To The End
Chapter 11
Dinner passed much as it had the night before, we were all so hungry, we simply ate, with little or no conversation. We sat around on the yellow tarp afterwards, sharing a bottle of wine (which really doesn't go very far with ten people), as Ray and Frank played for us on their guitars. The bonfire cast a red, flickering glow over the waterfall, and rather than making me sleepy, it made me long to be a part of it.
Without speaking to anyone, I got up, and climbed up into the plane. I opened my overhead compartment, and grabbed my towel and some toiletry items, shampoo, soap, razor, things like that, before stripping down to my flip flops and bikini. I tucked the locket carefully into a slot in the metal frame of the seat bed, before heading back down the ladder. Everyone began staring at me.
"What are you doing?" Charlotte asked.
"I'm gonna take a shower in the waterfall before bed," I replied calmly.
"Really?" asked Zara.
"Oh yeah," I replied, "Definitely really." Without a sound, Frank and Ray jumped up with their guitars, heading towards the plane as fast as they could.
"I am so in on that," Charlotte said, followed by a chorus of "Me too!" Victoria looked up from her prone position on the ground.
"I wanna come," she cried.
"It'll be good for your ankle, I bet the water's nice and warm," I said.
"I'll help you," Bob said. "Do you need to change first?" She nodded, and he picked her up, calling to Ray when he got to the ladder, who picked her up, and carried her to her new bunk.
Before anyone else had even returned from changing or getting their things, I was sitting on the water's edge, shaving my legs. I've got to tell you, that was the most amazing feeling in the world! I was finishing up as they all reappeared, headed for the water, and I put my razor on my towel, and grabbed my soap, wading deep into the water, reemerging, and soaping up. I placed the soap back into my old, green soap dish, and grabbed the shampoo, swimming now towards the waterfall. I lathered up my hair, as the others were just beginning to enter the water, and stepped under the stream of the waterfall.
The water hit me with more force than I was expecting, it actually knocked me down, but I immediately found my footing, and tried again. Standing back towards the cliff face made it easier, more like an actual shower, in fact, I soaped up again with the shampoo, and showered all over again. I felt cleaner than I had felt in days, and swam back towards the others, still tentatively wading in. I swam up to the edge of the pool, putting my shampoo on the towel, and then to Victoria. She had unwound her bandage, and was shaving her legs.
"If you want some help getting in, let me know," I said. To my surprise, she blushed.
"Bob said he'd help me," she said, and I smirked at her.
"Did he, now?" I asked smugly. I laughed, and swam out into the middle of the water. Everyone was standing on the edges, cleaning off, or else under the waterfall, having a 'shower'. I swam to the edge of the waterfall, away from the others, and hid in the shadows at the cliff face. One by one, I watched as they swam out to the middle, laughing and talking. I could see Bob carrying Tori into the water.
"Where's Angel?" I heard Gerard ask suddenly.
"She was just here," Tori replied nervously, and I saw him begin to look up towards the cabin. I decided to act.
Underwater, eyes open, I swam up as quietly as I could, grabbing hold of Frank's ankles and pulling him under. I immediately resurfaced, laughing too hard to hold my breath any longer. Frank emerged a moment later, sputtering.
"You bitch!" he cried, laughing as well. "She pulled me under!" I shrugged, unable to stop laughing. "Oh, you asked for it!" He began to lunge at me, but before he could, Charlotte grabbed his head, pushing his face under the water again. We were all laughing now, as Frank resurfaced a second time. "Charlotte!" he cried. "You're going down!" Before he had even finished wiping his face, as he turned to face Charlotte, I saw Zara's head disappear, and Frank stopped short. Zara reappeared a few moments later, on the other side of the pool, holding Frank's swim trunks over her head. "So not fair!" Frank yelled. "Help me, guys!"
The girls all exchanged glances, even Tori could play this game. We all immediately disappeared under the water, though I could hear the guys splashing around behind me, looking for us. I swam back to my hiding spot behind the waterfall, in the shadows, and watched. They couldn't catch us, we were too quick. Hell, all girls play this game a thousand times in high school, so though we were rusty, we knew we could out-smart the guys, who had spent high school playing dungeons and dragons. At one point, I saw Ray sneaking up on Zara. I immediately dove under, swam to Ray, and pulled him underwater with a loud splash, before turning, and swimming back to my hiding place. I had to choke back my laughter as Ray splashed and sputtered, looking for his attacker. Minutes later, I saw Gerard and Mikey together going after Amanda. I did the same as before, swimming over, grabbing one of each of their ankles, and dunking them, and swimming back to my hiding place. I stood in the shadows, and watched for another chance to attack. Suddenly, I felt hands clasp around my upper arms, and someone's chest press up against my back.
"Someone's not playing fair," Gerard whispered in my ear. I swear, I got chills. "I saw you, pulling me under like that. Not nice!"
"Yeah? What are you gonna do about it?" I asked. His arm snaked around my waist.
"This," he whispered, his lips right against my ear, and after a moment, I felt his tongue on my neck, and I shivered. "And this," he whispered, this time sucking lightly on my earlobe. I was melting, completely melting. "Also, this," he whispered, and jumped, his arm still around my waist, under the water, taking me completely by surprise. Water immediately went up my nose and in my mouth, and I felt like I was choking, when just as suddenly as he'd pushed me under, Gerard pulled me to the surface.
