[Charlotte Kendall]
"What are you doing?" Tyson yelled after me.
"Emma!" I screamed again, ignoring the fury in Tyson's tone of voice. My ankles twisted every time I stepped in larger footprints that were sunken in too low.
"Charlotte!" I heard Tyson heave loudly again. I finally reached the group and crashed gracefully into Tyson's arms which held my unconscious other half.
Tears were hot on my skin as I pulled the two down into the sand to sit finally. There were no longer these shots of burning pains in my hip. I was too overwhelmed with reuniting with my best friend to care. It was a miracle.
"Emma, wake up." I coughed a happy noise while wrapping my arms underneath her wet coasted figure. Her arms fell limp to her sides as Tyson gently adjusted her into my own arms. "Why is she unconscious? Is she breathing?" I begin to quietly panic as I shake her gently some more.
"She's fine." He assures me while wiping the bangs from across her face.
"Emma?" I ask again quietly hoping to get her to open her eyes just once.
"Hey-" Ashton finally caught up to us three with the older man dragging about behind him. "You know this girl?" He asked me before taking the man's tired arm and throwing it up over his shoulder.
I look up at the two and silently nod my head while squeezing onto Emma's chapped palm. The old man Ashton was helping stand up straight had his head hung low and his lean shoulders slouched over. I could still hear his heavy puffs of air. "Is he alright?" I ask nervously as Ashton fights to keep the man upright by himself.
He struggled in response until Tyson backed off from Emma and me to stand up and help. The boys mumbled over different scenarios before Tyson gave up and took the man for himself this time. "Help Charlotte, I've got him." He said once pulling the old man's arms completely up and over his shoulders.
Tyson squatted once before standing up and tossing the man over his shoulders perfectly in place. I heard the man grunt softly as his stomach slumped over Tyson swiftly, looking very uncomfortable. I looked up at Ashton who was chalk white with embarrassment. Once he caught me looking he groaned rolling his neck to the side before following over to where I sat.
"Fucking show off I tell ya." He mumbled under his breath. I tried not to snicker or smirk as he scooped Emma up into his arms nicely. As he did so, we both received a grumble of breath from a sheepish Emma.
"Emma? Are you awake?" I immediately jump at her, holding my hands on her arm as Ashton cradled her in the air.
Emma's eyes rolled before slowly peeking out tiredly. Her pale lips curled to the side before pulling up into a weak word. I leaned in closer, holding her weight down in Ashton's arms in order to hear her as she began to open her mouth.
"Em. . ." I whispered while hovering above her. Her eyes rolled over again before blinking out the sand from her long golden lashes. Suddenly I was greeted by bright grey eyes and dark black pupils.
"I'm. . . alive."
I laughed under my breath as tears blurred my vision. Even in the most sincere moments, she still humors me unconditionally. I was so overjoyed to be with her again after all the disasters that have happened. I brought in my chapped underlip and leaned in more to kiss her on the forehead before pulling back for Ashton to adjust her falling weight again. I backed away and wiped under my burned eyes with the back of my hand as Ashton begin to walk her off towards the lifeboat. Tyson and the old man were already off in the distance where the sun was now available to shine around them.
I just kept smiling to myself, so overfilled with joy on how this could have possibly happened for someone like me. For me, Emma was the last person on this Earth that I had cared the most about, and I thought I lost her in a heartbeat.
"Do you need help?"
I blinked twice before realizing that Ashton was suddenly ten steps ahead of me. His shoulders were turned back around towards me in a gesturing way. From this distance, I was able to see him in light. The sun was barely out but as the red and orange colors swirled in the sky, it came down and reflected against his tanned arms and golden hair. He arrived in tight black jeans, ripped in small gaps around his knees and thighs also torn at his right ankle. Led Zeppelin was spelled out across his dark black shirt with large tares and gashes also ripped near his armpits and above his pant loops. His whole ensemble was black including the soaked black converse that he was lucky to keep after the wreck.
"Charlotte?" I fidgeted again after hearing my name come out in an accent. It was so precious and light.
I stopped thinking to myself and finally responded to Ashton, "I can walk." and that wasn't a lie.
