Cool for the summer

chapter 7 - Sam

I haven't seen Aimee all day, and i'm starting to get worried.

I know she's 14, and can handle herself well enough, she doesn't know this town that well, and what if she gets lost? The seas around here are dangerous, even to the best swimmers. That's the thing about the sea, as beautiful and peaceful it may seem at one moment,it can change so fast you wouldn't even realise that the peaceful sea you where floating around in one moment had changed, and by then it's way too late.

Then there's the cliffs.huge, black, towering rock, scattered with birds nests, short scraggly plants, and in the case of this probably one cliff, the hideout of a magical bird woman.

A magical bird woman (don't tell her I said that, she'd probably attempt to take my head of by glaring at it) whom I'm currently going to visit, just to ask if she's seen Aimee. I also haven't seen her today, but that's normal. We used to go for months at a time without talking, as I would only be able to see her when I asked my parents to let me go to grandmother's house. They were hesitant at first, not wanting to let their son traverse the chaotic network of busses and trains necessary to get here without a car. After a few times I did it, they accepted that I would be fine, that or they were too busy yelling at each other to notice.

Actually, that's too harsh. They tried to keep the yelling to a minimum, it's was more they were to busy quietly whisper-yelling at each other.

I park my bike, aka dump it at the side of the path, just out of sight from any walkers, who are rarely seen this far from town,in the stiff grass that grows on the cliff tops, a  pale and sun-bleached greenish yellow.

I slowly descend the cliff, taking extra care at the part where it hangs out over some sharp rocks, and drop the few feet till the floor. There is and easier way to get tot his beach, but I would need to cycle till the very end of the path, and climb along  some rocks, or sand if it was low tide for at least ten minutes. I have practically perfected the way down this cliff though, so the extra ten minutes would just be a waste of time.

"Kira!" I yell at the dark hollow in the cliff."Wake up!"I see her eyes, pale against the darkness, then she explodes out of the cliff, her wings three times the size of her.she lands beside me and frowns.

"You woke me up," her face changes, not quite smiling but close, her brown eyes sparkling,pupils wide (they go to slits when she's nervous,scared,angry or annoyed, so a lot of the time) and almost human. Her hair is cut short and sits just about at her shoulders, slightly curly at the ends, a dark chestnut brown.

"Sorry."I run a hand through my hair,"Aimee may or may not have disappeared, I was wondering if you'd seen her?sorry if this seems like I'm only here for that, I also wanted to see you,"I quickly add, over explaining and apologising. My friends are always on at me about that, saying I'm way to concerned about offending people, but I don't think it's that much of a problem, Right?  What's wrong with being polite.

"no. where did you see her last? i can scan the cliffs if you want?"Kira knows how worried i get over Aimee. i had such a hard time in high school, and i'm always worried it will happen to her too.what if its about me?what if its my fault?what if, what if, what if....

kira notices me starting to spiral, and puts a calming hand on my upper arm."Sam. shes fine." i smile and its probably a little shaky. most people, i can give them a near perfect smile when i'm a hair away from a panic attack. i'm good at masking things,always have been. but kira can always see through me, heck knows how,and so with her i don't bother with the show. another reason why she's my lifeline.

"OK. i'll walk along the cliff and you can fly over the sea?is that OK?sorry," i apologise (unnecessarily, another thing my friends are always at me for).

"of course its OK. i'll go do that then?"she gives me a look, as if checking i'll be OK if she leaves me here.

"yeah. I'm good.lets go find my sister."i answer her question, and smile stronger this time.she salutes me, something she learned of a video i showed her of a pilot a few summers ago, and she does whenever she wants to make me smile( or laugh, i'm pretty easy to get to laugh).

I scramble up the cliff slightly out of puff from having to do it twice in the last what ten minutes?gosh, I need to get back in the gym.

i run up the last stretch, over the cliff edge, and grab my helmet and bike.thank goodness its a mountain,otherwise i wouldn't be able to cycle over the hill, that with all the grasses and such.

i pedal over the crest of the hill following Kira's progress in the sky,her wings flapping lazily,adjusting at slight changes in the wind and air currents.