Don't Forget Me_Ridgewater High

by Judy Corry

  I shook my head. “I appreciate the gesture. I do.” I sighed. “Just don’t get your hopes up. Okay?”

  And like I’d expected, nothing changed between Jess and me that evening. We may have sat on the couch mere inches from each other, but I never spoke a single word to him that night.

  The next afternoon, Ashlyn invited me to go to this awesome place her grandma told her about. So after I changed out of my cleaning clothes, back into my regular shorts and t-shirt, I waited for her in the front lobby.

  She had a huge smile on her face as she sashayed into the lobby wearing a royal blue romper. She held up a blindfold as she came closer.

  “What’s that for?” I asked.

  “You, of course, silly.” She laughed. “I also have earplugs.”

  “Earplugs?”

  “Yes, earplugs. For my huge surprise to work, you need to be blindfolded and unable to hear certain sounds from around us. It’s just part of the fun. I’ll also need your phone.”

  “O-okay,” I said, handing my phone over. I understood the blindfold part, but I’d never heard of anyone using earplugs as part of a surprise.

  She had me place the earplugs in my ears, and she tied the blindfold around my head. Once I was both blind and deaf, she led me outside to the car her grandma was letting us borrow. A moment later we were in motion, headed toward who knows where, with the wind blowing my hair.

  When we rolled to a stop about fifteen minutes later, I wanted to ask Ashlyn if I could remove the blindfold but realized that with the earplugs in, I probably wouldn’t hear her answer. So instead, I waited for her to come to my side of the car and help me out. She continued to hold my hand as she led me down a sandy path.

  Then she let go of my hand and left me there.

  She better come back.

  It was another minute or two before she was back and untying the blindfold.

  When I opened my eyes, I was shocked to see that we weren’t alone as I’d assumed. Jess stood a few feet from me wearing a blindfold as well. I glared at Ashlyn as I pulled the earplugs out and stuffed them in my pocket.

  Now she was taking Jess and me on special surprise adventures together? She just took meddling to a whole new level.

  She helped Jess remove his blindfold, and we just stood there staring at each other.

  “What’s going on, Ashlyn?” Jess spoke through his teeth after he’d removed his earplugs. “You never told me we’d have company. What happened to our brother-and-sister bonding time?”

  “Well, I’ve tried to be nice about this. I even asked Ryan to help move things along, but nothing is working.”

  So had she asked Ryan to flirt with me in front of Jess? To make him jealous?

  How could she do that to me!

  Ashlyn continued, “There was just one thing left for me to do.” She gestured behind me. I turned to see that we were in front of a little cottage. “I was talking to Grandma last week about how ridiculous the two of you have been acting, and she told me about this place. So after last night’s failed attempt to get you two to talk, I decided to take Grandma’s advice and bring you here to patch things up.”

  “What are you talking about?” Jess asked, furrowing his brow. “How is coming here going to fix anything?”

  “Oh believe me. It will.” She took a step back. Her eyes darted between Jess and me. “You see, when I told you I was going to lunch with Grandma this afternoon, I actually went to your rooms, stole some of your clothes, and packed your bags. Your things are waiting inside the cottage, along with enough food to last you a while. You need to stop avoiding each other and get this over with once and for all.” She then broke out into a mad dash back to the car, jumped, in and started it. “I’ll be back in a few days to check on you guys,” she called as she put the car in gear and rolled away. “And don’t worry about taking the days off. Grandma already cleared your schedules, so you won’t be fired when you make it back.”

  With that, she disappeared around a bend in the road and left Jess and me behind, still wondering what the heck had just happened.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  After Ashlyn left us, Jess and I made our way into the cottage separately. It was a cute little place with white walls and teal blue furniture in the living area which connected to a small kitchen. There was a bathroom down a short hall between two bedrooms. I peeked inside the first bedroom but found Jess's duffle bag sitting on the bed. I continued down the hall to the second bedroom. My suitcase was waiting for me on the bed.

