Silenced by the Night

Unexpected Summer

The six of us were sitting around the bonfire in the beach. We were playing another game of truth or dare. Jessica was fast asleep in the car, don’t ask. I’ll explain later.

“Guys, we really need to get home. My mum’s gonna kill me if she finds out I’m using my car without a license”

“Nathan’s right. It’s getting late. We’ll drop off Thalia and Melody first, then the three of us”

“Can you stay for a while El, I need to talk to you about something”

“Yeah”

I looked at Caylah and Paige who were wiggling their eyebrows.

“He’s asking you out”

Thalia whispered in my ear before walking in the car. I sat down on the passenger seat beside Nathan and looked at all of them from the back.

“I’m telling you, he’s gonna ask you out. That’s why he wants the two of you to talk privately”

Nathan parked his car on their driveway before waking up Jessica and telling her to go inside the house. I looked at him blankly as he closed the back door.

“What did you want to talk about?”

“This”

He pressed his lips against mine while tightening the grip on my hands. We broke the kiss still gazing at each other. This kept happening while we were alone.

“This is a bit crazy, but I’m in love with you Ellie”

A smile formed on my lips and looked down.

“It’s been so long since you told me that”

“Now that we both are sixteen, maybe we can take it to the next level”

I let go of his hand and looked back at him. His eyes were temptation, I wanted to say ‘yes’ but if Caroline finds out she’ll make me break up with him.

“We can’t do this when Caroline’s still living with me”

“We can do this. Caroline can’t do anything with this”

The six of us were skateboarding to the beach. Nathan and I have talked through the problem about last night. The night we were suppose to be ending up together but I thought about Caroline’s threat on the both of us. Caylah and Thalia were having a race to who gets to be the first one to get to the beach. They both were teenagers that loved the outdoors. It’s funny how Paige was the eldest among all of us. Nathan looked at me quietly and stopped his board. Paige gave me a thumbs-up before stopping her board, too. Caylah and Thalia did the same before Melody stopped. I stopped mine and sat down beside Nathan on the sand. He looked at me quietly and then looked at Thalia. 

“What’s with you and Nate, why aren’t the two of you talking?”

I looked over to Nathan who was still talking to Caylah.

“Remember last night, he asked me out but I didn’t say ‘yes’”

“You’re serious?”

“I am. Lea, I don’t think I’m prepared for a relationship”

“The two of you have been friends for five years. You know him really well, why didn’t you agree? He wouldn’t break your heart”

“Girls; Beautiful girls, he might even cheat one me because of the girls in Abbeydale”

“You’re too beautiful to be cheated on. He’ll keep you safe”

Nathan turned to me and I looked to the ocean. Waves were forming but I wasn’t in the mood to go for it, Thalia and Melody looked at me and held my hand.

“Don’t worry we’ll be fine. Nathan might need some space to go through the incidence last night”

I was still worried about him anointing me.

Nathan was driving to the café while all of us were talking about having a night out. He was looking at me through the window.

“Nate, are you OK?”

He went back to the street and didn’t even catch a glimpse at the five of us on the back.

“I don’t think he’s OK, he hasn’t been talking to any of us since last night”

“Hello, I can hear the five of you talking about me back there”

“Sorry mister cranky”

He rolled his eyes and went back to driving. A girl crossed the street making him lose control of the car and crashing the car in a place where only those who watched knows.

*In the hospital*

I woke up feeling pain all over my body, did the accident happen? Or was it all a dream? Hanna and Jessica went inside having worry in their eyes.

“Where are the others?”

“Nathan and the girls are fine; all of you were in a coma. You were the first one to wake up, it’s a miracle”

“How long have I been unconscious?”

“Three weeks, we’re worried about Nathan and the others”

“I’m also worried about my brother; I mean who even caused this accident?”

“A little girl crossing the street, he lost control of the car and we crashed”

Doctors and nurses ran from outside, my heart was beating faster.

“We better check that out”

They ran outside and looked to where the doctor ran to.

“It’s in Melody’s room; I’m hoping she’s alright”

I hope she’s alright. I’m also worried about her. Melody was a great friend, and I don’t want to lose her because of that little girl crossing the streets. My eyes were tearing up, I didn’t know why. Hanna went out as the doctor did as well. Jessica sat down beside me holding an envelope.

“Read it and you’ll be devastated”

I opened the envelope and read the letter:

‘Ellie, Make sure that friend of yours, Nathan, doesn’t come to see you anymore. Pass him this letter after you read it. Make sure he doesn’t talk to you or sees you, if I catch you with him in this house. I’m sending you to another family; a family living far from Abbeydale.

No matter how tight his grip might be in your arm, you’ll still be sent away. You can’t make anyone know about this, except for him. I don’t want anyone stopping me from taking you away if I catch you again with that boy.

From now on I will forbid you from seeing this boy’

Jessica looked at me with devastation on her eyes. I couldn’t believe Caroline could do this to all of us - to our summer. This was supposed to be for the six of us.

Can’t this summer get more unexpected?