I don't look at Darius that morning at all, and everyone notices. They all give the two of us strange looks but never say anything.
After eating a stale but food breakfast, I decide to go spend some time with myself by the ravine with my guitar.
But after sliding down to the ground and walking to said stream, my heart stops at the sight below me.
There's nothing. No water.
Dirt dry.
"Um, guys?" I call.
"Yeah?" Darius calls, and I don't look at him when I tell them all to come down. They do, and all gasp.
"Where'd the water go?" Sammy asks.
Yasmina turns and glares at Kon, who rolls his eyes.
"Why don't you ask Mr. 45-Minute-Shower?"
"Hey! Looking good is part of my brand. And no way I drained to whole river."
Brooklyn jumped down into the deep pit that once was the river and looked around, while Darius continued speaking.
"We better figure out what's up. We're gonna run out of water. Let's-"
"Shh!"
Brooklyn now stands across from us on the other side of the river, holding a finger to her lips to quiet us. Everyone looks at her, confused.
"I hear that hum again."
Oh, come on...
Ever since a few days ago, Brooklyn's been claiming she's heard and seen strange things: a strange, windy hum, and a frozen patch of daisies. A frozen patch. The island had to be getting to her faster than it was to us, because that wasn't possible.
"The river must've been drowning it out. It I follow that, I can find-"
"A frozen patch of flowers." Everyone voices at the same time, making the girl sink back.
"Oh. I've mentioned it, huh?"
"The frozen flowers you found once but never saw again?" I scoff. "Yeah. A few hundred or so times."
Brooklyn tried to justify herself, which only ends up in us finishing her sentence again. She huffs out an annoyed breath. I'd feel bad for her if I didn't hate her.
"If you're gonna go look for the noise, I'll come too!" Sammy volunteered. She sprinted over to Brooklyn. "If that's okay with you. It'd be nice to have an adventure for a fun reason, and not a 'fleeing dinosaurs or facing imminent death' reason."
Yasmina jumped over to them, not needing any help since, while on their little adventure last week, the others found some bandages and a cast. She also volunteers to go, making all the girls excited. I, however, felt annoyed.
"Blake, are you comin' too?"
Everyone's eyes turned to me, and I bit my lip.
"I, uh...I guess?"
Hesitantly, I go over to join the girls, staying as far away as I can from Brooklyn.
"Great! You guys do that, while me and Kenji go figure out why the river stopped." Darius points back to Kon, who's poking at his ear.
I look back at the girls and sigh.
This is going to be fun...
————
For once, I'm actually sympathizing with Brooklyn.
Sammy and Yasmina were...well, they were definitely bonded, that's for sure. They acted as if they'd known each other their entire lives the way they talked and laughed and shared stories. They were best friends that didn't shut up!
Which, speaking of...
"Favorite place?"
"High school!"
Hold up, high school? Who the hell lives high school?
Sammy, apparently.
Even Yasmina questioned this, and Sammy gave her a list of reasons why she enjoyed high school that ended in a debate.
Since I was only thirteen, I had no idea what high school was like. But from what I've heard and seen in movies, it's like hell itself. Unfortunately, that meant middle school was a lot better in ways I couldn't understand — the girls and guys in my grade and below were equally disrespectful and mean, and many kids who used to be Ben and I's friends became our bullies. It all changed after reaching seventh grade. I can't imagine what high school will be like if I ever get off the island...
If I even want to.
I'm supposed to be starting Freshman in a few weeks. How likely is it that I'll be home in time to start?
"Hey, Brooklyn, Blake." We both turn to face the other two girls. "What's your favorite thing about school?"
I already know what to say.
"That's easy." I laugh. "I really-"
"How to pick just one?" Brooklyn suddenly interrupts, making me flinch. "I mean, I really love the big...food fights?" She pauses and stutters. "Big, uh...but food fights?"
We've all stopped walking at this point, and I'm starting to feel out of place — the fourth wheel.
"You've never been in a high school, have you?" Yasmina states, and Brooklyn clutches her baseball bat tightly.
"No...a hundred percent online tutors. But I dropped a scone in front of the Queen while making an 'unboxing Buckingham Palace' video! Does that count as a food fight?"
The other girls shrug and nod, while I just fume behind, unnoticed.
Sometimes being the quiet one sucks.
Especially in comparison to people like Brooklyn, who don't shut up about themselves and only themselves.
"We should keep moving." The celebrity says suddenly, and turns to keep walking when there's a sudden crunch under her feet. She gasps and looks down. We all get behind her and mimicked her surprise at the sight of several iced-over flowers, and the sound of a buzzing hum.
"I hear it!"
"I told you guys!"
I get down to my knees beside Brooklyn and feel over the flowers, puzzled.
"It's...super cold air." I say. Indeed, the feeling of cool wind blowing through my hands makes my skin crawl and goosebumps flair. "And the ground feels like it's vibrating, what-"
Brooklyn pushed me aside and starts moving the flowers away. She doesn't notice my heavy glare or the way I clench my fists.
"What the..."
The flowers reveal a silver vent, the revealed source of the cold air and icey plants.
"I knew we'd find it!" Brooklyn cheers. "But...if there's no electricity on the island, what's powering this?"
This island keeps getting weirder, I think. First dinosaurs, then monorails, then...
Then. Yep, that's it.
Suddenly, Sammy gasps and clings to Yasmina, jumping up and down excitedly.
"Yaz! This is like that episode where Esther follows that graffiti trail."
Brooklyn and I look back in confusion and Sammy blushes.
"Sorry! Yaz and I were talking about this show we love...
Brooklyn jumps up and nearly knocks me down, making me yelp.
"Esther Stone: High School P.I. Episode 23 — she exposes a cryptocurrency ring. I've seen every episode eighty times!"
What's going on, now?
"No way!" Sammy gasps. "You watch Esther Stone?"
"Huh, famous people are just like us." Yasmina muses. I stay kneeling on the ground, feeling as if I wasn't even there all the sudden. Neglected.
As Brooklyn explained how she found out about whatever show they were talking about, I decide I should just start investigating the ventilation myself. It's not like they'd even notice I'm gone, after all.
As the trio gathers into a hug, I get up and start walking away, towards a strange sound the others didn't seem to notice.