WHEN WE GET back to Uncle Mani's later that evening, we explain the situation to our parents.
Our original flight was scheduled for 7:30 tomorrow morning, which meant we would have been back home by 10 am on Thursday with plenty of time to make it to Finn's surf competition at 3 pm. Though our flight hasn't officially been delayed yet, the numerous bad weather warnings broadcasting on every news outlet isn't doing much to keep our hopes up.
"You're right," Mom agrees grimly, a frown weighing down on her lips as she breaks her gaze from the television screen, "it doesn't look very promising... What do you suggest?"
"Well..." Hunter says, exchanging a look with Hayden. "The last ferry of the day hasn't gone yet."
"It leaves at 8 pm," Hayden continues, "so we should be back home around 10 tonight."
Dad frowns, checking his watch. "It's almost six right now. Will you be able to catch up?"
"The docks aren't too far from here," Uncle Manuel supplies. "I'd say it's around a ten, fifteen minute journey by car."
An optimistic look takes over Hayden's face. "So can we go?" he asks. "Mom? Dad? It's alright, right? I know it's not that important we attend the competition but—"
"We know, we know," Mom sighs. "Supporting your friend and whatnot. So who's going, all three of you?"
"When we checked online, we were only able to book two seats in advance because of the sudden high demand, but we're still checking for a third," Hunter explains, glancing to me.
Amidst the contemplative silence of the living room, a loud buzz erupts from Hayden's phone, catching my attention.
He withdraws his phone from his pocket, composure changing in an instant as he rapidly begins to text back; as if all the stress from the last few hours just washed away with that single notification. A name briefly flashes on the screen with the arrival of a new message, and through a sideways peek, I am able to make it out: GIA ♥︎.
"Hunter, you and Hayden should take the seats," I speak up. "I'll stay back."
Hayden's hands pause mid-text. His eyes dart up to find mine, a look of bafflement on his face. "What?"
"There's no need for that yet, Harvey," Hunter says. "We'll find another seat."
"Or during the time we're waiting around searching for one, we'll end up losing the ones we already have," I counter.
"Don't you want to go, Harv?" Mom asks me, inquisitive.
"It's not that," I reply, "I just think it'll work out better that way. Even without Finn's competition, Hayden, you said you were covering someone's shift Friday morning, right? If we end up having to take a late flight tomorrow, it'll be stressful for you to have to start getting up early the next day."
Hayden's brows furrow. "Well, maybe," he admits, tucking away his phone, "but—"
"And Hunter, you didn't get to watch Finn's last competition because you were babysitting Harry. It wouldn't be fair on you either to miss both."
"I'd prefer if Hunter was going regardless," Dad says. "I would feel more at ease letting you kids go with a legal adult than on your own."
"That's true," Hunter runs a hand through his hair, "but still, Harv, you're his coach. I think he'd want you there."
I'm surprised that Hunter is finally able to admit that I am Finn's surf coach without hinting that Finn has an ulterior motive to me training him. Well, even if he does.
It makes it easier to fake my confidence when I reply, "And I will be there. The flights haven't been cancelled yet, have they? The forecast says the storm will be in the morning. I checked earlier and the one scheduled after ours should still be safe to take. It's a bit of a tighter time squeeze and I might end up being a little late — but you can explain that part to Finn for me."
Hunter opens his mouth, ready to retort, except no words come out. "Fine," he eventually manages to say in a reluctant tone, "if you say so."
"So are we all in agreement?" Mom asks, eyes drifting between the three of us.
"I guess?" Hayden sends me another questioning look, scratching the back of his head as he nods slowly in Mom's direction.
Hunter looks like he still wants to protest, interrogate me some more on why I am so adamant to stay behind, but he holds himself back, dropping the subject until an hour and a half later, when Uncle Manuel goes to retrieve his car keys so he can drop them off at the ferry port.
Hunter and Hayden leaving early has put a stopper in Hollis's birthday celebration — a fact that only seems to fully dawn on Hunter when Aunt Kamila is setting the Hawaiian themed feast out on a long beechwood table.
"Sorry about leaving your birthday early, bud," Hunter apologises, ruffling Hollis's brown locks. "I promise to make up for it when you guys get home too."
"That's alright," Hollis shrugs, pulling Hunter's hand away from his head with a smile. "It just means more food for me."
