Edited
Alex's POV
An aroma of eggs and bacon filled my room, causing my eyes to pounce open. The savorous smell made my stomach roar alive and flip a 'get moving' switch on my legs.
Dragging myself down the hall, I collided heads with someone and tumbled to the floor.
"Ow," I whined, rubbing my forehead.
"Sorry," Elias's raspy voice croaked. I smiled softly to myself at the sound of his morning voice. I wasn't sure what was sexier though, his raspy voice or Austin without a shirt.
He walked past us with a pair of jeans on, exposing his chiseled body as if he just walked out of a men's health magazine. Standing behind me, he grabbed my arms and lifted me to my feet.
"Be careful," he chuckled, ruffling my already messy hair. Elias mumbled something under his breath as he rubbed his forehead. I smiled, still trying to adjust my eyes.
"Thanks," I yawned. Austin smiled reassuringly before going downstairs. Elias and I stood in silence, before bursting into laughter.
"Sorry," he apologized again, chuckling.
"It's okay. Are you guys going swimming?" I asked, looking him up and down. His eyes were masked with black razors with a white v-neck that hung over his grey board shorts.
"Yep. Want to come?"
"Sure! I'll meet you guys downstairs," I smiled before going back into my room. Locking the door, I went into Sam's bag and pulled out a pair of short, black board shorts and a matching bikini top. After changing, I went downstairs to find everyone dressed and eating.
"Good morning," I greeted, taking a piece of toast. Everyone mumbled their good morning between bites. I looked around to see Sam and Chris were missing. "Where're the lovebirds?" I asked.
"They're already at the lake,"Tyler mumbled. Lexi was sitting on his lap since there were no more seats left. They were adorable. I stood between Elias and Austin, leaning against the marble counter while I finished my toast.
"Well, I'm done. I'll meet you guys outside," I said, heading out the back door. I watched as Chris carried Sam on his back before throwing her into the water. They were one of the lucky ones. Their relationship was flawless and unbreakable. I couldn't imagine a life with them being apart. They were the James Dean and Audrey Hepburn of Clairmont High.
"Boo!"Elias whispered into my ear.I spiked into the air in terror. This boy was going to give me a heart attack.
"Seriously?" I glared at him. He nodded in satisfactory, chuckling to himself. I rolled my eyes and continued walking towards the lake.
"Do you like swimming?" He asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
"Uh, yeah,"I replied confused. Without hesitation, Elias slithered his arm around my waist and pulled me over his shoulder.
"Elias Rios! Put me down!" I shrieked as I punched his back.
"Ow! Easy there, babe," he laughed.
I kept kicking until I felt a rush of cool water spread over my body. I was at peace with the silence of being under water. It lulled all my senses, until a memory I tried so hard to repress managed to rip through the surface of my memories. A pool. Me sitting at the deep end watching the sun ripple through the water. All my senses numbed. I almost took the Reaper's hand, but i reached for my cousin's instead. Her warm skin pulled me back to reality. I was sitting in a nightmare and she pulled me out. She pulled me out because I couldn't.
Elias reached into the water, shattering my past and tugged me into the present. I let all my nerves loosen, shaking off any sign of distress. I did nothing better than hiding my fears.
"Jerk," I growled, tying my hair up. Elias stood above me laughing as he clenched his stomach. I smirked deviously as I kicked behind his knee cap, causing him to lose balance. He fell into the water next to me. Now it was my turn to laugh.
"Ha-ha-ha. You're real funny," Elias stared icily at me.
"I know; I'm hilarious," I winked. He cracked a smile, shoving cool water into my face. I mimicked him and started a full on war. He chased me across the shore, reaching out for me, but always letting me slip through his fingers. We ran around the shore, laughing as we chased each other.
"Gotcha," a pair of arms wrapped around my bare waist. I looked up to see Austin smirking and soaked. His dirt blonde curls framed his face in chunky strands.
"Damn." I crossed my arms in defeat, "Not again." Elias stuck his tongue out at me and waved. "Thanks for your help, friend!" I shouted at him before being thrown back into the water. Austin stood above me laughing with the rest of his band mates.
"Sorry, love, I just couldn't help it," he winked before walking away.
"You guys are jerks."
