The Heart of the Ocean

“Stay wild ocean child"

-Unknown

The music was loud. A heavy bass was blasting from the speakers, making everyone go crazy. The entire beach was filled with teens who were dancing barefoot on the sand. A huge bonfire was placed in the center –the orange flames were casting shadows on their bodies as they moved to the seductive rhythm.

Aide felt Aileen gripping her arm tightly as soon as they arrived. The red-haired was getting nervous -she wasn’t feeling comfortable around so many people. She was an introvert –always the quiet and shy one of the three. Parties weren’t really her thing. Aide gave her a comforting smile, before approaching Petra. She was observing the dancing crowd, trying to find the person she was looking for.

“I thought you said it would be cozy?“, Aide yelled, trying to be heard over the music.

The blonde grinned at her –her blue eyes sparkling in mischief. Aide shook her head in disappointment, before sighing deeply. Of course, it had to be extremely packed! She hated crowded places with a passion –they made her feel claustrophobic. Even more, she hated drunk people invading her personal space. Well, look at that! Seemed like it was her lucky day, wasn’t it?

Aide rolled her eyes at her own sarcasm.

“Oh, he is coming! He is coming!“, Petra yelled nervously, ” Okay! Act normal everyone!”

Aide raised a dark eyebrow as her friend turned around quickly.

“How’s my hair?“, she asked as her fingers combed through the blonde locks.

“They look great, P”, Aileen reassured her.

“Are you sure? I think they fly a bit on this si-”

Aide quickly slapped her hand away from her head, before gripping her shoulders and turning her around. A boy was coming their way with a huge smile decorating his face. His brown locks seemed to be messy as if he had run his fingers through them too many times. Petra could feel her heart pounding in her chest at the sight.

“Girls!“, his smile widened, “You made it!”

Petra didn’t speak right away -she felt as if her tongue was tied.

“Yeah, well”, Aide shrugged her shoulders, “It wasn’t like we had anything better to do, you know...like have a movie marathon or sle- OH!”

Her hands flew to her ribs as Petra glared at her.

“That hurt!“, she whispered-yelled in her ear.

“It will hurt more if you don’t shut up!“, Petra promised her.

They glared at each other briefly, before focusing on the boy in front of them.

“Thank you for inviting us, Thomas”, Petra gave him a sweet smile, “It was very kind of you.”

“Of course!“, he caressed the back of his neck nervously, “Come on! Let’s get you a drink!”

Before she could realize what was happening, Aide found herself following Petra through the dancing teens. People were constantly bumping into her as they moved their bodies to the echoing bass. The stench of alcohol and salt was heavy in the atmosphere, making her dizzy. She began to breathe intently, feeling extremely confined. Her hand gripped Aileen tightly, trying to not lose her amidst the chaos. Fortunately, the nightmare ended soon enough and she could breathe freely again.

A red cup was given to her. Bringing it close to her nose, she winced at the sharp scent; definitely, Vodka. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to drink tonight. She didn’t feel comfortable around so many people to let loose. She had a strange feeling -it was more of an instinct. She didn’t ponder much on it, deciding she just wouldn’t drink. She wanted to be conscious and ready to react in case something happened.

She gazed towards the ocean. The water was dark, mirroring the night sky. The sounds of the waves crashing on the shore didn’t reach her ears -the music was too loud. She could see them though. She could see their wrath and power as they crashed on the sharp rocks of the beach. She could see them turning into a thousand droplets by its force. She shivered slightly. She turned her gaze elsewhere; she didn’t want to ruin her mood.

Her eyes found Petra’s form. She smiled as she watched her friend dancing with her crush. She was laughing at something Thomas had said as they moved to the rhythm together. Her cheeks were flushed and she had returned to her carefree personality. Aide couldn’t help but grin. At least, someone would have a good time tonight.