"I got her!" Gerard yelled excitedly to the other guys. "I got Angel!" Everyone was laughing as we swam over to the others. Apparently, Gerard's shout had also saved Charlotte from heading under, as it had distracted Frank.
"I'm sick of this," Charlotte said.
"I'm getting kinda tired," Bob said.
"Yeah," Gerard replied. "I guess we should probably call it a night." He finally took his arm from around my waist, and I headed towards the bank, gathering up my things, and wrapping my towel around my waist.
"Tori," I said. "Leave you're foot unwrapped, toss me the bandage quick, and I'll wash it, and after you get dried off, I'll use the other one, ok?"
"Ok," she replied, tossing the bandage over to me. I grabbed my soap, and scrubbed the ace bandage, before picking up my stuff, and following Tori, carried by Bob, back to the cabin. Soon, we were all back inside the cabin, one by one taking turns changing with the flashlight in the bathroom. I went first, with Tori, and after I had quickly put on a bra and panties, my warm, white fleece pants, and my bright green Dropkick Murphys tee shirt, I helped her change, and quickly re-wrapped her foot for her. I left, and Bob came and collected Tori, and as he settled her gently on her bed, I took our wet things and climbed down the ladder, spreading out wet suits, the bandage, and my wet towel out over the yellow rubber mat. Charlotte was darting into the bathroom as I returned to the cabin.
The guys had apparently chanced their modesty, and had changed in their 'rooms', and when I returned to mine, I found Gerard, sitting on the edge of the bed, using the light from the bonfire, and sketching. I could hear Bob, talking still to Tori, Frank was singing softly to himself, and Mikey and Ray were carrying on a conversation regarding the likelihood of the island being inhabited by monkeys, and their desire to find one. Zara and Angel were giggling together in their room.
I heard Charlotte come out of the bathroom, and return to her bed, and as I heard her settling in beside Tori, I heard Bob interrupt Frank's singing, then together change the tune to something along the lines of:
"Gerard, Gerard, Gerard, you make my heart burn."
"I'm not in the mood for the Bob Bryar Solo Project tonight, guys, maybe tomorrow," Gerard called, sending me a wink, and returning to his sketch. I heard the bathroom door open, and Zara's voice calling good night, and then telling Amanda that the bathroom was free. I settled down into my bed, staring up at the overhead compartment above us. Gerard shut his sketch book, placed it on the suitcase table, and settled into bed beside me, and a few moments later, Mikey came in, and they began whispering to each other. With the soft cacophony of voices around me, it was a matter of seconds before I was sound asleep.
Without speaking to anyone, I got up, and climbed up into the plane. I opened my overhead compartment, and grabbed my towel and some toiletry items, shampoo, soap, razor, things like that, before stripping down to my flip flops and bikini. I tucked the locket carefully into a slot in the metal frame of the seat bed, before heading back down the ladder. Everyone began staring at me.
"What are you doing?" Charlotte asked.
"I'm gonna take a shower in the waterfall before bed," I replied calmly.
"Really?" asked Zara.
"Oh yeah," I replied, "Definitely really." Without a sound, Frank and Ray jumped up with their guitars, heading towards the plane as fast as they could.
"I am so in on that," Charlotte said, followed by a chorus of "Me too!" Victoria looked up from her prone position on the ground.
"I wanna come," she cried.
"It'll be good for your ankle, I bet the water's nice and warm," I said.
"I'll help you," Bob said. "Do you need to change first?" She nodded, and he picked her up, calling to Ray when he got to the ladder, who picked her up, and carried her to her new bunk.
Before anyone else had even returned from changing or getting their things, I was sitting on the water's edge, shaving my legs. I've got to tell you, that was the most amazing feeling in the world! I was finishing up as they all reappeared, headed for the water, and I put my razor on my towel, and grabbed my soap, wading deep into the water, reemerging, and soaping up. I placed the soap back into my old, green soap dish, and grabbed the shampoo, swimming now towards the waterfall. I lathered up my hair, as the others were just beginning to enter the water, and stepped under the stream of the waterfall.
The water hit me with more force than I was expecting, it actually knocked me down, but I immediately found my footing, and tried again. Standing back towards the cliff face made it easier, more like an actual shower, in fact, I soaped up again with the shampoo, and showered all over again. I felt cleaner than I had felt in days, and swam back towards the others, still tentatively wading in. I swam up to the edge of the pool, putting my shampoo on the towel, and then to Victoria. She had unwound her bandage, and was shaving her legs.
"If you want some help getting in, let me know," I said. To my surprise, she blushed.
"Bob said he'd help me," she said, and I smirked at her.
"Did he, now?" I asked smugly. I laughed, and swam out into the middle of the water. Everyone was standing on the edges, cleaning off, or else under the waterfall, having a 'shower'. I swam to the edge of the waterfall, away from the others, and hid in the shadows at the cliff face. One by one, I watched as they swam out to the middle, laughing and talking. I could see Bob carrying Tori into the water.
