Chapter Twenty
❝She hides in her world of laughter and friends,
but when she's alone, the pain starts.❞
Zach was looking at them with anticipation.
"You want us to what?" Theo let out.
"You heard me," Zach grinned, standing in front of El, Theo and Chase with his surfboard all while the brothers were lounging in the Anchor's stools and the girl was serving as usual. "It's time all you lazy asses learn the art of this old, ancient aquatic sports. What other reason would you go to the beach for?"
"Multiple reasons," the other boy muttered. "To relax, to tan, to enjoy the view and to not listen to your never-ending bullsh — "
"Think hard before finishing that sentence, Theodore."
Theo smiled sweetly before flashing the finger.
Chase raised his hand. "I want to learn how to surf!"
"We all know you want to, kid," Zach chuckled. "You have special talent. Not like these two losers over here. We're not going to be young forever, folks."
"I'd like to personally object."
El's eyes widened. In synchronisation, the four turned their heads towards the voice.
Daisy Clementine was standing right behind them, grinning like they were all part of a game and that game was hers.
"This is a closed matter," Zach stated, putting a hand on his hip.
"Well, now I'm opening it." Daisy glanced at her. "'Sup, McKinney."
"Uh, hi."
She was trying so hard not to be awkward, which isn't usually her way to go. But Daisy's abrupt return left her in a daze sometimes. Should they hug? High-five? Shake hands?
El was awfully confused.
"Did you not hear me?" Zach repeated. "This surfing lesson is exclusively for the people right here." His finger did a rotating gesture around them, clearly excluding her.
"Don't be prejudiced. We're all suited to the occasion, aren't we?"
You see, as summer prolonged and the sun heated, so did their appearance. Zach was wearing his signature board shorts, but El had seen him shirtless so many times, it's become normal. Chase, meanwhile, had adopted Zach's methods for the first time — and the boy looked like the most confident kid she'd ever met.
El opted for a sleeveless crop top and some shorts, which wasn't the most revealing as opposed to the bikini-clad girls, but exposed enough for her to notice that Theo kept quickly glancing away from her.
It wasn't like she had it so easy herself. Not when he was wearing a white tank that didn't do much to hide those lean muscles.
El, a voice warned. You're trekking dangerous waters.
But she might as well been swimming for a while, hadn't she?
"Huh," Zach clicked his tongue, looking at Daisy's heart-shaped sunglasses and the red one piece she wore that made her look like a Baywatch recruit. "Got that right."
Daisy grinned. "Perfect."
***
It wasn't everyday that the Championships gave days off, so the beach was crowded with the other surfers hanging out with their friends, their families. That also took some relief off of Anchor's. It made El wonder where Travis might be, and why he didn't said anything to her about the surfers' break.
Anyhow, the five of them headed to the lifeguards' post where common vendors gathered to sell their goods. After much negotiation which included Zach arguing with a salesman and El using her local charm to persuade the man, they ended up renting four surfboards under a better price.
Emphasise on four.
"You're not joining us?" Zach asked, confused.
"I just ate a whole plate of chicken tacos earlier," El admitted sheepishly. "So I think I'll sit this one out and watch from the sidelines."
Zach scrunched up his nose. "I have seen surfers get sick on the waves. Not a pretty sight, I'm telling you. You chose the right path." But he pulled out a small camera from his pocket and handed it to her. "I was going to give this to Jeff, but since you're here anyway..."
She bit her lip. "Yeah," she said lightly, gripping the camera. "I can take pictures."
"Great. Make sure you take my good side." He turned to Chase and Daisy, who were already walking towards the beach. "Vamos, amigos!"
When they reached the end of the shore and started climbing up the waters, Theo hung back a bit, frowning. "You sure you don't wanna join? I know it sounds miserable, but it could be fun the more the merrier."
"No, I'm sure. Make sure Chase doesn't stray too far away from shore."
Theo cracked a smile. "Aye-aye, capt."
So the hour went by, of El taking pictures of Zach attempting to teach the art of surfing. That only resulted in Chase playing with the water, Daisy screaming at the top of her lungs, and Theo falling repeatedly off of the board. The last of which El couldn't stop laughing at.
Over and over again, her body would double up and her stomach would hurt from too much laughter. She thought tears actually came from her eyes. Chase did succeed one attempt, though, and everyone clapped and whistled for the kid. He had blushed, and Daisy had given him a fat kiss on the cheek. Theo had glared.
But he heard El's giggle, and he turned to look at her.
Her laughter suddenly died down, entranced by the way he slowly smiled at her, with his blue eyes crinkling in the corner. Stars, she thought. That was a smile.
She lifted the camera and pressed click.
When they were done, the four of them headed towards her with fatigue evident in their body. All except for Zach, of course, who came to her and caught the camera.
"Nice photography skills," he whistled. He passed it to Daisy, who was eager to see how 'hot of a bod she looked.' The exact words.
