FALL

EIGHT

IT WAS GETTING DARK, the stars hushing and cooing the sun to sleep. The breeze was cool and blew softly, bringing fragrant smells of the salty beach. Edenne wriggled and scrunched her toes in the sand, feeling the grains trickle down into the everlasting floor deep below.

They were around a small campfire Markus and Adrienne helped make, feeling warm, while Edenne had trouble thinking straight. The kiss, there wasn't a kiss. Of course it didn't feel right at that place, with those people, but why did he say that?

She sat directly in front of him, in front of Dylan. She was squished in between Sabia and Adrienne, while she felt her cheeks fill with color as Alyssa crept up Dylan's sleeve. Everyone was having a nice time except her.

"Are you ok?" Adrienne asked, eating a piece of burnt shrimp and offering one to Edenne.

Edenne shook her head and pushed it away. "Yeah I'm fine, just tired."

Adrienne didn't look convinced, but shrugged and turned away. "You know I'm going to ask about it once we get home."

Rolling her eyes, she nodded. "Sure."

She glanced down at the fire, slowly mesmerized by it, when she felt a buzz in her pocket. reaching in to get it out, she saw that it was a text, from Dylan. She looked up at him.

"Why are you text-"

He put a finger over his lips and pointed back down at the phone.

D: hey don't say anything lol i don't want them to know

Edenne scoffed, knowing Adrienne was going to find out either way, but nodded.

A: ok??

D: You having fun?

A: you didn't want anyone else knowing about this?

D: that wasn't the point but ok

She turned her phone off, placed it on a bench, and turned away from him. Frustrated with her current situation, she hollered, "Who's up to go back into the water?"

Sabia shrugged. "I don't know Ede, it's kinda cold-"

"Yes! Let's go." Adrienne ran and jumped on Edenne's back, both running off into the ocean, screaming.

They splashed at each other until their hair turned droopy and tangly.

"Damn it Edenne, I was trying to get the beach waves kind of look." Adrienne muttered, twisting out the water from her hair.

"Oh shut up, now you have beach tangles." Edenne laughed, rolling her eyes.

They sat in the water for a while, staring at the moon with their bodies halfway under water.

"Are you sure you're ok? I mean you're doing better now." Adrienne poked at her.

"Not now, Adri." Edenne didn't budge or move.

"Guys, it's getting late. We're going back, lets back up." They heard Alyssa say.

She nodded and slowly got up, until she noticed something. "Edenne, something's weird."

Looking around, frantic, Edenne asked, "What's weird?"

"I don't know," Adrienne rubbed her chin. "Something's missing, but I don't know what exactly." After a while, she snapped her fingers. "Oh right, your necklace."

Edenne froze. "Fuck." She splashed at the water around her quickly and dug her hands into the sand beneath it.

"It's fine, it's just a necklace. We'll get better ones around here. Anyway, I told you not to wear them here, they'll get lost in the water."

"No, no. I need to find this one. You can go first, I'll catch up." Edenne waved her away. Shrugging, she left to pack up. "Oh god, oh god, oh god." Edenne muttered underneath her breath.

Back at the fire, the dying fire, Dylan stood while packing his towels back into a bag, when he saw Adrienne coming back without Edenne. He glanced over her shoulder, "Where is Edenne?"

She looked up at him, "Looking for some precious necklace that fell in the water." Shaking her head while packing their sunblocks and glasses.

Was it the necklace she wore last time? The necklace he gave to her? He swore he saw her wear it today. He started towards Edenne, where water was rippling from both sides of her body.

"I told her but did she listen? As always, no. I feel like her mom sometimes-" She looked up, and he was gone. Turning back, she saw him walking towards Edenne. She went back to packing, muttering, "I swear, no one listens to me anymore."

"Hey, are you ok?" He asked, bending over with his hands on his knees, chest heaving slightly.

She stopped, turning to glare at him. "I'm fine, everything's fine. Don't worry about me." She went back to falling on her knees, hands disturbing the silence of the water.

"I can help whatever you need help with, I finished packing. Adrienne said you were looking for some necklace." He smiled.

"No, don't worry about it." She muttered.

There was silence for a while. She sighed, thinking that he left, then she heard knees drop into the sand beside her and hands in the water. Groaning, she glared at him. "Fine, it's gold, has a charm, and that's it."

He nodded. "Yes ma'am."

Back at the benches, where Alyssa and Sabia and Adrienne were, Alyssa glared at the backs of Dylan and Edenne. Growling underneath her breath, "Why are they always alone together? I never get that chance, even if I try. He walked over to her! Voluntarily! She didn't even ask him and now he's on his knees helping her with something." Adrienne and rolled her ankle, leaning towards Sabia, smirking.

"It's not even fair. I'm his little sister and he's always with that girl. I don't even like her that much honestly, you know that protective feeling you get when you meet someone bad? Yeah, I get that feeling a lot from her."

She ranted, crossing her arms and shifting her level of balance onto the other leg. "I'm very protective of my friends - you guys. She never talks to me."

Turning over to Adrienne, she asked accusingly, "Why did you even invite her to my party? I only wanted people I was close with, people I trusted. Like you, Sabia, Dylan. I never invited her, why did you let her come?"

Her mind thinking fast for an excuse, Adrienne gave a smile that looked like she put invisible tape to hold the corners of her lips up. "Aw, I'm sorry Lyssa, she's my best friend, I wanted to have fun with all of you, so I couldn't just leave her out. Plus, we all hung out as a group in high school, and you said to invite the group! Give her a chance."

She smiled to herself. Yes, that's all she had to do. Make an excuse that sounded right, then shift the guilt onto her. It always worked.

Frowning, Alyssa turned back to look at Dylan and Edenne.

"This is it, I'm never going to find the necklace. I'm going to die." Edenne waved her hands in the air before running her hands through her tangles.

"It's fine, just a necklace right?" He shrugged, stretching his arms back.

"That's not it. It's-" She looked up at him, biting her lip. Was this really the best time to say this? What would that even sound like? I love you Dylan, and I'm a bitch because it looks like I only love you now because you're more successful but that's not it! Yeah, not exactly the best option.

"What is it?" He asked, his eyebrow rising with confusion.

"It's not just another necklace, it's the one you gave me for our two year anniversary." She muttered, biting her lip.

"Why is that so important to you?" He asked. "I could get you another one, don't worry about it."

The heart pangs hit her quite hard. Did he not see it with the same symbolism she did anymore? She looked around to make sure everyone else was at the benches, before sighing and mustering her courage, looking him straight in the eye.

"It's not that, it's not about how pretty it is, or who gave it to me, it's because...I'm not over you."