Magic in Costa Rica

Moving Backwards

Paula swam against the current, letting the cool, salty ocean wash over her as she dove down further. She was... I paused. She was... I sighed. She was... dammit! I punched down on my keyboard and slammed my laptop shut. I couldn't focus. My phone kept buzzing with pictures of Carla picking out her date outfit at the mall with Mark, and my mind was being pulled back into reality, which was not where I wanted to be. Normally, if I wasn't in the mood to write, I would just wait a day or two, but if I didn't finish at least one more chapter by Tuesday, Matthew and I would have nothing to do during our meeting and I would have to leave early again. I had to focus, but I just couldn't find it in me. Maybe I should do some actual homework and then come back to writing later. I got my chemistry binder and went out to work at the kitchen counter, thinking the change of scenery would do me some good.

In the living room, my dad was on his computer, as usual, working. He looked up when he saw me approach, surprised I had emerged from my room, something I rarely did, especially on a Thursday night.

"Hi, Alma. How was your day?" he asked. I gave a fake smile.

"It was good. Worked on Chapter 15 with Ma-Mr. Miller." I hesitated to call him Matthew in front of my dad, although I wasn't sure why. "And set up Carla and Ethan."

"Oh, that's nice," My dad looked back down at his computer screen. I nodded.

"Yeah, well it is Valentine's Day." My dad's head swung around to look at the calendar.

"Oh, is it? Huh," he shrugged. I rolled my eyes, although he didn't see me.

"So that means you didn't finally ask out Laurie, then?" I said, my voice flat with disappointment. My dad paused and looked up again. His fingers stopped clicking on the keyboard as he shook his head.

"This again? When are you gonna stop asking me about Laurie?"

"Again?" I scoffed. "Dad, I've only asked you about it twice in the past year. Besides, I'm only asking because I think you two would be good together. Why not give it a shot?" I asked. He shrugged me off, dismissive as always.

"Oh what do you know? You're just a kid, you don't know anything about relationships. I'm not gonna ask out Laurie, stop asking about it." I faltered, slightly offended.

"Hey, I've been in relationships. Well, a relationship."

"Yeah, that lasted, what, two months?" He resumed typing.

"Two and a half," I said meekly.

"Well, I was married for twelve years, so I've got you beat."

"Fine, fine, you win." I threw my hands up in surrender. "I'm gonna go do some homework in the kitchen." He waved me away, and I rolled my eyes again. Men.

I did my Chemistry homework, which thankfully didn't take me that long, and then finally sat down to write the rest of my chapter. I took a deep breath and opened my laptop before I started typing. She was... exhausted from spending all day under the hot glare of the sun, and being submerged under the waves always seemed to renew her energy. It was as if her soul was a parched desert, and the ocean, like the rain, brought her back to life...

* * *

"I love the desert metaphor," Matthew mumbled, leaning over my chapter with his red pen poised over the page. "It's really nice imagery," he muttered again. I yawned, tired from yet another sleepless Monday night.

"Thanks," I said, stretching, trying to stay awake. Matthew looked up.

"Alma, I think you might have some sort of sleep disorder," he said sincerely, before hunching back over the folder and scribbling something with his pen. I laughed.