As the hours were passing by, the red cups started to become empty before getting filled again. The alcohol set fire in their veins, clouding their thoughts and making them dance harder. Sweaty bodies started to grind upon each other as boys and girls came closer. They wanted to take advantage of the freedom that the alcohol had offered them; even if it was just for one night.

Aide was leaning against a large rock, taking everything in. It was a bit further than everyone else, but she had a clear view of the entire party. She cringed when a couple appeared a few feet away from her. They were obviously drunk and so into eating each other’s face out that they hadn’t even noticed her. She left as soon as he caged the moaning girl against the rock.

She started walking through the dancing teens, trying to find Aileen. She hadn’t realized when they had separated; the girl must be freaking out. She caught sight of Petra and made her way towards her. Perhaps, she was with her, or at least, she had seen her.

“P! Have you seen Ail?“, she asked, “I am tr-”

“AAAide!“, Petra hugged her tightly, “Yoour m-my bestest friend!”

The brunette furrowed her eyebrows before taking hold of her chin and gazing at her face. Her eyes were unfocused as a slight blush had taken over her cheeks. Her hair had become messy and her lips were swollen. She had a silly smile on her face and she was a bit unsteady.

“Are you fucking drunk?“, she asked.

“Nooooo”, Petra slurred, “I’m ash sober ash I...I’m nna be.”

Aide shook her head, before letting her go.

“Yeah”, she mumbled, “And I’m batman.”

Petra’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Heeeeeeey, Barman! I’m P-p....hmm, dunno but ’m gonna rememba”, she hummed.

“Great”, Aide nodded to herself, “I’m alone in this.”

Turning around, she tried to find Aileen through the chaos of drunk teenagers. She passed through the sweaty bodies, getting fed up when they kept on rubbing on her. She started to panic as the red-haired was nowhere to be found. She began to ask around hoping that somebody had seen her, but the answers she received weren’t much help. Well, what could she expect from drunk people?

“Have you seen Aileen Smith?“, she asked a group that seemed kind of sober.

“Who?“, asked one of them.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

“I’m looking for my friend”, Aide explained, “Red-haired, green eyes, shortish...”

“Ah, you mean the cute one?“, another guy enlighted.

Aide stared at him for a moment.

“I guess.”

“Hmm”, he let out the smoke from his cigarette, “I’ve seen her a while ago. She was talking to a guy.”

“What guy?“, she furrowed her eyebrows.

“The mayor’s son, if I am not mistaken.”

Aide clenched her fists by her sides as anger and panic settled in her bones. She had to find Aileen -right now! The mayor’s son, Alastor Steel, didn’t know the meaning of ‘boundaries’. Like a spoiled child, he never took ‘no’ for an answer. Aide was so sick of it -so furious at the way he treated everyone as if they were below him. He had been bullying Aileen for a while now -hurting her with his comments more than he did with his hands. She knew that her sensitive friend was too scared to stand up for herself -especially, against her bully. So, she made a silent promise to her that she would protect her no matter what.

And she intended to honor that promise.

Thanking the guys, she followed the directions they had given to her. She found herself straying away from the party, following the sounds of cheers to another side of the beach. She carefully moved over some sharp rocks to reach that part of the beach. The music behind her seemed to be far away.

Aide couldn’t believe her eyes. Her heart was racing in her chest, feeling almost as if her heart would burst from her ribcage. Her breathing became heavy as her palms became sweaty. She started to make her way towards her friend with a look of determination in her eyes.

She hated this. She hated when people preyed on the innocent. When they went after those who were weak and vulnerable. She couldn’t understand why anyone would do something like this. Did it make them feel stronger? Were they proud of themselves? Was it a boost to their confidence?

She always believed that strength does not lie in power but in compassion. It is easy to hurt someone; to bruise their skin and break their spirit. To strip them of their pride and confidence, making them feel unworthy. Aide always considered them cowards, because they were unable to show love. To nurture and protect those who need it -that’s a real strength.

