My Riptide

Chapter 24: Did something

Coral-

I walk through the doors of Hannah's house. Charlie comes running towards me as I enter. He slobbers all over my thighs. Don't get me wrong, he's adorable, but that's all he does is slobber. It's his love I guess.

"Move Charlie." I say as he sniffs River's scent on my shirt.

Now that the storm is gone the waves are apparently going to be 'good ones'. So everyone is going surfing and having a beach bonfire party type of thing. He said it wasn't going to be a big one, but I've learned the difference from a big party and a small party. There technically isn't one. It's just a smaller space.

I rush up the stairs into Hannah's room. I'm not surprised when I see my brother and Hannah laying on her bed, watching Ratatouille. Of course they are.

"Long time no see." Hannah jumps up.

"It was just the weekend." I roll my eyes.

"More like the whole summer. Who the fuck is this guy your hanging out with?" Reef starts. I roll my eyes again.

"Look I can do whatever I want with whoever I want and I don't need you up my ass all summer because of it." I point at him and turn to the closet.

"Depends on who's ass you've been up all summer then I wouldn't care." He tilts his head in a sign of a warning. Oh please. Just because he's older than me by four minutes doesn't make him my dad.

"Stop trying to parent me." I snap. I look for a bikini top as Hannah helps. She doesn't even know why I need one.

"Obviously someone needs to. That's why your so fucking stubborn Cory."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"We grew up without actual parents. What do you not understand?" He scoffs.

I look down at my fingers. "Stop acting like we didn't have anything or mom and dad didn't exist because we had them. They were our parents."

"They didn't do shit. Think about it, mom never took care of us, all she and dad did was drugs and clubbed while we were taking care of ourselves or at Hannah's house."

"Okay they might have not been parents of the year, but it was the closest we were ever going to get. How could you say that?" I walked out of the closet and tighten my fists. He's fucking crazy for saying this.

"Mom never cared about us! All she fucking cared about was the drugs and money. She's the reason why dad died. She knew once she died we would be left with Paul by ourselves! She's the reason why we have fucking scars on our skin! It's her fucking fault." He yells.

He's fucking crazy. He loved her so much and now he could care less about her. I don't get it.

"She did everything she could. What else was she supposed to do Reef?! She still tried. That woman died for her own good. She didn't have a choice. And your fucked up for even letting those words come out of your mouth. Because if it wasn't for her we wouldn't have been here."

"Your right. We would be living a happy life with our alive family." He snarls.

"You are unbelievable." I walk back to the closet. Hannah's eyes are wide and left staring blank at me.

I close the closet door and grab the bathing suit she picked and a pair of Jean shorts.

"I don't even want to talk about it anymore. I'm tired of arguing with people. Plus he's obviously been drinking today." I say as I undress.

She nods her head. "Where are you going anyway?"

"Well the boys are all going surfing and I was wondering if you could come with me to the beach with them. Later there's also going to be a bonfire party."