"Thanks," El grinned. "Guess it's just a hidden talent — " She squealed in surprise when Zach wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up. "Zach! What are you — "
"Showing you how to have fun!"
Her lips opened to ask what he meant but when she saw where he was leading them to, her mouth instantly dried. The little hairs on her skin rose. Her heart pounded. She wanted to move, to do anything, but her mind seemed it was muddled by the irrational fear that they were moving towards the ocean.
"Zach," she whispered, gripping his back. "Zach, put me down."
"Not until you get a little splash!"
The waters were drawing closer, and time sped up so fast, but it was as if her entire body was paralysed, her vision slightly blurring. "Zach, I'm serious."
He started to run, and that's when her body sprang awake, and she jumped backward instinctively, kicking and screaming from him as she trembled with horror.
"Zach!" She screamed. "Let me down!"
"Zach, stop!" Theo yelled.
But it was too late.
He had already dropped her on the water.
And when it touched her, stars, all she could feel was how it was felt a year ago, when she was under the ocean, and she couldn't see anything, just dark, dark waters, and kept going deeper and deeper, and she didn't know where she was, oh stars, where was she —
But she pulled herself up, gasping as she breathed fresh air into her lungs, the fear still catching her chest as those three seconds under the water flashed back. She doubled over and coughed out water as she hauled herself back to shore, away from the ocean, as fast as she could, but not without stumbling.
"El — "
She flinched back, still breathing heavily, her chest aching, and looked up to see Theo's furrowed eyebrows, face crush with hurt. And concern.
So, so much raw concern.
And she was met with three same expressions.
"Len, I'm so sorry, are you okay — "
She shook her head, ignoring Zach's advancement, ignoring Theo's hand, ignoring their words of comfort and confusion as she trailed back to the only place that could provide her safety.
***
She was taking comfort in the very back of the shack, somewhere between the place where they kept inventories and the door that led to the kitchen. It was somewhere where she could take refuge, but not disrupt the Anchor's crew, who still kept serving.
It was her safe haven.
From the front, she could hear scuffling, and two distinct voices caught her ears.
"Can I see her? Is she okay?"
"She's pretty shaken up," Wanda whispered. "What were you guys even doing? Didn't she tell you she was scared of the ocean?"
El's heartbeat quickened.
"No," Theo said slowly. "Not at all."
But she was also brought back to what seemed long ago, when Theo shared his story while they sat near the caves of the beach, looking at sunset turn to dusk. He had been honest with her.
She had to repay him the favour.
"Theo," she called from her little hiding spot. "Over here."
Both Wanda and Theo turned to her, and without another word or glance to the other woman, Theo trudged forward into the narrow wooden hallway, passing cooks and servers who repeatedly stopped them. One look to El, though, and they let him pass.
"Before you ask, yes, I'm alright," El managed a weak smile.
"You didn't look fucking alright." Theo crouched down to her level, flitting his eyes over her. He noticed the towel wrapped around her frame. "Well, at least you're warm."
She chuckled. "Yeah."
Since she was sitting down, he sat on the wooden floor and crossed his legs. "You going to tell me what happened back there? Because everyone's flipping out."
"Are they with Jeff?" He nodded. "Then they're fine, he can explain it to them." A pause between the two, and then, "You told me your story. I think it's only fair that I tell you mine."
Theo didn't disagree.
She took a deep breath.
"You've been wondering for a while where my parents are." He nodded, hesitant. "Well, they're gone. That's all there is to it. They died about a year ago, that's why I've lived with my grandparents ever since."
A mix of emotions swirled in Theo's eyes. "I'm sorry, El."
She shook her head. "It's just how life goes. Anyway, my parents loved the sea. They grew up here in this little town, and it's the reason why they stayed here all these years," she smiled fondly. "It's why they started Anchor's when they were just in their early twenties."
"And it's why, one day, they decided to take a cruise across the ocean."
"I think you can guess what happens next. It was a navigation error — they took an alternative route and didn't realise the amount of debris was harmful enough to cause a crack." El laughed, but it was a sad one. "Not all of the ship sunk. I was one of the survivors."
"El," Theo murmured, shifting closer, pain and sorrow and hurt for the girl in front of him. "I don't know what to say."
She shrugged, but there was nothing nonchalant about it. "They drowned," she whispered, looking past them, at the roaring waves. "Right there."
Maybe that was the biggest tragedy of all.
To be tied to a place surrounded by the ocean, where her parents had been born and loved and raised her; to be tied to the ocean itself — and yet a constant reminder of their deaths. Of her trauma.
The irony was hard to overcome.
Theo's hand wrapped around hers. "But you're here. You made it."
She chuckled, liking the feeling of his skin against hers. "And now you've seen me in a mental breakdown. Guess we're even, yeah?"
"Let's make sure it stays that way."
El cocked her head. "Is that a promise?"
"No," he smiled, squeezing her hand. "Just faith."
A/N:
The intense & persistent fear of the sea is called thalassophobia. It's somewhat what El has.
I'm warning you, it only gets more intense after this.