Hunter laughs in response, arching round to look at the luau spread. "That's if Hayden doesn't take all of it with him."
"What?" Hollis's eyes widen with alarm as he spots Hayden by Aunt Kamila, filling up two sets of Tupperware with food.
"Hayden, hurry up and stop being a pig. We can't take all of it back with us anyway," Hunter says.
"I can try," Hayden replies childishly, hurrying to scoop up another portion of shoyu chicken before Hollis comes racing towards him.
While Hayden and Hollis are arguing over Hayden's portion sizes, Hunter turns to me to say, "You know those websites are never a hundred percent accurate when it comes to local services. There're probably still some seats available. You should just come with us."
I wrap my arms around myself, tucking one arm beneath the other as I shrug in response. "Finn will do fine whether I'm there or not. There's no reason why we should all waste our plane tickets by getting the ferry, and I don't mind going by plane."
"I suppose you're right," Hunter concedes.
Uncle Mani returns to the living room at that moment, jangling his car keys. "Everyone ready?"
"Looks like it," Dad replies, looking to Hunter and Hayden. "Boys?"
Hayden and Hunter nod in confirmation, but Hunter keeps his eyes on me, quirking an eyebrow as if to say "Now or never, Harvey".
"I'll see you guys tomorrow," I say with a confident smile, waving goodbye as Uncle Mani ushers Hayden and Hunter out the door.
><{{{(•>
I wake up the next morning with a loud thrumming in my ears and an uncomfortable crick in my neck; a result of spending two nights on Noelani's bedroom floor with nothing but a pillow, blanket and a leaky air bed Noelani had 'accidentally' punctured two hours into the first night.
I roll my neck to ease the stiffness that spreads across my shoulders, when suddenly, a brief flash of light illuminates Noelani's pitch black room, followed shortly by a roll of thunder.
Lightning?
The storm hasn't stopped yet?
I scramble out of bed, and dart across the room to the window, ignoring the grumpy mewl that escapes Noelani when I accidentally bump into her bed along the way.
I draw back the partially open curtains, and my heart sinks. It is only as I stare at the torrential downpour that it occurs to me that the dull thrumming I had assumed to be a headache is more likely due to the armada of fat, angry water droplets that beat against the window pane. The sky is a violent shade of purplish grey, and the clouds suffocating, dark masses that smother the sun and engulf the city beneath.
"What time is it?" I ask.
After a short sigh and a few seconds of quiet rustling as she searches for her phone, Noelani grunts a reply, "Nine thirty."
"Nine thirty?!" I yelp, turning to my cousin. "I was supposed to wake up at six!"
Noelani tugs on the corner of her thick duvet so it comes up to her chin. "Your mom came in at about quarter to seven to tell you the flight had been cancelled, but you didn't wake up so she figured it was better to just let you sleep in."
"The flight has been cancelled?!" I repeat. "What about the one after?"
"How am I supposed to know?" Noelani snaps tiredly, turning over in her bed so I am facing her back. "Go ask for yourself."
I hurry out the room to do just that. Sprinting down the stairs, I rush into the kitchen, following the sound of voices to where my parents are lounging by the counters with Uncle Mani and Aunt Kamila.
"Harvey, you're awake," Mom says, drawing her coffee cup away from her lips. "You heard the news about the flight?"
"It's really cancelled? Not just delayed?" I reply, anxious to be told otherwise.
"All flights are cancelled for the rest of the day," she tells me in an apologetic tone. "It seems the storm is a lot worse than anyone anticipated."
I feel myself begin to panic, but I try to calm myself down. "If the storm is this bad, perhaps it's reached White Peak as well?" I suggest. "Have you talked to Hunter this morning? Hayden? Maybe Finn's competition got cancelled as well."
"We got off the phone with them not long ago," Dad replies calmly, though the look of worry in his eyes as he examines me doesn't escape my notice. "The weather is still fine over there. The storm isn't expected to hit until later this night apparently."
"Really?" My voice is reduced to a tiny squeak. I feel sick. I should've just gone with Hunter and Hayden. Two hours at sea, terrified of the boat sinking and a few awkward encounters with Gia would have been better than this feeling.
I know it's hopeless, but nonetheless, I query, "And the ferry...?"
