For Ever

Chapter 2

Matt and I just swam and talked for hours. The salty sea gradually reached a comfortably warm temperature and the waves died down. We floated on our backs and let the summer sun burn our skin, and when we noticed we drifted too far out, we'd race back to shore. It was peaceful and beautiful and I wanted to stay out there all day with my best friend.

After Matt had left to clean up a bit, I stayed in the water, staring at the sky. I was knee deep and watched the sun float below the horizon. The sky was embellished with deep shades of red, orange, and pink. It quickly reminded me of my parents.

Involuntarily, my fists clenched up. It always happened when I thought about them. Thought about how they died. How they yelled out my name repeatedly. And then the sunset, the blinding sunset. Those are the clearest things I can remember. I suppose my naive mind chose those specific tidbits for me to keep locked away, to save for later. I had no idea what for, but I knew that was why, deep in my heart.

"Ever, dear," a timid voice said beside me. I turned my head and saw Louisa; sweet, calm Louisa. Her brows were furrowed and her mouth was drawn in a thin line. I knew she was worried for me.

"You're thinking about them, aren't you." She wasn't wondering, she just flat out stated it. And it was true. I could see the questions brewing in her face. I could almost hear the gears working around in her head, trying to figure it all out. I wish she knew I was doing the same thing.

I smiled softly and nodded my head.

"I miss them," I sighed, looking at the water lapping at our legs. Louisa put her hand on my shoulder and squeezed it tenderly. That's one of the magnificent things about her. She didn't need to say anything helpful or give life-changing advice. All she had to do was lay a finger on you and everything would feel better. All she ever did was be there, and dammit, it was enough.

I pulled her into a tight embrace, feeling the warmth between our two bodies. She pulled back, a huge smile on her face.

"Let's get our of this mopey mood and head back to your place! Race ya!" And with that, Louisa was off, her wild hair dancing in the wind. I shook my head and chuckled at her before splashing through the water to catch up with her. She was patiently waiting at the back door holding both of our sandy beach bags. I snatched mine out of her hand and dug around for my key when the door swung open.

"Hey, girls! Wow, y'all got some sun!" my cousin Audra exclaimed.

She was a typical bad ass Californian. She had pencil straight auburn hair that reached just about her shoulders. A large dragon tattoo covered her collarbone and several more were permanently drawn on her arms. She had several piercings on her ears and a cute, little diamond stud in the crook of her nose. Audra had this go-with-the-flow attitude that everyone admired. She didn't take shit from anyone and she was the most sarcastic bitch I'd ever met. But I loved her to pieces, anyways. After my parents died years ago, she moved down here from Seattle in the middle of college to take care of me. She was all I had.

"Audra! I thought you weren't getting in 'till later!" I said.

"Paul let me off early," she said as we shuffled into the cool house. Paul was her boss at a popular bar she worked at called Daniel's.

Louisa and I plopped into the chairs at the bar and let out a huge gust of air. The exhaustion from the heat and the ocean finally hit us and we struggled to fight it off for the bonfire.

"Y'all tired?" Audra asked as she rounded the corner into the kitchen and faced us.

"Yeah, but we've got the bonfire tonight!" Louisa whined. Audra's mouth twisted the slightest bit and she bit her bottom lip. She looked at the liquor cabinet, then at us, and back to the kitchen counter.

"Okay. This is the only time I'm doing this. Understand?" Audra was never authoritative like a parent around me, so I knew she was being really damn serious. We both nodded tentatively as she wagged her finger at us.

"Good," she mumbled, "very good." She headed over to the liquor cabinet, poured us two shots each, and set them down in from of us.

"These will really wake you up." We grabbed the first shot, threw our heads back, and down the glass. I sucked in a sharp breath through my teeth and shook my head. The tequila burned in my throat and stomach, making me feel a light buzz. Taking the last shot was easier and our senses were acutely aware of everything now.

"Woo! Thanks for that!" Louisa chirped. Audra smiled and put the glasses in the dishwasher. I hopped out of my seat and dragged Louisa behind me.

"We'll be leaving in, like, an hour!" I called out over my shoulder.

"Ever!" I turned around and her eyes were full of concern.

"No drugs?" she whimpered.

Audra had a rough drug history in high school. She got hooked on meth and painkillers and went to wild parties she couldn't even remember. Some weekends she'd wander the streets aimlessly, looking for a phone or food or water before my aunt would pull up beside her and yank her into the car. Gangs lurked in the alleyways and took advantage of her when she was so out of it to register what was going on. She hated herself. She overdosed on several different painkillers, but my aunt found her barely breathing in her bathroom. She rushed my cousin to the hospital and threw her into rehab for eight months after she had recovered from the overdose. I knew she didn't want the same fate for any other teenager, especially us.

I smiled warmly and said, "No drugs." Audra smiled wide and Louisa and I scampered to my room, where we prepared for the most exciting bonfire of the summer. And exciting it was.