My heart stopped. Danny felt like he was fifty feet away as my vision clouded and sheer panic took over. The color drained from my face; his shocked expression told me I had just confirmed his suspicions. My mind swam. This was such a stupid idea. Why was I there? Why couldn’t I just listened to my mom and got the hell out of town as fast as I could? That was what I got for trying to do things that I thought sounded like a good idea. I looked around, formulating my escape route.
“Look, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just come out and asked you that. You guys just look so much alike, and it really threw me for a loop, since well, you know, that accident happened and all.” There was sorrow in his voice as he tried to calm me down. It distracted me long enough to realize that I was already out of my seat. He knew about the accident. How did he know? Who was this guy? “Um, are you okay? You don’t look so good.” His voice sounded like we were underwater. I tried to control the spinning feeling that was slowly overpowering my head.
Anger snapped me back into the moment and I let it take over my body. I had enough of being asked if I was okay. It was a question that I recently grew to hate. “Am I okay? You’re really asking me if I’m okay? I guess it’s pretty obvious that Cameron was my brother, and it’s obvious that you know what happened to him, so do you really think I’m sitting here for my own health? I just wanted to feel close to him for one last time. I found this freaking place on a napkin that he left on his fridge, and somehow I got it into my mind that this would be a good idea. But boy, was I wrong coming to this 1950’s flashback nightmare.” My chest heaved up and down as I choked back the tears that threatened to spill onto my cheeks if I stayed a second longer. I turned my back on Danny and the bar. There was only one way out, and I was already headed that way.
“Charlie, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that-“ Mr. Oh-So-Concerned shouted at me as I barreled for the stairs. I knew that I made a scene, and immediately regretted blowing up like that.
I flew down the steps at a frantic rate, only looking down to keep my feet in check in case I tripped. As I reached the bottom of the spiral staircase, I walked toward the double doors I entered only a little while earlier, flinging them both open. I took a few steps before my shoe caught on a split in the concrete and I knew I was going down - and fast. My hands thrust out in front of me to try and break my fall, but there was no helping myself at that point. I landed flat on my face, splattered across the sidewalk like a bug in shock.
I lay there for a while, wishing I could wake up from the nightmare I was living. There was no way this was real life. I squeezed my eyes shut hard and began to pray with everything I had to make myself wake up, when footsteps caught my attention. I barely opened my eyes, terrified to see the person who just witnessed one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. All that was visible were a pair of shiny black shoes, as they stood right in front of my face.
“Did you have a nice trip?” a voice from above me asked. I couldn’t convince my body to move, but at least he didn’t he ask me if I was okay. “Here, give me your hand and I’ll help you up.”
“I don’t need your help. I’m fine!” I placed my hands on both sides of my body, pushing myself from the concrete up to my feet, only to end up inches away from a solid black shirt. My eyes focused in on the vibrant tattoos that decorated the arms of the guitar player from the bar. I sucked in a sharp breath as I wavered, my balance betraying me. He reached out and caught my elbow in an attempt to steady me on my feet. The sudden contact with him made my eyes dart up to his. I took him in, feeling the adrenaline rush through my veins as I breathed in what smelled like the outdoors on his skin. He stood a good bit taller than me, but at the moment his face was bent down close to mine, and it was hard to tell just how tall he really was. I was lost in his rustic brown eyes that stared straight into my soul. It was too intense; I had to look away.
“Look - I told you I’m fine.” I finally broke the silence and backed away from him cautiously. I made a sweeping motion over my head and down my body to my toes, indicating that I was still in one piece. ”See, not even a scratch.” His forehead creased in confusion, as if he couldn’t believe I was still standing there. In fact, I couldn’t believe I was still standing there. “I have to go.” Turning on my heels, I took off in the direction that I thought was the direction back to Cam’s apartment. A breeze whisked past me, sending a chill down my spine. I hugged my gray cardigan closer to my body and picked up the pace.
I could feel him staring a hole in my back. After walking a few more steps forward, the feeling of being watched overwhelmed me. “WHAT?” I whirled around to face him, ready to strike. Seriously, what was this guy’s problem?
He leaned up against the brick wall that led into a small alley; I hoped he wouldn’t pull me down it and disappear with me forever. With one leg crossed in front of the other, he tilted his head and gave me a quirky smile that lit up his whole face. “Oh, by all means, keep going,” he teased.
“Fine, I will.” I didn’t have to put up with that from a guy I didn’t even know. Why did Cameron ever hang out with these people? None of them had any manners.
Slow footsteps interrupted my internal rant. “But if you’re going to walk the wrong way, at least let me follow you in case the Goblin King decides to come out and take you back to his Labyrinth.” He chuckled, obviously amused with his not-so-witty sense of humor.
“I’m pretty sure I’m going the right way. I think I would know how to get back to my own house.” I stepped forward again, refusing to give into his childish games.
“Your house? Don’t you mean Cameron’s? Or did you finally grow some balls of your own and move out here?”
My mouth fell open, his comment stopping me dead in my tracks. Where in the hell did this guy get off talking to me like that? I turned around a final time, marched right up to him, and pushed my finger into his chest as I spoke. “Look, you listen here….” I paused, realizing that I didn’t even know his name.