Ashton shrugged and continued to walk forward after turning away from me again. I couldn't help but smile to myself before stepping down slowly in the early morning sand. I couldn't be in any better place now. Emma was alive and well, now we are together again. The next thing was rescue and at this rate, I know we would be off this island in no time.
+
"Emma I don't think I can take another step." I stopped instantly at the wooden walk off. A line of passengers slowly grew behind me as I turned to face Emma. She brought in her bottom lip and winced at the crowd nervously before taking me aside and allowing passengers to walk up the bridge that lead into the massive floating ship.
"Charlotte you can't back out now. It's too late, please." Emma begged with her hands rested on my shoulders.
I was holding onto both of our carry-on bags and the rest of our luggage was already being inspected before loading onto the cruise ship. With the smell of the salty waves and the swaying of the pier, I wanted to take a few giant steps back. Cold feet some would call it.
"What if something happens? What if we can't get back home in time after the break is over?" I start to babble off on a tangent, talking about the cons more than the pros of this trip, "I can't do something with a bad gut feeling you know that."
"Oh please! A bad gut feeling? Char, you're the mini scientist here and I know we both know that means chicken feet." She rolls her eyes to the side and the tint sparkles with its grey.
"The term is called cold feet Em." I correct.
"Whatever it's called, get rid of It." She demands causally before taking our carry-ons out of my hands suddenly.
"I don't have cold feet!" I turn to protest stubbornly as Emma begins walking back towards the entrance line. She spins on her heels and lifts one sharp eyebrow up in disbelief, "I just don't think I thought the scheduling through properly. I don't think I can take this trip."
"You're lying."
"I am not." She's pestering me but it won't let it work on me again.
"Char we aren't Jack and Rose okay. If you have any fears about boats just remember that the Titanic was a movie, it's not real."
I pause and look at her dumbfounded.
She stared back with her manicured eyebrows raised sincerely. She was being dead serious about this and it was frighteningly laughable, "Emma the Titanic was a historical tragedy in 1912."
I pause again and she backs down, looking back over towards the cruise ship, "Wait, really?"
"Oh my God!" I huff out, throwing my hands up before making my way past her and the forming line. "Emma I wasn't even worried about that possibility but now that you've reminded me that only make's this gut feeling ten times worse," I call back over my shoulder as I listen to the frantic taping of her three-inch heels clacking after me.
"Then why won't you get on that cruise ship with me?" She follows after me before I stop to look at her again. Her light colored brown hair was pushed over to the side as the wispy ends stuck out against the sea wind, "I know you're afraid."
"I'm not afraid of anything." I felt blunt and stubborn not looking back into her stare but she was catching onto the feeling that I wasn't so sure about anymore.
"You're only having that feeling because you're afraid of having fun on this ship." Emma steps back, dropping our bags to the seagull poop invested dock. I wince as she crosses her arms across her chest.
"What?" I ask before taking the chance to look at her finally.
"Charlotte stop trying to make up to your dad. You aren't the perfect little princess he wanted you to be and you've said so in the past that you never were." Her voice suddenly lowers as her words dagger me in the chest. I wasn't expecting her to turn the current events around so quickly but in her mind, my problems all fit so properly.
"This isn't about my Dad."
"I know it's about your past and because of your dad you don't want to continue the past into the future." I furrow my brows at her while taking a large chunk of brown hair and tucking it behind my ear.
"Emma. . ."
"Want to prove me wrong? Then get on that ship." She snapped before kicking my carry-on my way.
The red bag slid across the dock and ended perfectly at the tips of my boots. I stared down at it for a second while taking in Emma's ever so kind words. She's smart when she wants to be, I only wish for her sake it was shown more academically.
"Let's live a little."
"Knock on wood," I mumble as I take the handle of my bag into my palm.
"For what?"
"For living," I grump as we gather into the line once again. I take a breath and hold my chin up high as the sea smell surrounds us.
"Char that's not even funny." And it wasn't.
+ Day 2
We got fire. Luckily Ashton had a lighter in his jean pocket that was water damage resistant. I've never heard of a lighter that was waterproof but he told us to trust him, and so. . . we got fire.
