One of us is lonely

Chapter 7

✖ ✖ ✖

AT ABOUT TWO IN THE MORNING thick black clouds covered the entirety of the sky. A rumble could be heard in the distance and it didn't take long for the clouds to break and rain to fall from the heavens. Lightning cracked and the ocean became more and more restless. Red had remained on her quiet spot on the terrace together with Mira and Gabriel had joined them. He stroked his girlfriend's hair as she laid on his lap. She was fast asleep, slightly snoring, which Gabriel found adorable. 

"Well, we aint going home anytime soon," Gabriel muttered, looking at the storm in front of them. Red slowly nodded her head, her eyes fixating on the movement of the waves. It calmed the weird state of her mind. She hadn't had a drink in over an hour but the many that came before that were still present in her body. Her thoughts were cloudy and her vision still a bit blurry, but she was present enough to hear and understand what Gabriel said. Riding their bikes home right now wasn't an option and getting a cab, with that many people in the house all wanting to go home, would not be an easy task either. Red didn't necessarily want to go home. She was quite peaceful, sitting on her quiet spot with two of the few people she actually liked, the sound of rain in the background, and the pretty view of the thunderstorm. 

"You wanna go for a swim?" She suddenly asked and the boy next to her let out a laugh. Red was dead serious, though. The more she looked at the water, the more it called to her. 

"No way, Red." He shook his head when he realized she was not joking. "That's way too dangerous." 

"It'll be fine," Red contradicted. "I used to swim in thunderstorms all the time when I was on the North." She pushed herself up from the ground and Gabriel softly pushed Mira off his lap - careful not to wake her - so he could get up as well. 

"Well, that's because all Northsiders are reckless fools and I'm allowed to say that, I lived there." Red walked into the rain, getting soaked to the bone within a second. Gabriel was hesitant at first but eventually did follow the still very drunk girl, who was convinced that she had the best idea ever, onto the beach. 

"Yeah, well, you were also eight when you moved here to become a boring snob." As they came closer to the ocean, Red could see a few people had caught the strange scenery and had made their way to the terrace. Safely guarded from the rainfall, they watched this strange girl, walking further and further down the beach until she reached the point where the water met the sand. "Live a little, Gabe," she teased. "Show me you got Northsider blood." She took off her skirt, dropping it into the sand. Gabriel shook his head.

"Your brother is going to kill me." He warned. A cheeky grin crept onto her face as she took a step back, her feet hitting the water. It wasn't as cold as she'd thought it'd be, the warmth of the past few days probably being the cause of it. 

"He isn't here, right?" She cocked her brow before turning around and running further into the water. Her brother was the least of her worries. He'd left about two hours ago with some chick she'd never seen before. So, what he doesn't know, won't hurt him, she thought. She turned back around when the water hit her waist, looking at Gabriel who watched her with his hands in his hair. A few more people had gathered on the beach. A handful of drunk teenagers who wanted to see a spectacle or maybe even join her. Red smiled from ear to ear, stretching out her arms and throwing her head back as the rain fell down on her. 

"Red!" Gabriel's voice yelled for her. She'd expected him to sound worried like one was supposed to be when their drunk friend did something stupid, but instead, it was laced with terror. "Watch ou--" His words faded away as a wave crashed down onto her, dragging her underneath the surface of the ocean. She'd no time to take a breath. The water filled her lungs and she kicked her legs as she tried to get back up. She could hear the vague screams of the people on the beach and lightning cracking in the sky. She waved her arms in front of her, pushing herself back up. She only got a second to catch her breath before another wave pushed her back down. It felt like a brick wall had fallen onto her chest, replacing all the air in her lungs with saltwater. She felt the energy drain from her body. Slowly she gave up, her arms and legs no longer fighting to escape from the depts of the sea and she allowed the turbid water to carry her. All of a sudden she wasn't cold anymore. The water felt like a warm hug against her skin and her heartbeat slowed down. She rocked with the waves, the ocean like a blanket around her. Her eyes had been closed the whole time, but when she'd finally given in to the sea, allowing it to claim her, she felt a peaceful darkness consume her. 

As Red awoke she wasn't sure if she was dead or alive. Images of what had happened flashed in front of her eyes and she tried to put the pieces together. She saw the water, it's weight crushing down on her. She saw herself trying to fight as the turbid waves tossed her around and eventually, she saw herself giving up. She saw a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and the dark clouds when she was brought back to the surface. She heard screams and shouts. And that was it. 

She opened her eyes, staring up at a ceiling different from the one in her bedroom. She sat up straight. Her head pounded and her throat and mouth felt dry. She tried to get a grip on reality. She hadn't drowned last night, that was for sure. She was safe and sound in a bedroom with high walls and a dozen decorative pillows. Definitely Southside. She heard voices coming from downstairs, voices she didn't recognize. Curiosity got the better of her and she climbed out of bed. Whoever had gotten her out of that water and into that room had also managed to peel the wet clothes off her body and had changed her into a large shirt and a pair of shorts. She tiptoed out of the door and as soon as she entered the hallway she recognized the house she was in. It was the same walls and staircase that had been filled up with drunk teenagers the night before. 

"-- nothing to do with that. This is about you jumping to the opportunity of abandoning your resposiblities the second you get the chance!" Red followed the voice that seemed to belong to an elder man and stopped at a door that was slightly ajar. She saw Ares, leaning against a desk. His light brown hair was tousled over his face, he wore a pair of grey sweats and a white vest. His eyes were fixated on the floor as a middle aged man scolded him. 

"Dad, I'm--" His words were cut off by Blythe senior raising his hand. Ares flinched, moving away from his father.

"Don't even start with me." Mr. Blythe growled. "Apologise to the damn maids who've been spending all morning cleaning up your mess." Ares slowly nodded his head. "For the love of God, Ares. When are you going to grow up?" Red pressed her back against the wall, carefully listening to the private conversation. "Did we make a mistake moving back here? Should we have left you in France?" 

"No!" Ares protested. "It won't happen again. I promise." Mr. Blythe stepped closer to his son, waving his finger in front of his face. 

"If I catch one more drop of alcohol in this house, I'll give you something to be sorry for." He hissed. "Now, get out of my sight." Ares slowly nodded his head and turned around. Red saw that as her cue to run. She moved her feet, hurrying back upstairs and into her room before Ares had caught her. She carefully closed the door behind her back, hoping Ares had not seen her. She then let herself fall down on the bed, letting out a big sigh. 

She needed to get home. 

✖ ✖ ✖

SO, RED DID A STUPID THING. What do y'all think? Let me know!