We Were Here

2: Sunday's Are Fun Days Part 2.

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By the time the three of us make it to the bonfire it's in full force. Music is blasting, teenagers scattered everywhere, their red solos cups filled to the brim with brew or liquor. Smoke from the fire rises high, lifting away in the ocean breeze.

Georgie grabs my hand and yanks me to the table with the drinks. "Pick your poison." She says, a slight pout sliding onto her face.

"Doesn't matter." I respond.

Emerson steps beside me and grabs a nearly full bottle of Vodka. "This should be good, yeah?"

Georgie huffs. "They always have the good stuff when I'm the DD." She stares at the bottle of vodka in Emerson's hand longily, before finally saying. "We need to find Sasi."

We walk around for a few minutes trying to find this Sasi girl but she's nowhere to be found. Desperate to have a drink, Emerson and I take a seat by the shore while Georgie goes off to look once more.

"Here." Emerson says knocking the bottle up against my knee.

I take a long swig, the liquid burning like acid on its way down. A few more of those and I knew I'd be drunk.

"Georgie tells me you moved here from Colorado?"

"Mmm." I respond lowly looking out into water.

"I hear it's pretty there," She digs her feet into the sand. "I wish I could live in a different place sometimes. California's not all it's cracked up to be."

I shrugged. I don't mind California. I don't mind this lifestyle. I like sitting out in the sun on warm days feeling the sun beat against my skin. Or standing on the patio barefoot, letting the hot concrete caress my toes. Mother said we'd leave Colorado one day. Go somewhere so hot we could barely stand it. Now I was here, and she wasn't.

"Why'd you come here?" She speaks again knocking me out of my thoughts.

Now I was the one digging my feet into the sand. "Georgie didn't tell you?"

She shook her head, not making eye contact. "She just said you needed a place to stay for a while."

I nod, mentally thanking Georgie for respecting my privacy. I stop myself from giving Emerson an answer by gripping the bottle tighter around the neck and taking another long swig. It still burns, but less this time. The more seconds pass the more I feel myself becoming disconnected from the party behind me. My muscles loosen. I look up at the sky, stars scattered all over, glistening down on us.

An image of my mother appears into my head. Her long thick brown hair that complimented her facial features so well. She loved the stars, especially on dark nights like this.

Emerson reaches over to grab the bottle but I cut her off by taking another swig of liquor. This one the longest of them all.

"Damn girl," Emerson remarks.

I hand the bottle to her and lay flat on the sand. The stars begin spinning, swapping places with one another. The sounds of the ocean intensify in my ears. The breeze is becoming colder, goose bumps lift up on my arm and legs. I blink once. Then twice. My eyelids becoming heavier each time.

"Looks like there's some drama over there. I'll be back."

The sound of her standing and dusting the sand off her clothes was the last thing I heard before my eyelids closed for good.

*

"Hello? You okay?"

My eyes thrust open at the feel of a cold hand pressing down on my bare shoulder. A figure was hovering over me. I could feel their body heat absorbing into mine. My vision too blurry to see who. My body goes rigid momentarily. Where am I? The feeling was there again- the feeling of being trapped. Unable to move. Pinned down. I can feel my heart beat thump through my temples. My reflexes kick into overdrive. Survival mode. I couldn't let this happen to me again. Instantly I lift my knee hard into the groin of whoever this person is. They contract and I roll over trying to gain my composure.

"What was that for?!" The person shrieks.

I try to stand quickly but all the blood rushes to my head. My breathing constricts. I feel like I'm choking. Why is this happening again?

"Are you okay?" A voice says. A man's voice. 

A hand grabs hold of my forearm pulling me upwards. I resist. Kicking. Scratching.

"Get off of me Mark! No! Stop touching me! I'll tell mom-" My voice breaks.

Suddenly I'm wrapped into arms, hugged tightly. I try to wiggle out of the grip but it's too tight. I heave heavily, trying to catch my breath. "Relax." The voice coos. "I'm not Mark. I'm not gonna hurt you."

I stop resisting for a moment trying to steady my eyes. Slowly I began to see the ocean stretched out before me and the thick muscular arms of this stranger I was wrapped in. I rest my head back onto the strange boy's shoulder involuntarily. Feeling drained. Feeling drunk.

"What are you doing? Tatum? Is she okay?" I hear Georgie's familiar voice and try- but fail at an attempt to stand up straight.

"You know her?" The stranger said. The vibration of his words move through his chest and tickle the back of my head.

"She's my cousin what the hell is going on?"

"I was cleaning up and found her laying here. Then I tried to help her up and she completely freaked out. What's wrong with her?"

Georgie came into my view. She reached out and cupped my face with her hands. "Nothing's wrong with her. You just scared her."

She grabbed my shoulders and loosened me from his grip. Slowly we began walking way. The ground seemed to move under my feet, shaking and twisting. I looked back at the strange boy, his arms folded over his chest like he was still holding me there. A girl came into view, lacing her fingers through his.

"Thank you." I wanted to say but no words would come out.

*
simmy's note:

Tatums got issues. But who doesn't?

Thoughts?

Next chapter is the first one in Eli's POV.