Here Comes The Sun [wattys 2016]

OCTOBER 2007

OCTOBER 2007

Alex stood at the top of rocky cliff, overlooking a harsh and cold sea.

The waves crashed against the cliffs with the fury of an enraged god, determined to tear down everything in its path. Alex's hands are closed into fists with such great force that he can feel his fingernails digging into his palms. They might be bleeding but Alex doesn't check and neither does he care.

The wind is sharp and cold; it hits him like a wave of freezing water. He looks down and watches the white foam and dark blue water crash against the dull brown rock. He stands there, watching it without blinking until the cliff erodes away over the course of a million sunrises until the edge of the cliff is barely an inch from him. Alex tries to take a step back but someone firmly grabs hold of his shoulders so that he is unable to move.

Alex turns around and finds Jem holding him in a steel grip, glaring at him with eyes as lifeless as a cold moon. His mouth is thinly pursed and his lip downturned as if he's in pain. His brown hair is damp and it sticks to his face sullenly. Something was wrong, Jem never looked like this.

Alex looks beyond him and sees his mom and Ronan, both watching him coldly, shooting daggers with their eyes. Alex looks back at Jem and tries to ask him what's going on but his voice doesn't work. He feels like someone has stuffed cotton down his throat.

Jem sneers harshly and Alex's stomach twists uncomfortably because it's an expression that Jem just doesn't wear. Before Alex can react, Jem pushes him backwards.

Alex falls into the water with a low splash. He doesn't close his eyes on the way down and he barely registers the harsh contact or the freezing water consuming him. He watches the top of the cliff and a second later, Jem, his mom, and Ronan's faces appear, overlooking the cliff. They sneer at each other and Ronan might have aimed a 'Fuck you!' at him but Alex loses consciousness.

Alex's eyes fly open.

He can see his study table in the faint moonlight. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes tightly before sleep escapes but his fingers are trembling and his heart racing faster than he can keep up with. He pulls the covers up to his chin even though he is covered in cold sweat.  He sticks a pillow between his legs and cuddles it like a teddy bear.

*

For some reason, Alex dresses nicely the next morning. He picks out the plaid shirt he wore to the dinner with Jem and Ronan and borrows his mom's eucalyptus leaf facewash. He washes his face with cold water and tries to smile at himself in the mirror. The mirror Alex must have been a good actor because for a brief second Alex's spirits are lifted a little.

*

"You're not going to give up on the Ollie, are you?" Jem sighs.

Alex rubs his sore elbow. It stings a little but Alex is used to it. He places one foot on the skateboard and narrows his eyes and dramatically announces, "I never give up."
"You sound like a character out of a really, really bad video game."

"Sir Alexander Buchanan II, saviour of England." Alex grins at Jem who rolls his eyes. Alex pushes forward and flips the skateboard a tad too early and the top of the board grazes his crotch. Alex yelps and ends up tripping over the board. He holds out his arms in front of him as he falls and ends up grazing his palms.

Jem rushes over. Alex is sitting on the ground, dejected and irritated, and his palms burning. Jem kneels next to him and takes his hands softly. He examines Alex's grazes palm, bleeding a little and covered with dust. Jem sighs and looks at Alex. "Told you so."

"Hey, I'm injured." Alex tells him with a toothy grin. He tries to play down how much his palms are actually stinging. "You can be nice to me."

Jem rolls eyes. "Get your ass up."