oblivion(#wattys2015)

chapter 10: The beach house

"I will be right back Sky. Stay in the car." Alex spoke to me carefully. I looked into his face, slow in figuring out what his words meant. Skylar was staying in the car with me, he was going somewhere the two of them had just discussed. I was too unfocused and lazy to try to find out what it was. Maybe the tuc shop. I stared out the window as Alex left the car, giving me a reassuring nod.

The car we sat in was parked in a corner. We had just had it fueled to the full and on the way out Alex had stopped the car here.

I questioned his decision. I don't know why I was doing it, but I was too confused and dazed to see anything as humanly sane. A small comforting voice in the back of my mind reasoned that we probably had to buy some stuff for this trip. What trip? I questioned myself again? I tried to rack my brain, searching for any part of their conversation that my mind had just ignored.

We're leaving New York, I reasoned. Maybe going to New Jersey or something. I was sure it was Skylar in my mind. I marvelled at our connection, slightly dazed and smiling as she comforted me.

We were going to New Jersey. Why? Jackson. That one name was the answer. Jackson, whoever he was, was in New Jersey.

The name rang a bell. In all my visions of memories there had been a huge wide gaping hole in my heart. Who was Jackson? I don't know, my subconscious answered. It was something even Skylar didn't know.

A loud beep disturbed my train of thoughts. I pulled my phone out of my pant pocket. One name just made me realise how many things have changed. Stell.

It was her hundredth message.

R u tellin me that just cause you are a yorker now you're gonna just ignore your old best friends?

I wasn't gonna read every single one of them so I decided to call her. Punching her number in the phone from my memory, a spark ignited in me. A thought of speaking to her after so long almost made me forget the misery I was dwelling in.

She picked the phone on the first ring, like she was sitting there for my call, the thought ignited my face with a small smile.

"Cloud! Cloud! Cloud! Where've you been? Why haven't you called in such a long time? I was beginning to think you had forgotten me. Don't tell me you were busy. Now: Explain!" She screamed at me excitedly. Her voice had an edge of relief to it, like she was worried about me and was trying to mask the worry in her excitement. Gah.

"Stell, I have missed you. A lot's been going on..." I began to tell her everything that happened. Every single detail since I had left her. Skylar helped me go on, putting details in my head that I was unaware of myself.

".... and now we're going to New Jersey. To Cape May," I added, raising an eyebrow at this piece of information I didn't know myself. Skylar laughed loudly, and a grin spread across my face.

What's in Cape May? Oh, this Jackson person lives there. The thought of this "Jackson person" made me go only slightly back into that misery.

"So this Alex? When are you guys becoming a thing?" Stella asked, a tinge of teasing highlighting her tone. I blushed when I heard Skylar's audile laughter in the car. Shut up, I thought at her. She didn't.

"We're not a thing," I said sternly, or rather, tried. Stella's laughter boomed through the phone and Skylar was on fire in the backseat.

"I know that... that's why I asked.. when you will be a thing??" Stella gasped between fits of hysteria. I mentally groaned at her.

"Bye Stell," I said in a very sweet voice, clicking the phone shut as I saw Alex walk towards the car.

I turned in my seat to quieten Skylar down, but her laughter had only just ignited.