Skye worked a mid-day shift, but due to the slow pace of the day, Mr. Carrera allowed her and Kiara to head home early. Apparently, there was a hurricane rolling in which could have potentially accounted for the quiet within the restaurant. Furthermore, they were closing early.
While she had been made aware of the severe weather event, she did not expect everyone to be preparing as they were. Wooden boards were placed over glass windows, the roads quiet. Something about the idea of the hurricane stirred anxiety within Skye.
Kie dropped her back at the Chateau, the wind already cutting through the air. Instead of finding the home boarded up as she expected to, she found Pope and John B dressed in swim trunks ready to head out of the home. Mentions of surfing passed through their conversation.
"Are you going to surf the surge?" Skye questioned, the door rattling behind them due to the wind. A quizzical look rested on her face as she glanced between the pair.
John B smiled. "Hell yeah." Adrenaline pumped through Skye's body at the thought of surfing the storm surge sized waves.
"Rock on," Pope said from next to John B.
"I want to come," Skye interjected, glancing from between the two. She knew it would take her less than five minutes to get ready to depart the home with the boys. All she needed to do was put on a swimsuit.
John B shook his head, glancing her over. "Not a good idea." He didn't believe Skye was equipped to surf the waves during the storm. Besides, he had never seen her surf regularly.
Skye now shook her head. "I want to come," she fired, glancing at John B. "Come on, you have like six boards." She had seen them all numerous times from being around the home and in the garage. If they were going, she was too.
Pope raised an eyebrow. "Can you even surf?" he questioned doubtfully. How was a girl from the Hudson Valley supposed to be experienced enough of a surfer to surf through a hurricane?
"Yeah, Pope," she replied, glancing between him and John B. "Please?" she pleaded. She knew the only thing standing between her and surfing the monumental waves was the approval of the boys she now called friends.
John B inhaled. "Fine, five minutes. We're leaving in five minutes."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Her ability to surf both surprised Pope and John B. Even after Pope decided against surfing the large waves, Skye dove in head-first. She felt in her element while she was on the water.
They didn't stay very long, as the waves increased in harshness and the wind was growing stronger. Skye got her adrenaline fix, however, and that was all she needed.
They arrived back at John B's home, Pope departing for his own. Skye decided on a shower, and by the time she was out and clothed, she found John B ensuring all the windows were shut throughout the home. JJ then arrived.
JJ showed up with a large plastic bag of food in his hand for the trio to dine on. He was unable to shake the emotions the girl had so openly expressed the day previous. She seemed terrified, and he felt bad. Honestly, the way she spoke nearly scared him, too.
The blond boy had worked and brought back various leftovers from the kitchen. This food included chicken tenders, french fries, a few sliders, and grilled chicken. Skye barely realized how hungry she was until they all dug into the five to-go containers.
Upon popping open the fifth to-go box, homemade macaroni and cheese was revealed. The smell invoked a memory she tried her damndest to bury.
It was Father's Day. At just fourteen years old, Amber decided to cook her father a nice dinner for the holiday. While there was plenty of help that could prepare some kind of dinner, Amber felt it would be much nicer to do it herself.
Besides, Amber had loved to cook with her mother.
Amber decided on a family favorite: homemade macaroni and cheese. It was a meal she had made with her mother hundreds of times and knew how to make it from memory. It didn't go exactly how she planned. While she was mixing the cheese sauce and noodles, the microwave shorted out. Amber had no idea how; she didn't even touch it. While she tried to quickly check the on the appliance that had smoke coming from it, the dinner burned.
And when Zane Byrne returned home to the smell of burned food, he lost his temper.
After yelling a handful of words at his teenage daughter, he dragged her by her arm up the stairs. She angered him. He expressed this anger in the form of physical violence. After he left the crying, emotionally destroyed child in pain, he tossed her into her bedroom and locked the door.
And he didn't return for a week; he instructed her to think about how she could do things right. He didn't bother to bring her food a single time; this was a part of the punishment. She drank water out of her bathroom tap attached to her bedroom.
The entire week, she ate the remainder of half of a bag of pretzels that she had stashed away in her drawer; he didn't allow her to eat in her room. The maids didn't bother to check on her either, probably under her father's instruction. Amber was too terrified to call out for help.
Zane had left her with a busted lip and a black eye and starved her for a week. For burning some noodles.
And this comfort food cooked to perfection caused her to recall this. JJ noticed the girl's attitude fall and her eyes lose focus as she seemed to be staring off into space.
"Blue, you all good?" he called to her, a french fry inches from his mouth as he hesitated to chew after he spoke to her.
She swallowed her emotions as she had done so often. She flashed a small smile.
"Always."
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
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