Making the Worst of a Good Situation

After the Hurricane

"Fuck you!" She screamed as I headed towards the door

"Fuck you too!" I screamed back and slammed the door and got in my car.

As soon I closed my car door I screamed in frustration and tears started flowing from my eyes.

I started my car and drove. I didn't know where I was going but, I knew I couldn't be around people. I somehow ended up at the beach. I parked my car and sat by the waves crying.

Why did she have to ruin everything? Paige was acting like a psycho for no reason.

I rolled on my side feeling bad for myself. Paige and I had fights before but none like this. We both brought up things that we knew were off limits.

I then noticed that no one was at the beach. I sat up and realized that it was raining. I didn't want to get up. I wanted to lay here and be miserable.

So I laid in the rain and cried. I hiccupped and sniffed as the rain poured on my head.

I wished that Chase would come and save me. He'd see me in the sand and carry me home.

"Are you ok?" I heard a voice scream over the roar of the rain.

"Chase?" I rolled over expecting Chase to save me and was disappointed. It was only a lifeguard and I could barely see him.

"What?" he screamed.

"I'm ok." I said rolling over in the sticky sand.

The lifeguard grabbed my arm and pulled me up.

"I said I'm ok!" I shouted at him.

"You can't stay out here!" he held on to my wrist.

"Leave me alone!" I screamed.

Lightning struck a nearby palm tree and it fell down. My eyes widened and I realized that I may be in danger.

"We have to get out of here!" the lifeguard screamed. I violently nodded my head and let him guide me in whatever direction he was going.

Sand was flying everywhere and I could barely see. The rain was in full force and there were random flashes of lightning followed by the booming of thunder. All I could see was a blurry outline of the lifeguard guiding me.

I tripped when my foot hit the first step of the lifeguard shack. I hissed in pain and limped behind he lifeguard until we got inside.

"Here." he handed me a towel. I wiped my face and wrapped it around my shoulders shivering

"Oh no you're hurt." he said gesturing to my leg. I looked down and saw the blood dripping from my shin. Looking at it made all of my nerves in that leg wake up and screech out in pain.

"OW!" I screamed as if it just happened and my knee began to buckle. The lifeguard grabbed my shoulders before I could fall and lifted me onto a table behind me.

"Let me see." He looked down at my leg "I need to wrap it up." He said walking to the other side of the shed rummaging through some junk.

I looked around the tiny wooden shed. It was mostly filled with life preservers. There were leaks in the roof but it was better than sitting in the rain.

"Here it is" he said pulling out a first aid kit from under the pile. He grabbed a chair and sat in front of me and grabbed my leg. He lightly touched the wound with a rag.

"Stop!" I screamed as the pain shot up my leg again.

"But I have too" he protested

""Don't touch it!" I demanded again.

"Fine" he said softly throwing his hands in the air "What were you doing out there anyway?" he asked.

"Oh you know... Just enjoying the beach." I lied

"Uh huh. Nice weather to go to the beach huh?" He nodded " Why were you crying?"

I looked down at him and for the first time I actually saw him. 

He was cute. Really cute. He looked up at me with curious eyes and I felt my face getting hot.

"I-I wasn't crying" I looked away from him and focused on a crack on the wall

"I saw you" He pushed.

"I was just upset." I admitted.

"Oh?" he inquired.

"I got into a fight with my best friend." I admitted.

"Was it bad?" he asked.

"Yea" I nodded sadly "I said some things I shouldn't have."

"How'd that happen?" I sighed. I needed to vent might as well be to him.

"She was mad at me for staying out last night. I don't know why she does it all the time. I never stay out" I crossed my arms and my anger grew again.

"Maybe she's just not used to you going out." he suggested

"That's still no excuse for what she said to me" I pouted.

"Hey all friends fight sometimes. I'm sure you'll make up." he said.

"All done" he said sitting up. I looked at him confused and realized he'd wrapped up my leg and I didn't even notice.

"How'd you do that?" I asked surprised. He smiled and chuckled

"It's a lifeguard secret" he looked at me and I gazed off into his eyes.

"I'm Ryan" he said breaking my trance.

"Sheilah" I smiled at him.

"Well Sheilah, are you cold? You need another towel?" he stood and I took notice of his abs. My face grew hot and I nodded violently.

He got me another towel and he sat down and looked at me. I immediately felt vulnerable and wrapped myself tighter in the towels.

"What are you doing out here anyway?" I asked. He laughed loudly.

"Being a lifeguard. You never know what'll happen out here." he said now serious. He obviously took pride in his job.

"Yea but no one's here." I pointed out.

"You are." he said "If I hadn't shown up you'd still be out there."

I opened my mouth to protest but he was right.

"Thank you." I said realizing he had saved me.

"It's my job" he said leaning back in his chair smiling.

I waited out the rest of the storm in the shack.

"I think the storm's eased up" Ryan said peaking out of the door. I followed him and the sun hit my face. It was a beautiful sunny day again.

"Thanks again." I told him knowing that I had to go now.

"Just doing my job" he said again.

"You did more than your job" I smiled shyly and walked away feeling flushed.

I drove home slowly and sat in my car when I got home. I was dreading facing Paige.

I finally worked up the courage to walk inside.

The place was spotless. I'd never seen our apartment so clean. I walked into the bedroom and Paige was sitting down painting at her easel.

"You cleaned up." I said sitting down across the room. I didn't want to be too close after our argument.

"Yea" she said focusing on her painting.

"Yea." I said again. I stared at her. "Paige I-"

"Let's just not talk about it" she said cutting me off. I sighed knowing that there was no getting through to her now. She'd obviously made up her mind.

I got up and laid in my bed wondering if our friendship would ever recover.

(A/N: Thanks for reading guys :) Please don't forget to like if you liked the story and comment if you did or didn't. I could use some feedback. And the picture is of Paige played by Selena. The song is After the Hurricane by Jazmine Sullivan)