"I'll help you with that." Christy said to Elie as she place a plaster on the cut above his eyes, just on his left brow.
"How did it happen?" She asked after retreating to her seat close to him near the chimney.
His hand flew to the back of his neck and he rubbed gently, she understood he wasn't comfortable with the topic. She had learn a lot during the past days she hung out with him, she discovered a unique person with a diamond heart.
"Sor -"
"Got on my Forster father's bad side." He said, actually he wanted to close the topic and not say anything, but the look on her face forced it out of him, he couldn't afford to loose her again.
The tension in the room was increasing as silence grew among the teens.
"Do you know what I'd like to do?" She asked, he shook his head in response.
"I wanna go yo an amusement park!" She exclaimed.
"What's that?" He was looking at her just carving another figure, a different one.
"What?!" Christy looked at him wide eyes, "you have never been to an amusement park?"
"No."
Her worries grew at his reply, she had thought he had a little experience about a normal life, but his answer giving a different idea.
"What did you do when you were a kid then?"
He shrugged, "nothing, just get locked up by my Forster parents cause I won't talk to them, spend twelve months in a rehab being locked up, got thrown to an orphanage and got locked up in the basement cause the nuns didn't want me, in short, I spent my childhood in the dark, staying away from people and having psychiatrist check me over and over again." He monotonously narrated.
Christy was struck with shock and sympathy, she could imagine the little Elie peeping through holes trying to see the children playing outside and wished he could join them.
"What if I help you catch up with your childhood?" She grinned excitedly.
Elie sigh, "I appreciate your effort but I don't think is possible. I don't have the desire to do anything other than this." He pointed to his figures.
"Says who? Just wait till we get where I'm thinking." She grabbed his hand and made her way to the exit.
He had no other choice than to follow her, he didn't want to hurt her feelings.
**********
"I present you! The amusement park!!!" Christy cheered.
"Is so noisy." Elie said buy she couldn't hear over the huge crowd chatting and the music playing.
"Come!" She grabbed his hand and the walk to the scary ride.
Once in the tunnel, Christy was petrified by the scary clown faces and skeleton popping out from everywhere, she through herself on his chest and bury her head till there were out of there.
"Phew!" She wiped her forehead.
"If you didn't like it why trying it?" He asked.
"For fun! Oh looked at the ice cream seller!" She jumped before racing to the truck. She ordered two ice creams and paid for it.
"Here have one." She offered to him in excitement.
"No thanks." He gladly refused her offer.
"Come on! That's the first thing you should do in other to catch up with your childhood.
"No I can't."
"Why?"
He shrugged.
"Fine. But I'm not giving up yet." She dragged him to the another activity, then another and another...
He didn't enjoyed it a bit, it was horrible to him, he hated all the noise and crowds, but for her he stayed, she was hyperactive! Running from one place to another and cheering each time, her eyes were big and filled with sparkles, she never stop talking of what she did with her father, he did missed her.
"The roller coaster!" She pointed.
"Can we just go -"
"Yeah!" She dragged him along with her to the roller coaster.
As soon as the ride started Elie could hear THEM.
Remove your security belt and jump down, end this hell. Jump! Jump!
He dug his nails on the sit trying to ignore the voice, he didn't stop looking down though, sweats broke on his forehead as the voice persisted.
Jump! You deserve it, is too easy just loose the belt and jump! You'll not survive this time and no one will ever question you again! All your bad memories will be gone, you'll be free, end it here and now!
His hands flew to his belt and he began unbuckling slowly. He knew the voice was right, he needed to end it. She won't wept for him rather she'll be thankful.
The instance he had finished unbuckling the ride came to a stop. He couldn't be much thankful.
"Again!" Christy happily screamed. Elie had had enough with her persuasions.
He got out brutally and head to the exit. She ran after him.
"Elie! What's wrong?!" She finally caught up with him and successfully stopped him. Only then did she notice how sweaty he was.
"Are you okay?" She placed her hand on his check worriedly.
"Yeah." He looked away.
"You're lying, why are you shaking then?" She held his upper arm with both hand to keep him from turning.
"Nothing much I just had..." He paused while gently break free from here hold.
"Had what?"
