Saving Scout O'Brian

7- Wake Me Up

•Rock Bottom By Hailee Steinfeld•

Seven

"Don't go too far, okay?" Char nodded her head and grinned at me before flouncing off to play in the sand. I watched her carefully as I took another drag of my cig, the burning in my throat a soothing feeling.

A few people near by wrinkled their noses at me but I just raised a brow at them and cockily blew smoke out my nose.

"Mommy come look at what I'm making!" Char called at me. I stubbed my cig out and walked over to her. A smile crawled onto my face at the lopsided tower she'd made.

"It's beautiful, baby." I cooed at her, and she smiled my favorite gapped-tooth smile as she surveyed her work proudly.

"But it's about to-" my sentence fell short as the tower plopped over, sending a small splash of water every direction. Char's eyes widened at me and her lower lip trembled. I sighed and knelt down beside her, ignoring the sand that stuck to my skin immediately.

"Here," I spoke as I gathered up some more sand. She watched me for a moment, before her little hands covered my own. "We just gotta make the ground steady." Before long she was giggling at me as I made little sand people and drew funny faces in the sand.

I sat back in the hot sand and watched her with a smile on my face. Oregon wasn't by any means the hottest place on earth, but today the temperature had actually reached 65 so Char dragged me outta bed immediately and here we are.

The beach was filled with people and children, flying kites and running around chasing each other with seaweed. Dogs barked and ran with them, their paws spraying sand everywhere. I soaked it all in and closed my eyes, tipping my face to the sun.

Until pesky thoughts of a certain brunette filled my mind. My face formed a frown immediately. It's been a week since our almost-kiss and she still hasn't said more than three words to me.

I didn't know why she was so angry at me. We didn't really do anything...I mean, it wasn't even a kiss. Just a simple brush of the lips. And she initiated it! So why the hell was she pissed at me?! I sighed and opened my eyes.

I had just enough time to open my arms and shriek in shock right before a familiar, larger ball of white fur crashed into my chest. I flew backwards and the little puppy immediately yipped and covered my face in doggy kisses.

Char laughed beside me. "Mommy that puppy really likes you." She giggled out. I scoffed and grabbed the squirming animal by the middle and held it away from me. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth in a grin and I couldn't resist scratching behind her ears.

My mind finally caught up with my brain on who's puppy this was and every one of my senses exploded as my eyes focused on the figure that had some how just "poofed" in front of me.

Of.....fucking.....course.

Her toned legs were on display and I had to force myself to tear my gaze away from them. Her eyes were narrowed on me and her arms were crossed in front of her, pushing up her already well-endowed chest in the grey tank she wore.

I quickly avoided my gaze and settled it on the squirming puppy. "Um....I think this is yours." I said, awkwardly holding the dog out to her.