Aquatic Ties

The weekend, the days that teens lay in the sun and do nothing. When did I have a weekend like that last? Two years and five weeks? Na, couldn’t been that long ago, that I didn’t want to pull my hair out of my head. Could it?

"Brook!" the devil twins yell out.

Slamming my body against the door, I knock the two seven year olds back. "Stay out you createns!" I scream.

"Brook, be nice to your sisters!" my mom yells out.

This was my weekend, every freaking weekend was the same. Holly and Milly trying to bust into my room, to screw with my stuff. My room was my only safe place in the house damn it. It was the place, where I didn't have the need to pull out my hair. "Tell them to stay out of my room!" I yell.

"Mom, she being mean!" they yell out at the same time.

"Brook, let the girls in!" mom yells from downstairs.

"No!" I flip the lock and for good measure, slid the hope chest in front of it.

The door knob rattles. "Mom, she locked the door!" Molly yells.

"Brook!" mom yells.

Did anyone else, go through this hell or was it just me? Dumping out my bag, I pack shorts, a tank top and towel, then slip out my room, leaving the window open, so I have a way back into my room. I'll get in trouble I'm sure, but I need some time by myself, without getting followed by the devil twins and my mom telling me to be nice to them. Before mom got married again, I was an only child and damn it, I was happy being an only child. I seen my friends love and hate their sibs, but I can't do it. I just want to be an only child again and be happy about it.

Landing down on the ground, I tug on my backpack, I glance at the backyard that no one uses and make my escape. Getting my bike out from the garage, I get on and peddle like my life is on the line and don't look back.

~~~~~

I pass people walking and driving, all most likely headed to the beach. It's a nice of a day to do that. I would be there today, if it wasn't so crowded. I like going to the beach during the week, because there is less people around and it's more calm.

Going over to the spot I was at the other day, I park my bike in the bushes and put my bag with now my jeans and shirt in, I go over to the small hill and slid down and walk carefully on the smooth rook. Taking off my shoes and socks, I wedge them between two rocks. Looking down at the water, it's calm and clear today. "I wonder where my little friend is at," sticking my finger in the water, it's nice and warm thanks to the sun above hitting the water so it's warm.

The seahorse from yesterday--I think--swims up to me and nudges my finger. "Well hi there," I say to it with a smile.

A splash sound makes me look up, only to see a boy about my age swim over to me. "Good day, how are you?" he asks, pushing his wet hair out of his face.

"Fine thank you, my name is Brook and you are?" I arch my eyebrow and wait for his reaction.

His face gets red and it gets me to smile a little. "I'm Xavier,"

We fall sillent and I'm fine with it, everything is so peaceful.

Putting my feet in the water passed my ankle, I move my feet back and forward slowly as the seahorse swims between them. "Are you going to get in and get a swim?" Xavier asks, swimming against the small waves.

Looking down at the water, I get a flash of falling off the bridge and hitting the water. I jerk my feet out of the water. "No, it was a bad idea to come here," getting up, I grab my shoes and sock, and try to climb up the hill, but my feet are two slick and the ground is turning muddy.

"Brook, come back! I won't let anything happen to you!" Xavier acts as if he wants to come after me, but he doesn’t. Why?

Sliding down the hill, I hang my head. "I should known better, I'm not ready for the water." I chuckle, but it's a sickening laugh. "Four months and I still can't handle mass water. Sure I don't mind the water being around my ankles, but I lose it, if it goes around my body." shaking, I swear I can feel his hands on my arms and his thumbs moving slowly up and down on them. But as I look through my arms, he is still out in the water. So how is it possible that I feel his hands on my arms?

"It must be a troublesome thing to be scared of water," he says softly.

"I used to love swimming, but I'm scared of it now," sitting criss cross, I look down at the rock.

"Here's an idea," he swims closer, but not close enough that he's standing up. "Put your feet in the water and lesson to the water. Maybe it won't be scary then,"

Slowly moving down the rock again, I put my shoes back where they were before. I look at Xavier, but all I see is hope, recurrence and desire? Slipping my feet in the water, the seahorse comes back and starts kissing my toes. It's little kisses relax me some how and soon my eyes are closed and I'm listening to the water lap over itself. "I don't feel like I'm going to be crushed by the waves," I say softly, slowly remembering how it felt when I feel into the water. The water came so fast and it was so dark. Then arms reaches out for me and saved me.

Opening my eyes, Xavier is still swimming close to me, but not to close. It's as if he's scared to reach out to me. "Thank you," I say softly.

"Will you come tomorrow?" he asks.

Listening to the soft sound the water makes, it almost makes me tired. "Maybe," I tell him, then I slip my feet out of the water and put my socks and shoes back on. Going up the hill, I put my backpack back on and pull my bike out from the bushes. Looking over my shoulder, I wave to him and head off to who knows where. Home isn't a safe place just yet, a few hours later in the day, then it might be safe to go back home.