Surely Blue

~17~

      "So you just got adopted?" Blaise asks. It's been about an hour and half since we got to the pizza shop, and we've been talking. 
      For once I feel like I can talk to someone, just to talk to someone. No judgement.
     "Yeah, I'm not sure how I like her though," I explain.
      "Give her a chance Jack. She adopted you for a reason, didn't she?"
      I don't know.
      "Yeah..," I trail. We sat in a couple moments of silence.
       "Ok I'm getting bored here." Blaise soon said. "I know what we can do," she then said getting up. "C'mon, just follow me." She smiled as she started walking towards the exit of the pizzeria.
      I follow her without questions. She wouldn't take me anywhere "dangerous" would she?
      After what seemed like 20 minutes or so, we came to an empty beach.
      "Why is it so-" I started to ask.
      "Empty?" She finishes, raising her eyebrows. "This beach is called Reef Retreat and it's a 'hidden' beach. And don't ask me why people don't come here. But hey, it's their lost." Blaise explained smiling at it's beauty.
      "Yeah." I say getting lost in the beauty.
     It was just so natural. And the fact that it's hidden made it even more special, knowing that not many had experienced the rays of beauty it gives off. It was soothing. It was almost as if they waves were telling me that it's going to be ok.
      We sat on one of the flatter rocks, enjoying the view. When Blaise broke the streak.
     "Hey Jack?" She asked in a serious voice. I look at her as my answer.
     "How are you? I know I've asked you this before, but this time for real." She said with genuine concern.
     "Why do say that," I say, going back to my emotionless voice.
      "You don't seem...I don't know. You don't seem right." She stuttered.
     "You've just gotten to know me," I say, feeling my eyes growing slightly darker.
     "You don't have to know a person to know something's wrong, Jack," she said sympathetically.
     "I'm fine," I answer. Which is the truth. I never really was "fine," but it's not like I've gotten worse.
     "Ok, but just know that I'm here. And I'm your friend, ok?" She said looking into my eyes.
     "Alright." I say quickly, focusing my gaze back to the soft, subtle waves. The soon to be evening sun was adding sparkle to the waves.
     "So when did you get adopted?" I ask, breaking the silence for the first time. I'm not one to usually do that.
     "When I was about 7. I'm pretty lucky, I guess," she smiled. "I mean I had it easy. Got adopted at an early age by a lovely couple," she explained.
     I stay quiet not knowing how to respond. It was true. She did have it easy. She had it really easy.
     "I'm not complaining. At least I got adopted. I mean there was no hope for me. I remember Mrs. Murphy calling my the child of Satan," I say remembering the earlier days.
     Blaise laughs thinking upon the memory. "Oh yeah, I remember that," she then says.
      We talked and talked about the "good ole days," where everything is apparently easier. However, the times weren't easier, nor were the problems that existed. We just weren't aware of them when we were little, and people never bother to tell us because they think that we're "too young."
     That's one of the problems of growing up. People suddenly become more aware of a problem, which sometimes can result in a bigger issue. Being with an old childhood friend reminded me of that.