, I remembered, heart sinking. This was James’s beach house; mine was gone, probably still smoking slightly up in Rhode Island. I closed my eyes, dropping my forehead against the warm glass. My father was gone; I’d been at the burial the day before, and then we’d flown down here to they Dreytons’ house where I had encountered Oliver, before crying myself to sleep on the couch.

It may not have been home, but the smell that I associated with my father and my house in early mornings was still there, leaving a slight ache, and pulling a frightening rumble from my stomach. I let the curtains fall back in place as I turned, opening the door to a hallway. To the left there were more rooms and doors. The one directly across from my own was cracked slightly; I could see a dark red room, and something that looked like the corner of a pool table. I didn’t care to explore any further that way; the smell was stronger, coming from the set of stairs on my right. At their base was a small hallway with a door, and from the archway straight ahead I could see the living room I had been in the day before; and then there were the voices; both I recognized. I began to walk forward, unable to ignore them.

“…Wondering when did you learn?”

“He taught me a few months beforehand. I don’t see what the big deal is.”

“I didn’t think you had any desire to learn. Not to mention the volleyball—“

There was a rough slam of a pan or pot from the kitchen and I jumped, cautiously stepping to the doorway. James and Oliver were standing on the far side of the island counter between the stove and refrigerator. James was leaning against the counter, coffee cup in hand while Oliver hovered beside the fridge, back to me, shoulders hunched over as he stared at something I couldn’t see.

“Why does this even matter? We did a lot of things together when you guys weren’t around, which god knows was most of the time. It wasn’t like you two had much time for us anyways so lord forbid I have any skills you didn’t know about,” Oliver snapped, whipping his head in the direction of his father. His eyes were hard behind his glasses, bitter, almost resentful as he glared at the older man. That changed when he caught sight of me. He turned his head in my direction, examining me silently before turning back around and pulling a jug of milk from the fridge.

“Good morning, Maggie,” James stated, sipping from his cup. “Care for some breakfast? Bacon and waffles, if you want any.”

I caught sight of the plate beside James on the counter, heaped with fresh, steaming waffles and strips of bacon. Waffles; of all things for them to have it just so happened to be waffles. I shook my head, pushing a few strands of my hair out of my face. At least this time it was something I actually would willingly eat.

“Yeah, sure,” I said, stepping up to one of the bar stools where an empty plate was waiting for me. James slid two of the pancakes onto my plate, passing a bottle of maple syrup to me.

“Sleep well?” He asked. I watched him as he turned, opening the cabinet above the sink and removing a cup. “Milk or orange juice?”
“For a change, yeah, I did. And um, milk please.” I drizzled some of the syrup onto my plate.

Oliver set the jug on the counter in front of me, and I couldn’t help but watch him. Tall with broad shoulders, just like his father and brother, startling blue eyes to match as well, and a clear avoidance of acknowledging my presence. It was hostile like Simon had been when I had initially met him, but in a much different way. I had been able to toss the anger right back at Simon, I had felt it almost as much just at the mere fact of his presence. With Oliver I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable, even upset. From what Katie had told me he was supposed to be the nicer of the two, but that certainly wasn’t an impression I was getting.

“Thanks,” I muttered, filling the glass. Oliver shrugged, giving me a brief, disinterested look over the tops of his glasses. Simon would have offered a “You’re welcome, brat,” With a playful smirk instead of cold silence. Kinder brother; maybe he just had a soft spot for Katie. Or maybe after waking up to learn his brother and mother were both gone there had been a dramatic shift in his personality.

“I’m gonna go. Stuff to do. See you later.” Oliver passed by me and out of the room without even looking back. A slight sickening feeling was beginning to grip my stomach; I chewed the syrup soaked waffle without any enthusiasm. It was quickly losing its appeal, as most food had the past few days.

James and I shared the kitchen in silence; I pushed food around my plate as he stared intently into his coffee cup. There was the brief sound of waves lapping against the shore from the next room over, shortly followed by the slam of the door. He let out a sigh, shaking his head.

“He’s changed since he woke up,” The man said quietly, then he looked at me, and for the first time I saw pity resonating in his eyes; pity for me. “But I guess when you lose someone important to you, that happens, doesn’t it?”

“Why are you asking me? You know it just as well as he or I do; you’ve lost just as much,” I snapped defensively. Closing my eyes I dropped my forehead into my hand. “I—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound like that.”

“No, no, I shouldn’t have said that, not this soon or ever actually. I apologize, that was thoughtless.”

“It’s fine, it happens,” I muttered.

James sighed again. “Look, I’ve got to go out for a round of golf with some of our stock holders in a little while, and I don’t think you should stay cooped up in this house the entire time. There’s a pool out back if you want to go swimming, or if you just want to take a walk on the beach, turn left once you get passed the dunes, and maybe half a mile down there’s a local hangout called the Windjammer, it’s where the shopping district starts. It’s a nice little area, and a lot of the kids around you and Oliver’s age hang out there. The opposite direction will take you to Breach Inlet but I’m going to tell you now, never get in the water there, it’s got a deadly rip current and it’s claimed it’s fair share of lives. The last thing we need right now is another… accident.

