Finding Aria (Wᴀᴛᴛʏ Aᴡᴀʀᴅs 2013)

21. I Will Follow You into the Dark~ Part One

♫-Chapter-Twenty One

            “Please tell me you’re not going to puke,” Blythe whispers by my ear as I squeeze my eyes shut.

            The tremors of the boat in the sea rock my stomach heavily and the smell of salt and water fill my nostrils, sprays of oceanic water flicking onto my face.

            I breathe in deeply trying to calm myself.

            “I’m good,” I whisper weakly.

            “Uh-huh,” Blythe replies, unconvinced.

            I slowly open my eyes. Blythe and I were sitting on a bench near the edge of the boat. It was actually rather large…for a boat that is.

            We were at the secluded part of the boat; everyone else was by the wheel/front area of the boat lounging around.

            Blythe stands up. “Maybe I’ll go get Teegan.”
            My hand shoots out to grab her wrist. “Don’t” I choke out, shaking my head vehemently and trying not to puke with the vertigo I was experiencing.

            As the waves rocked the boat, I feared the worst, thinking that the frail boat in comparison to the vast sea would snap.

            That we would all land in the ocean…

            With that thought, I fumble with my over the shoulder bag, trying to fasten it around me as some makeshift sort of support. In the end, I knew that having my purse around me would do nothing, but it felt nice to have something secure around me.

            I fiddle with my water bottle, trying to unscrew the cap but my hands were shaking too hard.

            “Here,” Blythe says quietly, shooing my shaking hands away to open the cap so I could drink the water. She sighs, her piercing green eyes glaring at me. “Sometimes you’re to stubborn for your own good. All you had to do to get out of this situation was to say you didn’t want to go but no-“
            “I don’t want her step on me!” I protest. “Besides,” I begin ruefully, setting the bottle down. “You’re the one who told me to grow some balls and man up.”
            Blythe blows a cherry at me like the mature adult she was before crossing her arms.

            “You don’t look very manly right now,” She says, rolling her eyes.

            “Just go,” I say wearily, shooing her away, rubbing my eyes.

            “Call me if you feel really sick. If you’re throwing up….” Blythe stops at my green face. “Just…you know… don’t die.” She says briefly before squeezing my hand and flouncing off to where everyone else was.

            Easier said than done. Lowering my head to my hands, I take steady breaths, the plaguing images of the past flooding my mind.

            The boat rocks and I can hear distant laughing, a small part of me feeling resentful that they weren’t here with me, but I knew I was being unfair.

            I had brought this upon myself and I couldn’t expect everyone to just crowd around me.

            Fumbling with my bag, I slip out the leather bound book, running my fingers over the engraved words. Flipping randomly throughout the filled out journal, I have to hold the notebook closer to my face to decipher Teegan’s messy handwritten lyrics after lyrics upon the pages.