The Light House Girl.

Chapter 13

I woke up feeling sad. A weird kind of sadness has overtaken my mind and heart and I cannot make it go away. Usually whenever I felt even a tinge of sadness it was always replaced by anger but now...now it feels like I am just sad and I cannot seem to rummage my brain to find something to be angry about. This is strange. Huh and the saga of strangeness begins for today! Wonder what all strange encounters I feel face today. Speaking of...I craned my neck to my left to check Riley's sleeping form. She looks peaceful asleep. What was all that with Riley last night. She did not even tell me anything nor did she speak much after her rant. What has gotten into her? Did the light house visit trouble her this much or is there something else entirely? I do not want to intrude as much as I think she is my friend we still don't know much about each other and I am certainly not a type of person to impose myself on anyone. I got up to make breakfast.

It was pretty early for a Saturday and everyone was asleep. First one to wake up after me was Ryan who lazily strolled the halls before seeing me in the kitchen. He did not say anything just smiled and with his chin pointed at my cooking ingredients. I knew what he meant, he was asking if I was making breakfast. It became our routine. We would ask each other stuff without really asking. Funny how quickly we bonded as if we had been siblings throughout our lives. Then Jane graced us along with Riley and later on Ade walked in. She seemed to be still sleeping even when standing holding her coffee mug. We all sat down with our coffee and I served them breakfast. It was nothing big just waffles and fruits. Pancakes are reserved for Sundays therefore any other day we eat anything but that for breakfast. Weird tradition but I like it. Never had much of any tradition before and I welcome any tradition weird or otherwise. I was not even buzzed after my one beer last night. But I did feel a little guilty drinking it after so long of not drinking any alcohol. It felt like I should not have. But I just wanted to forget...forget her mostly. Shit! And now she is again stuck in my brain.

While eating breakfast we heard a buzz of a phone. We all checked our respective phones and I checked my new one. When it continued buzzing even after our checking, I realized it was my old one. Which only means one thing. Only one person either texting or calling. Either way I am not answering but at least it might give me something to be angry about, a recent event in the forefront of my brain. How much my life changed in these few weeks! I excused myself to check it and both Ade and Jane gave me a knowing look. They knew I would be upset and angry when I come back. Riley just looked confused. I saw it was a string of texts after a missed call. All of them were threats. What is wrong with this guy? I seriously thought who threats by saying 'I will tell the school not to take you back if you do not come back soon' followed by some really 'good remarks' about me. Then followed by threats that he would throw away my stuff. That reminds me I should ask him to send me those here, but I do not want to let him know this address. Wait do I need those stuff? Do I even want them? I have enough clothes plus I went shopping the first week I was here, and I like my new stuff. I didn't have any collection of CDs or anything to miss. I had at one point but then one day after my angry fit I broke most of them. Therefore, nothing left for me to actually need here. Hmmm he still cannot believe I am actually here. And I did not go running back to him. Did he seriously think that? Whoa that guy really need to get his head checked. Did he forget he threw me out and made me stay at the airport for almost a day? Then he purposely booked me rerouting flights to Florida from California, so my travel takes extra time. and I was naive enough to believe he wasn't sure where Ade lived. Huh as if! I scoffed at myself. Sometimes I don't understand why I am naive at times. Or was it my anger clouding my judgement. It could be either.

I looked up to see Ryan looking at me. So, he followed me. This guy he should apologize for his behavior last night yet the sweet gesture of him checking up on me makes me forgive him even before he utters a sorry.

"You okay?" Ryan asked, his eyebrows are scrunched together.

I showed him the string of texts or threats, he looked at them and then at me and started laughing. I could not help but join him. Hearing us laughing so loudly Ade and Jane walked in. When they saw we were laughing wildly on the bed they knew everything was alright. Riley came in too. And for some reason seeing her confused face sent me on another fit of laughter. When my cell buzzed again. And this time it had a picture of my old room showing everything being packed away. Along with another text that if I do not contact him by the end of this weekend, he would burn down my stuff. He could burn down the whole house for all I care as if I am going to reply or even think about going back. I showed Ryan this and his only comment being, 'he is seriously demented'. I couldn't agree more. Ade and Jane went back to the living room and left two cackling weirdos on bed and one extremely confused girl by the door.

The rest of the day was almost uneventful. Riley asked what happened I replied with nothing. I was not ready to share yet and I hoped she understood that and was not hurt by my lack of communication. After that even though I laughed it affected me a bit. It has been so long since his last text that he became an afterthought especially these days and it changed my mood drastically. Not that I was angry, but I was sad, and for some reason I was really hoping to find Krystal at the light house today when I go after lunch. I just felt like I need to see her once, I have to see her. But I knew if she was not there I would not. I don't even know her last name. They all noticed my mood shift especially Riley. But she still kept talking to me. She talked about her second phase of research about the light house. I have no idea what that means, she described it a bit, but I was zoned out to hear any damn thing. I kept seeing those damn blue eyes every time I closed my eyes today. And it seemed my mind was stuck on her. Yet she is not here.

I was a bit reluctant to go to this party today partly because this was the second party this summer and after what happened at the last party I was scared for Ryan. Also, for the first time I was not in the mood for a party which is something I never thought I would ever feel much less think. After lunch Riley went back home to rest a bit and get ready for the party. We had already planned that she would crash at mine after the party. Ryan did not apologize to me or Riley but both of them seemed to have gotten past whatever it was that haunted them last night. I went to the light house and found it empty yet again. I wanted to leave a note. But that felt very...actually I should have so why didn't I? I got ready and Mark picked all of us including Riley for the party. This party was inside someone's house and it was at a distance. Therefore, car was needed. Which was ironic since none of us wanted to be Designated Driver for the night.

It was not that extravagant like the summer kickoff party, but it had a good vibe. There were fewer people than last time and I recognized a few of them and they seemed to remember me. I chatted with almost everyone who stopped to talk to me, regardless of them knowing me. I doubt most of them even knew my name I certainly didn't. After a while I drifted off to the backyard with a drink in hand when Riley joined me. She seemed to have found me in the sea of people.

"You doing okay over there?" I just nodded. I was too preoccupied to respond with words. For some reason the only word that popped in my mind was 'Krystal' and I was trying to get through the party. It's weird I have never been this sad before, nor have I not enjoyed a party. But right now, I just want the pair of blue eyes in front of me everyone else can vanish. Riley understood I wanted to be alone, so we just sat side by side on the grass, but she did not leave me. Which I was grateful about, I thought I would be angry, but I liked that she cared enough to stay with me when she saw me down. Shit am I being mopey? I looked at Riley to notice she is looking at me with the softest look possible with her glossy brown eyes. Wait why are her eyes glossy? Is she crying? Sure enough a tear escaped her left eye.

"Hey Riles you okay?"

"Yeah I am fine. It's noting." I knew it was something. She was behaving very weirdly from last night. Now she is crying. I just hugged her from the side. And we stayed there hugging for a while till Ryan came to get us. He did not say anything seeing our position, he just smiled. Wonder what he is thinking? That reminds me I did not see Vincent today. Apparently, Ryan did not drink, and he was our Designated Driver and I had no idea. He collected us, Mark was super drunk and so was Riley, and I had a drink or two nothing to get me drunk. There was another guy with us now on our way back. We dropped him off and then went back to ours. Ryan and Mark made plans for tomorrow so the four of us went back ours. Riley will be in my room whereas Mark will be on the couch. I knew none of them would execute their plan to go to the light house tonight. But I still have tomorrow to go through and a certain dread overcame me with that realization.