⍟ Broken Strings {A Chaos Theory x Male Reader Story - Yasmina}

𝟻. 𝚄𝚙 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚛

"Where is everyone?" Y/N steps out of the boat.

"I-- I don't know..." Zayna looks around, completely bewildered.

Her phone begins to ring, and she steps out of the boat to pick it up, straying away from the others.

Everyone else begins silently unloading the wet supplies from the boats as Zayna takes her call, Sammy stepping over to speak to the girl when she finishes.

"Where do you think that hippo went?" Ben huffs, "I need to get that phone back."

"Oh, yeah, right. Totally. And how exactly do you plan on doing that?" Y/N scoffs, "Find the hippo and wait for the phone to what? Come out the other end?"

Ben pauses in consideration, "Do you think that could work?"

"What!?" Darius exclaims in genuine displeasure.

"You could jumpstart it with a couple more mangoes." Kenji suggests earnestly.

Zayna cringes, "You can just borrow mine."

"Really!?" Ben jumps up, taking the phone, "Thank you! I'll give it right back, I promise!"

"Perfect." Kenji grins, "Now let's get these boats, then make like a banana and split."

Everyone groans at the corny joke as they begin stacking the supplies into the new, unattended boats.

"I think something is seriously wrong with Kenji." Yaz frowns, turning to Y/N and Darius.

"Yeah," Darius nods, "What was he even thinking trying to get Brooklyn's phone?"

"I've already talked to him." Y/N sighs, "Darius... you're his best friend."

"Okay," Darius takes a deep breath, "But could you maybe come with me, I don't know if--"

"Ugh, no!" Ben grumbles, fiddling with Zayna's phone.

"Come on, come on! Ring already!"

"You've got it." Y/N pats Darius on the shoulder, "I'll be right back."

"Ben?" Y/N approaches carefully, "I hope you're still not thinking about catching up with the hippo."

"I gotta get it back!" Ben whirls around, running a stressed hand through his hair.

"Woah, hey, relax." Y/N puts his hands up, "Just take a deep breath, yeah? No one's upset with you for dropping Brooklyn's phone or anything. So, it's all good, alright?"

"No, it's not!" Ben huffs, handing Y/N a box from the old boat.

"What's going on, Ben? Why do you need the phone so bad?" Y/N sighs.

"I just-- I do!" Ben backtracks his steps, looking for something else to busy himself with, "I don't know!" He takes a shallow breath as he grabs more supplies.

"Ben. I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong. Just talk to me." Y/N presses.

"I want to!" Ben huffs, shoving more things into Y/N's hands, "But I promised--"

"You wouldn't believe me anyway. I mean, I wouldn't believe me. You'd just say, where's your proof, well, all my proof is gone!"

"Dissolving in the stomach of a weirdly aggressive beast!"

"Okay, Ben, slow down." Y/N sighs, "Proof? Proof of what?"

"Okay," Ben takes a deep breath, "Say you found out a... friend who had a secret that changed their whole perception of reality. Like seriously mind-blowing stuff."

"And they were forced to keep the secret."

"And say that friend wanted to tell you because they didn't know how everyone would react, or if everyone would be mad, or even believe them, or if it would be even safe to say anything!" He rambles on, stumbling over his words more and more.

"What should I do!? I mean-- they-- they, what should the friend do?"

"Uhm, I-- I'd want that friend to tell me so I can--"

"Ben!" Sammy cuts Y/N off, dragging Zayna over with her, "Ben! Look at all the oysters Zayna found!"

"Sammy." Y/N glares daggers at her for interrupting the clearly important conversation.

"We need to leave now." Sammy pulls him to the side, "That guy Sullivan from the cargo ship was here."

"He's here?" Y/N raises a brow.

"Was here," Sammy corrects, "He's D-E-A-D."

"What--" Y/N freezes up.

"Hey, Y/N could you--" Darius comes over, stopping when he notices the pale faces of his friends, "What's wrong?"

"Okay," Y/N takes a deep breath as Ben and Yaz also join the group, "One problem at a time... let's just..."

Before he can produce a plan, a flock of birds begins flying over them in a panicked manner, calling everyone's attention to the sky.

After the flock comes a large Pteranodon, everyone ducks down as it flies towards them, but it never makes it past the trees. They watch as it's dragged down into the thick jungle, squawking in pain the whole way.

"I think I know why this place is deserted..." Zayna swallows hard as everyone rushes for the boats.

A Suchomimus bursts from the trees, chasing after them without a second thought.

"Another Suchomimus!?" Yaz cries.

"Why are there so many!?" Ben huffs.

Kenji begins pushing the boats into the water, Darius joining him as the other rush to catch up. By the time they get there, Kenji's running in the opposite direction.

Yaz skids to a stop and whirls around to watch as Kenji rushes towards the creature, flashlight in hand. He shines it in the dinos eye, which only distracts it for a moment before it begins chasing after him.

"What is he doing now!?" Yaz shouts.

"Get on the boat! We'll catch up!" Darius rushes past her and goes after Kenji.

Yaz turns to come back but a hippo suddenly emerges from the water, blocking her path. She slides through the dirt, trying not to slip as she comes to a stop. The large beast chases after her, its mouth wide open.

"Yaz!" Y/N cries, grabbing a life saver from the boat and throwing it at the hippopotamus, giving Yaz time to escape.

"Go!" Yaz shouts, "I'll get on the boat with the boys!"

Y/N holds his breath, but he's left without much time to think as the hippo begins charging towards them, "Zayna, go! Go!"

Zayna starts the motor, and they splash off through the water. Y/N takes a seat on the bench beside Sammy, running a stressed hand down his face.

"We shouldn't have split up-- we should've-- I should've helped Yaz." He mumbles all his perceived mistakes to himself.

"Hey, Y/N, no worries." Sammy encourages, "They can take care of themselves, especially Yaz."

"Right. Yeah, okay." Y/N takes a deep breath, "She'll be fine."

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

"Look! There they are!" Sammy grins as the others pull up on the boat behind them.

"Hey, guys!" Y/N beams, getting up to see his friends.

He pauses, taking a second look over the boat, then a third, "Where's Yaz?"

"I thought I saw her heading to your boat?" Darius raises an eyebrow.

"She said she was getting on the boat with you guys..." Sammy shakes her head slowly.

"Did we leave Yaz?" Ben gasps.