"Naturally, it's not running today. The weather conditions are far too dangerous for that," Dad replies.
My shoulders slump.
"Cheer up, Harvey," Aunt Kamila says, "I'm sure your friend will understand. It's not the end of the world if you can't make it."
"Yes," my uncle agrees, trying to inject some optimism into the morose atmosphere that threatens to stifle the room, "like you said yesterday, your friend should be fine. There's no particular reason why you must be there, is there?"
Except there is.
My thoughts drift to the necklace Finn gave me. His lucky charm. It's still back in White Peak, in a box deep within the Hole where I stored it, afraid of losing it if I brought it here with me, He'd wanted me to return it to him today. He's waiting for a reply to his confession today...
I'd forgotten yesterday. How could I have forgotten?
My silence seems to have roused curiosity in my parents. Mom pushes her back off the counter behind her, lowering her coffee cup as she observes me.
"Is there?" she asks.
"No," I reply with a weary shake of my head, unable to meet her eyes as I turn round to exit the kitchen.
><{{{(•>
BLONDIE (aka Finn) : hayden and hunter say you'll probably be a little late today. it's okay if you can't make it earlier... but you're still coming, right?
ー sent 10:04 AM
It's been over twenty minutes since I first read Finn's text yet I don't know how to reply. My fingers hover over the keyboard, but each time I manage to get down more than 10 characters of an explanation typed out, a fresh wave of guilt overwhelms me and I delete the message again to start afresh.
With a heavy sigh, I take a break from staring at my screen, gazing out the wide, floor-length windows in my relatives' upstairs living room. Outside, the storm has only gotten worse. The wind howls loudly, shaking the branches of a nearby tree, causing it to thwack against the window frame as rain continues to pour down.
There are now less than four hours left until the start of Finn's competition and there is still no way for me to get there on time. Glancing down to my phone, I begin to pace the living room as I reread Finn's message for the umpteenth time.
"Can you stop walking up and down like that?" Kaui says from the couch. "I'm trying to watch TV and it's distracting."
Without paying any attention to him, I stride across to the windows, pacing up and down the length of the wall instead. On my phone, I click off my messages, going to the search tab. Futilely, I try googling alternative routes to get home even though I already know what the results will say: none.
It's agony, watching the faint blue line of the loading bar sluggishly crawl its way along the screen, but after several seconds of waiting with my search still not going through, I realise there must be a problem with the internet connection.
"The storms probably affecting the signal," Kaui says, noticing I have stopped my pacing. He picks up his phone, briefly flicking through it before dumping it again, adding, "WiFi's down too."
"What? There's really no signal?" I ask. "But you're still able to watch TV."
As he lifts up the remote control to turn up the volume, Kaui turns to me with a shrug. "It's pre-recorded."
A sharp, loud crack of thunder sounds, and I begin to pace again.
"Try the room with the indoor pool," Kaui says, when my pacing becomes too much for him to bear, "it has the best signal in the house."
My face lights up at this information. Uncle Mani and Aunt Kamila already gave us a detailed tour of the house the day we first arrived, and with how long they spent raving about their swimming pool, I am able to retrace my steps through the halls and find it again in no time.
Alone in the pristine white room with nothing but a sparkling blue pool and two grey sun loungers to the side, I lift my phone in the air, angling it towards the corners of the room in search of the best signal.
Still pacing about, I try calling Hayden, then Hunter to see if the signal has improved, but still the call doesn't go through.
"Come on, please... Why isn't this working?" I huff to myself.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Kaui poke his head into the room.
"You actually came here?" he says, laughter in his voice. "I was joking! How does it make sense that here has the best signal? It's the furthest corner of the house."
I look up to glower at Kaui. "Honestly? Kaui, right now I don't have the time or strength to put up with your—"
At that moment, my phone buzzes. My hopes skyrocket as I glance down to my screen, expecting to find that the WiFi is back, only to come crashing down when I realise it's just an alarm.
Figures.
"Frankly, I think you need to calm down," Kaui says. "Why do you care so much about a stupid competition, anyway? It's not like you're the one surfing."
I turn the alarm off, then begin walking around again, racking my brain for a solution.
"You know what? I know the perfect way to help you cool down."
At the last second, I look up to shoot Kaui a questioning look. "What are you talking abou—"
I notice his expression too late. The mischievous smirk on his face. The way he's stuck his foot out in front of me. The light cackle he releases as I tumble forward, over his foot and into the pool beside us.
