Chapter XIII
1081 Words
"What are you doing here this early?" Collin's eyes opened up when he sighted her running towards his direction.
"I hate you! I hate you! I really really hate you!" Rosette kept on punching his chest until she could not hold her tears anymore. Tears overflowed in her eyes. Worry and relief transpired in almost the same time.
Collin captured her hands and wrapped his arms around her body. She continued sobbing on the hollow of his neck. She did not care if she would wet his shirt.
"You ruined my surprise, babe," Collin whispered. He scratched his nape as he gazed at the blanket that he laid down on the sand.
"I don't care!" Rosette moved an inch without breaking out from his embrace. Just enough to see his face. "You worried me a lot, you jerk!" She gave him a blow once again.
"I'm sorry, okay? It was just a prank." He kissed the top of her head and patted it gently. "I planned to surprise you, but I guess it bounce back to me." His soft chuckle totally erased her worries.
Only a sign that he is alive was what she needed. That it was not just a dream that her mind created.
"Your prank went overboard! You don't know how scared I was when I saw blood drops on the floor." She pointed her sharp glare to the man who was still amused.
"I told you not six or seven, didn't I?" Collin pulled away and found her eyes."What if it was true? You would put my life in danger."
"Silly! I already guessed it." Rosette gave him a smug smile. "Sally only cooked vegetables which is not my taste. And eight could also mean the number of letters which point your location... AT THE SEA," she explained.
Collin's lips formed an O shape. "Guess, I underestimated my girl." He moved back and turned around to face the thing he was working on, before she arrived
"Anyway, since you are already here... why not help me?" He glanced back at her and held out his hand.
Her lips stretched from ear to ear as she accepted it. "Sure, babe!" This is one of the things that she loved about Collin—He loved to surprise her.
Collin prepared the coconut husks and dried fallout tree branches that they would use in creating a bonfire while she busied herself in arranging their things beside the blanket.
Collin said that they would be star gazing later as their second date as a couple.
The darkness slowly ate the sun and the sea breeze started to become cold. When the moon came out, Collin lighted the bonfire. He invited her to sit in front of it, where he put two pillows.
"Do you want to eat now?" Collin stood up. He picked up the basket he borrowed again from Sally and brought it in between their seats.
"What do we have for dinner?" She tried to peek, but his hand blocked her sight.
Collin pulled out some barbecues and canned beer.
"Whoa! Where did you get that?" Rosette salivated seeing the soft-looking big marshmallows that Collin pulled lastly together with the sticks.
"I bought it at the city before I departed," he said.
Collin started cooking the barbecue at the top of the fire while she skewered the marshmallows on the stick.
"Can we join?"
Rosette stared at Collin's eyes first before they both looked behind them. Three teens met their gazes. Two of them were woman and one is a man, who was holding a guitar. Three pairs of eyes were waiting for them to agree.
"What do you think, babe?" he whispered to her.
Rosette shrugged her shoulders. "It's up to you, babe. It's fine with me, though."
Collin smiled at her before nodding his head to the hopeful teens. "Come on guys!"
"Wait for me. I'll just get some pillows for us." The young guy passed his guitar to the other girl before leaving. They watched as his figure faded in the dark.
"May I borrow it?" Collin asked, pointing the musical instrument.
"Yes, Mister." The girl smiled as she handed the guitar.
"Just call me Collin. And this is my girlfriend, Rosette." Collin proudly introduced her to the young girls and gently pinched her chin using his free hand.
"Hi, Miss Rosette! Nice to meet you." The first girl waved her hand before saying her name. "My name is Natalie."
"Hello! It's nice to meet you too, Natalie." She held out her hand for a handshake and Natalie accepted it with a smile pasted on her face.
"And you are?" Rosette turned to the other girl who seemed shy.
"Jane, Ma'am." She shook hands with her before hiding her face at Natalie's back.
"Do you want some?" Rosette raised the cooked barbecue.
The two girls nodded in sync.
"Am I late?" The young guy arrived hugging three soft pillows. Sweats were flowing down from his forehead.
"No, you're just on time." Natalie helped the guy in putting down the pillows in front of the bonfire.
Collin introduced himself again then she followed. The guy named Earl accepted their handshake before sitting down at the left side of Natalie, the girl in the middle of their sitting arrangement.
"Are you a fan of Pop Rock?" Collin asked. His eyes were fixed to the teenagers while his right hand started strumming the strings. Rosette guessed that he would be playing the songs of one of his favorite bands. The Five Seconds of Summer.
Jane's eyes twinkled when she heard the introduction of the song. She turned her head to the two people in her left side and they followed the beat.
Rosette dropped her jaw seeing Jane, the most shy in the group, transformed to be the most crazy one as she sang the intro of "She looks so Perfect" song.
"Sorry, I got carried away." Jane's face became strawberry red when she noticed her stare.
"No, it's okay. Go on."
Collin paused strumming as he sung the first line of the chorus and pointed her. All of them chuckled as they continued singing and followed Collin's actions.
Rosette covered her awkwardness by combing her hair that was blown by the wind. Their laughter was like a breath of fresh air. It eliminated the dark aura of the island. One by one, the islanders opened their doors and some of them had the courage to go near them.
- Writer
