The Beach House

Chapter 36: Who Watches The History Channel?

            I wake up the next morning feeling a swarm of different emotions. The relief of confiding in Ali hits me at the same time as the dread of Noah being downstairs. I push my feelings deep down before sitting up and instinctually reaching for my phone only to remember it's still broken. I sigh at the dark screen and rub at my sleepy eyes.

             I look to Ali's bed and see she's still asleep. Guess that means the bathroom is mine for now. If my phone wasn't broken, i'd probably stay in bed until she got up, but, with no distractions, I decide to head to the mirror. I zoom through my morning routine without much thought until I reach for mascara. I should probably use waterproof again. You know. Just in case. I pick up some of Ali's setting spray at the same time that there's an urgent knock on the bathroom door.

             "Mariella, I'm gonna pee my pants, let me in," Ali says loudly through the door. I laugh as I spritz my face with her setting spray and open the door.

            "All yours," I say with a smile as I slip out of the bathroom. Ali closes the door behind her with a rushed slam. I head over to my half packed duffle bag and stare at the clothes spilling out of its zipper mouth. With a sigh, I begin to sort through the mess to find something to wear. I opt for a cute shift dress that reminds me of the 60s over a light green one piece. I choose the outfit for myself, but also a little in spite of Noah. He hates green. Which is ironic since my eyes tread the border of blue and green. Green's slowly been becoming my favorite color. I wonder if it's because of a certain someone's eyes.

          "I'm gonna shower!" Ali's voice carries to my ears from behind the bathroom door. Its quickly followed by the sound of running water.

           "Okay! I'm going downstairs," I shout back, though I'm not sure she can hear me clearly over the shower. I throw on a light pink zip up hoodie, simply to have a pocket to hold my wallet. Boys are so lucky to have so many pockets in their clothing. I glance at my phone before throwing it in my pocket, too. Maybe I can try to get it fixed in town today. I make sure my clothing pile is in a secluded area so it doesn't get in Ali's way before leaving the room and heading downstairs. It's weird not having a working phone, because I have no idea what time it is. I listen to the kitchen as I walk down the stairs and hear many voices. It must be around noon if everyone's up already.

              When I round the corner of the stairwell, I pause to scope out the scene. Almost everyone is lounging around various parts of the kitchen and living room, even Bella. I search for Noah's face, but come up empty. I release the breath i've been holding uncomfortably in my chest. I can't find Tess and Connor either, but that doesn't seem so out of the ordinary to me. Tess always does her own thing and Connor has barely left her side this whole trip. With Noah out of sight, I relax a little. Soren is sitting alone on the couch and watching T.V. He's leaning his elbows on his knees and his hands are clasped between his legs. His eyebrows are slightly furrowed and there's a tension in his lips that makes his cheekbones stand out. He looks so focused. It's cute. I take the opportunity of no one noticing me to walk over and sit next to him.

              "Morning, Sky," I say with a big smile. He jumps before returning the smile.

               "Morning, Em." I giggle at the foreign nickname. I like it. It makes me feel dainty and little, two things I am not. I'm about to ask him what he's so focused on when I hear a voice call out to us.

               "Hey, did you say my name?" Soren and I turn to see Bella staring in our direction. I share a quick glance with Soren and have to clench my teeth to keep from laughing.

               "No!" we say in unison before turning back to the television.

               "Whoops. Totally forgot about Bella," Soren says and laughs. I push him gently in the shoulder.