Weekend of Not-So-Much Fun

All the air in my lungs whooshed out at the same time. Leaving me breathless and startled. Slowly a smile crept onto my face, flipping my thick, dark hair to the side I let a spray of water fall on the bikini-clad Mika, suntanning at the front of the boat. She let out a yelp, pulled down her sunglasses, jokingly glaring at me.

“What was that for Thalia?” she asked. 

“Nothing,” I said sweetly. “But maybe if your dumb ass brother knew how to drive his boat, I wouldn’t loss my balance every time we turn.” I said loud enough that Daniel could hear at the front of the boat. The only tell that let me know he heard was the shit eating grin plastered across his freckled face. In one quick motion he yanked at the wheel, whipping the boat around.  I careened into Daniel with a groan, landing on his lap. 

“Jesus, Daniel!” Mika yelled from her spot.

Daniel gave a low chuckle and then asked me sarcastically, “Was that better Princess?” After punching him in he shoulder, I stand up and sit down on the bench across from him. I gestured to him with my special finger. To my utter dismay he just laughed.

“It smells like it’s going to rain.” Mika said sniffing the air. I looked up at the blue sky above and frowned. Sure enough, the horizon to the west was roiling with black clouds, and they were coming in quickly. 

“We’re forty minutes away from the loading dock. I don’t think we’re going to make.” Daniel said looking at the looming clouds that were noticeably closer. The wind suddenly picked up, goosebumps spread across my dark skin.

“I think there’s a cave somewhere along the coast here.” I said to Daniel, gesturing to the thick mass of trees hanging over the water. 

“Hey I remember that place! Isn’t that old farmhouse close? The one were we would always have parties Thalia?” Mika asked me. It was my turn to glare at her, we where supposed to keep that old house a secret. It was the best place on the coast to host a party, if you didn’t want the whole rest of the world knowing about it.

“ Yeah,” I said hesitantly, “ Turn over there.” I pointed to a break in the trees, and Daniel deftly swung the boat around, this time without any problems. Once we where closer you could see the shallow cave, and a fence post rising from the water to tether the boat. 

Fat rain drops started to fall. Mika and I pulled our shirts and shorts over our bikinis and laughed, mouths open to the sky, trying to catch the rain in our mouths. Once Daniel had the boat safely tethered to the post, we jumped out of the boat onto the small shoulder of dirt that lead out of the cave and up the slight incline towards the farmhouse. By now the rain was a steady sheet of solid water that soaked all three of us to the bone, as we ran to the farmhouse. My hair was plastered to my face, salty sweat mixing with the torrential downpour that we were stuck in the middle of.

Leaping up on the old wooden wrap-around porch, I let out a barking laugh as my gaze landed on Mika and Daniel’s faces. They looked like surprised drowned rats, and I’m sure I looked no better.  Mika clutching at her stomach, joined me, with Daniel looking at us as if we had lost our minds.

“While you two calm down, I’m going to go find us some blankets.” Daniel said opening up the door and disappearing inside.

“Did you see his hair?” Mika whispered conspicuously with a giggle. “He looked like a wet dog.” 

“Hey! I heard that!” He shouted, faking hurt through the window and we burst into another fit of giggles. “Hey Thalia? Could you come here and help me reach these blankets?”

When we found him he was looking inside a musty smelling hall closet pointing up at a box of blankets.

“I’ll lift you up there and you can grab them.” Once we had securely gotten the box, we wrapped the moth-eaten blankets around our selves and sat in the middle of the empty living room floor. It was then that Mika proposed a game of truth or dare.

“How old are we? Twelve?” Daniel complained.

“Whatever, then don’t play you big baby.” I said goading him. He grumbled under his breath before relenting.

“Okay, Daniel, truth or dare?” Mika asked.

“Well since your probably going to dare me to get hit by lightning or something else stupid… truth.”

Mika paused for a moment coming up with a good one. Then her eyes glinted mischievously. “Since your are always so secretive about it,” She paused for effect. “ Whose your crush?”

His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat and then he turned and looked at me. “Umm, I don’t know.” Something dangerous and strange jolted through me as I deciphered what that look meant. My thoughts all jumbled together. Nothing made sense.

In the middle of Mika trying to pry out of him who it was, there was a deafening crash from above our heads. With trembling hands that had nothing to do with the noise, I stood up. “I’ll go see what that was.” I said looking directly at Daniel. Only one word flitted around in my brain as I climbed the steep, rickety, old staircase. Why? Why out of all the guys in the world did he have to like me? I’m his sister’s best friend, that would mess up everything. Wouldn’t it?

Reaching the top of the stairs with Mika and Daniel close behind, I saw what had made the noise. A shelf full of glass jars had fallen over and crashed all over the wooden floor. Stepping onto the floor I spotted the golden glint of a brooch lying on the edge of the wreckage. Moving closer to it the floor gave a groan and then suddenly I was falling. My arm caught on the raged floor boards and pain ripped its way across my shoulders and abdomen.

“Thalia!” Mika screamed.

I could feel the floorboards crumbling beneath my weight as I scrambled to hold on. My feet were dangling beneath me as terror coursed through my blood stream. My fingers were sliding across the floor, no longer able to hold myself up. Daniel desperately grabbed at my hands. His eyes wide with fright.

“Don’t let go! I’ve got you. Just don’t let go.” Tears streamed down my cheeks as he slowly pulled me upward. But my fingers were sweaty and starting to slip.

“Come on Thalia! You’re almost there.” Mika encouraged. But I continued to slip from his grasp. 

“Daniel, I-I’m slipping.” I said helplessly. And then I fell.

******

“She is stable. A broken rib, bruising along her face,shin, abdomen and forearms and a grade two concussion. She will live without any long lasting problems as long as she takes care of herself.”

“Thank you doctor. When can we get in to see her?” Tahlia’s dad asked, holding up his sobbing wife.

 “She is awake now if you would like to see her.” He gave them the room number and motioned for them to follow her. Daniel and Mika trailed slowly behind.

“Mom? Dad?” She asked weakly wincing as she tried to sit up. Her mother instantly latched onto her hand, her father kissing her head before leaning in to hug her gently. “Where is Mika and Daniel?”

“Right here.” Daniel’s deep voice resonated against the white hospital walls. Mika was standing beside him, letting tears fall silently down her face. In an instant they crowded around her as well.

“I was so-so scared when you fell. I couldn’t think-” Mika broke down in sobs, her older brother wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Hey, I’m okay now. See?” Thalia said trying to calm her friend.

“We’ll give you guys a minute” Thalia’s mom said before stepping out of the room with her husband.

“I thought we lost you.” Daniel’s voice was hoarse. He leaned down and gently brushed his lips with hers. “Don’t ever do that again.”

“I’ll try not to.” She said with a grin.