23. ISLE SAN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

23. Isle San

 

     I WOKE UP AT NINE. I QUICKLY BRUSHED MY TEETH AND TOOK a bath. I fixed myself a bowl of cereal and headed to the restaurant now using my Ford—which my dad made a great job on fixing it. There’s a van parked on where Adam’s Mercedes is usually place. Is there an out of town trip or something? I went straight to the kitchen were Valerie and the rest are preparing some dishes, though we don’t have any customers yet.

     “Hey, what’s up?” I asked.

     “Don’t you know?” Martin asked, ignoring my question.

     “Know what?”

     “Mr. Adam Cyrus called to say that he’s treating us to go to their island…”

     “What island?”

     “Isle SAN…” Adam said coming from behind.

     “Wait a minute, can I talk to you sir?” I pulled him behind. “Isle Shane, Adam, Nate…”

     “You’re right…”

     “And you didn’t tell me because—”

     “I tried to call you but you didn’t answer it…”

     “What?” I searched for my phone in my bag but I can’t see it. “Great, I forgot my phone…”

 

 

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     “C’mon…” he took my hand.

     “Where? And let go of me…” I took my hand.

     “Mall… obviously you can’t swim with that outfit…” he dragged me to his car and let me in his passenger’s seat before I could refuse.

    “What’s up with the swimming thing?” I asked after he started the car.

    “I think we just need a break… besides, they deserve it…”

     “Are Shane and Nate coming?”

     “Yah…”

     “Okay…”

 

     We reached the mall by ten thirty. I didn’t notice that the mall is just a few blocks away from the restaurant. I just quickly picked a black one-piece cutout swimsuit, and a black chiffon sleeveless cover up. I decided to buy a black patent sandal and black flip-flops as well and a brown cotton pleaded tube dress, blue cotton jumpsuit and a white hat and one sunglass and sun block as well.

     “You’re still a shopaholic…” Adam murmured when we were back into his car. He’s driving much faster now.

     “If I’m a shopaholic, I won’t be here sitting at your passenger seat, I’ll be back there holding a lot of paper bags and still going around…”

     “Sure, whatever you say…”

     “Are they still there?”

     “Of course…”

     “Are Ashley and Ryan coming?”

     “Nope, my dad has a new client, remember he’s an architect… my mom went to another childhood friend whose name I don’t know…”

     “Ah… um, did you plan for this or just come with it this morning?”

     “It just came to me this morning…”

 

 

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     “Okay…”

     “Why aren’t you calling me sir anyway?”

     “Should I?”

     “Hey, respect me… I’m your boss…”

     “I’m already doing that… if I don’t respect you, I won’t be here and I didn’t come with you in the first place…”

     “Really…”

     “Yes sir…”

     “That’s much better…”

     “Sure, fine… whatever you say…”

     “We’re back…” he stopped the car.

     “Okay…” I went out of his car.

     “Hey, what took you so long?” Nate asked.

     “I just bought some clothes… since my boss didn’t tell me a single thing about isle SAN…” I muttered.

     “C’mon, I’m getting bored here…” Shane mumbled in his Ferrari.

     “Did you bring a guitar?”

     “Of course…” Nate answered.

     “Great… hey, where’s the van that is just parked here?”

     “They already left… the driver know the way to the yacht…”

     “Oh, okay… sorry it took us so long…”

     “You should be…” Adam muttered.

     “Whatever…”

     “Hey, I’m still your boss…”

     “Nope, today you’re Adam Cyrus, the lead singer of the band the unknown, which I don’t need to respect that much…”

     “Really…”

     “Ah… nice to see you two getting along again…” Nate said.

     “Hey, I’m dying at boredom here…” Shane muttered.

     “Sorry…” I said.

     “Sure, sure… lets just go there already…”

     “Coming…”

 

 

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    Adam and Nate sat in front while Shane and I stayed at the back. Nate brought two guitars, I borrowed the other one and we’re like performing on a stage. I missed singing with them, with Adam—singing, not being with him. I still have in mind all the songs, so I didn’t forget a line.

     Since the trip is a bit far, I decided to compose a song with them. By the time we reach the yacht, they’ve memorized the new song; I guess it might be put to their next album, to our next album. I think I can perform with them again, since I really missed the stage and the screaming fans.

     “Hey, where are the others?” I asked.

     “Like I said, they already left…” Nate said.

     “Okay, wait, so did you try—” I looked at Shane.

     “She talks too much about herself…” Shane muttered.

     “Really… I usually talk to her and she never talked about herself, except if I ask her…”

     “Well, that’s odd…”

     “Shane, did you try?”