SPLASH!
Water rushes over me, cold and stinging with a faint smell of chlorine. It fills up my ears, clogging up my nose, my throat as I am dragged under the current. I can't breathe. I can't make a sound. It's February again, and I'm reminded of that day. In the middle of a surf competition, the tide changes and the sea turns vicious. I'm knocked off my surfboard and it smashes against a rock. The surf leash on my ankle has become a shackle and I'm anchored to the rocky seabed, struggling to move, struggling to breathe, bleeding out while my oxygen runs out.
"Harvey, stop playing around... why aren't you moving?"
Kaui's voice is a faint gurgle, barely audible above the sound of water swooshing around me. It grounds me back in reality, but the panic refuses to slip away. I gasp for air, willing myself to swim to the surface, willing my arms to move, but still I'm frozen. Frozen in that moment.
Relax, Harvey. It's not the sea. It's a freaking swimming pool. You're not drowning. You can swim. You can do this.
But I can't. I try to kick my legs out, to keep myself afloat. But it doesn't work. Nothing works. I'm still sinking.
As my vision starts to black out and I am close to giving in, I feel arms wrap around me, violently ripping me from the water and tugging me onto the pool deck.
"What do you think you're doing, just standing there while she's drowning?!"
Noelani.
She's scolding her brother, fully clothed and dripping wet.
I'm coughing and spluttering, but slowly I come back to my senses. When I glance up again, the first thing I note is the terrified look on Kaui's face.
"I—it was a j-joke!" he stammers. "I didn't think she would start drowning! She's a surfer — what sort of surfer doesn't know how to swim?!"
"Well now you know, don't you! Save the excuses for later," Noelani snaps. "Go get her a towel. She's shivering."
'What sort of surfer doesn't know how to swim?'
I hate myself for knowing Kaui is right for once. As he goes away in search of fresh towels, Noelani crouches down in front of me.
"Hey. Are you okay?"
"Please, go away..." I whisper hoarsely.
"I found these in the linen cupboard," Kaui says upon his return. "Want one, Noe?"
"Pass it here," Noelani replies, getting up. "What did you say, Harvey? I didn't hear."
My head hurts. And even though I'm out of the water, I still can't breathe well.
"Please," I grit out, "go away. Both of you! Just go away!"
Noelani looks shocked by my outburst. The concern on her face slides right off, replaced by malice. "I guess nearly drowning doesn't stop you from being an ungrateful brat. Come on, Kaui, let's go."
Noelani tosses the towel at me before she storms out the room, dragging Kaui along with her.
I grip on the edges of the towel, drawing it nearer to me, hoping the warmth will stop me from shivering. Instead, the shaking gets worse. Left alone in the room with the pool mere feet away — a painful reminder of my incompetence, I can no longer hold back the tears.
I burst into sobs. Loud and noisy cries that echo through the room as I sink to the ground. Hot tears stream down my face, with as much force as the storm that continues to rage outside, and I don't know how long I am sat there, crying until my brothers find me.
"Harvey! The game you, Hayd and Hunt got me is so cool!" I hear Hollis say, dim voice growing louder as he approaches the pool room.
"Yeah, Harvey!" Harry's voice pipes up. "It's so cool!"
"You sh—" Hollis stops dead in his tracks when he spots me, sobbing on the floor.
"Holly... why is Harvey crying?" Harry asks in a quiet voice.
"I don't... Harvey?" I feel the hesitancy radiating off my little brother as he hovers close. "Harvey, are you okay?"
Glancing up to look at them, both too scared to approach me, just makes me cry even more.
While Harry tries to hug me, Hollis backs away, heading for the exit, perhaps realising the situation is beyond their control. And amidst my cries, I hear his worried voice boom down the halls. "Mom, Dad! There's something wrong with Harvey!"
><{{{(•>
The storm finally calms down by 7 pm.
By 8 o'clock, it's reduced to a quiet trickle. A light shower that glides gently off the rooftops, splattering onto the ground in a steady, melodic rhythm. The type of rain that sends you right to sleep.
By 9, the rain stops altogether.