  I sighed as I plopped down and stared at the ceiling, trying to figure out what I was going to do while trapped in a cottage with Jess for days on end. How could Ashlyn do this?

  I thought about trying to find my way back to the resort, but it would be dark soon and I didn’t want to end up lost somewhere on the island. I had no idea where we were, anyway.

  My stomach growled, so when I heard sounds of Jess moving things around in his room, I padded my way into the kitchen and found Ashlyn had left a pizza and salad in the fridge.

  I made a plate up and sat at the small square table in the corner. The cottage was cozy, decorated with a nautical theme. There was a large lighthouse painting set as the focal point of the room, with sailboat models adorning the mantle above the fireplace.

  I couldn’t help but feel that this place would be the perfect getaway for a couple to escape to.

  Too bad it was wasted on Jess and me.

  Jess walked into the room and made himself a plate of food before bringing it to the table. He sat in the chair across from me.

  I looked at him tentatively, wondering who would break the silence first. I searched my brain for something to say, but couldn’t think of anything. It was like sitting across from a stranger.

  His feet bumped into mine under the table. I quickly tucked my feet safely away under my chair.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled, stabbing his salad with a fork.

  “It’s okay.” I took a bite of pizza and studied the Victorian rose tablecloth pattern.

  “How long do you think Ashlyn will leave us here?” Jess asked after a while. “Do you think she’s serious about this whole thing?”

  I shrugged. “She’s been pretty annoyed with us lately. I think she means business this time.”

  Jess sighed and tossed his napkin on the table. “I can’t believe my grandma is in on this too. She knows how much work I have to do. I promised her and my grandpa that the website would have its facelift completed before the end of the summer, and that can’t happen if I’m not there to arrange for the photoshoot that’s been scheduled for next month.”

  “Photoshoot? Like with models?” I could only imagine what kinds of models he’d be using to advertise for an island resort: gorgeous women dressed in swimwear, with perfectly toned and bronzed bodies.

  “Some with models, others to simply showcase the resort and the island.” He shrugged. “Maybe I’ll just use this time away to explore the island for more locations to shoot.”

  I guess that would work out. He could continue avoiding me by leaving the cottage during the days, and I would stay behind and find something to occupy my time here. I had seen a stack of movies in one corner of the living room, and when I got through those there was always the large bookcase full of books.

  When Ashlyn returned, we could pretend we’d patched things up, and then go on with our separate lives.

  I slept in the next morning, hoping Jess would be gone on his exploring adventure before I was awake. But it seemed like he might have had the same idea as well because he came into the kitchen just as I was finishing my late breakfast. I went back to my room to wait it out, but after what seemed like an eternity, I could still hear him shuffling around in the main part of the cottage.

  Not wanting to be held prisoner in the tiny room any longer, I slipped into the living room to pretend like I wanted nothing more than to read a book on the couch all day. I was just leafing through the bookshelf when Jess finally threw a backpack
over his shoulders and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. I sighed, just a few more minutes and I’d have the cottage to myself. No more feeling like I was being smothered by Jess's disapproving looks.

  His footsteps stopped, and I looked to see why he was still here.

  “Are you planning to just stay here and read a book all day?” he asked, but there was something in his face that made me think he wanted to ask me something more. What it was, I couldn’t tell.

  “I’d rather not go hiking and end up getting lost somewhere.” Ashlyn wouldn’t realize if I went missing for days, and Jess…well, Jess probably wouldn’t care.

  “Okay.” He seemed relieved that I wasn’t asking to go with him. “I’ll probably be gone most of the day. I’m just gonna hike—”

  “I don’t need a play-by-play,” I interrupted, letting my annoyance with him cover my voice.

  He drew his head back, shocked that I was so short with him.

  “I wasn’t…” He cleared his throat and looked at me pointedly. “If Ashlyn happens to come back, tell her I’ll be back before the sun sets.”