     “Yah… but don’t worry, while you were gone, I found a cute girl—”

     “Who?”

     “And that’s the bad news… I don’t know her name…”

     “Oh…”

     “Wait, I thought you two are dating?” Adam asked.

     “That will be only in my dream…” Shane muttered.

     “Really, but you said…” he looked at me.

     “I said what if I say yes… I said if…” I said.

     “So you’re not…”

     “What is it to you?”

     “Nothing…”

     “Good to know…”

     “So you’re not dating…”

     “It doesn’t matter if we’re dating or not… it’s not your business anyway…”

 

 

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     “Not yet…” I heard him murmured.

     “What?”

     “Nothing…”

     “C’mon, lets go in the yacht…” Nate mumbled.

     “Sure…” Shane said.

     “Is your island far from here?” I asked when we got in.

     “Yes… we’ll reach it by midnight…”

     “Ah… so since when did you bought an island?” I sat at the vacant chair.

     “Just this year… when Adam and I graduated…” he sat beside me.

     “A gift for your graduation?”

     “Yah… actually, it’s only our second time to come here…”

     “Really? Why?”

     “No time… good thing Adam got this plan on having a break…”

     “Ah… so when did you first come here?”

     “Remember last week, we didn’t went to the restaurant? When Ashley managed it… We just checked the island…”

     “Oh yah… so, is it wonderful?”

     “Yah…”

     “Can’t wait to see it…”

     “Hey, want to sing? We have a stage inside, you know, for performing…”

     “Sure… I stood up.

 

     Shane was right; it took us all night to get to isle SAN. I got carried away on singing the same time playing the guitar. I even tried playing the drums as well, and they even have a keyboard and piano. Their yacht looks like the once I saw in TV and magazines—only smaller and more luxurious— and except for the stage and musical instruments.

     Shane suddenly called my name. “Alyson, look there…” he pointed straight ahead. I saw only blackness at first and the

 

 

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moon’s white trail across the water. But I searched the space where he pointed until I found a low black shape breaking into sheen of moonlight on the waves. As I squinted into the darkness, the silhouette became more detailed. The shape grew into a squat, irregular triangle, with one side trailing longer than the other before sinking into the waves. We drew closed and I could see the outline was feathery, swaying to the light breeze. And when my eyes refocused and the pieces all made sense: a small island rose out of the water ahead of us, waving with palm fronds, a beach growing pale in the light of the moon.

      The boat slowed dramatically, drawing with precision into position against a short dock constructed of wooden planks bleached into whiteness by the moon. The engine cut off, the silence that followed was profound. There was nothing but the waves, slopping lightly against the boat, and the rustle of the breeze in the palms. The air was warm, moist, and fragrant—like the steam left behind after a hot shower.

     “Wow, it’s beautiful here… where are the others?” I asked.

     “They’re already sleeping, I guess…” Shane said helping me out.

     For a short while, it was pitch black in the jungle-like growth, and then I could see a warm light ahead. It was the point when I realized the light was a house—the two bright, perfect squares were wide windows framing a front door— I felt sleepiness now—that I haven’t felt even once in the yacht, since I’m really having a blast. They led me to the room—which looks the same as their guest room at their house as I remember—where all the girls are sleeping. I jump to the last vacant bed and quickly fell asleep.

 

     I woke up earlier that the others so I just prepared the breakfast instead. I just cooked ham and eggs, since that’s mostly the food on their refrigerator.

 

 

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     After we eat, I changed to my black one-piece cutout swimsuit and put my sun block. Valerie put on her green and magenta reversible halter bikini, while Candy put on her white one-piece ruched swimsuit and Cathy put on her purple tie-side bikini, while all the boys are wearing their swimming trunks.

     “Hey, lets go surfing…” Adam said.

     “What?” I asked.

     “I taught you how to surf, right?”

     “Well, yah…” do I still remember how to surf? Well, I gotta try my luck. “But why should I go surfing?”

     “Because you’re becoming a boring person…”

     “Whatever…”

     “Or maybe you’re just scared…”

     “Scared of what? You? Oh please…”

     “Scared that you might—”

     “Where are the surfboards?”

     “Here…” he led me to the back part of the cottage—which I didn’t notice last night.

     “Okay…” I followed. I took the pink one. I hope I can do this right.

     We went to the ocean and I made a sign of the cross first. I saw Adam chuckled, but I just pretend I didn’t notice.

     “Want me to teach you again?” he asked.

     “Um, no need…” I lied.

     “Really… did you know that it’s hard to surf when you forgot how to?” he smiled crookedly.