It's been a while since my parents found me in the swimming pool room, crying my eyes out. It took an hour to help me fully calm down. Then a further hour to explain everything to them, right from the beginning. About how I still get panic attacks when I think back to that day in February. About how I refuse to surf because I can't stand looking at the sea anymore. About how recently my fear of the sea has morphed into dread just thinking about being on a boat. And how now I can't swim.
My parents console me as I struggle to keep myself from breaking out into fresh tears, knowing my uncle and aunt are probably listening in in the room next door, and not wanting to embarrass myself any further. Mom and Dad apologise for not being more attentive and for not noticing how much was wrong earlier. And after spending a bit longer discussing where we should move on from here and how best they could help me deal with everything, they agree I should get some rest and send me up to my cousin's room.
It's dark in Noelani's room. Quiet. And from my position curled on the floor, a little cold. But I like the darkness, the silence, the slight chill in my bones. It makes it easier to think.
And in the black silence, it's easy to hear the door creak open, letting a sliver of light slither into the room, followed by Noelani's lithe footsteps gently padding towards me.
She crouches down to rest an object by my head when I turn to face her.
"Oh." Her eyes go round, startled. "You're awake."
My eyes go to the object in her hands, difficult to see in the dimly lit room.
"It—it's your phone. Fished it out the pool with you," Noelani explains nervously. "It's been sitting in rice for a couple hours — turns out that stuff actually works. It turns on okay now, but you should check it out yourself to make sure nothing is damaged."
I nod slowly in response as she sets the phone down beside my pillow, though in the dark, I am unsure if Noelani is able to tell.
"Alright..." she says after another lapse of silence.
Noelani begins to creep out the room, but then she suddenly stops to add:
"Harvey? Sleep on my bed tonight. You'll catch a cold if you keep staying on the floor like that," she says. After a few seconds, she quietly mutters, "Or you can just keep on ignoring me..."
She takes a step towards the door.
"Noelani," I murmur in a croaky voice. If not for the way she visibly stiffens, I'd be afraid she didn't hear me. "I'm sorry... And also, thank you."
For saving me. For being nice to me even when I'm like this.
I don't say the last part out loud, but I know she hears it. Noelani lingers in the doorway for an extra second, her silhouette casting a shadow on the ground.
"Yeah... well, it's whatever," she replies in a flippant manner, nodding curtly before heading out the room, shutting the door behind her.
And as the door shuts, the darkness returns. In the silence, my phone vibrates, and my screen lights up with the arrival of a new notification.
The WiFi must be back.
I sit up in bed and pick up my phone, inputting my password to unlock it.
I recall Noelani's reminder to check if my phone still functions well, and I am thankful to discover that it does.
5 missed calls.
14 unread messages.
I ignore the notifications from my other apps, choosing to check out who the calls and text messages were from first.
Hunter and Hayden called twice each. The last call is from Finn... but so are nine of the messages.
Disregarding the texts from my brothers, I decide to read through the ones from Finn first. And my heart drops.
{ BLONDIE (aka Finn) }
i know you've read my other text. is something up?
11:52 am
wait, you're probably on a plane rn, aren't you? just ignore that then
11:56 am
just registered... about to go into the first heat soon. btw don't worry about all that stuff I said about the lucky charm. i'll be happy as long as you make it back safely
02:51 pm
on a break. tried calling but you didn't pick up. hunt and hayden said they can't contact you either. is everything okay?
03:44 pm
are you in danger? did something happen???
03:45 pm
waiting for the results now. guess you're really not coming
04:38 pm
so the competition is over.
05:15 pm
...is this your answer?
06:03 pm
— one hour ago —
got your answer loud and clear. sorry for bothering you all this time. i'll stop now.
08:22 pm
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
A/N:
So a quick recap: Harvey has fallen out with Gia, nearly drowned in a pool after reliving one of her most traumatic memories that put her off surfing for over 6 months. She's also now missed Finn's competition, causing him to misunderstand and assume it's her way of rejecting him once and for all.
Lol, remember when this book was about bacon pancakes? :')
What do you think of this chapter? Will Harvey ever overcome her trauma? Is Finn's reaction justified or a tad too dramatic? Will everyone reconcile? Or will Harvey's upcoming movie 'date' with Jay make everything worse?
Catch you guys next time to see how I plan on turning this situation round in 3 chapters and an epilogue.
♕ Carmen ♕