Above and Beyond: A One Direction Story

Chapter 11: Sophie

SOPHIE: Room 502

1:15pm? I guess you sleep longer after slowly crying yourself to sleep.

I can't stand this. It's a good thing Heather didn't come home until 2am or else she would judge and ask me what happened.

No one needs to know. If I just put on a facade of being strong, most people will believe it.

I just sit around reading until four then finally deem my eyes to be less swollen so I put on a little too much eye makeup and sit at the marina and watch the waves and count all the ships. It's freezing and probably around 40 degrees. It's invigorating.

"Sophie I'm really sorry for anything I did last night and I promise you it won't happen again. Can we please just talk?"

I got that text around three Ill answer it three hours late.

"Marina. Dock 4. Now."

Sounds abrupt and slightly rude... But it's to the point and that's all I care about.

Within twenty minutes, Liam comes in a Jack Wills sweatshirt and jeans and sits beside me on the pier. I don't say anything. I can wait for him to speak.

"Listen Sophie, you were really nice and cute before on Friday but yesterday you were a completely different person and I really don't know who the real you is. I hope it's that bubbly girl I met on Friday and I wonder what I did to upset you but I really hope we can be okay again. Is there anything I can do?"

Without looking at him I mumble,"It's not your fault. I just have... Other things."

"You told me you have problems. I realize that you don't want to talk about them but don't you get that I have problems too? We can help each other with them. Sophie? See you aren't even listening to me."

He drops his voice and mumbles,"You don't care. I could do anything and you wouldn't care. Your problems must be fairly great that they consume your entire being. I want to help but I just don't know how! It would really help if you cared about the world around you."

Blah. Every one of my remaining relatives has given me a similar speech. I care. I just don't know if people actually care about me or if they just feel sorrow for me.

I hate when people feel sorry about me. I hate being pitiful.

Without warning, Liam kicks off his shoes and socks. Idiot. I don't give him a second look.

He zips down his sweatshirt and throws it on the ground next to me. He's kinda buff. Whatever I don't care. He's an idiot that is going to freeze his ass off.

"Sooo Sophie. You wouldn't care if I do this?" He dives backwards into the freezing water of the marina.

I pounce out of my seat. He swims over to the nearest boat and hangs next to it. Does he realize that the water must be at most 40 degrees?

"Liam get back here you are going to drown the water is freezing and just stop being an idiot."

I scoff and sit back down as he trudges back to the ledge and pulls himself up. The veins on his chest are flashing blue and he is breathing abnormally.

"Liam... I can't believe you..."

He shivers and his body convulses slightly and I notice the cyanosis in his face.

"You idiot!" I hand him back his jacket and he puts his arms into the sleeves with a sullen look on his face. He shivers more dramatically now.

"Liam that water must have been freezing temperature and if your body regains blood to the heart too fast you could die." I zip down my hoodie to just have a cami underneath and grab him into a hug.

"Body heat can help.. At least thats what you learn in health class."

He feels so cold. I feel terrible. I can't believe I did this to him. Was I really that mean that he decided to almost kill himself because of it?

"You are.... Really warm."

"In comparison to you Mr. Jumps in freezing water to prove a point."

After two minutes of me just awkwardly trying to warm him up with my body heat, I try to take his pulse.

I don't remove my left arm from around his waist as I take his pulse with my index and middle fingers to his jugular.

"I think you are normal now... Let's just get you back inside and then get you some dry clothes."

"You do care,"He whispers as I release him. I pretend to ignore him and become my normal cold self but I know his response was true.