Skimming the Surface

Chapter 17- Decisions

To the right is Ian Somerhalder, who is a perfect Jeremy, if you ask me. Very devilish, rugged... do read on, please :)

Chapter 17

Olivia

    Olivia leaned her head against the grainy wood pier, and tucked her legs toward her chest. She groaned an internal sigh as the wind rustled her hair and tickled her skin. This was heaven- the wind on her cheek, the sun roasting her from the outside in, and the sound of the waves crashing against the beach and dancing around the pier below her. The only thing better than this would be to be in the water.

     But that wasn't going to happen, not right now at least. Mason had woke her up that morning early (but not that early for her- usually she got up even before that) so they could come out and surf. He'd drove out to one of the more secluded beaches, known for its waves, and they'd met up with two of his friends Jeremy and Andrew. 

     As she looked out on the water, she thought she might be able to pick them out among the rustling blueness- yes, there was Mason, laying flat on his stomach, waiting for the next wave. She tried not to notice the muscles on his back, tensed and taut. No, time to think of other things.

     She was glad he'd taken her out to the beach today. Being cooped up in the house was starting to make her feel anxious and twitchy. She knew that his mom would rather her have stayed in bed and rested, but the truth was that she was already fully healed. That was just one of the perks of being a mermaid- she healed faster than any human she had ever met. That injury would have probably incapacitated any human for weeks, but as soon as she had hit her head against that beam on the pier she started healing. 

     Yes, she was glad to be out. But sitting here doing nothing- that wasn't her idea of a great day. No, she wanted to be among the waves, dipping in and out of the water and swimming to her hearts content. However, she couldn't do that with Mason and his friends here. She knew Mason wouldn't take well to her sneaking off, especially since he thought she was still in 'delicate' condition. He hadn't said that, but just the way he acted around her- light to the touch, and ultra-sensitive. It frustrated her a little, but what did she expect? They were still looking at her like she'd bashed her head in. And she couldn't expect them to understand that she was fine- after all, they thought she was a normal human being.

     A finger tapped her shoulder, and she whipped around. Standing above her was a guy with dripping jet black hair, a loose grey v-neck, white board shorts, a straight nose and defined jaw. Wait, was this Andrew or Jeremy? No, this was Jeremy- Andrew had honey brown hair and wide shoulders. Jeremy was more wiry.

     He pointed to the empty spot beside her. "Mind if I sit down?" His voice was self-assured, and she noticed when one of his black eyebrows raised slightly. She just nodded. He was one of the popular guys who ran with the same groups as Mason, and she had honestly never talked to him before. Not that she really wanted to. She didn't know what to say... or what he would say to her.

     He plopped down, and swung his legs over the side, swinging them far over the water. She saw him give her a sideways glance. Was this as awkward for him as it was for her? Because she had no clue what to say. All she found herself wishing was for him to go away and leave her in peace. 

     He cleared his throat a little, and gave her a look before looking back into the ocean. "I heard about you hitting your head Monday. I was just wondering, are you okay?" She caught his eyes, and his steel grey ones flashed with... something. She wasn't sure what. All she knew was that she wanted to curl up in a ball.

     She barely nodded, and looked away. "Yeah, I'm fine." Why was she having this conversation with him? Why did he care? 

     He cocked his head a little. "Are you sure? I mean, you freaking hit your head on the pier. And you  were out of school for two days! Were you in the hospital that whole time?"