Seas Between

Chapter 27

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Hallo, sorry I haven't been writing in forever. I really haven't been motivated lately. I hope this will suffice. I tried. By the way, I've been switching POV so that it's solely Katrina's and also first person. Just keep that in mind.

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I wiped my hands and face off with a white napkin and took my tray to the garbage. Alex looked like he had just told a little girl that unicorns aren't real. It made no sense. Why would he have to feel weird around me. We never had felt weird around each other before.

"Alex, please can we just drop the awkwardness?" I blurted out, dropping my tray in the designated area.

"What?" He looked both confused and worried at the same time. It bothered me. I just wanted us to be friends as we always had been.

"Ever since you moved, things just haven't been the same." I looked past him. We were starting to get an audience. "Come on.. let's go."

We went out onto the sidewalk and started to walk to the restaurant that Cloe and Braden were staying at. I could see that Alex was still tense. "How about we buy a new kite?"

"Yeah? Kinda random don't you think?"

"So? I think we should buy a kite."

"Well it's never that windy here.." He licked his finger and held it in the air. "There's nothing."

"Way to spoil the fun. I still think we should get a kite. I'm sure there's enough breeze. There is a little bit of a breeze, and we can run with it."

"You've made your point. I don't think it will work but let's try anyway."

We kept walking and trying to talk but failing miserably. We kept our eyes peeled for a kite. Any little vender could be selling one.

After maybe 20 minutes of walking and awkward half-communication, I spotted it. There was a beautiful array of kites displayed by one vender. Alex's eyes lit up when he saw them. They were full of intricate designs and patterns and their colours were so bold and bright. I wanted to be able to buy them all. It's like each was its own masterpiece.

We walked up to the vender, eager to purchase a new kite. "Which one should we get?" I asked Alex excitedly.

"I don't know, they're all so nice!"

I turned to my right to look over some of the kites. A certain yellow one caught my eye. It had butterflies and hummingbirds fluttering around flourishing flowers. I immediately wanted it.

I turned around and grabbed Alex's arm. "You have to see this one!" He dropped the kite he was holding and scrambled over to the kite I wanted to show him.

He nodded his head slightly. "Yeah, I like it." He smiled and pulled out his wallet.

"Aleeex, why? Put it away!"

"Well someone's gotta pay for it and it's not gonna be you."

"Fine. Take the kite. But it is yours because you bought it; you have to keep it safe."

"No problem there. I'll give it more care than you give our old one." He laughed.

"Hey, I didn't put it in the attic. Mom did."

"Suuuure"

"Anyway, let's buy this and get it in the air before Braden and Cloe are done with their awkward dinner."

"Ours wasn't thaaat awkward."

"Right, you tell yourself that." I said was we walked up to the lady at the counter. She had a wide thin smile stretched across her face.

She took the kite and looked at its price then looked up at us, just as happy. "This all for today?" She asked with a strong Spanish accent.

"Yeah, thanks."

The lady told us the price and Alex paid her, leaving a tip in her green jar of coins. She handed us the kite and smiled. I smiled back and took the kite.

"Hey, do you know where the best place to fly this would be?" Alex asked the lady before we left.

"By the water, there's a clear hill that would be good. I always took my son there when he was little. He loved it. Here I'll give you directions." She took a map from the stand behind her and drew our route out. It wouldn't have taken more than 10 minutes to get there.

"Thank you so much, have a good day." Alex said.

We followed her directions and found the spot. It was beautiful. The grass swayed with the breeze and the sun was just falling over the water.

We got the kite ready together, unraveling the string and making sure everything was in its place. It felt weird having the kite out but neither of our parents were around. We haven't used a kite since we were little.

"Ready?" Alex asked me, lifting the kite in the air. The wind seemed to be just strong enough to tug at the kite.

"Yeah, come on!" I grabbed the string and pulled it and Alex down the hill.

It flew up into the sky, catching air under its beautiful fabric. It fluttered around like the butterflies and hummingbirds on its surface, warmed by the beautiful sunset painted across the sky. It was freeing, like a bird leaving a nest, finally free. I felt young again, like a child.

We just ran and laughed as the sun set, wind running past our bodies and through our hair, up into the kite and out into the night sky. I didn't want the night to end. Alex seemed so much happier up there and I know for sure that I was.

The night was coming on and neither Cloe nor Braden had messaged us. We were sitting on the edge of the cliff watching the sun disappear beyond the horizon when I finally got a text. It wasn't from Braden though. It was from Avery. She had sent a spam of messages but I could only read the last one.

Please, please, please reply! I need you!