Sam walked over to me, helping me stand up.
"You're just too easy to pick on," she giggled as we walked back to where Chris was laying out. I glared at her for a second before sitting beside Chris. Digging my toes into the warm sand, I watched as Tyler, Austin, Elias, and Lexi threw around a football. Elias never looked like the sporty type, but he threw a football pretty well. I felt a storm rage in my stomach as I watched Elias flip his wet hair back. My heart tripped drunkenly back to sanity as I shook off the need to be close to Elias. I couldn't. He was taken and our futures weren't written in the stars. He was a crush developed by continuous interactions, so it wasn't real. At least, that's what I keep telling myself.
"Hey," he smirked, taking a seat next to me.
"Hi."
He shook his hair, ridding it of the salty liquid. I looked out to the lake to see Elias staring at us. Catching my eye contact, he removed his gaze and continued throwing the football. I felt a pit grow in my stomach. I pulled my knees up to my chest, sighing.
"Are you okay?" Austin asked, furrowing his eye brows.
"Yeah," I lied. I slid on my checkered shades and lied down on the sand, letting the millions of tiny pebbles massage my skin.
"So when do you guys graduate?" Austin asked, eyes glued to the lake.
"In two months," I smiled. I was glad high school was almost over. I could finally get the hell out of there.
"Nice! Have you applied to any colleges yet?" He questioned, now looking at me.
"Just a few, but to be honest, most of them are international," I sighed, feeling my insides tingle with excitement.
"No surprise there," Austin winked. I pulled my knees to my chest, daydreaming about what I hoped my life would be like.
"Hey, we're going to head home," Chris said, standing up.
"Did you want to come with us?" Sam asked me.
Shaking my head, I said, "No thanks, I'll just catch a ride with them."
"Alright, be safe!" Sam smiled. I stood up and hugged both Chris and Sam good-bye.
The sun was beginning to set by the time we finished at the lake. Lexi and Tyler sat close to the water, both wrapped in a blue blanket. Elias was who-knows-where while Austin was taking a nap beside me. Feeling tired, I stood up and started to the steps that led to the house. As I landed onto the next step, my weight shifted, causing me to stumble to the ground.
"Shit," I breathed quickly. My ankle was throbbing, pain rushing throughout my foot.
"Alex! Are you okay?" I heard Elias yell above me. He sprinted down the steps and kneeled beside me, trying to figure out what happened.
"My... ankle," I gasped, holding my ankle in place.
"You're such a klutz," Elias chuckled, shaking his head. I was in too much pain to give him a comeback. He slipped one arm beneath my knees and the other around my back. "C'mon, let's go get you some ice," he breathed heavily. Elias wasn't the strongest guy in the world, but somehow he was carrying me back to the cabin. By the time we got to the house, Elias's face was flushed and drops of sweat were forming on his forehead. Damn, I'm a lot heavier than I thought.
"Wait here," he sighed, going into the kitchen.
"Like I have a choice," I muttered, adjusting myself on the couch. In a few minutes, Elias came back with a bag of ice and Advil. He handed me the Advil, then gently placed the ice onto my ankle. "Thanks," I smiled, taking in the Advil.
"You're welcome. How did you fall?" He asked, sitting on the floor beside me.
"Me and the universe have this sort of love-hate relationship. Today, it really just hated me."
"Maybe you and the universe need to sit down and get drunk together," Elias sighed. "Maybe she wouldn't have sent Karma," He was trying to make a joke, but his expression was anything but. His face was flushed and his eyes were dark and rippling with concern.
"I'm..uh sorry?"
" We should get you home," Elias half smiled at me. I nodded and waited for Elias to come back. He came downstairs and was changed into a pair of blue jeans and a black army-styled jacket. Austin, Tyler, and Lexi came in laughing before they saw me.
"Oh my god, what happened!?" Austin asked worriedly.
"Me being a klutz," I giggled. A glint of caution spun in his eyes.
"We should take you to the doctor to get it checked out," he said sternly.
"I was going to take her home," Elias butted in, eyes flaring.
"She should get it checked out first."
"Maybe her parents should know first!"