  “Okay.” I turned back to the bookshelf and waited for him to leave.

  Once he was gone, I grabbed a book with a girl and a dog on the front cover. Maybe I should get a dog, I pondered as I sat on the couch. Dogs are supposed to be man’s best friend; maybe a dog would replace mine.

  The book was boring. Dogs may make for great companions, but that particular story was snooze inducing. After about twenty minutes I caught myself just staring out the window. It was a beautiful day out there. It would be stupid to stay inside.

  I found a backpack in a closet, sitting next to a battery-operated lantern. I put a swimsuit on under my clothes, just in case I decided to be adventurous and take a step into the ocean. Then I grabbed the pack, a couple of sandwiches, some cherimoyas, and headed out for an adventure.

  The sun was high in the sky when I made it outside. After a quick jaunt around the cottage, I found an overgrown trail in the lush green rainforest. Everything was bursting with life. Brightly colored birds chirped from their perches in the trees. The leafy bushes hummed with all kinds of creatures I couldn’t see. And in the distance, I thought I heard the soft rumble of water. It only took a second for me to make up my mind to tramp down the barely-there-trail.

  Growing up in New York, I was familiar with waterfalls, having gone to my favorites, Taughannock Falls and Niagara Falls, more times than I could count. But I had yet to see one here in Dominica, and my heart thrilled at the thought of one being close by.

  I wandered along that trail for twenty minutes until the rough path suddenly stopped at a wood fence. On the other side of the fence was a stone path. I climbed over the fence and glanced both ways, wondering which way I should go.

  Footsteps came from the left. I looked up and saw Jess. His hair was wet, his shorts dripping water along the path.

  “Anything good that way?” I asked as he drew near.

  He shrugged, looking off into the distance. “It’s the Emerald Pool. My grandparents took me there when we came over Thanksgiving Break.”

  Emerald Pool?

  That sounded like it could be pretty.

  “Cool. I’ll have to check it out.”

  Jess was only a few steps away. “You don’t have to give me a play-by-play, Eliana,” he said over his shoulder before continuing past me.

  My cheeks burned at his words, though I knew I shouldn’t let them bother me since I had just used them on him that morning.

  Once he was out of sight and my cheeks had cooled, I turned down the way he’d come from. A few minutes later I stopped in my tracks and gasped as the Emerald Pool came into view. Old trees with exposed roots crawled along the moss-covered, rocky landscape. And there in the center was a fall of water pouring into a greenish-blue pool. It was breathtaking!

  I hurried down the path the rest of the way, an unrecognizable urge pushing me to get closer. When I looked into the greenish-blue water, I stopped. Part of me really, really wanted to jump in, to feel the water on my skin and dip my head under. But the other part was screaming for me to stay away.

  What if there was something swimming in there? It didn’t look very deep, but who knew what kind of creatures lived down here. I was from New York, not Dominica. There could be all kinds of dangerous things living in this water. And what if they bit me? I didn’t have a first-aid kit, and I definitely didn’t know what was poisonous around here and what wasn’t.

  I bent over to inspect the water again. No sea monsters swimming around. Plus, hadn’t Jess's hair looked wet when I saw him? He wouldn’t have gotten in if it was dangerous, would he? I’d been afraid of nature’s pools for far too long. I slipped off my shirt and shorts until I was just wearing my swimsuit. Before I could scare myself out of it again, I crossed the slippery terrain and climbed into the water.

  As I dunked my head under, I concentrated on the feel of the water. Cool, but comfortable. Refreshing. Not as scary as I’d thought it would be. Maybe I could overcome my fear of open water after all.