“Jhett,” was all he needed to say to put a name to the face that drove me ridiculously insane after knowing him for only ten minutes. He stood completely relaxed, staring at me with a pompous smile, his thumbs looped in the back pockets of his jeans.
“Alright, Jhett. You don’t know anything about me. I’ve never met you before in my life, and I highly doubt that Cameron would ever be caught dead around the likes of you.” I fingered the cell phone in my purse, just in case I had to make a quick 911 call. Playing with fire like that wasn’t always a safe thing to do, but my temper rose faster than I could control it.
“Well little do you know, Charlotte Jennings, that I do know you, although we’ve never had the pleasure of being introduced. I actually know a lot about you. But most importantly, I know you’re going the wrong way home. I figured that your crazy twin senses would’ve kicked in by now.” He stood there, watching me with his curious brown eyes, making my heart flutter in my chest again. Sucking down a few cold, dewy breaths of air, I silently convinced my heart to stop betraying me.
“How did you….?”
He cut me off before I could even finish. “Know that you were twins? You didn’t think Cameron went all this time down here without a best friend, did you? Well he didn’t, and you’re looking at him. Now come on, let me take you home. You can’t walk around here all by yourself when you obviously have no sense of direction. And besides, Cameron would kick my ass from his grave if I let his sister walk around the streets on her own.”
His tone changed fairly quickly as his face softened, making me want to reach out and touch him. He looked at me with the same pain I felt since Cameron died. I knew that you couldn’t fake that kind of hurt. It wasn’t completely unknown to me that Cameron had friends down here, but I didn’t get a chance to meet them when I visited. He always said they were busy. Why would he never mention his supposed best friend?
I realized I was at a fork in the road and I needed to make a decision. Go with the guy who I barely knew, who stran
gely knew me, or keep walking without any directions to follow. I figured there was nothing to lose at that point. “Fine. And it’s Charlie – not Charlotte…Let’s go,” I brushed past him on the sidewalk, and headed back in the direction we came from.
It took a few minutes before Jhett and I fell in sync with each other’s steps, quickly making it back to the entrance of The Pointe. “Wait here. I’m going to go get my bike.” He motioned with his hands for me to stay put as he took off behind the building. My insides churned at the mere mention of a bike, and I started formulating another exit route. Jhett looked exactly like the type of guy who would wear a leather jacket and drive a motorcycle. He probably smoked cigarettes and spent all his money on his tattoos, too. There was no way he could possibly be my brother’s best friend.
Jhett appeared from the darkness, walking his bike up to where I stood. Stopping in front of me, he let the kickstand out. He looked my way briefly, his expression so serious, it was practically daring me to laugh. But I couldn’t help it - the giggles just kept coming.
I watched her as she stood in front of me, her tiny body shaking from her fit of laughter. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth, making me wonder if it was out of habit or self-consciousness. Either way, I knew that I wanted to find out more about her. I thought it was odd to feel like I already knew her, but I was a stranger, and that didn’t sit well with me now that I finally got to meet her. Cameron was smart when he decided to keep me away from her.
“Were you expecting something else?” I asked.
Charlie lost it again, her giggles high pitched and soft, all at the same time. It was then that I knew I would do anything it took to keep hearing that sweet sound.
I couldn’t control the laughter that was erupting from my throat as I took in the scene that unfolded around me. Mr. Tattoos rode a baby blue beach cruiser? This had to be some kind of joke. “Yeah, something with a motor, perhaps? Where am I supposed to sit? On your shoulders?”
He paused and pursed his lips together as he thought up an answer, which made me instantly regret my last comment. “As much as I like the sound of that, I think we’ll save that for another day. You, my dear, get to ride on the handlebars.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. You know we’re actually living in the twenty-first century now, right? People drive cars. I’ll just call a taxi again,” I explained. I reached into my purse and grabbed my phone, attempting to pull up the number for the cab.
“No, I’m not joking. And what makes you think I don’t have a car? This is just more fun to get around town with, and besides, it’s eco-friendly. Aren’t you girls into that go green stuff?” I had to give it to him; he really was giving it his best shot at trying to convince me to jump on the bike.
“Well, yeah, but I just figured a car would be easier…and honestly, I’ve never actually ridden a bike, and definitely never ridden on the handlebars. Wanna help a girl out?” I smirked, and decided to give in to his mind games. If he wanted to play cat and mouse, I could do that. It’s not like we would ever have to see each other again. I walked around to the front end of the bicycle and began to inspect it. I looked at it from a few different angles, trying to figure out how I was going to manage hopping up on the handlebars.
“You’re telling me that you never learned how to ride a bike? Ever? No summers spent riding around with your friends until the streetlights came on?” Jhett stood with his mouth hanging open so wide that I was scared a bird would set up shop in it. Clearly, riding a bike was a staple in childhood that I missed out on. I couldn’t help but wonder what the big deal was.
“Did I stutter? No, I’ve never been on a bike. We had horses,” I replied dryly.