Emma was awake but barely speaking, she kept falling asleep on my shoulder and then waking up again abruptly. Tyson said not to worry about her, the rescue was coming soon and they could help her. However, he doesn't know Emma like I do and the dangerous lurking of her past medical conditions keeps reminding me that this was something I should worry about. But now, several hours have passed and morning sunlight burned down on this island, frying all of the survivor's skins like a barbecue.
"I have more water!" Tyson announced coming back with the tin bottles clinking together as he ran down the beachfront.
I sat up in the rubber raft and reached out my arms before he gently tossed a bottle my way. I caught the bottle and opened the lid to take a quick sip before grabbing Emma's shoulder to sit her up beside me. She shook her head and moaned through squinted eyes as I pulled her from her sleeping cocoon. "Emma you need to drink some water," I tell her before taking the cold bottle and pouring the opening through her lips. She choked back the water a little once shocked by the rush before sitting up to take the bottle into her shaking hands.
I smiled at her before wiping my own mouth with the back of my hand. This water felt good, but I only had a little of it. I looked over to Tyson who was also pouring down the liquid into the old man's mouth. I peak over quietly and notice the familiar bald scalp of the man before he leaned his neck back to drip down the last sips of the water. Something about this man gave me Deja Vu, just like seeing Ashton on the ship during the wreckage. Once he dropped his head level with all of ours my heart sunk into nervousness.
"Thank you son." He complimented Tyson with a grateful smile before handing him the tin bottle.
The older man was bald with a light scruff brushed on his cheeks and chin. A tiny scar was cut through his upper lip and to his nose. His features were harsh and broken. The entire time when Tyson asked him what hurt or what didn't hurt the man only answered with a shake and nod of his head.
Tyson turned to look at me which caught me off guard. "I'll run for some more." He offers with his hand out in front of me. I nod, blinded by my own scattered thoughts before taking our empty bottle and tossing it his way again. As Tyson scrambled to climb out of the rubber boat the old man stared at me as if he remembered something about me from the ship as well.
By the time Tyson's shadow was farther down the beach the old man finally spoke up. "You're the girl from the stairs." He pointed out.
I felt heat on my chest and Emma's eyes now focused on me as well. So I nod without really saying any words. His blue eyes slowly advert to my legs and I consciously pull the bottom of my dress down farther. He notices and his eyes follow back up into my dark ones.
"How's it feel?" He asked again with low puffs of air falling from his chapped lips. He had a creepy behavior to him and I was horrified once remembering he was the one to help set my hip back into place.
"It's fine, thank you. . . um." I nudged forward, motioning for his name until he chuckled a little.
"Robert. Robert Benson dear," He answered and I sighed in relief. Emma bumped my side curiously but I didn't mention anything to her right away. "How'd you get out of there?" Suddenly, Robert Benson interrupted again with the overall question.
I looked at Emma nervously and she shrugged softly. Her hand was rolled back against the rubber edge of the lifeboat as she swallowed dryly. She didn't know this man or how she got off the ship alive so there were no answers from her. I waited several minutes, leaning over closely towards the smoked fire which was fading out behind Emma and me. I wasn't about to answer with a full on story, luckily a boy came shuffling up the beachfront with damp wavy hair. The sun was a glare on his wet skin before Ashton appeared blocking the line of light with his shiny figure. He shuffled through the sand cautiously making sure only his feet collected the sticky sand onto his wet skin.
"I'm not sure I want to answer that right now," I tell Robert Benson just as Ashton comes stumbling up behind the old man in the raft.
Ashton was shirtless and his chest was shimmering with the specks of water still dripping from his hair down to his shoulders. His black jeans were ripped at the knees, and the soaking blotches darkened his pants around his briefs area. I quickly looked away from the rest of that area before blushing anymore noticeably.
"Ty isn't back yet?" He questioned out of breath from his quick run up the beach.
"You just missed him," I say while pretending to check if Emma had a fever. She swatted me away quickly before giving me that look of 'quit using me as a getaway plan'.
I swallowed tightly and dared myself to look back up at Ashton's shirtless body. "Were you out there swimming?" I decide to ask and instantly feel the uneasiness in both Robert and Emma. I hear Emma sigh in an embarrassed groan before rolling over to face away from me in the raft.
