Drowning

Twenty One;

My mind often fell behind on my reflexes. I did things without thinking sometimes.

This was one of those times.

"Harry!" I heard Zahara shout. It was the one, constant, sound amongst many other sounds; incoherent yells, gasps of shock, and many other noises which I couldn't, in that moment, decipher.

Sometimes, a moment felt like a movie. You know when movies go slow motion, but then as the act happens, everything goes so fast you hardly see a thing. Blurred vision. That's what it was like.

Daniel had stumbled back the moment my fist made contact with his jaw, but he didn't fall to the ground. I didn't hit him too hard. Despite the hit being almost a reflex, I knew not to kill the man. Even if I wanted to. 

"H-Harry we need to- you need to get out of here- Harry, oh my god." Zahara says breathlessly, tugging my by my t-shirt to face her.

Daniel hadn't dared swing back. He knew not to fight a champion, I suppose.

"Take your horrible boyfriend out of here!" Salma screams. "None of you are welcome here!"

"That includes your little friends, too," Daniel yells, flinching and hissing afterwards. He held his jaw.

"Good heavens," Claire sighs, taking a large swig of her drink. Omar had remained silent.

"Get the fuck out, Zahara. You're no family of mine." Salma spits.

"Good riddance." Zahara says. "Because maybe, if I'm not welcome here anyway, I should tell you what a piece of fucking shit your husband is, and why Harry should've done a hell of a lot more than hit him just the once-" Zahara says, rage filled in her tone. My eyes were wide and everybody was watching now.

"Hey, hey," I whisper, taking ahold of her shoulders. "Not here,"

"What are you even talking about?" Salma laughs. "You've always been so jealous of me. It's pathetic!" she scoffs. My jaw tightens.

"Hey, let's just leave," Lauren says softly to Zahara.

"I never been keen on Daniel. He talk too much!" Omar suddenly speaks up, taking a drag from a cigar he had recently lit. Everybody's head turned to the nonchalant man.

"Excuse you?" Daniel's mother says, offended, clearly.

"What is going on?" Salma cries.

"I've had enough." Daniel spits. "Your family's fucking crazy, Sam. Let's just get out of here. This isn't good for our baby." he says, looking at her with an almost worried expression on his face.

"Why the rush, Daniel?" Zahara pipes up again. Shit.

"We need to get out of here," I say quietly to Zahara. I take ahold of her hand, but she pulls hers out of mine.

"No, Harry. No." she hisses. "I think that everybody here should know the real Daniel, don't you? Because I think, right now, Harry, you look like the bad guy. Maybe I'm pissed at you for causing a scene. But since a scene is already caused, why not add insult to injury, hm?" she shouts, everybody in the garden now staring more than they were before.

"Just shut the fuck up. Nobody gives a single shit about what you have to say." Daniel spits. The rage filled back up, but before I could attempt to make any move, Zahara spoke up again.

"Your husband doesn't love you, Salma. And I'm sorry to do this here, I don't mean to humiliate you. But in my opinion, everybody should know how disgusting he is." Zahara says.