Marathon [h.s]

seven

Ellie Meyer

Neither Harry nor I have spoken a word to each other since we pulled out from the dock. Harry turned on a playlist that has been blaring throughout the sound system on the boat, and he's been quiet ever since. The lack of smart comments or snide remarks to get a reaction out of me is becoming more and more concerning.

We've probably only been riding through the ocean for ten minutes, but it already feels like it's been an hour. "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac mixed with the sound of the aggressive winds from how fast Harry is driving has been continuously flooding my ears. Loud noises have always overwhelmed me, and that on top of the situation as a whole has me on the edge of an anxiety attack.

I don't even know what the speed is that Harry is driving us at, but it feels like we're going to hit a wave hard enough to flip the boat. The mist coming off of the waves that the tip of the boat is crashing through is slowly beginning to soak my face. I'm also not sure how he's managing to drive the boat standing up considering I'm being knocked around just sitting here.

"Why the hell are you driving so fast," I yell over the variety of noises that are drowning out any type of conversation that Harry and I would be able to have.

No response, but I can't tell if Harry is just being Harry or if it's because he genuinely can't hear me.

"Could you please slow down some?"

Once again, no response.

I pause briefly and dramatically huff under my breath. "Listen, I don't know if this is your way of getting your frustrations about today out, but I really don't feel like dying-"

Almost immediately, and without a warning, Harry slows down so fast that I almost go flying out of the boat from the abrupt stop in speed. My heart literally flies up through my throat from seeing my life flash in front of my eyes.

"God Ellie, do you ever shut up?" Harry spits in an irritated and pissed off tone, like he wasn't the one that just almost killed me. I am seriously not going to survive today if he's already starting this shit.

"Harry what the fuck? Could you be any more reckless?" I readjust myself in my seat and run my hand back through my messy curls to tame them from when they were flying around in the wind.

When I asked him to slow down, I didn't mean to slam on the breaks and almost cause me to break my neck from whiplash. This man is proof that guys never mature. He can't be civil enough for one day that we have to spend together, when he's the reason we are out here to begin with.

No wondering if I'm okay, no apology, not even a glance in my direction before the boat slowly starts to accelerate again. I actually think he's trying to subtly kill me so that he won't have to endure whatever this is. I have a feeling this is just the tip of the iceberg of what is to come of this trip.

Harry slowly turns the volume on the speaker back up to full blast and this time it's playing "Rhiannon," which is yet another Fleetwood Mac song. If I can conclude anything so far is that he really likes Fleetwood Mac because it is all that he has played. Something about this information surprises me as he doesn't come off as someone who would listen to that. As unjoyful as he is, you would think he would hate any type of music.

Maybe there's a side to him I don't know yet.

There has to be a side to him that he's hiding. I refuse to believe that he acts the way he does towards me for no reason. Nobody puts their guard up that fast after just meeting someone. I mean, if he was like this towards everyone he wouldn't have best friends, or even a job at that matter.