If Tomorrow Never Comes

8 - You Gonna Hit Me?

The hand clutched around her flannel, dragging her upwards and out of the dirty wave. Esme gasped, her back sliding up onto a hard surface. The girl spluttered around, water spraying from her mouth. She inhaled sharply, her eyes widening as she clutched the drenched t-shirt of her saviour. Esme's green gaze interlaced with Adrian's, water pouring down the sides of his face. She was about to thank him ... then her palm landed harshly on the side of Adrian's face. "You ... son-of-a-bitch!" Esme scrambled to her feet and backed away from the guy, her face full of anger.
"Wait. Wuh—" Adrian looked around in confusion before looking the girl right in the eyes.
"You left me! You let me drown!" Esme started crying because she was so furious, her heels hanging off the edge of the platform. "I'm sorr—"
"Don't even bother. You don't need to make yourself feel better by getting my acceptance of your apology. Just ... just leave me alone." Esme held her thumb and index fingers to her temples in disappointment. " ... ok. Yeah. You know what, yeah, you're right. I do want to make myself feel better, because right now you're my priority and if something happens to you ... if something happens to you," Adrian looked down at the crashing waves crawling up the building to get to the pair, "that's my fault." Esme looked up at the man with the most corrected face you could imagine. "You don't care about me." Esme laughed back, scratching the back of her neck. "You're just scared to be lonely and you're most probably going to end up getting me pregnant and then ditching me too because that's the one thing you're good at!" Esme felt a whirl of air on her face as Adrian appeared a few inches above her face. "You don't know me." Adrian's gruff, defensive tone came back as he snarled down at Esme. "And quite clearly, neither do you."

The words hit Adrian like a sack of rocks.

"You gonna hit me?" He heard Esme ask. At first, he had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, then he turned his head, his wet hair sliding against his leather jacket. His eyes landed on his fist scrawled up into balls lying by his side. Esme was staring at his fists, seeing his pale white knuckles insulting his bright red hand. "No." He whispered, confused at his own words as he had hit many women in the past. He was worried that this teen was getting him to open up so he said no more. "Why? 'Cause I'm a girl?" Esme winced, scared he would actually hit her. Adrian brushed off Esme's last comment and smirked. "Listen Esme, I don't know what you're trynna do ... but it's not working?" He questioned himself again. Esme's eyebrow pricked up. "Well, if you think something not working before I even know what I'm doing, it must be working. You're onto me before I'm even onto myself. I'd be afraid you got a soft spot for me." Esme pushed, her confidence coming through. For the first time ever, Adrian's cheeks went a slight pink colour ... and then he turned into a poppy. Esme scoffed to herself as she walked away from him to look off the edge of the building. "I think we'll be okay. It looks like it's died down. We can just jump." Esme shrugged. Surely this wasn't the same Esme that Adrian found in her home under a pile of furniture. Adrian said nothing. He trusted her. He smirked and followed behind the girl, still completely flustered. "You ready?" She asked, looking as if she now regretted her decisions.
"Uh ... yeah?" Adrian wandered. He wondered why it seemed like the pair had switched personalities. Why he was now nervous around her. Why he trusted her. Why he was following her. "Okay. Let's go." Esme smiled anxiously, looking down at the gushing water. "Now!" She shouted, the girl just jumped. No second thoughts. No backing out. No hesitation. Just belief and hope. The girl's soaked hair waved like flags behind her and her arms were tilted upwards at her sides as she leaned forward to gain speed. She took a glimpse upwards to see Adrian falling behind her. She smirked at the fact he went along with her plan as she splashed into the calm waves again. The wave spread her hair out like wings and her body sunk down. Come on, she thought, waiting for the water to go down. She panicked slightly as she realised how slowly the water was draining. Shit. She held her breath a little longer as she heard impact on the surface above. She looked up to see Adrian sinking down to her level. His cheeks were puffed out like a fish and his clothing expanded out, jacket flailing. Adrian gave her a look to ask when the water would be gone and she shrugged. At the last minute, just as they were about to give up hope, they started sinking to floor. Slowly. Slowly. Esme and Adrian's hands found one another as their knees pressed against tarmac. The water was gone and Adrian and Esme kneeled on all fours with Adrian's hand on top of her own. They heaved for air looking at one another, coughing a few times. The coughing turned into laughing. "Idiot." Adrian laughed out in an playfully insulting way.
"Jerk." Esme spat back still holding her weight through her hands.
"Retard." Adrian fired back making Esme stop laughing. Adrian looked at her for what was wrong and she shook her head. Adrian's face immediately went back to his blank expression, knowing he had hurt the girl with those words. Esme knew he was joking as from knowing him the amount of time she did, she knew that was just his personality but she couldn't help but think that he meant it.