“Also you’ll find quite a few packages in the drawers of the dresser in your room; I had Katie order you some new clothes since you don’t have any. It’s enough to hold you for a few days, but once you get to feeling better I expect you to go to downtown and get some more, alright? I’ll leave some cash on the counter so if you get hungry or anything you can get some food if nothing here looks any good, and Maggie, I’m begging you, please eat something. You can’t keep this up.”

I pushed half-eaten plate of waffles towards James with an awkward smile. “I think I’m done.”

I was off the barstool and almost through the door when he stopped me.

“Maggie, wait, just a second.”

I turned back to him, giving him a weary look over my shoulder. What was it this time, more lecturing, more parental actions? I didn’t think I could handle any of either.

“Oliver, he, well, he really isn’t usually like this. It isn’t him. Just give him a chance. I’m sorry for his behavior though, it’s truly uncalled for,” He said apologetically.

I paused, thinking for only a second before opening my mouth. “Mr. Dreyton, was Oliver really the nicer of the two, or was it just that no one got close enough to Simon to see how kind he truly was?”

James said nothing, and as the seconds rolled by a bitter silence filled the room.

“Ah, woops. Perhaps we’ve both said things we shouldn’t have.” With that I turned and left James Dreyton in the kitchen alone.

***

The low bun my hair was tugged into at the base of my neck did nothing to save me from the dark unruly strands the wind seemed intent on blowing in my face. The tanned girls who were walking in the opposite direction didn’t have the same problem; the wind was blowing in their favor, leaving their eyes unobstructed, clear of any problematic strands that wanted nothing more than to tickle their faces or get caught in their mouths. It didn’t take long for me to decide I should have headed in the way they were; towards the inlet. Instead guilt had convinced me to follow James’s instructions, and make my way towards the island’s civilization and well-populated area.

My feet drug to a halt in front of the beach volleyball lots. The building behind them was double layered, painted sky blue. A little ways up from where I stood a wooden walkway seemed to pull itself out of the sand and to the first floor of the building. Music could be heard pouring from the open area of the back lower deck. James’s words clicked as I watched one of the tanned players spike the ball across the net; I had unwittingly come across the Windjammer. Local hangout for the drunks, beach bums, and tourists alike. On my side of the dunes I could feel the ocean breeze pulling my hair into what would be painful tangles and knots. Over on the decks everything seemed stable, one beach bunny’s long blonde hair sat on her shoulders unmoved or ruffled; it may have just been the copious amounts of hairspray she used, but I found myself gravitating towards the wind-free refuge all the same.

The biggest gathering of people was centered around the volleyball court closest to the building, directly in front of the decks. I barely took notice of it as I slid past a well-tanned jock, and up the stairs to the second story deck where I had seen a vacant table in the front with an umbrella over it; it had a perfect view of the ocean, and in that moment that was all I wanted, to stare at the sea, and think.

I sat down, leaning back against the table as I tugged at the shorts Katie had ordered for me; they were short, to a point where I was almost uncomfortable. Somehow I had managed to find one or two quarter sleeve shirts, opting for the forest green one; the other was an unbearable salmon color. With the loss of my house and all my possessions, Katie had finally gotten her wish; the opportunity to brighten up my wardrobe.

There was a short screech from the ground below, and a sudden thud against the wooden railing in front of me; instinctively I flinched back as a stray volleyball had been knocked almost over the rail. Luckily it bounced back, away from me and to its owners down on the lot below.

“Oh god, sorry! Hey, you okay up there?”

My heart pounded against my rib cage as I leaned forward, slightly rattled. I gave shaky thumbs up and then plopped back down on the bench behind me. There was an amused collective chuckle from the deck below. I may have laughed a little as well had my mind and heart not been so horribly heavy. As it was I just sighed, closing my eyes, trying to tune out the radio and chatter so close by and fix in on the sound of the crashing ocean not far in the distance.

“Hey, uh, look, sorry about that ball, totally my fault, didn’t mean to.”

Clearly though, that was not meant to happen. I turned my head, finding an out of breath, shirtless boy standing not three feet away. His hair was a light, sandy brown, complimenting his tanned skin and deep green eyes unbelievably well. He was covered in sweat and sand, smiling apologetically at me just beyond the umbrella’s shade.

“You didn’t actually hit me, so I can’t help but wondering if that really called for an in-person apology,” I stated, pulling my knees to my chest.

His eyebrows scrunched together as he rubbed the back of his head, looking down towards the ground. “Well that definitely wasn’t the reaction I was expecting. You know, I was hoping to get a flirty giggle and maybe an ‘it’s alright.’ But if you must know, from the expression on your face I thought I freaked you out pretty bad, so on that account I did want to apologize.”

He looked up, gracing me with a light smirk as his dimples appeared.

“Aaah, sorry to disappoint then. Not really the giggly type.” I rolled my eyes. “But yeah, I’ll admit you did kinda scare me, so for that I’ll accept your apology.”

“I’m Cal, by the way.” He offered a hand. I watched it for a moment uncertainly before reaching out to take it.

