"Didn't think I'd see you calling." Natalie said, picking up the phone.
"You say that every time I call. Plus, it's not like this is one of those dine and dash situations." I replied with a smile.
She, of course, couldn't tell that I was smiling.
"Oh Owen, did you just compare our sex life to dining in a restaurant?" She asked with a laugh.
"The phrase just seemed perfect." I confessed.
And it really did. Natalie and I had been hooking up all summer. I felt weird about it, to be completely honest. I had feelings for her but not feelings like the ones I have for Hollis. I liked her that way but at the same time, I didn't.
"What are you doing today?" She asked before I got the chance.
"Hopefully spending the day with you."
I heard her laugh in the other end, " Now, Owen. Do you really think I'm that easy?"
"On the contrary-" I said with a smirk.
"Owen, wowww." She said in disbelief.
"No, you're not that easy. How about a date? I can take you somewhere nice." I suggested.
Silence on the other end.
"In public? I don't know." She said simply.
"What do you not wanna be seen with the captain of the football team?"I asked.
"Former captain of the football team." She corrected, "But no, it's not that. I just-"
"Look, it's my last day before Waylon state. I wanna spend it with you, Allie." I confessed.
She didn't say anything.
"How about we go hiking? I know this pretty sick trail that nobody really goes." I suggested.
"Sure. What time would you happen to be there?" She asked me.
Yes, she's down!
"12:30ish."
"I'll see you there."
And then she hung up.
..................
"Look at that! You showed!" Natalie said, jumping off a nice boulder.
"Look at that."
"I was a little concerned you were gonna be ditching me." She admitted.
"Me? Ditching the one and only Natalie Avril Craine. As if." I said acting shocked.
It was still kinda weird sleeping with her when she was Luke Craine's cousin. I normally blocked that thought out of my head but sometimes I couldn't.
"So shall we get hiking up this monstrous trail." She said gesturing towards the slope.
"Indeed we shall." I answered.
We trudged up for a few minutes without difficulty and then it started getting a bit harder. Overgrown bushes and vibes blocked the majority of the once well kept hiking trail.
"See, the big ole wilderness is so much better than a restaurant." She she brought it.
"This big ole thing?"I said in a funny accent.
"This big ole thing." She repeated in my same accent.
Her impression of my impression was also not very impressive.
Try saying that five times fast.
"Where do you even find these places? First the secret beach hideaway and now this place." She asked me.
I wasn't proud to admit it but I had taken her to me and Hollis' place. It felt good in the moment but now I just felt guilty. But who was I to feel guilty? It was my place from the begining, I was the one who showed Hollis. My place. Not hers.
I wouldn't doubt it if Hollis knew but what did she care. She had Luke now. She left me to figure shit out while she was thriving and well.
"In the eighth grade, before I was super popular, my bestfriend Beck was spending a summer in Europe." I began telling her, "I was super lonely and had no friends so I explored Orange county.""
That's so sad yet funny at the same time." She laugh, "I'm going to hell for laughing."
"My fourteen years old pain is at your humoral service."
She laughed even harder, "Do you even know what humoral means?"
"Oh God." I started.
"Humoral; relating to body fluids." She started saying as if she was quoting the dictionary.
I bursted out into laughter.
"I really don't know my grammar." I confessed.
"I can tell!" She laughed, "How do you even get into Waylon on scholarship?"
I flexed my arms and showed off my muscles, something that after the fact, I realized looked stupid.
"Football, baby."
My phone buzzed and I looked down at it quickly.
I was surprised to see it was from Liam.
Dude can we talk? I'm at Calvins rn
"Anything important?" She asked.
"Nah, nothing important at all."
.....
"You know, this is quite a dangerous looking trail." She brought up.
"That's why nobody comes up here. Not really the hiking type of place." I admitted.
"Why did you bring me up here then, Mr. Serial killer?" She asked.
I shrugged it off, "I'd say it's for my serial killer business bit I think you already know." I admitted.
She laughed, "Do you wanna go and down from here?"
"No." I said looking at her.
She smiled, "Good cuz neither do I."
"What do you wanna do?" I asked.
I think I knew the answer, though.
"You know what I wanna do." She confessed.
I instinctively looked around us. Nobody in sight.
"You down?" She asked with the same seductive smirk she always wore.
"You already know I am."
Owen.windess: guys look at the rocks not my feet!
.........
I walked into my house, or Calvin's house, and a huge crowd of people were sitting in the front room.
I recognized my mom, Liam, Calvin, and Kiersten. I heard Stella's voice come from upstairs. She was probably with her babysitter, Katie.
Katie was fourteen but was like an after school nanny to Stella.
"What's all this?" I asked with a confused laugh.
"We're worried about you, Owen." My mom begin.
I felt a lump in my throat form.
"What are you-" I started, "What are you worried about?"
"Your drinking." Mom said.
How did they know I was drinking? I never had drank in front of them and was pretty good at hiding it, at least that's what I had thought.
"What drinking problem?" I asked, sitting down.
Maybe playing dumb was the way to go?
"You know what drinking problem, Owen." Liam chimed in.
"You have two options here. Go to a rehabilitation center for quicker treatment or you can go to a support group 2-3 times a week." Calvin started.
"We're letting you have full control in the decision. We just want to resolve the issue as soon as po-"
"There's no issue!" I defensively yelled while jumping up out of my seat.
"Owen, you are a border line alcoholic at eighteen! It's bad enough as is, if we don't do anything early then it's gonna manifest into something worse." My mom shot back.
"O, sit down." Mom dad added.
She had a really sad yet irritated look on her face. I made me feel upset seeing her like that knowing I was the real for her sorrows.
I groaned, "I'm really fine. If you want me to stop drinking then I-"
"Owen stop being a fucking idiot and listen to yourself. Listen to them." Liam yelled at me.
You could tell he was tired of this whole thing.
"How do you know? How did you find out?"
"Bottles are going missing. You're getting more irritable and reckless." Calvin explained.
"Holl-" My mom began.
"What did Hollis say?" I immediately asked.
Everybody was silent.
"What did Hollis say?" I asked again, louder than the last time.
"She's just worried about you. We all are." My mom said.
That same sad look was on her face, yet again.
I leaned back in the big lounge chair, entwining my hands through my hair.
"Whatcha thinking?" Kiersten asked.
What am I thinking? Hell, I don't even know that.
"If I don't wanna go to these meetings then I go to rehab, correct?" I asked for clarification.
My dad nodded, I could see the sad look on his face, "Correct. It's all up to you Owen. Try not to stress out too hard."
I sure as hell didn't want to go to rehab, the alcohol problem wasn't even that bad of a problem. Hell, it hardly was a problem. But I knew I wasn't getting out of this one.
My mom added, "But don't shrug it off. It's important to sort this out before school."
"I leave for school tomorrow." I pointed out.
"Better get figuring it out then." She sighed.
She got up and Liam followed behind her. She stepped out of the house and walked down the long driveway. A few moments her car started up and I heard it pull out and drive away.
Her words stuck in my head.
"Better get figuring it out."
GUYS funny story. I'm literally in the dentist's office and have to stay still and all this inspiration for a new story hits me. And I was trying not to laugh so bad and just OMG. I was literally dying.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little chapter. I can't wait for y'all to read the next chapter coming up. That one I've been super excited to write.
I finally figured out all the little kinks of the story and finally figured out the ending to it all. I'm so sad yet excited to wrap everything up but "Accidentally on Purpose" probably be done some point in June.
Also, I'm changing my updating schedule to once a week. I might post a several times on occasion but for most part it will be once a week :)
Stay safe my fellow readers. I love you.
-Soph