Dolphin Tale 3

Chapter [14]

Hazel sat on her bed, thinking through everything that had happened ever since Sawyer had arrived back from his three months of SEA Semester. At first, everything had been normal. But now, everything was far from normal. Hazel wondered if anything else could go wrong.

"Oh, Mom," she said, fondling the blanket her mother had given to her. It had been given to Hazel whwn she had been no older than two, and aside from the photos that hung on the walls or sat in frames, it was the only reminder she had of her mother. "Mom, I miss you."

There was a knock on the door.

"May I come in?"

Hazel stared at the door. It was rare of her father to knock---he usually pushed the door open without bothering to knock.

"Hazel, are you okay in there?"

"Fine," Hazel said quickly. "You can come in."

Dr. Clay opened the door and stepped in. "Are you all right, Hazel? Is there anything I need to know about?"

Hazel frowned. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Colton said you were feeling dizzy. Hr thought it might, well, be that time---" Dr. Clay looked relieved as Hazel cut him off.

"Tip number one: don't say that time of month because it pisses girls off. Tip number two: don't even ask girls. Tip number three: don't listen to Colton."

"Okay," said Dr. Clay awkwardly.

Hazel felt sorry for her father. Usually it was the mother who gave their daughter the 'puberty' talk, but seeing as her mother was gone, it was up to her father. He was doing an okay job, though.

She smiled. "Most people learn the hard way, but you've had a hard enough time..."

Dr. Clay sighed. "I learnt about Colton the hard way, though."

"It's a shame we had to find out the hard way."

"Well, I guess I should have expected something like this to happen, though.  Was he right, though, about you feeling dizzy?"

Hazel resisted the urge to tell her father the truth. "Yes, I was feeling dizzy, so I decided to come here and sleep it off. I'm fine, now."

Dr. Clay turned around. "Well, if you need to talk about anything, I'm here. I'm just not very good at the things that concern girls..."

Hazel smiled, even though her father couldn't see it. "Well, I've got Phoebe for that."

•••

"Hazel, can I talk to you?"

Hazel turned to face Sawyer, a paint brush in her hand; the two were touching up the paint around the pools at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. She shrugged. "What about?"

Sawyer placed the tin of paint he was holding onto the ground. He glanced over his shoulder, making sure that nobody was eavesdropping. "The other day, what happened?"

Hazel looked away from Sawyer's gaze. "Which other day? There are 365 days in a year and seven days in a week. Which day are you talking about?"

"The day you failed to show up for our presentation. Hazel, what did Colton do to you?"

Hazel shrugged again. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Sawyer raised an eyebrow. "I see. So conveniently disappear so that Colton can host the presentation and make a fool out of all us? Very convenient. Such a coincidence, don't you think?"

Hazel turned to face Sawyer, fuming. "Is there something wrong with feeling dizzy? Everyone gets sick once in a while; it's perfectly normal."

Sawyer folded his arms. "I know it's normal, but this is too coincidental. What did he say?"

"Nothing," Hazel snapped. "I just felt dizzy."

"It's not nothing, Hazel. Just tell me what he said," Sawyer said stubbornly.

"You're as stubborn as a mule, Sawyer. Colton had nothing to do with my absence. Why won't you believe me?"

"Colton has everything to do with your absence, Hazel. He was with you a few moments before he turned up to the presentation. What did he say?"

"Drop it," Hazel said curtly. She ran the paint brush up and down the wall, watching as it left a trail of fresh paint.

"I won't drop it, Hazel. Not until you tell me what he said, at least."

Hazel sighed. "It's nothing, okay? Nothing." She was still avoiding Sawyer's eyes.

"Look at me." When Hazel refused to look at Sawyer, he cupped her chin in his hands. "Look at me and say it was nothing."

A flurry of tingles worked their way down Hazel's spine at Sawyer's touch. She felt more relaxed than ever in his gentle grip; if anything, she felt safer. Her brown eyes met his and her worries appeared to melt away like chocolate on a hot summer's afternoon. "I can't."

"Then what did Colton say?"

It was the first time in a while that Sawyer had gotten within a close proximity to Hazel, and he was enjoying it.

Hazel jerked her chin out of Sawyer's hands and stared at her paint brush. "Nothing. Just leave it."

"What's bugging you? Tell me, please? For me?"

Hazel looked into his compassionate brown eyes, and found herself melting again. She bit her lip nervously. "Maybe."

"What do I have to do?"

Hazel regarded Sawyer carefully. He may not know it, and Hazel hoped he didn't, but she saw him as more than just a best friend. She shrugged. "I don't know. I could make you dance, or do something really embarrassing..."

Sawyer hid his face behind his hands. "Oh no. Don't make me do that. I might, but only if it was for you."

An idea suddenly popped into Hazel's head. "Or..."

"Or... what?"

"You tell me what happened that night?"

This time it was Sawyer who played stupid.

"Which night?"

"The night you almost..."

Sawyer drew in a deep breath. "No."

"No...?"

"No. That's final."

Hazel sighed. "Sawyer, I know it wasn't an accident, and I have deduced that it had something to do with Colton. Am I right?"

Sawyer shrugged. "I don't know."

"Sawyer, if you tell me what happened that night, I promise to tell you what happened that day. Deal?"

Sawyer bit his lip. The flashbacks of that particular night were bad enough, and now Hazel was was asking him to recount it to her. Just seeing it as he tossed and turned at night was tormenting enough.

Hazel watched Sawyer closely. "Sawyer, just tell me what happened. That's all you have to do. Then I'll tell you what happened that day I missed the presentation. I promise."

Sawyer closed his eyes.

Hazel closed her eyes, too. She drew in a deep breath before opening them again.

"Will you do it for me?"