She could feel her anger becoming stronger at the sight of her frightened friend. Aileen was surrounded by five people -three boys and two girls who were obviously drunk. Her trembling form was frantically trying to find a way to leave. Her attempts were in vain -they kept blocking her way while mocking her for her desperate pleas.

“Where are you going, sweetheart?”

“Let me go!“, she tried to release her arm from his grip, “Let me go!”

The others laughed around them, cheering the boy that was holding her.

“You got a fiesty one, Alastor!“, someone teased.

Aileen started to hit his chest with her fists. It didn’t last for long as he took hold of both her arms. She started to kick her legs around, but in vain. Tears gathered in her eyes as the others just watched and laughed.

“Come on, babygirl”, Alastor leaned closer to her face, “Don’t be so difficult.”

Aileen scrunched her nose as the smell of alcohol reached her nostrils. His dark locks were disheveled -his brown eyes unfocused. He didn’t seem to understand what she was telling him or perhaps, he didn’t really care. Her pleads to let her go fell on deaf ears and her tears seemed to only fuel his confidence.

“Let me go!“, she yelled once again, leaning behind in an attempt to keep his face away from hers.

“I just want a kiss, baby”, he mumbled close to her lips, “Won’t you give me one?”

Aileen closed her eyes in defeat -her tears rolling down her cheeks in a river of sadness.

“She won’t.”

The laughter was cut short. Alastor’s attention turned away from the girl in his arms and focused on the figure that was approaching them. Aileen felt a tidal wave of relief washing over her at the familiar voice.

“But if you are so desperate for a kiss that you have to force someone to give you one, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed”, she stated firmly.

The people of the group took a step back as she passed by them. Aide couldn’t help but be disgusted with them -why couldn’t they step back when Aileen asked them to? Because Aileen was trying to be polite and politeness is considered a weakness in their eyes. However, Aide wasn’t a person to be messed with -she didn’t take that bullshit lightly. She had proven this to them from time to time.

“You”, Alastor smirked at the brunette “Want to kiss me?”

She smiled up at him sweetly.

“Of course, I do”, she said as she approached him.

When she was standing right in front of him, she leaned closer.

“I want my fist to kiss your cheek roughly”, she whispered.

Before anyone could understand what happened, Aide’s fist had connected with Alastor’s right cheek. He let go of Aileen’s figure as his palm flew to his pulsing flesh. A painful groan escaped his lips as his friends surrounded him to make sure he was alright. The red imprint of her fist would soon turn into a vivid purple -a mark that he will have to bear on his face for a long time.

Aide took Aileen’s hand quickly, pulling her away from the crowd. Pushing the red-haired lightly on the back, Aileen didn’t need to be told twice. She followed Aide as they started to make their way to the other side of the beach -the music of the party could still be heard. However, their feet were sinking in the sand, making their pace slow. It wasn’t long before an angry Alastor was approaching them.

“Where are you going, b*tch?“, he shouted furiously.

Aide glanced at Aileen, taking in her trembling force.

“I want you to run to the party and find Petra”, she told the red-haired, “Take her home, she is drunk.”

“What about you?“, Aileen asked nervously.

“I’m gonna deal with this asshole and go home”, she stated firmly, “I think we had enough for one night.”

“Aide, I-”

“Go, Ail”, the brunette smiled, “I’m right behind you.”

Aileen sighed to herself, before nodding. She didn’t like the idea of leaving her behind, but she knew that she wouldn’t be much of a help to her. On the contrary, Aide would have to keep an eye on her too. The red-haired knew her friend was more than capable of defending herself. So, she decided to help Petra. One thing less for Aide to worry about.

The brunette smiled at her friend’s retreating form, before turning to face the drunk asshole that was standing a few feet behind her. He was gazing furiously at her as his friends stood behind him. She couldn’t help but feel satisfaction at the sight of the red mark she had gifted him with.

Little did she know.

She should have stayed at the party.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

End of chapter 7!!

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