The Beach

04

"I'm tryin', I'm tryin'
Not to think about you"

Ethan Marlow

Different people do different things to distract themselves from their haunting thoughts. Some break things, some talk about their problems with a friend or a professional, some drink or take drugs, some use sex, some just keep it to themselves until it kills them inside. It depends on the person and the issue. Every reaction is valid as long as it keeps you healthy. 

Well I just ride around with my old car. 

I've been driving for hours. I wouldn't know what even the time is, because I knew if I took my phone it would be a bad idea. I just drove around the city, not letting a single thought from our fight reach my head. Just the street and my car. 

It's not healthy, I know. I need to fix my problems somehow. But for now I don't have any answers to the questions from the very fresh fight with my sister so I just need to distract myself. 

My pack of cigarettes is in my sweater, probably three cigarettes in it left since I've smoked them one by one for the last hour. I want to sleep, but I know that If I close my eyes, the thoughts would come in and wouldn't give me a blink of sleep. 

My head was empty, glancing at the beach on my right. Empty until I had to quickly hit the brakes with wide eyes. My body flew forwards, the seatbelt keeping it from jumping out, my heart picked up for seconds.

I think I just hit someone. 

In front of me was a person rolling over the hood with a crash sound and falling down on the road. I just sit there for a couple of seconds, trying to collect myself and realize what the hell just happened. My slightly shaky from the shock hands were gripping hard on the wheel and my chest was heavily raising up and down. 

I just hit someone. 

What the fuck?

Are they dead. 

Well check, dumb ass.

In the next second, I was taking the seatbelt off me and flying out of the car. I looked down, seeing a blonde girl on the road, groaning in pain and holding her arm.

"You asshole! What the fuck?"she yells out with her eyes pitched shut and I just then recognize the voice. 

Fuck, this isn't who I think it is. It can't be.

But when she rolls on her back, with her blonde bangs, a black blouse and mom jeans, I realize that it is who I thought it was. I stare down in shock when the realization hits me, just watching her struggling and crying out in pain. Her skin is slightly pale, probably from the cold weather, her face is scrunched in pain and her chest is sharply raising up and down like she isn't able to take a breath.

I just hit Jade. With my car. I just hit Jade with my car.

"Why are you just staring at me? Help m-"she finally opens her eyes to look up at me and when our gazes meet, she stops. After a few seconds she adds in a yell "Ethan?"

When she says my name, suddenly I register that I need to move and not just stand there like an idiot, so I kneel down next to her. I gently take the arm she's holding, lifting it up to my vision. She cries out again and I turn it around, revealing a big cut from the elbow to the wrist. 

"Fuck, this doesn't look good."I sigh under my breath.

"And it sure as hell doesn't feel good. Why did you fucking hit me with your car?"she asks with her voice raised, but not enough to yell. I guess, that's a process.