“Horses…?” A laugh escaped under his breath as he shook his head in disbelief. “Well are you ready? Just plant yourself in front of Lucy here, and jump. I’ll make sure that you land safely.” I bit the inside of my cheek to stop my laughter from coming again. He named his bike? This was going to be interesting.
Jhett got into position behind me. Throwing one leg over the seat, he watched as it landed on the other side. I took a deep breath, embracing my new attitude the best I could, as I turned around again and squeezed my eyes shut. I counted to three in my head and jumped up, falling into place on the handlebars with only a little guidance from Jhett.
“Hold on, cowgirl! You’re in for a wild ride,” Jhett spoke in my ear. He pushed off, propelling us forward. My grip on the handlebars tightened as we picked up speed. “Relax….” His voice crept into my ear again.
I attempted to take Jhett’s advice and I focused on the buildings flashing past us. The sidewalk was dimly lit by the random streetlights; the natural glow of the moon illuminated the way instead. My feet dangled freely in front of me, and my hair whipped around my face as Jhett guided us in and around the few people who still meandered on the sleepy streets. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the way my mind cleared as I finally gave in and relaxed. Leaning back absentmindedly, I rested my shoulders against the warmth of his chest behind me.
“We’re here, Charlie.” Jhett’s voice swam around in my head again. It was stoic and unemotional as it startled myself out of the dream-like state I found myself in just minutes before. I felt him pull away from me as he stopped the bike; my relaxation just a fleeting thought in the past. He waited for me to jump down before he got off, and then propped the bike up on the kickstand. As I looked around us, confusion set in. Jhett said that he knew how to get me back to the apartment, but this certainly wasn’t it. This was the boardwalk on the beach.
“Hey Jhett - sorry to burst your bubble here, but the apartment isn’t this close to the beach. It’s still a few blocks down. I thought you said-“
“Shhhh,” he cut me off, startling me. I glanced sideways at him, irritated with his sudden indifferent attitude, and tried to figure out what changed during the bike ride here. I watched him as he took his shoes off and placed them on the cement barrier just before the sand. Without looking back in my direction, he walked out towards the ocean like I didn’t even exist.
My arms crossed over my body, feeling like I was exposed and alone, and impatiently waited for him to say something. Instead, he kept walking until the salty water lapped at his toes. I did not want to go out there. The last time I was at the beach was with Cameron, and even though those were happy memories, the fresh wounds of losing him still stung.
After waiting a few minutes, I came to the realization that Jhett wasn’t going to come back anytime soon. I began to weigh my options. It was only a few minutes walk to the apartment, but walking alone at night probably wasn’t the best idea, seeing as that was how I got myself into this mess in the first place. Staying with Jhett was now the safer option, which wasn’t a good sign.
Giving in, I threw off my shoes and tossed them to the side, stepping out onto the beach; my bare feet not used to the grainy feel of the sand between my toes. I made sure to follow the fresh footprints Jhett left behind, leading me next to him as I stood ankle deep in the freezing water. The ocean seemed as if it went on forever, and the reflection of the moon lit up Jhett’s face; giving him an ethereal look as he stood with his eyes closed facing the water. The sight caused another giggle to escape from my lips.
“Shhhh,” he silenced me again. That was enough. His attitude was out of hand.
“Jhett, I really just want to go home now,” I whined, not taking my eyes off him from where I stood at his side.
“You can’t hear that?” His own eyes remained closed as his toes wiggled their way into the wet sand.
I looked around and tried to see down to each end of the beach. “Hear what?” I couldn’t understand what it was we were listening for. We were the only people out there.
“The music...” he stated with zero emotion.
“I can’t hear a single thing except the ocean.” The salt-stained wind whipped at my exposed skin, stinging with the cool air of the night.
“Exactly. I’m going to tell you somethin
g that someone once told me. The voice of the sea sings to the soul. I heard that when I first started coming down to the beach. I met someone who acted as if the salt water could wash away all your worries, and it wasn’t until recently that I discovered that what he told me was true.”
I couldn’t bear to look at him. I knew who he was talking about right away; there was no mistaking it. Cameron was convinced that the beach was a way of life, not just someplace you visited on vacation. My heart couldn’t decide if I should feel comforted or completely scared out of my mind.
“I know that you’ve got to have a lot of questions about me and how I knew Cameron, and I wish I could explain it all to you.” I could feel his gaze move down in my direction. We were standing so close that our arms were almost touching. I pretended not to notice, and instead looked off into the distance; trying not to feel the gaping hole growing in my heart again. “How much stuff do you have left to do here? What else do you have to take care of? I mean that’s why you’re here, isn’t it?”
The sudden shift in conversation made me uneasy. One minute he was shushing me and the next he was concerned about what I was doing? “I’m only here to take my brother’s things back to my parents. I have to pick up my rental car in a few days.”
“You know what he used to tell me? All his stories from when you guys were little. He seemed to always mention how he was the reckless one and you were the one who played it safe. I guess some things didn’t change...” His words trailed off. I couldn’t comprehend where the conversation came from, which left me at a loss for words. “What are you going to do when you go back home?” he asked.
“I have to go back to school in the fall.” It was the truth - but I wasn’t planning to tell him that I had no other plans for the summer.
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