     “I still know how to surf, you know…”

     “Sure… whatever you say…”

     I tried to surf the same time he did, but I didn’t do it right like him. I almost drown myself. And of course, he saved me.

     “Sure, you still know how to surf…”

     “Well, maybe I forgot a little…”

     “Obviously…”

     “Well, I don’t need your help…”

 

 

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     “Really…”

     “Besides, why do I want to go surfing anyway?”

     “Because you’re with me…”

     “You have over confidence…”

     “Really…”

     “Besides, I have a lot of reasons, and that’s not even on my list…”

     “Really…”

     “Don’t you have any other vocabulary?”

 Or maybe I should just give you a dictionary on your birthday…”

     “So, you still remember my birthday…”

     “No… why should I?”

     “Ask yourself…”

     “Okay, this is stupid… I’m not in the mood to surf…”

     “Really… I thought you said that you’re a thrill seeker?”

     “Did I?”

     “Just look at the waves… swaying in front of you… waiting for you to surf on them…”

     “I can learn by myself…”

     “That’s dangerous…”

     “Whatever…”

     “Just say that you need me to teach you again… that easy…”

     “Like I said, I don’t need a single help from you…”

     “Just one, ‘teach me how to surf again’…” he imitated my voice.

     “Fine… just to keep your mouth shut…”

     “Great…”

    He quickly taught me how to surf, since I remembered the other steps, though I quickly fall—a lot. But I got the hang of it after several tries, and a lot of fall, though Adam sometimes caught me.

     “Well, my hand and chest hurts, but at least you’d done it…”

 

 

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     “Well, no one told you to catch me… like I said; I don’t need your help…”

     “Like you didn’t scream…”

     “I didn’t scream…” I splashed water on him.

     “Yah, that’s why my ears bleed…”

     “Whatever…”

     “Really…” he pulled me closer and leaned to kiss me.

     I closed my eyes and twisted my face to refuse.

     “Just testing…” he whispered to my ear and chuckled.

     “Whatever…” I pushed him away.

     “What? You want me to do it?”

     “No! I didn’t say anything…”

     “I can read it in your face…”

     “Yah right…”

     “All you have to do is just say the magic word…”

     “Magic word?”

     “That you forgive me and you still love me…”

     “You really need to downgrade your confidence…”

     “Really…”

     “I’m getting hungry; maybe I’ll just grab a snack, and step out of your huge ego…” I walk toward the cottage and put on my black cover up.

     “Sure, me too…”

     “Hey, can I have a soda?” I asked Shane.

     “Sure, here…” he handed me a soda from the cooler.

     “So, what are you doing here? Alone…”

     “I just don’t have anything to do…”

     “Surfing…”

     “I’m already tired of that…”

     “Really… snorkeling…”

     “Maybe later…”

     “Can I have a soda too?” Adam said.

     “Here…” he threw it at him.

     “Hey, later we’ll a campfire…”

 

 

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     “Sure…”

     “So, what time is it anyway?” I asked.

     “It’s already seven…” Shane answered me.

     “So what time is the campfire?”

     “Maybe an hour from now…” Adam said.

     “Are we having roasted marshmallows and s’mores?” Shane asked.

     “Yah… there are two bags of marshmallows in my bag…”

     “C’mon, let’s prepare now…”

     It didn’t take a lot of time for Shane, Nate and Adam to prepare the driftwoods. We rested against a low ridge of rock. Shane sat beside me, then suddenly, Adam on my other side. I think Candy and Martin is a couple now, since they spend a lot of time together and sat beside each other, holding hands as the fire crackled, settling lower toward the sand. Sparks blew up in a sudden puff of brilliant orange against the black sky. They passed around the s’mores, then like any other campfires, marshmallows on the stick.

     Adam told the scary story about bloody Mary—the spirit of bloody Mary returns to claim the lives of those saying her name in front of a darkened mirror. Shane told about the dancing devil— where a girl learns too late that you should never dance with a devil. Nate told about the bloody bones—a witch summons a monster to destroy an old hunter who stole her pig. The others got Goosebumps, but I didn’t, since I heard those stories before.

     After the scary stories—well, not scary for me anymore—we sang some campfire songs—though it might sound really childish, but we did it anyway—which isn’t that familiar to me. Adam just gave us the lyrics, but when we finished all his campfire songs, we just decided to sing our own songs.

     We broke the same old campfire style by having red wine as well, but one bottle isn’t enough for nine people so we decided to have Madras—vodka, orange juice and a splash of

 

 

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cranberry juice—which is quite delicious.