  I swished my hair back and forth before lifting my feet up. I lay back in the pool, just floating and closing my eyes as the water falling from above sprinkled over my face. After a few seconds, I moved away from the falls and squeezed my eyes to get rid of the excess water before opening them to stare at the sky. For the first time in a long time, I felt at peace. There was something about climbing into the water and overcoming that long-time fear that made me feel stronger. Made me feel like I could handle whatever came next in my life. It didn’t make sense, but somehow being alone in such a beautiful place made a small change inside of me. I thought back on the last year and a half, and on how much had changed in my life. I’d gone through some pretty crappy things, and yet I was still here. I was okay. Life was moving on, maybe not in the way I’d always imagined it would, but it was still an okay life. I was still able to go to college like I’d always planned. I still had Ashlyn for a good friend. And my mom was getting better.

  If I could go back in time and change things so that my dad stayed, if I could go back and fix things with Jess before they ever went bad, my life would be different. Possibly better. Probably. But I wouldn’t be the same person I was today. I wouldn’t be nearly as strong. Going through tough things had a way of making a person stronger.

  As I lay there, looking at the sky, the trees, and the waterfall above me, I made the conscious decision to wash away all the pain, hurt, and anger that I’d had over the past year. I finally realized how much I had let everything weigh me down. I’d let my circumstances make me feel like a victim who had no choice in what was happening to her. I had just been going through the motions of trying to get by, but I hadn’t been living. Not really living.

  I dipped my head under the water once more and as my head broke through the surface, my feet touching the pool floor, I drew in the first real breath I’d taken in a long time. Long and deep. Oxygen filled my bloodstream and coursed through my muscles. It was a cleansing sort of experience. And I was determined to let this be a turning point for me. This was the moment I would look back on as the one where I decided to change my life. I was stronger now than I had been a year ago. I refused to let other people’s choices affect my life so much. I would be the one to decide how my path went from now on. And I would be okay.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  I stayed at the Emerald Pool for another hour or so, just drinking in its beauty and soul-healing qualities. I was surprised that no one else on the island seemed interested in visiting such a beautiful place, but then the sky suddenly changed and it started to rain. Looks like everyone back at the resort had known what I hadn’t: today’s weather forecast.

  I pulled my clothes over my swimsuit and started down the path I’d met Jess on. A few minutes later, the clouds dumped rain like someone was tipping over buckets up there. I walked for thirty minutes, searching for the dirt path I’d used earlier, but I couldn’t find it anywhere.
It seemed that getting into the water, which had been a big deal to me at the time, was a lot simpler than finding my way back to the cottage.

  I finally admitted I was lost when I ended up at the sign for the Emerald Pool trail…again.

  Welcome to

  EMERALD POOL

  MORNE TROIS PITONS NATIONAL PARK

  WORLD HERITAGE SITE

  NOTICE

  -The hike to the pool takes about 15 minutes

  -The loop trail is ¼-mile long with three main lookout points

  -For your safety do not stray from the trail

  That’s the problem. I laughed tiredly at the last sentence. I needed to stray from this trail in order to find my way back to the cottage. If only I could find the right place to stray. Had it been so overgrown that it was impossible to find in the rain? Of course, it was. All the shrubbery had drooped and hidden my way back to shelter. And now I was wet and cold and hungry! I should have just stayed in the cottage instead of attempting to have an adventure. This was so stupid!

  After a few more times halfway down and back, I gave up on ever finding the path. Maybe if I followed the road I would find the driveway to the cottage. It couldn’t be that far of a walk, could it?

  But first, I needed to sit down somewhere. All that walking and searching in the pouring rain was exhausting. I found a rock under a tree with decent coverage and rested my tired legs. I opened my backpack to see what I had left to eat. Sadly, I only had one cherimoya left. It may have been the best fruit known to man—according to Mark Twain—but it was not nearly as filling as my grumbling stomach needed it to be.

  After finishing my fruit and draining the last of my water bottles, I decided to get a move on. The rain didn’t seem like it was going to stop anytime soon and it was getting late. I slung my backpack onto my shoulders and clomped down the muddy, wet road in what I hoped was the right direction. Had Jess made it back to the cottage yet? Probably. He knew better than me to stay out of a storm—not that I had done it on purpose. It was simply taking me forever to find my way back.