Chapter 1 - Summer Season
Summer season has begun and with it even more work. I’ve finished with my further education and now all I do is help Dad and work at the retreat centre. I knew it was exclusive but I learnt it’s more than that. Rhonda Drennan has a retreat for celebrities all over the world who come here to escape their hectic lives, looking for a bit of normalcy.
Although I’m not really immerse in the world and I don’t talk to people besides my dad, I know some of the things that are happening. I watch movies, I listen to music. I listen to music all the time. So I know of some celebrities and the first time I saw, for instance, Demi Lovato, I died internally. My music taste is so wide and colourful, I believe every musician is great in their own way and you just have to appreciate them and contrast them only with themselves.
Of course I don’t get pictures or autographs, I just hide behind something and watch like a creep, but still, it makes me happy to know musicians I love come here for a break. Everyone deserves that and they seem to have a great time. It doesn’t even bother me that they come to the lake. Part of the agreement Dad arranged is to extend the crops so they have better and more vegetables, and two trips on boat around the lake during the afternoon. Mrs Drennan even hired an instructor to teach the guests to sail a small boat without drowning.
I watch everything that happens from afar and I’ve seen more movement that I ever expected, and contrary to what I believed first, it’s not bad. It’s colourful to see so many people that are so confident and secure of what they can do. It’s inspiring, but a bit sad at the same time because I can’t be like them. I’ll never be able to even tell one of the guests how big of a fan I am.
It doesn’t bother me, the thought that this is how it’s going to be from now on, sharing my kingdom with the people that entertain millions all around the world. That’s lovely, if you ask me. Plus, it’s helping us to make ends meet.
During the day I help dad at our property, at night, after dinnertime I go to the retreat centre and clean and maintain the music room. My dad told Mrs Drennan that I love music and that I am really careful, so she offered me that job and I took it as she told me I could use the instruments, as well. Since we started to have money issues, we had to sell Mum’s piano —among other things—, the one she used to teach me, and I’ve missed it so much. So now I have a chance to play the piano and learn other instruments. The music room at the centre is huge and beautiful, with every instrument I’ve heard of.
I finish around eleven, really late, but at that time it's lovely and I always stop by the lake, to enjoy the night. I’ve always loved to swim, but it’s even more special at night. Tonight is no exception, I just leave my clothes at the dock —I always wear a swimsuit under my clothes— and dive in. The cold water only bothers me for a few minutes, I get used to it so soon and then I only enjoy.
When I’m in the water it’s the only time I feel free and like I belong. I don’t feel like an awkward little girl but like a real mermaid, someone who was born to be in the water. If I could have one wish I’d ask to be a real mermaid. I’d love to be always in the water and sing with the fishes. Yes, like in the movie.
I swim and explore the lake, enjoying myself as I hum any song I have in my mind at the moment. I’m oblivious to the world around me because I feel like I’m in my own bubble and here no one can bother me. Here it doesn’t matter if I can’t talk to strangers or if I blush like a tomato every time someone tries to smile at me. Nothing of that really matters when I’m in the water and no one should come by the lake at this time but oh well, things are a bit different now.
I’m just floating on the water, looking at the stars and the moon shining so bright when I hear something. I jerk and pay attention, looking in the trees' direction, at the small forest that divides our property from the Drennan’s and when I see two guys coming on horses I sink in the water and swim to the dock, hiding from them. I only rise when I know I’m in a place they won’t see me in.
Guests don’t come at this time of the day, it’s fairly distant from the complex and they could get lost in the forest, unless they really know this place. It’s so quiet that I can hear their voices and part of their conversation.
“I’m not sure, Harry. Coming here wasn’t a good idea,” one said, the one with blond hair. “Plus this place isn’t part of the retreat.”
“It is now. It’s part of the new package. Now you can come to the lake to relax,” the other boy replies, Harry according to what the blond called him.
“So she got this place,” he muses and I look at him confused. Does he know Mrs Drennan wanted to get a hold of this place for so long? How could he know? “Still, I don’t think it was a good idea, Harry. She’s not here and she’s not coming, I’m sure of that.”
“Yeah but we may find out about something or someone who knows of her. We already came and we might as well enjoy this time here, Niall,” he insists and I’m confused. Who’s her and why are they looking for her here? “Plus, I wanted to see the lake. Last year I didn’t see this part.”
“I did,” Niall replies and I raise my eyebrows. Last summer this was private property and they shouldn’t have come here.
Who’s this boy? I should approach to see their faces better but they may see me and I rather avoid that situation. So I stay where I am as they stop and Harry gets off the horse, rather unceremoniously, and starts to explore around the lake. The land where he is standing is not the safest, there are many rocks and the ground is a bit loose.
“C’mon, Niall. Fancy a night dive? I bet the water is delicious at this time,” Harry calls his friends, approaching even more. He should use the dock, it’s the safest way to dive into the lake. That’s why we built it.
