The Truth About Her

06 | Morosis

Morosis

 (n.) The stupidest of stupidity.

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WILLOW ABERNATHY IS A b***h. After all this time they've spent apart, it's been easy to forget about her ex-best friends and all about their flaws. Of course, being flawed is part of being human. But some flaws cannot be simply overlooked, like the fact that one of Willow's most significant flaws is her need for drama. She loves it. She thrives on it. One might even say she gets off on it. And that's precisely why Willow's dare for Oceana doesn't come as a surprise once it's her turn to play — Oceana had chosen dare, thinking it couldn't be any worse than whatever awkward question the girl could ask, but she was wrong.

"I'm not doing it." Oceana stands up and shakes the sand off her legs.

"That's not how the game works, hun," Willow says, voice full of contempt. Everybody else is quiet, well aware of how the tension has escalated, turning so thick, it could be cut with a knife.

"You must be f****d up if you think I'm going to kiss him after what he did," she says, feeling her blood already boiling up. This is what Willow wants, to see her angry and lose control, and because of the monster, they all know she's keeping inside. And this time, Oceana is not in the mood to control it like she did the night at the club. Willow has pissed her off.

Willow gets to her feet now, matching Oceana's height. "It's just a game, don't overreact. For the love of good, you haven't changed a bit."

She really, really wants to hit her, to slap her right across the face like she should've done all those years ago. "f**k you. f**k you all." Those are her last words before she walks away and starts gathering all of her stuff. Never looking back to where the group of friends is sitting. Nobody tries to stop her, not even Cai, and she's actually grateful for that. She needs to leave before any of them say anything that could piss her off more because, truth be told, she doesn't want Cai to see her like this. She doesn't want him to see the real Oceana. And once she's fully dressed again with all of her things inside her bag, she walks away, pulling her phone out of the front pocket, debating whether she should call a cab or call her father. When she spots a bench not far, she speeds her steps up and takes a seat there. Deciding it's best to call a cab since her father might notice how unsettled she is, and then he will start asking questions, which she'll probably be in no mood to answer. She dials out the number and brings the phone up to her ear.

"Oceana." As soon as his voice reaches her ears, her eyes close. She hoped he wouldn't chase after her, but, apparently, Cai Boulya is truly a gentleman. "Hey," he whispers closer. And she's trying to focus on her call, which hasn't been answered yet. Thank you very much.

Cai is sitting next to her now, way too close than he should be. And she gives up on the cab, hangs up, and locks her phone. "I'm not staying," she snaps at him, and even if she feels a little bad for talking to him like that, right now, she's not in the mood to be nice.

"I'm not going to ask you to stay. I was going to ask you if we can go together." His words catch her attention fully, causing her eyes to open and dart towards him. "I couldn't possibly ask you to come back after what that girl did — you don't want to talk about Theo, and that's okay... Nobody really wants to talk about their exes. And that was a really low blow, daring you to kiss him. That Willow girl must be out of her mind."

"I—"

"Let me finish," he smiles softly, taking her hands into his. "You may say it's not my fault, but I feel sincerely sorry for how things went down today. I just wanted to have some fun with you like we did the other night. And even if you say no now, I'll go home with you because I don't think I'll feel comfortable letting you go in a cab with a guy you don't know this late."

She wants to fight, to tell him she doesn't need him to do anything for her, but that's the monster of anger talking. If she's completely and utterly honest, it feels good to have someone other than her father showing some concern, making her feel like she cares, which is why she shuts the anger down and nods her head in response. "Thank you, Cai," she says, and then the boy decides to call the cab himself — they answer right away, of course — and all there's left for them to do is wait. Oceana relaxes her shoulders and heaves out a sigh, feeling like the worst has already happened, and now she can be calm, let her defenses down. Cai won't do her any harm.

A cool draught of air whips over the waves, bringing a taste of the ocean with it. The unseen part of the shoreline conjures more memories than the pebbles or the rotting posts of the old pier. It howls in a low whistle, tossing her hair every bit as rough as the ocean at her feet. It is the feel and taste of home. When she was just a child, her parents would bring her here during summer to have picnics and build things out of the sand. The thought of her mother makes her heart constrict, and she closes her eyes, afraid of the tears that might threaten to come out — crying in front of the boy beside her is not an option. When she was a teenager, Theo would bring her here. They shared so many happy moments on this beach. None of them were tainted with the fights or insults they used to throw at each other, those they had at home but never at the beach.

The temperature decreases with every passing minute, and her body doesn't seem to react well to it. She wraps her arms around herself instinctively, and Cai notices so. "Damn it, the cab is taking longer than it should. Are you too cold? I can give you my shirt. I don't know. Maybe that'll help you keep yourself a bit warm."

She chuckles. "That's very nice of you, but I don't want you to be cold either."

"Is it okay if I hug you?" He asks casually. They lock gazes for a few seconds. Whether Cai is trying to read her or not, she doesn't know. But she's sure she's trying to read him. His intentions seem to be pure, like he just wants to help her feel warm. But she doesn't really know the guy. And yes, he's been nothing but nice to her, behaving like a true gentleman since day one. But something she learned, thanks to her old friends and ex-boyfriend, is that you never fully know someone. It doesn't matter how many years you've spent together. Oceana decides to give him the benefit of the doubt and nods. Allowing the boy to approach her. He wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her closer, softly rubbing her arm despite the giddy feeling that has taken over her chest, caused by the nervousness, her stomach flutters at the sensation of her body pressed against his. She sinks into the warmth of his side, grateful for the simple yet heart-warming gesture.

The hunk of a car snaps her out of her trance, and they both turn around to find the cab parked a few meters away, waiting for them. Their moment is over now.