Run Away With Me

This Is Why I Don't Socialize

Our fight is over, but I feel like Jack is still mad. He hasn't said a word to me since we left Vape Craze. It's awkward to say the least. He is normally a quiet person but this time it feels different. Colder.

We're walking down the pier, towards the beach when we get stopped by a vendor standing in front of a large food truck. "Would the lady like to try a free sample?" A stout man with an unruly red mustache asked, holding out a toothpick with something deep fried on the end.

"Yes." I smiled brightly at the man and took the small food offering from him. I give Jack a pointed look, silently emphasizing the fact that I said yes. I put it in my mouth and almost groaned with how delicious it was. "What is this?" I gushed at the man with my mouth still full. The Vendor laughed at me in a deep hearty laugh and I actually caught Jack's lips curl up into a small, almost smile... Almost.

"That, my dear, is deep fried sweet tea. We mix sweet tea with a sweet custard batter and deep fry it, toss it in powdered sugar, drizzle it with sweet tea syrup and voilà! Sweet Tea Bites!"

"Jack, can we get more please?" I gave him the puppy dog eyes and somewhere in the back of my mind, wondered if he had to say yes all day too.

"Sure, sounds good to me." He says with a shrug. Not exactly the word yes but still some form of it.

I ordered the sweet tea bites that I had tried already while Jack ordered the Arnold Palmer Bites. His were a regular sweet tea bite drizzled in lemon syrup. We both switched half of ours so we could try each other's. As soon as Jack took a bite, he released that groan that I held back earlier. "These are fucking amazing!"

We stuffed our faces in silence as we walked down the pier. We both stopped to watch a group of people sprawled out on the black pavement drawing with chalk all over the ground. There was at least 15 people and their art was taking up a good stretch of the pavement. A couple of people were drawing more artistically, beautiful butterflies with perfect details in the wings, flowers that looked like something out of Alice in Wonderland, sea creatures that looked like they could swim away at any moment. Surrounding those pieces were people who were drawing more abstract, swirls and geometric patterns. All around the colors played off of each other in the most fantastic ways.

"Do you guys wanna draw? We have extra chalk." A girl a few feet away called over to us. She was currently drawing the ocean coming in with a tidal wave. Her hair was in a messy knot on top of her head, her skin looked the perfect shade of tan like she spent most of her time outdoors, and she was covered head to toe in all of the colors of the chalk around her. I could already feel Jack checking out her every sculpted curve.

I fought back rolling my eyes so I wouldn't offend her and said, "Sure, thanks." She slid over a green sandcastle bucket filled to the brim with stubs of chalk. Jack and I both found a black spot still waiting for color and sat down a few feet from each other.

"You guys from around here?" The girl asked not looking up from her detailed drawing.

"New York." I did a double take at Jack. Why did he tell her that? When he noticed me looking at him, he grinned and winked my way. I rolled my eyes and went back to my drawing of a crappy whale. At least he was back to his normal self again.

The girl whistles. "Long way from home. Anything in particular that brought you here?"

"Adventure." I said, looking over at Jack and catching his shocked stare. He held it for a moment and then looked back down to his scribbles on the pavement.

"I like it. What kinds of adventure have you been in so far?"

"Other than running away from home and going on a cross country road trip, just a whole lotta nothing. But we plan on making the most of the summer; bonfires, tattoos, camping on the beach, you name it were gunna do it." Jack says and suddenly my heart race picks up. I gulp down my fear. No wonder he was being so quiet on the way down here, he was plotting everything he is going to make me say yes to.

"You guys been to the cliffs?" The girl asks and finally looks up at us from her drawing. Curiosity twinkles in her dark eyes and I notice for the first time the large scar that runs from the bottom of her eyes down to the bottom of her chin. I look away quickly so I don't stare and instead turn my gaze to Jack who looks intrigued. Oh no...

"Cliffs?" Jack and I said at the same time. My voice shook a little whereas Jack's held excitement. I looked at him with fear in my eyes, hoping he didn't suggest it. I promised I would say yes all day, and I really wanted to keep that promise.

"Yeah, it's these cliffs that drop off into the ocean. A lot of us from around here go jumping off of them, they aren't too high up but enough to give you a thrill if you've never done it before. We're all heading over there tonight just before sunset. You guys should come. Add it to your adventures list."

"Sounds great!" I shot Jack a look for opening his stupid mouth. "Before we leave can I get the address?"

"Sure thing. My name is Kayla by the way."

"Tyler, and this is Stella"

Once again, I exchange a look of confusion with 'Tyler'. He simply shrugs at me.

"Nice to meet you guys." She replies politely and goes back to her drawing.

"I like you're waves." I say with fake confidence. I don't like talking to strangers but its time I get used to it.

Kayla's body goes stiff but relaxes instantly. "Thank ." She replies happily, all tense emotions gone as fast as they came.

"What are you drawing Tyler?" She asks, and maybe I imagined it because I wanted to but, her voice sounded sultry, like she was purposely trying to get his attention.

"Uh, I don't know yet." He laughs shortly. "I'm not the best artist so I started with something and it turned into another." He gazes down at his work skeptically.

"What about you Stella?" The name sounds so foreign, I almost don't answer.

"A whale. Like the one we saw this morning." I smile satisfied and Jack looks over at my work. I take the chance to look at his and see a yellow half dome with what appear to be waves beneath it. Off to the side is two chairs facing the .

Fifteen minutes later, Jack says; "We should head out soon, we need to stop by the store." His icy eyes look into mine and I shiver. I have come to know that cocky look all too well.

"Wh-what are we getting?"

"Oh, trust me, you wouldn't be able to say no once you see it." His smirk widens making his eyes crinkle in the corners.