Alabaster Island

Chapter 10

Behind the rows of houses lay a long, broken strip of asphalt where military aircraft landed once. Ridges of jagged, volcanic rock rose on either side. To the right lay the back of our main storeroom and Chloe's home. 

This desolate strip was one of the few points on the island where I couldn't view the ocean. It was the place I disliked most on Alabaster Island. Suddenly, Chloe walked beside me. She'd  followed me. Grabbing my hand, we ambled together, arms swinging. Soon we reached the end of the runway. An abandoned building lay wrecked by sun and wind.

"Where are you headed?" she asked.

I shrugged, not sure if I should tell her my plan to check out the boat again. "Nowhere."

"They're fools," she said.

"Mom said the balloons would deflate, anyway. What does it matter? They weren't magic." I eased myself down against the abandoned building and wiped sweat from my forehead. Chloe sat beside me.

"Well, I owe you an apology," she said. 

"Nah." 

"I do. I was the one acting strange. It's hard for everyone waiting for The Binding."

"I wanted to be honest with you," I said.

Chloe picked a purple flower that grew between the cracked surface and sniffed. She handed it to me, but I wasn't interested. I stared through the balloon at the ground beneath. Everything looked dull and sickly through its yellow body. It no longer made me feel cheerful.

"Ethan told me he put in for me," Chloe said.

"Well, of course he did."

"I don't think it's bad luck to tell."

"Sure. Probably not. I know nothing anymore. My luck is bad no matter what I do."

"Don't say that."

"It's true. When I said I was jealous, it wasn't about Ethan. It's that I know I'll never have what you guys have. The other night, I watched a ship pass through Mom's telescope. That's where the balloons came from. I watched the people celebrating."

Chloe nodded, but she wasn't interested in what went on beyond our shores. 

"I think they were getting married. It's like our Binding except they choose each other. They were happy. But I'll never have that. Maybe I always knew I wouldn't, but now it's sinking in."

"You can't know for sure."

I shrugged. "I don't see how. There's no one I feel that way towards here, Chloe."

"There's Edward."

"Sure, he's fine. It'll be...fine. But not magical. Not thrilling or inspiring. It won't be..." I grabbed the balloon so hard that it burst in my hand. I jumped. Now I was left with sad pieces of rubber in my hand. Chloe put her arm around my shoulders. 

"We'll still be friends. You, me and Ethan. We'll do fun things together. Just like always."

It was nice to hear her say it, but I knew it wasn't true. Things would change.

"You know why I'm so unlucky?"

"Stop saying that. You're making it true."

"It's because of Daniel."

"Don't be crazy." 

"Can you keep a secret?" I asked her.

"Definitely."

"Promise?"

She crossed her heart.

"I might leave the island."Chloe took me by my shoulders. "Everything's gonna work out somehow, trust me."