"Where's Angel?" I heard Gerard ask suddenly.
"She was just here," Tori replied nervously, and I saw him begin to look up towards the cabin. I decided to act.
Underwater, eyes open, I swam up as quietly as I could, grabbing hold of Frank's ankles and pulling him under. I immediately resurfaced, laughing too hard to hold my breath any longer. Frank emerged a moment later, sputtering.
"You bitch!" he cried, laughing as well. "She pulled me under!" I shrugged, unable to stop laughing. "Oh, you asked for it!" He began to lunge at me, but before he could, Charlotte grabbed his head, pushing his face under the water again. We were all laughing now, as Frank resurfaced a second time. "Charlotte!" he cried. "You're going down!" Before he had even finished wiping his face, as he turned to face Charlotte, I saw Zara's head disappear, and Frank stopped short. Zara reappeared a few moments later, on the other side of the pool, holding Frank's swim trunks over her head. "So not fair!" Frank yelled. "Help me, guys!"
The girls all exchanged glances, even Tori could play this game. We all immediately disappeared under the water, though I could hear the guys splashing around behind me, looking for us. I swam back to my hiding spot behind the waterfall, in the shadows, and watched. They couldn't catch us, we were too quick. Hell, all girls play this game a thousand times in high school, so though we were rusty, we knew we could out-smart the guys, who had spent high school playing dungeons and dragons. At one point, I saw Ray sneaking up on Zara. I immediately dove under, swam to Ray, and pulled him underwater with a loud splash, before turning, and swimming back to my hiding place. I had to choke back my laughter as Ray splashed and sputtered, looking for his attacker. Minutes later, I saw Gerard and Mikey together going after Amanda. I did the same as before, swimming over, grabbing one of each of their ankles, and dunking them, and swimming back to my hiding place. I stood in the shadows, and watched for another chance to attack. Suddenly, I felt hands clasp around my upper arms, and someone's chest press up against my back.
"Someone's not playing fair," Gerard whispered in my ear. I swear, I got chills. "I saw you, pulling me under like that. Not nice!"
"Yeah? What are you gonna do about it?" I asked. His arm snaked around my waist.
"This," he whispered, his lips right against my ear, and after a moment, I felt his tongue on my neck, and I shivered. "And this," he whispered, this time sucking lightly on my earlobe. I was melting, completely melting. "Also, this," he whispered, and jumped, his arm still around my waist, under the water, taking me completely by surprise. Water immediately went up my nose and in my mouth, and I felt like I was choking, when just as suddenly as he'd pushed me under, Gerard pulled me to the surface.
"I got her!" Gerard yelled excitedly to the other guys. "I got Angel!" Everyone was laughing as we swam over to the others. Apparently, Gerard's shout had also saved Charlotte from heading under, as it had distracted Frank.
"I'm sick of this," Charlotte said.
"I'm getting kinda tired," Bob said.
"Yeah," Gerard replied. "I guess we should probably call it a night." He finally took his arm from around my waist, and I headed towards the bank, gathering up my things, and wrapping my towel around my waist.
"Tori," I said. "Leave you're foot unwrapped, toss me the bandage quick, and I'll wash it, and after you get dried off, I'll use the other one, ok?"
"Ok," she replied, tossing the bandage over to me. I grabbed my soap, and scrubbed the ace bandage, before picking up my stuff, and following Tori, carried by Bob, back to the cabin. Soon, we were all back inside the cabin, one by one taking turns changing with the flashlight in the bathroom. I went first, with Tori, and after I had quickly put on a bra and panties, my warm, white fleece pants, and my bright green Dropkick Murphys tee shirt, I helped her change, and quickly re-wrapped her foot for her. I left, and Bob came and collected Tori, and as he settled her gently on her bed, I took our wet things and climbed down the ladder, spreading out wet suits, the bandage, and my wet towel out over the yellow rubber mat. Charlotte was darting into the bathroom as I returned to the cabin.
The guys had apparently chanced their modesty, and had changed in their 'rooms', and when I returned to mine, I found Gerard, sitting on the edge of the bed, using the light from the bonfire, and sketching. I could hear Bob, talking still to Tori, Frank was singing softly to himself, and Mikey and Ray were carrying on a conversation regarding the likelihood of the island being inhabited by monkeys, and their desire to find one. Zara and Angel were giggling together in their room.
I heard Charlotte come out of the bathroom, and return to her bed, and as I heard her settling in beside Tori, I heard Bob interrupt Frank's singing, then together change the tune to something along the lines of:
"Gerard, Gerard, Gerard, you make my heart burn."
"I'm not in the mood for the Bob Bryar Solo Project tonight, guys, maybe tomorrow," Gerard called, sending me a wink, and returning to his sketch. I heard the bathroom door open, and Zara's voice calling good night, and then telling Amanda that the bathroom was free. I settled down into my bed, staring up at the overhead compartment above us. Gerard shut his sketch book, placed it on the suitcase table, and settled into bed beside me, and a few moments later, Mikey came in, and they began whispering to each other. With the soft cacophony of voices around me, it was a matter of seconds before I was sound asleep.
10/13/13