     It’s already one in the morning—I think—and the others are already asleep, since we really had a great time. And the others got really drunk since they enjoyed the drinks—which made us make another two bottles of it.

     I took a glass of madras and went to the seashore. I sat at the sand, taking my flip-flops off, letting the gentle wave touch my feet. I hugged my legs tightly as I stare at the black night sky.

     “Hey, why are you here?” Shane asked sitting next to me.

     “Um, I just want to be alone…” I murmured.

     “Oh, sorry…”

     “Don’t worry, you can stay…” I took a sip at my glass.

     “Okay…”

     “Why are you still awake?”

     “I can’t sleep… Nate is sleep talking…” he chuckled.

     “Really…” I chuckled too. “Wait, I thought Kyla came to visit?”

     “Yah… but she can’t come…”

     “Why?”

     “Her aunt is in the hospital, and she’s the only one who can take care of her…”

     “Oh…”

     “So why do you want to be alone again?”

     “Actually, I’m not sure… though I like the silence…”

     “Ah…”

     “So what time are we going back tomorrow?”

     “Maybe at six pm…”

     “Okay… guess we’ll have three days break…”

     “You’re lucky…”

     “Yah…”

     “Um, Alyson,”

     “Yes?”

     “Can I try something?”

 

 

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     “What’s that?”

     He quickly lean and kissed me. I almost kissed him back when my consciousness came back.

     “Shane!” I quickly pushed him away.

     “Sorry…”

     Suddenly Adam attacked him from behind.

     “Adam, stop it!” I pulled him away. I hold him tightly on the waist, though he’s stronger than me, I put all my strength to stop him. “What’s wrong with you?” I pushed him away.

     “He just kissed you and you want me to be calm?”

     “Are you drunk again?”

     “Yes, but that’s not the case, he just—”

     “So what? I’m not yours anymore!”

     “What?”

     “We’re already done two years ago! I just hope that we can be friends again… but that’s all!”

     “But—”

     “I just forgave you, but I didn’t say we can be back together again… so you can’t just attack anyone who kissed me…” then I look at Shane. “And you can’t just kiss me without my permission…”

     “Alyson, I’m really sorry…” he said wiping the blood from the side of his lips.

     “It’s okay… just don’t do it again or else… I think I’ll go asleep now… I just hope you two won’t fight until morning…” I went back to the house.

     I peeked at the window, and I saw them handshake then punch each other on the shoulder. At least they’re okay now, I just don’t like seeing them fight, it’s really odd, and I never saw Adam acted like that when we were together. Is he really became that jealous or that’s just a cause of him being drunk? Then suddenly I flashback on what happened on the last time he’d been drunk. But in that moment, I don’t have any control like him, unlike today.

 

 

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    I went straight to bed and tried to forget what just happened. If I just slept earlier, that wouldn’t happen; I wouldn’t have said that to Adam. I don’t know why, but that’s the thing I most regret.

 

     I woke up the latest. They’re already finished eating breakfast, except for Adam and Shane, great, the two most likely for me to have breakfast with. I picked a plate and took the ham and eggs prepared on the table.

     “Hey…” I mumbled.

     “Hi…” Adam murmured.

     “Hello…” Shane muttered.

    “Sorry—” Shane and Adam said and cut themselves off at the same time.

     I chuckled lowly. “It’s okay… I already forgot about it anyway…” I smiled a little.

     “So, how’s the ham and eggs?” Shane asked.

     “Um, great… so where’s the others?” I took a bite.

     “Snorkeling…”

     “Do you have your phone?”

     “Yah, why?”

     “I forgot to tell my parents that I’ll be here…” I bit my lip.

     “No need… Shane called them the other day when we went to the mall…” Adam murmured.

     “Oh, okay…”

     “Besides, you’d been gone for days; don’t you think they already got the idea?”

     “Sure… whatever…” I took a bite again.

     After we eat, we snorkeled, and then we explored the small jungle that ringed the rocky little peak as Adam toured us. We visited the parrots that lived in the canopy on the south end of the island. We swam with the porpoises that played in the warm, shallow water there. And finally, we watched the sunset from the rocky western cove. We got so exhausted after the

 

 

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day that we decided to go back to California first thing in the morning.

 

     I woke up the same time they did. We decided to have breakfast on the yacht. Shane helped me again to get in. Nate prepared ham and eggs again for breakfast. We still used two yachts, since we have to bring both back in the seaport.

    By the time we got back, we already made five video blogs, one new song and one music video. We reached back the restaurant by seven pm and now I’m really tired. I guess the others went back home already.

