Lakeside

[11] The Play Set

Every morning that I haven't slept next to Ash, I wake up cold and sad. It feels like I'm wrapped in a thin blanket in a thick, freezing winter. And I rise from the pillow every morning with a depressing feeling nagging at me. With every step I take after, it feels like my problems are weighing me down, until I see Ash. But this morning was different.

My eyes snapped open, and the corners of my lips are already slightly spiked upward. I think of the amazing night I had last night, and when I let my feet touch the ground I feel as light as a feather. There's a pip in my step, and I just feel happy as my neutral mood. It feels amazing.

It's 10:00 PM around the time I wake up, and people are still down in the cabin. I hadn't realized the time, otherwise I wouldn't have come down. But I'm glad I did, because even though they should be apologizing to me, Ash's tragic story with his brother doesn't just go for brothers. It goes for the entire family, too.

I waltz into the kitchen humming a song, grabbing an apple from the fridge and slicing it with an apple slicer. They all acknowledge I'm here, but they don't speak. It seems they weren't even speaking prior to my appearance either.

"Someone seems happy." Brenna says with a smirk on her face, but I can hear the disgust lingering in her voice. Right, I fought with her last night.

I open my mouth smiling more, and then put the apple slicer away. "Apple?" I politely ask Brenna. She shakes her head and stretches her fake smile even further across her face.

I shrugged and walked past her and around the island. Hayden was by the back door looking out the window at the pretty lake. I pass by my parents sitting at the dining table to stand by Hayden, though it seems they've barely noticed.

Hayden doesn't look at me, he just keeps his eyes focused on the view. I extend my plate of apples to Hayden, knowing he'll take a piece. It's one of his favorite foods. He looks to the plate, then looks back to the window and grabs a piece without looking. I picked one up as well and started munching on it, hearing the crunches in my mouth.

"It's such a beautiful day today." I say to start a conversation.

"Sure is." He answers with no emotion. "How come you never go swimming anymore?"

"I've just been a little busy. I've been showing Ash cool places around the lake where Brooke and I always used to go." I say it without my smile faltering.

"So he's like a replacement?" He asks crassly. I look at him with a weird expression. He expressed attitude in it. Things like this made me realize how much he doesn't like Ash, and I just wish he would stop for a second and get to know him.

"No, not at all. It's just fun to make more happy memories here so when I think of these places I don't end up bawling." I explain.

"I guess that makes sense." He finally turns his head to me, adjusting his body too. "Can we talk?"

"Yeah. I'd love that. Just not right now." I tell him, and there's curiosity plastered on his face. "I'm taking Ash to another place after I finish my breakfast. But then I'll be here to talk. I shouldn't be very long." I smile at him, but I still see his expression change slightly. He didn't look very happy or pleased with me the entire time we talked, but now he looked even more disappointed.

"Okay." He says, and turns back to the view with a huff and his arms crossed. I raise my eyebrows at him and look him up and down. He isn't usually like this around me, so I don't see what could be wrong. But it's obvious in his posture and his gaze that he wants to be left alone.

I walk a little to my left and out the door of my cabin, crossing the sand between the two cabins and knock on the screen door. I can see Ash and his parents talking through the screen, and Ash has a big grin on his face. And when he turns to see me, it grows wider.