Living on Blue Time

Chapter Three

0004d 10h 41m 07s

"I'm going out mom!" I say as I walk out the door.

I would be at Sidney's house, but Wesley is over there and if I have to spend 1 more minute with him, I'm going to go crazy. Wesley is not my favorite person in the world.

I think it's because almost all of the words out of Sidney is "Wesley this" and "Wesley that" and "isn't Wesley amazing?"

I can't take it anymore.

Maybe it's because I feel like Wesley is stealing my best friend away from me. Or because Wesley is a daily reminder of a future I don't want.

I don't want to be told who my soul mate is.

I want to scour the world to find him, with my heart.

Not with a timer on my wrist.

I want to be able to make mistakes, fall in love with the wrong person, or say the wrong things. I don't want to be forced to love someone I don't know.

I turn onto the dirt road towards the beach and kick a rock out of my way.

Usually, this road is swarming with cars heading to the beach for a day in the sun. But during school hours it's deserted.

Maybe I shouldn't be skipping school today.

The teachers would understand.

I only have 0004d 08h 35m 03s left.

They would understand.

Around this time, kids are skipping school and getting ready for their Meeting. Sidney is at home sick, she didn't feel good yesterday and Wesley is trying to be there for her. That was my job, being there for her when she was sick.

When I finally make it to the beach, I strip my shorts and my tank top off and run towards the water; don't worry, I have a swimsuit on.

I let autopilot take over as soon as I'm under the first wave. I feel at home in the water, though I don't know why. Maybe it's because the ocean was my dad's home too. He was an Olympic swimmer before his Meeting with my mom, but he gave that life up as soon as he Met her.

After my brother, Eric, was born, dad spent his days with him in the pool, teaching my brother how to swim. Eric was taught to swim before he could even walk. And soon after, when Eric was 3, my mom had me.

My life with my dad was short lived when he was drafted into the Navy. The ship he was on didn't make it back to shore after training was over. 446 soldiers were found, the other 500 or so were never found, presumed dead. I was 2.

After the funeral, Eric took to teaching me how to swim. I swim almost everyday now, and I guess swimming is just a way to connect with my father, even if I didn't know him that well.

I slow my strokes and take a look at my surroundings.

I had swum to 1 of the caves encompassed in the cliffs above.

This cave isn't as big as the others, maybe about a house in diameter and a streetlight high. The water splashes gently against the cave walls as I swim to the sandy little island in the center of the cave.

As soon as I placed my hands on the rocks above to hoist me over the edge, I hear a voice sigh, "You made it."

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I know who it is before even having to look.

I roll my eyes and reach 1 hand above the edge, "Help me up?"

I feel sandy fingers wrap around my wrist and pull.

My body is lifted out of the ocean and onto the sandy surface. The person attached to the fingers on my wrist slips on the sand and falls backwards, pulling me with them. I close my eyes and groan as my body hits something solid.

I open my eyes and am highly aware of my cheek on a bare male sandy chest.

My bare lower back tingles as the fingers attached to arms that are holding me start to trace tiny circles along my spine between my bikini top and my bikini bottoms.

I slowly drag my hands from my sides to this chest I'm lying on as the fingers on my back send shivers up my spine. As soon as my hands are firmly against this sandy torso below me, I push away from the body I was accidently lying on top of. I scoot away from the teenage boy, and scramble into a seating position, my knees folded up to my chin.

"Aww, come on, princess. I was just playing."

"How many times have I told you not to call me that?" I glare at the boy sitting across from me. He shakes the sand out of his strawberry blonde hair.

"How many times have I told you not to call me Wes?"

"I have never called you Wes."

"Yes, you have. You think Wes and I look alike."

"Everyone thinks you look alike," I say, "There's a good reason, too."

"Yeah?" he asks, rocking forward to get closer to me, a smile on his lips, "And what's your good reason?"

I smile back and lean forward as well, getting uncomfortably close to him, "You're fraternal twins."

"Really? I never told anyone that! My mom promised to never tell anyone! How did you find out?" he says, pouring sarcasm all over his words.

I laugh and sit back down again, "Knock it off, AJ."

"You know you love me," replies AJ, moving to lie down on our sandy island.

"You only think I do," I mutter as I move to lie next to him.

"What was that?" AJ raises his head to stare at me.

"Nothing," I say, settling on the sand. I scoot closer to him; little sparks shoot up and down the arm that's touching him. AJ moves his hand closer to mine, gently intertwining our fingers together. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, "This is beautiful."

"The ceiling or me?" AJ asks, moving his eyes dark brown eyes away from the light reflecting off the water and onto the cave walls to my bright blue ones.

"Both," I smile at my AJ.

"I know. I'm pretty amazing," AJ says, turning on his side to face me. "But I'm nothing compared to you."

His fingers release mine and trail up my arm, giving me goose bumps. His exploring fingers leave my arm to touch my cheek. I turn onto my side.

"You're my princess," AJ grins as he traces my lips, "My Princess Ariel."

"That's not my name," I say to him.

"Ray is your nickname. Ariel is your real name. You just didn't like being called a princess," AJ's grin widens. I told him that when I was younger all the old people always said to me, "You cutie! Princess Ariel!"

"AJ isn't your name either," I say. His eyebrows shoot up to his hairline. "Ajax is your real name."

"How did you know that?" AJ feigns shock.

"The same way I knew you and Wesley are twins," I pause to whisper, "Your mother."

"That's it! Mom is getting it! I told her not to tell anyone that either!" AJ stands up suddenly, flailing his arms around as if he was actually angry. If I didn't know him as well as I knew him, I wouldn't have known he was being a show off.

I laugh as he dances around me, throwing his arms in the air like a chicken trying to fly. "You are a terrible dancer."

"Only when I don't have music to dance to," AJ says, grabbing my hands and pulling me up with him. "Or someone to dance with."

AJ brings me closer to him and places his hands on my hips. I wrap my arms around his neck and whisper next to his ear, "What about now? Are you a bad dancer now?"

I turn my head to see his face. AJ is smiling at me; his smile could light up a cold, dark night.

"Yes," he whispers back.