"I wanted to jump down! I don't like this place, is too loud and too noisy, I don't like it here, I appreciate your help but you know is impossible, I can't have my childhood back, what happened had happened, stop trying, I'll never like such a place." He said bluntly.
All the sparkles in her eyes disappeared. She had noticed how uncomfortable he was with the place.
He sigh, "I'm sorry, I've ruined it for you, great. I really think you should stop hanging out with me. I'm not interesting, I'll rub my loner character on you." He sigh and turn to leave.
"Wait." She stood in front of his stopping him in his tracks. "You're a cool person on your way, is my fault I shouldn't have forced you here without taking your opinion into consideration. I was been selfish having fun and totally ignoring you. Sorry."
He nodded.
The returned back to the woods heading straight to their tree house when.
"Hey, uh, if you don't mind is their a lake around here?" Christy asked is been a while since the have been walking in silence she wanted to have a proper conversation with him.
"Yeah." Elie responded, he wanted to add a warning but knew better, he thought she'll be fade up with him, he's got a lot of restrictions in order to keep THEM in and stay calm.
"Where? I'll like to see it!" She looked around.
He nodded and show her the way, in no time, the were in front of the beautiful lake.
"Whoa." She went closer to the lake taking off her top then her skirt, only left in leggings and T-shirt, she was not going on bikini in front of a boy.
"W-what are you doing?" Elie asked with fear cringing to his tone, no matter how hard he tried to hide his fear it was still showing.
"Don't be scared I just want yo swim, I'll be out in no time." She jumped in the water staying under for three seconds before resurfacing.
"Come! It cold! And nice!" She waved to h back he gladly refused and took some few steps back. She went back down going to the bottom of the lake this time, there was a fish net with hooks and rocks with fishes.
She approach one of the fishes extending her hand to touch it but it dived away, she was running out of breath so she tried to swim to the surface but she was held down, something was pulling her head. She looked back and discovered her hair tangled with the hooks, she tried to pulled the net but it was under a hug rock.
She tried to untangle her hair from the hooks but only made it worst. She knew Elie will never plunge in, he was dead scar of water, from what happened to his brother. She knew, she was so doomed, she couldn't breath. She couldn't scream.
God please help me. She praised silently.
Meanwhile...
Elie stood far from the lake waiting for her to resurface, but she never came up. Began freaking.
Help me! Please help me!
He could hear his brother pleads echoing in his head and for a split second he saw him drowning in the lake.
"Christy!" He called but nothing.
He took cautious steps to the lake and pipe for any sign of her, no bubbles nothing, he was caught in a huge panic.
She was gone for a while, no one could hold their breath for so long.
He took of his jacket with shaky hands. He was scared of the water, he knew it was dangerous to go closer to lake but Christy will never listen she was so stubborn.
He shoved all the horrible memories behind his mind and jumped in, he swam to the bottom of the lake looking for Christy, still he spotted her, float close to a rock, her eyes were shut and she wasn't moving, he went to her and tried to swim up with her but her hair was still stuck with the hooks. Carefully he untangled and soon she was free, he took her in his arms and swam to the surface.
He lay her on the land and tap her check.
"Christy?" He pressed his ear on her chest, but heard nothing.
He shook her but she was still unconscious, then he did what anyone will do, the mouth to mouth method.
It didn't seem to work cause she was still unconscious, he pulled his phone out to call an ambulance when she started coughing.
He sigh in relief, "are you okay."
"You entered the lake all because of me?" She looked at him straight in the eyes.
"Uh, you didn't come up." He said his voice holding more emotions than intended to, she had never heard him speech with such feelings.
"But your trauma, your brother and all."
"To hell all that, I won't let anything happen to anyone cause of my stupid fear."
The both remained silent just staring at each other then Christy lock the space between them, then her lips brush against his, softly, delicately, like butterfly wings, just long enough for him to inhale her strawberry fragrance and feel her warm breath, even when she pulled away and blushed he could still taste her lips on his. He felt a lot different from his old self, it was like he was floating on the clouds, for some seconds all his alert and worries let down. He only stare at her, if only he knew how to kiss he would have reciprocated.
"Um, I'll be heading home is getting dark." She grabbed her clothes and put on her booths.
She saw him grin from the corner of her eyes as she left, then she understood behind the gray face, a boy with life was hidden.