"Well-"
"Boys, shut up!" Lexi stopped them.They both glared at each other, jaws clenched. "Let's take her to the hospital just to be safe," she said, smiling at me. I nodded to her, thanking her for making them stop. Elias rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Fine, but I'm driving her," he said, grabbing his keys.
"Fine,"Austin huffed. Just like Elias, Austin carried me bridal style to Elias's red truck. Austin seemed to handle my weight better, making me feel lighter.
"Thanks," I smiled as I slid into the passenger's seat.
"No problem," He said before closing the door. Elias jumped into the driver's side and started the engine. Since the seat was stitched together as one, I was able to sit against the door and prop my foot onto Elias's thigh to keep it elevated. Elias concentrated on the road, paying no attention to me.
"Are you mad?" I frowned, searching his face for some kind of emotion, but it was unreadable.
"No. Austin is just so freaking annoying," he growled, seeming exasperated.
"He's just trying to help," I tried to reason.
"Well, I don't need help," he huffed, stopping at a red light.
"Is that you talking, or your pride?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood, but the mood was already dead."I don't get why you don't like him. He's been nothing but nice."
"He's Mister Perfect, right? It's not that I don't like him, Alex, it's just that everyone likes him so much more than me. They always have," Elias sighed. His jaw tightened as he finished his thought.
"I don't," I admitted, staring out the window. His jaw loosened into a half-smile. No one could compare the two. They were too different to be put side by side.
We pulled up to the hospital while a lady brought out a wheelchair. Austin had beat us there. The nursed helped me into the wheelchair and pushed me into a small room where Lexi and Tyler were waiting.
"Please have a seat on the bed, Miss Santos," the nurse ordered before leaving.
"We'll wait for you in the waiting room," Tyler smiled before walking off with Lexi. Elias, Austin, and I sat awkwardly in the room, waiting for the doctor.
"Miss Santos," a man walked in with a clipboard. He had a white coat on and didn't look a day over thirty. He sat on the bed beside me and examined my lightly-bruised ankle.
"Well, it seems to be mildly sprained," he said, "Could you stand on it?" I pushed myself off the bed and onto my good foot. The doctor held my arm firmly as I gently pressed my other foot to the floor. A sharp pain sparked through my foot, causing me to let out a small yelp.
"Okay, sit down," he said. He left the room and came back with a pair of crutches. "Here. You'll have to keep off that ankle for about a week, Ms. Santos," he said, handing them to me. I stood up again and propped myself up.
"Thank you," I smiled.
"You're welcome, dear. You can go now," he said, leaving the room. I hopped out of the room with Austin and Elias trailing behind me.
"You okay?" Tyler asked, standing up.
"Yeah, I just have to stay off of it for a while," I sighed, staring at the floor.
"Alright, let's get you home," Elias said, placing his hand on my shoulder. I nodded and followed him out to his truck.
"Get better," Austin smiled as he hugged me. By surprise, he placed his lips onto my cheek, leaving a trail of heating sensations. My lips spread into a grin as I got into the passenger's seat. I placed my ankle back onto Elias's thigh.
"Here," he said, handing me a grey sweater that he grabbed from the back seat.
"Thanks,"I smiled, spreading it across my legs. I closed my eyes and listened to the buzzing of The Rumour slipping from the speakers.
"Alex? It's time to wake up," Elias whispered as he shook me. I fluttered my eyes open to meet Elias's brown orbs watching me. I gently lifted my leg off of him and waited for him to open the door. He helped me out and walked behind me to the door. He knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer.
"Alex- what happened?" My mom gasped. She glanced from me to Elias confused.
"She tripped while going up steps,"Elias said, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.
"Ay, Alexandra! You're so clumsy. Help her to her bed, please," she motioned us inside. I hopped to my room and made my way to the bed. Elias pulled back the covers and helped me place my leg under the covers. He looked around my room and chuckled lightly to himself.
"What?"
Your room is very... you," His smile grew, a flicker of admiration in his eyes.
"Good night, Alex,"Elias sighed, pulling the blanket over my body.
"Night," I mumbled, closing my eyes again. I felt warm air enclose on my cheek, soon ending with lips pressing against my cold skin. The kiss was pure and innocent, unlike the boy who gave it to me. I just hope he never attempts to do it again, or I will have to find my self a new Church to rid me of my sinful thoughts.