“I’m tired and this is not helping, Harry. I’m leaving,” Niall replies instead, making the chestnut horse turn around.
“Niall!” Harry calls louder but the boy ignores him and steps into the forest, leaving Harry and his black horse behind. “Pussy,” he exclaims louder and I chuckle at how immature he sounded when saying that.
He stays there, though, approaching the water a bit more but I think he’s not really gracious or coordinated. I watch his steps and I see him staggering every time he steps on a rock not to set food in the mud. I don’t even realise how I start to swim in his direction because I see what he’s doing as something really reckless and I have a bad feeling, so I’m not surprised when I see him tripping on a rock and falling. I am surprised when I don’t see him coming out of the water, though.
“Shoot,” I exclaim as I swim faster, immersing in the water and looking for him.
It’s not that deep at this part, but he’s not moving so I hurry and grab him to take him to the surface. I’m just acting by instinct and I kind of freak out when I don’t see him taking a big breath, so I swim with him to the lakeside and with a lot of difficulty I pull him out of the water, pulling him to the side so he can drop the water in his mouth.
“Hey, hey, you okay? Do you hear me?” I ask but he doesn’t answer, although he coughs and water falls from his mouth. “Oh thank God!” I exclaim because I don’t have to do CPR. Thank goodness I was nearby when he fell.
He’s still not fully conscious, though, but I pull away the hair from his face and try to make him comfortable. Only then I notice who he is and I gasp. He’s Harry Styles, from One Direction. Holy cow! That means that the blond guy was Niall Horan. Oh God, oh God!
“Please don’t die,” I beg stroking his face, his lovely face. Blimey, he’s even more handsome in person, and he’s not even conscious!
Ariel, control your inner fangirl! I scold myself.
He groans and I focus again on making sure he’s okay. Niall can’t be too far away, maybe I could scream and make him come back. I don’t think I can pull Harry onto the horse. He’s really tall and I’m short and I’m really not strong. I could barely pull him out of the water!
“It’s okay, you’ll be okay,” I promise him even if I don’t know that. I’ve never been in this situation, I don’t know what I’m doing and I’m kind of freaking out. I’m not good under stressful situations. He groans again and I grow more frantic. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Niall will come back soon,” I promise placing his head on my lap and stroking his hair away, the curls that make so many girls swoon, myself included.
I’ve never raised my voice to a scream, I never had the need to do so, thus this is the first time I ever scream my lungs out, hoping Niall is still around and can hear me.
“NIALL!” I shout at the top of my lungs, still caressing Harry’s face, as if that could help. Maybe he hit his head when he fell, maybe something bad happened. Why hasn’t he woken up? “Oh please, Niall!” I call again and then focus on Harry. “He’ll come, okay? You’ll be fine.” Then I look above, frustrated for being so small and useless. “Why do you have to be so tall and… uh… a guy!?” I protest even though I know it’s pointless.
Harry moves and I think he’ll wake up and that thought paralyses me. What if he wakes up and sees me here? I start shaking at the mere thought of meeting his eyes and having to answer a question. Having to have a sort of conversation!
So instead of trying to make sure he wakes up, I start singing the first lullaby I can remember, the one Mum used to sing to me. I sing and stroke his hair and thankfully, he stops stirring and even his features relax. I only stop singing when I hear the black horse snorting and I look back to see movement in the forest.
“Harry?” I hear Niall’s voice so I stop singing and even breathing. I tense and freak out, knowing he’s on his way.
Before he can make it to the lake itself, I push Harry away carefully and dive into the water again, running from human contact, just when Niall makes it out of the forest still on the horse.
“Harry? Shit, Harry!” He exclaims when he sees the curly-haired and unconscious boy on the ground. He jumps off the horse and runs towards him. “God, Harry what happened?” He asks, picking his band-mate from the ground and waking him up. I see Harry moving, trying to grab the first thing he can and looking around.
“Niall? Where did—?” He asks his eyes exploring everything and I hide underwater again. I don’t hear the rest of his question nor what Niall tells him next and by when I come to the surface again, Niall is helping Harry to get on the horse and they get away.
I let go of the breath I was holding and relax in the water. I just hope Harry will be okay. What would’ve happened if I hadn’t been around? Who would’ve saved him? Would have Niall come back if I hadn’t screamed his name?
Oh God, I just saved Harry Styles’ life. Not bad for a girl like me, even if I didn’t know what I was doing.
I swim away, too tired after what happened and the long day. Maybe tomorrow I can see if he’s okay and nothing really bad happened, for now I can only hope he’ll be fine. He’s gone already.
-:-:-:-
Happy new year and welcome to the second book in the Aware Princess Series! Whop whop! Remember, it's an independent series so don't worry if you haven't read Call Me Ella. Everything will make sense, just keep reading.
Dedication to @larahsleiman. Now you know how they met ;)
Bel, xx