Pretty Girls

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I PERSONALLY COULD not remember the last time in which I had been to a beach. I had no idea when exactly had it happened but while to most people the sloshing of the waves comforted them, it frightened me beyond comprehension. The worst part was that there was never a true trigger that had ignited my fear of the water. It simply happened and I was now stuck in the aftermath.

To think, what wonders and horrors could the waves hold beyond the horizon? The secrets that were laid within the depths of the waters and the mysteries unsolved by mankind made my skin crawl. The waters of the sea held a sense of mystery and that ignited a deep fear within me. In fact, the fear of the abyss was perhaps one of my greatest fears.

When we had finally arrived at the beach after the end of school, my expression turned into one of horror. I could practically taste the salty sea air as the crash of waves on the beach reverberated through to my ears. The squeals of laughter from both children and adults alike did nothing to soothe me as sirens blared of danger in my head, putting me on high nerves.

Apollo must have noticed my discomfort because a small lazy smile graced his features sadistically as he leaned back in his seat while parking the car.

"You don't have to look so frightened, Dessa. It is just the beach, after all."

"Just the beach?!" I asked, shock and explicit horror lacing my voice. "Whales and fishes and other unknown sea creatures pee in there, Apollo. Not only that, a large percentage of the ocean is yet to be explored so who knows what those unknown creatures could actually be?"

Apollo shrugged nonchalantly as he got out of the car right before pulling a bag out of the back seat and swinging it over his shoulder. He slammed his door shut before walking over to my side of the car, whistling his way through. Opening the door with ease, Apollo held it up with a single hand. He leaned his right arm on the hood as he peered in at me, his smirk widening as he nodded slightly towards the dreaded sandy shores.

"Come on, sunshine. I've set up a photo shoot today that I need you to be the starring model of. So get your lazy ass out of the car."

"No," I stubbornly replied, settling further into the seats. I crossed my arms, not moving an inch towards him.

"Fine."

My eyes widened in surprise— surprise that I had won the argument so easily. "Huh?" I dumbly asked.

"Don't say that I didn't warn you, sunshine."

Before I could comprehend, Apollo's arms had slid under my thighs, easily pulling me out of the car in one swift motion as I yelped in surprise, arms curving towards and around his neck as I held on for dear life. He slammed the car door shut with his foot once I was fully out of the car and in his arms before he began his way towards the beach. With great ease, Apollo did not even seem to break a sweat with me in his arms. His steps were light, practically cool and collected as he strolled down the beach, acting as though he had all the time in the world.

"Apollo put me down! People are staring." I exclaimed, kicking my legs a little in protest. It did nothing to help my situation because Apollo's only reaction was to smile a little wider than he did before. "I swear to god if you do anything—"

"Blah blah blah, I can't hear you." He nearly sang the words out, too much glee present in his voice as we approached the shoreline. The crash of the waves was loud against my ears, reverberating through the beach as his footsteps quickened. "You are just as threatening as a baby kitten, you know?"

My panic was growing by the seconds and when Apollo's feet touched the waves. He kicked his shoes off before stepping into the water, the hems of his jeans instantly darkening in color when it came into contact with the sea water. It seeped through the fabric, climbing up his legs the deeper he walked into the water.