Ashton's eyes dart down at Emma nervously before looking at me as if she was ill. I lick my dry lips and immediately want to drown myself in the ocean all over again.
"Yeah, it was getting too hot on the beach."
I nodded and looked over to the south end hoping Tyson would come back sooner. It was easier with him around. "Hey," I look up again at Robert Benson this time and notice him staring off into the jungle trees behind us, "Why don't we move inland? Maybe find some food or that drinking water Tyson keeps running around for."
"But then rescue won't be able to see us from the water." I point out immediately. I look at Ashton for help once everyone stays silent.
Ashton takes in a deep breath before walking over to our side in the sand. He drops his converses beside me before squatting down over the edge of the lifeboat. His low sigh had me look up for an instant. A peak of the sun shined between the trees which blinded me slightly from looking directly at Ashton. I squinted up at him as he hovered closely beside me with his long arms raised and still ruffling through his shaggy hair.
"How- um, we could just ask Tyson what he thinks we should do." I start out nervously before feeling Emma roll back over again to look at what I was stumbling over. I try to not get distracted by his muscles moving through his hair but it was like a drug to fall under for. His long torso stretched beside me before he suddenly dropped to sit on his butt in the sand.
He dragged a rock through the sand and smirked to himself, "Do you always ask your boyfriend for permission?"
"What?" I squeak, "Ashton, I've told you before Tyson is not my boyfriend." I jump in protest, nervous about why he always brings Tyson and me up. He finally sits down on the rock and laughs, cutting me off.
"Hey sorry, I must have seen something different."
My mouth falls a gap and Emma bumps my side again. I look at her sharply seeing the glee in her burned out eyes before she too laughs under her breath. Benson rolls his eyes and crawls out of the boat to stand and stretch. Ashton laughed at him before holding up his Led Zeppelin shirt in front of his face, he knows exactly what he had meant to do. Everyone did but me apparently.
"So you two aren't a couple?"
"No. We just happened to be together as the ship went down." I snap at his teasing and all laughter stops.
He folded his shirt neatly and fixed the creases of it on his knees. But as he dropped his shirt down from blocking his face, a frown was deep on his thin lips with a crease etched in his eyebrows as well. By the second it slowly faded into the natural straight line of his bowed lips.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up-"
"It's hard not to bring it up Charlotte."
He looked at me slowly but as he pronounced my name something fluttery hit inside my stomach. I swallowed down the feeling quickly and looked away right as Tyson appeared running up the beachfront once again. As I watched him walk over towards us I could feel Ashton's stare still lingering on me.
"I found fruit!" Tyson exclaimed before plopping down into the sand across from Emma and me in the lifeboat. His bare knees pushed into the sand while he held out a palm full of stained yellow berries. Emma sat up quickly and crawled over to see better.
"Tyson no!" I jump, hitting the handful out of his cupped palms before watching them all fly out into the smoking pit behind us.
"What the hell!" He growled as his eyebrows brushed annoyed.
Benson rushed over to the right of us again and squatted down beside Tyson, too late to see the berries from his hands. "What's going on?" He exclaimed out of the loop.
"Mate, white and yellow kill a fellow. Purple and blue good for you." Ashton rhymes in a concerned tone. Everyone looks over towards him as he pushes his shaggy bangs away from his eyes.
"You didn't eat any did you?" I ask Tyson while he's still staring over at Ashton confusingly.
"No,"
"Well damn." The corner of Ashton's mouth rose up the left side of his cheek as a large implanted dimple grew along the side of his mouth.
"Gee thanks mate." Tyson mocks, shoving him aside as everyone laughs quietly again.
"Tyson, where did you find those berries?" I ask, not at all amused at this point.
"By the fresh water, behind the cliff cave. They were clustered together in these little bushes next to the water." He explains before I use Emma to help me stand, "Wait where are you going?" he asks as I unfolded my dress again on the backside to get the little sand off my butt.
"Those were poisonous berries, I need to see how close they grew to the wetland stream in case the water was contaminated."