“Maggie.”

“Well you’re definitely not from around here, are ya?” He asked amused, examining how pale my hand was in contrast with his own.

I scoffed, pulling my hand back. “And here I was thinking I blended in pretty well.”

“I’ve never met another person from Charleston that pale, sorry,” He chuckled. “So how long are you down here? A week or so for a family vacation?”

I could feel my face darken, eyes leaving his, find the ocean as our conversation hit a road bump.

“No, no family vacation. I’ll… I’ll be here for the summer. Staying with a family friend.”

Family friend; what a joke. I didn’t know what else to say though, certainly not the truth. I wasn’t even ready to speak it out loud in private, let alone to another person.

“Oh, that’s cool. Where are you staying?”

I looked over at him curiously; either he was nice enough not to pry, or he was just that oblivious. I wasn’t sure. If he wasn’t going to push it, I wasn’t either.

“Just down the beach.” I nodded in the direction. “About halfway between here and the inlet I think.”

Cal threw his head back, letting out an easy bought of laughter. “No kidding, really? I live down that way.”

“So you’re a genuine local, then,” I commented.

“Charleston boy, born and bred, Miss Maggie,” He replied happily.

“Cal! Stop flirting and get your ass down here! Are we gonna finish this match or not?”

Cal looked over the edge, rolling his eyes with a sigh. “Alright, alright. Be there in just a sec. Sorry, looks like I’ve got to go; teammate is getting a bit impatient. You planning on hanging around here?”

“Not sure. Been a bit of a rough week. Might go look at what’s down past here, might head back to the house.” I shrugged.

“Well, I’m here almost every day, and if you live down that way I’ll probably run into you again. Maybe I can show you around downtown sometime if you’d like,” He offered, using his dimples and forest green eyes to their full effect.

I shook my head, offering up a weak smile. “Maybe. We’ll see.”

“Nice meeting you!” He called, racing down the stairs. I didn’t bother calling after him. I looked back towards the ocean, feeling a little less awkward, a little amused by the local boy. That was until I saw it; standing on the beach dead in front of me. My breath caught in my throat, eyes unable to move from where it stood. I thought with rest and distance that it would go away, stop appearing after I escaped my hometown. This couldn’t be right; this couldn’t be happening again. In the fire; at the funeral; and now here. Why did it have to be here? Why wouldn’t it go away?

“Good to see you’re making friends already.”

Are you kidding me?

Looking over my shoulder I heard one word. “Catch.”

What followed was a water bottle chunked directly at my face. My reflexes luckily were quick enough to shoot up, grabbing it before it smashed right into my nose. At least Simon’s book-tossing sessions had left me with one useful skill.

I rolled the cold bottle in my palms, staring at it as I saw him sit across from me. I peeked briefly back over my shoulder, an icy sensation gripping my stomach. It wasn’t there anymore, staring at me with a hateful glare I could feel from even this distance. A chill had crawled up my spine, and I turned back to Oliver silent and horrified.

“Dad should be pleased. He didn’t expect you to leave the house for another few days, not based on how he said you were acting back at home. On top of that you’re already mingling with the locals. He’ll definitely be shocked,” He stated.

I looked up from the table, meeting his pale eyes. His cheek rest against his palm as he watched me, giving off no trace of emotion, no hint as to how he felt about my being here. His shirt clung to his skin; a darker wet v-shape down the front combined with the glistening droplets on his forehead lead me to believe it was sweat.

“He just wanted to apologize for almost hitting me with a volleyball, that’s all,” I said quietly as I tried to shake off what I had just seen.

Oliver scoffed. “If you want to know, that wasn’t him; it was Russ, but Cal willingly took the opportunity to go chat up the cute new girl. Trust me, not the first time I’ve seen that happen.”

“Thanks for the information. I’ll keep that in mind,” I muttered. “So why are you here exactly? Did your father ask you to check up on me?”

Oliver shrugged, taking a swig from his bottle. “Would you be surprised?”

“Nope. Only explanation I can think of.”

“Well there you go then,” He said, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “I’m up for the next game, so I’ve got to go. If you’re hungry there’s a tab open at the bar, get whatever you want. See you.”

He stood, beginning to walk away in long swift strides. For some reason, I couldn’t stop myself. “Hey, Oliver, you don’t like me very much, do you?”

I watched as he stopped mid step, slowly turning back to me. He wasn’t smiling; he wasn’t frowning, just calculating. I waited, holding the water bottle in both hands as I leaned against the wooden table.

“Oh Maggie, you’re certainly a fool if you think it’s something near that simple.” With that he left, walking down the stairs and out of sight.

Of course it wasn’t; neither was my father’s death, or the image that seemed intent on following me; for that matter, nothing that summer was going to be simple. And the boy with the glasses and blonde hair had been right; I was a fool for thinking it ever could be.
♠ ♠ ♠
My eyes have adjusted to dark and so is my heart
The weight of the world has covered me...

-Red

Omg. Wat. Another update within days of the last. No, this isn't a joke. Yes, this did really happen. Hope you enjoy.

Comments certainly give me pep to churn them out so quickly. <3