Anchor Grind (H.S. / A.U.)

Chapter 42

ALANIS

"ALANIS. THE PHONE IS FOR YOU."

I could barely hear mom inside the house while playing outside with Domino in the backyard, but after the second time she materialized in my sliding door to tell me the news. I tossed the frisbee over my shoulder one more time while the polka dotted monster ran after it. I grab the hoodie on my bed while making my way into the kitchen and tossing it on.

The phone was sitting on the counter and I had a bit of a flashback while reaching towards it. This was the same cream colored plastic device that once brought me the worst news I've ever heard. I hold the handset and stare at it for a moment while attempting to mentally push away the thoughts and memories that attempt to surge right now.

Nothing will change what has happened despite the fact I have spent each night journaling, crying, holding back from crying, tossing in bed to nightmares, and still feeling like my life is a little on pause while everything else happens around me. I've been doing much better, eating almost twice a day at this point, taking a walk outside with Dom each day to get some Vitamin D, and making sure not to completely avoid all of humanity. It's been tough despite my friends trying everything to make life seem normal.

I finally got the nerve to actually answer the phone that I was hesitating with, the headset feeling heavy in my hand at this point. "Hello?"

"Damn near havin' ta' wait an hour for you to get on the fone, you better have been overly busy ironic." Louis was not who I was expecting on the other end of the line and it was enough to stun me into silence. "Okay chatterbox, let's get down ta' business. You know where the boardwalk is, obviously. Okay so you're gonna' hang a right there and walk down past the food vendors. That place 'err Pops corndogs okay. Then keep going till you pass the lady who paints the neon carecachurrs'. She's looney but we lover'. Yer' going about another fifteen minutes, head towards the weird lil' cliff area that has jagged rocks, that means you're close -"

I was so confused at this point. "Tommo, chill wait. Close to what?"

"Harry of course. Okay, so the rocks mean you are within distance. You just gotta' go past them and usually he's there on a blanket with some books, sometimes food, and once he even brought an entire chocolate cake to eat, so hurry before he resorts to that part. You got that?"

My eyes were stuck in a squint while my brain was fuzzy with confusion. "Explain. Now. Why am I going off in the middle of nowhere beach zone to find a weird version of Harry eating a cake? Is there something I am missing here?"

"November 4th."

Oh.

The one thing people did know about Harry was this day, because they have SEEN it. They didn't know how Harry's parents died, or any other part of the scenario, but they knew what day because Harry couldn't hide it. This was the one part of him that he couldn't hide away because it affected him enough to the point his friends noticed and just gave him the space they think he needed. So why change things now?

"You think he wants me?" I asked it out loud but I wasn't sure if it was a question for me, for Louis, or for Harry really. But Louis answered regardless, "guess you'll find out."

The line went dead and I could feel my mom's presence in the room. I spun around to find my assumption correct, she cupped a mug of coffee and was perched in the stool, probably listening to my conversation. "So you are running off to find your boyfriend on the beach and why is that?" 

Her tone wasn't short of extremely inquisitive, and from her point of view and what she heard from the conversation I totally understand, but being a teenage kid I groan instinctually. "Mooooom. Stop. Okay, I need advice actually, but like... don't be a parent about it okay?"