"Huh?" Tyson slumps before quickly gathering to his feet to help me out of the raft.
"Yeah-" Emma says with a small chuckle, "Listen to her, she's the geologist here." This time she mocks me as I kick up sand over the edge of the raft to get her in the face. She spits away the dust before flipping me off and rolling out of the raft altogether.
"You're a scientist?" Ashton asks with raised brows and an impressed smirk.
"No, I'm not." I state, turning around to look everyone in the eyes, "I just study it."
I've always hated the word scientist or geologist, it never sounded cute for a girl like me, and the topics never interested me. After my father died this past year, science was once something kept on the down low because I never wanted to be someone like my father.
Scientists like him were dangerous, they sometimes weren't the 'Good Guys' and of course, I never wanted to be a part of the family line of mad scientists. Unfortunately, I was an only child by blood which gave me the wonderful follow up career of my father's legacy. I hate it, I don't want it, but now that he is passed, I feel like I have to have it. Emma knows my situation, she's lived it. But no, I am not a scientist nor will I ever be labeled as one.
"Okay, so what if the water is contaminated?" Tyson mumbles, "Will we be alright?"
I shake my head, "We haven't been here long enough to drink that much, the water will dilute the berry's toxicity. However, since water is all we've consumed it is possible some of us might get upset stomachs ." I say as we all walk down the beach together.
Emma snorts behind us, "Scientist."
I just ignore her and square my shoulders back.
We make it halfway in conversation over the berries until shuffling distracts Ashton to the left of us now. Trees beyond the jungle break sway and Emma suddenly stops, pulling me and Tyson back with her.
"Emma? Hey!" I say while tripping over her foot and stumbling up into Tyson's grip. He holds me up again before looking over towards Ashton and the trees. "What is it? What are you looking for?" I whisper loudly, receiving a harsh shh from Emma.
She orders me to listen before yanking me down to her ear. She was much shorter than me so now I was awkwardly pinned to my best friend's ear with Tyson leaned against my backside in support. I couldn't help but grimace at the feelings in my stomach as we all gathered like frightened cattle near the jungle's edge.
The shuffling came closer and Ashton slowly walked over to the bushes before the rustling scattered away frantically.
"You guys it was just a little animal." I sigh once pulling away from Emma's ear and grabbing hold of Tyson's arm again.
"Yeah, an animal we could've barbecued." Ashton scoffs to the side and Emma and I both laugh. He grumbled before pulling up some shaggy hair from his eyes real quick, "Oi very funny, you two are more mature than my own girlfriend." He spits sarcastically before halting into a painful frown.
Emma continues to laugh a bit to herself before I shove her aside. She looks at me once I give her that look to shut up and she immediately drops her laughter.
"Hey man. . ." Tyson offered but was shut down by Ashton's hand waving in the air.
"Just forget I ever said anything about it." By now I was seriously concerned.
Who was his girlfriend? Where was she? Was she on the ship? What happened?
I tried not to think much about it, considering Ashton never meant for it to slip anyways. However the farther down the beach we got from our setup camp the more I've noticed Ashton dragging out behind us. By now he was way farther down than Benson, who was not the fastest herd walker.
Curiosity killed the cat and well. . . "Tyson? Is he okay?" I finally ask as Emma leans in to listen as well. Tyson takes time for a soft, long sigh before looking over his shoulder.
I couldn't help but catch a glimpse of Ashton tagging along behind us with his head hung low and his arms stretched out behind his head. He was holding the back of his neck like he was in pain. However, he could have been.
"His girlfriend died during the wreckage." He admits, "I'd say he's got it the worst. And I mean now that you've got your loved one back, all of us are just hoping for the best," He just shook his head before wanting to continue. I didn't want him to continue and neither did Emma as she squeezed my upper arm for assurance.
It wasn't possible for Ashton to see his girlfriend ever again and it was heartbreaking. I got Emma back, and Ashton was still figuratively alone on this island.
[A/N]
Sad days. You'll learn a little bit more about Ash's girlfriend trust me.
Chapter Songs:
"Just A Little Bit of Your Heart"- Ariana Grande
"Sunburn"- Ed Sheeran