     “Hey, I need to go home now…” I said to Shane.

     “Okay, is your Ford fine now?” Shane asked.

     “Yah… um, where’s Adam and Nate?”

     “Still in the restaurant…”

     “Okay… just tell them I said goodbye and thanks for the great time and experience…”

     “Sure…”

     I hugged him goodbye and went straight to my car. Good thing it wasn’t been stolen since I left it there for four days.

     “Hey, gorgeous…” a guy in a black coat said blocking my way.

     “Um, excuse me but I need to go now…” I mumbled trying to get in to my car.

     “Hey, what’s the hurry?” another guy asked from behind.

     “Could you move?” I asked still facing the first guy.

     “Lets have a talk first…” another guy came beside the first with his back up.

     “I really can’t…”

     “Why?”

     “Hey, did I owe you guys’ money? How much? I’ll just pay you…”

     “No sweetheart, we just need to talk to you…”

     “Sure… I need to go now…” I tried to move back but they

 

 

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were coming toward me until I have nothing to go to.

     “Leave her alone…” I heard Adam muttered.

     I quickly ran to his side.

     “So, you have a boyfriend… and it really has to be Adam Cyrus…” the first guy mumbled.

     “Hold this first…” Adam gave me his bag. “What do you want, Paul?” he walk toward them like a gangster.

     Paul quickly tried to punch him but Adam quickly avoided it. I covered my eyes with my hands and I didn’t bother to watch them since I’m scared on what might happen. I took a peek and I saw them going in their car and drove away.

     “Are you okay?” he asked putting my face on his hands.

     “Of course… thanks…” I hugged him tightly.

     “Don’t worry, you’re already safe…”

     “Since when did you know how to karate?”

     “About a year…” he looked at his side then pushed me away.

     I fell to the ground, and then I saw that the guys he just fought suddenly rushed and hit him in purpose. Adam got throw to the ground hard. After that, they quickly drove away. “Adam!” I quickly went to him.

     Shane ran to us. “What happened?”

     “Drive him to the hospital now!” I said as I saw a lot of blood rushing out from him.

     Shane and Nate carried him quickly to Shane’s Ferrari and drove us to the hospital. “What happened?” Shane asked.

     “There were about four guys coming toward me, then Adam fought with them, they quickly drove away, then we have no idea that they’ll be back… Adam just pushed me away but he didn’t have time to save himself…” tears started to run from my eyes. I tried to stop it, but this time, I can’t. I held Adam’s hand tightly. “Don’t leave us Adam… don’t leave me…” my voice broke off to the last word. “He shouldn’t save me…”

     “Stop that… if he didn’t do that, you’ll be the one in

 

 

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trouble…” Shane muttered.

     “But if he didn’t do that, he’ll still be okay by now…”

     “Don’t blame yourself, Alyson, he did it to save you… and besides, if he didn’t save your life, it’s like he’ll be dead inside… it’s not your fault Paul really hate Adam…” Nate mumbled.

     “You know those guys?”

     “I saw Paul’s face… he’s Adam’s mortal enemy…”

     “Mortal enemy?”

     “You see, Paul was once his best friend…”

     “What?”

     “Yes… but one time, he asked Adam for help on a girl he really love, not like or just a crush, but love… but you know how flirty Adam can be… he has a charm… the girl he was just talking to for Paul fell in love with him… Adam tried avoiding her but he can’t stop being a flirt… he finally gave in… when Paul found out, he went to Canada to be far away from Adam, but before he left, he told Adam that he cursed him and the next time they’ll meet, he’ll make sure he’ll have his revenge… Adam tried to explain, he even broke up with the girl just to save their friendship, but Paul was really hard to please…”

     “So that means hitting him will be his revenge…”

     “Actually, his first plan is kidnapping you will be his revenge…”

     “What?”

     “You see, before we left, I notice him at the other side, and he saw you… remember, Adam dragged you to the mall…”

     “Oh… just a wrong impression…”

 

     We reached the hospital; the nurses quickly took Adam and brought him to the emergency room. We sat to the chair near the emergency room for the results.

     I wiped my tears away as I put my head to Shane’s shoulder.

     Finally, the doctor went out. “The patient lost a lot of blood,

 

 

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he needs a blood transplant…”

     “We need to call Ashley…” Nate said.

     “Why?” I asked.

     “She’s the only one who has the same blood type with Adam… we’re all type O…”

     “What’s his blood type?”

     “He’s a type AB…”

     “I’m an AB…” I stood up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Reviews

[blackrose24]

this chapter is like two chapters combined... still awesome, though.. :)