Story; Thinking of You While With Him (Laurel Burke)

[graceviolet]

NOTE: This definitely needs some expanding/editing/rewriting,etc!! Actually one of my professors wants me to change this into 3rd person (she feels that the reader isn't really able to "see" in the point of view of Laurel). I would really love your thoughts on what I have written so far & if you think it should stay in first person or not)
Oh & I know the names are still the same as F&F, I'm keeping them that way just until I'm done with my direct study/writing class for the summer (since both of my professors are used to those names). I'll most likely end up changing them.

Also, writing in Laurel's point of view has made me REALLY adore her character and we DEFINITELY need to include her more in F&F2! She's SUCH an interesting character & so strong/independent even with her lack of sight! Well at least in my novel she is)

I’m sitting in my empty Chemistry classroom during lunch. Science has always been the one thing I’m good at. My favorite subject? Marine Biology.

As I’m currently placing my head down on the cold plastic long table that is sporadically placed throughout the classroom for the various lab partners, I close my eyes and I’m transported to the ocean.

I’m obsessed with the ocean, always have been ever since I was younger. I think it’s great to be in a place that uses so many other senses, not just your sight. Not to mention the ocean in general is really calming.

First I would feel the slight breeze from the waves rushing upon the shore, I would feel the moist puddy like sand sinking under my feet with each move I make. Then the waves of the salt water would slowly brush against my feet, causing me to slightly jump from the coldness of the water.

I could feel the sun beating down on me, its rays slowly soaking into my light blonde hair. The overall warmth of the sun was wonderful as well.

When I was younger, before losing my sight, I would tag along with my older brother Will every time he decided to go swimming at our local pool.

There was just something about the water that calmed me down. I would just dunk my head under the water and close my eyes. It was in that moment when I was underwater that I could do anything, be anyone.

While my brother would practice his many swimming techniques for his swimming team, I would try and master crazy tricks underwater like somersaults and sitting cross-legged at the shallow end of the water. Sometimes I even pretended I was a mermaid, using my flippers as my “tail”.

But then after I lost my sight, my parents (my Mother especially) who were once laid back, became insanely cautious and worried about every little thing I did. “Laurel can’t do that because she can’t see,” always was their response to mostly everything; that included going swimming with Will.

But my love for swimming and the ocean never died.

Whenever I get stressed, I always close my eyes and imagine myself on the crisp, cool beach, hearing the seagulls cawing annoyingly and the sounds of the waves hitting the shore. It always seems to calm me down.

Suddenly, I hear footsteps in the science room. I immediately open my eyes, trying to act as if I wasn’t daydreaming or anything.

“Laurel? What are you doing here?”

It’s Lewis. He walks closer to me, probably wondering why I’m sitting here alone like a loser.

“Oh, just thinking.” I reply.

“Well it’s actually great that you’re here,” he says to me. I hear the loud screeching sounds of metal stools being thrust in various directions because Lewis keeps running into them as he makes his way towards me. “There was something I wanted to ask you.”

I swing my body away from the table, closer towards the sounds of Lewis’ voice.

“Which is what exactly?”

“How would you like to go on a date with me.”

*****

“Figured you’d want to go here since you love the ocean.” Lewis said to me, as we strolled down the wooden boardwalk, and its steps leading to the sandy beach.

I noticed Lewis had interlocked my right arm with his as we slowly walked down the steps.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so stupid, I should have lead you to the ramp.” Lewis said, heightening his pitch of voice out of nervousness and anxiousness.

I shook my head to reassure Lewis.

“Lewis, calm down. It’s only three steps, and I have Bear with me.” I raised my left arm that tightly held onto Bear’s harness.

At the mention of his name, Bear let out a loud bark.

Once I had landed on the soft mush like feel of the sand, I took off my strappy heels, which at this point, were making my feet ache from all the walking Lewis and I had done previously that evening.

Footsteps stopped in front of me; well more like the sound of crunched sand was heard. Of course, it was Lewis.

“Should you really of worn those shoes?”

I looked in the direction of his voice, my mouth gaping open like I just found out my favorite celebrity was standing before me or something. “Uh, you take that back! These heels are freakin’ amazing!” I sighed with pleasure, the second they were off my feet. Afterwards, I scrunched my toes in the soft puddy like sand.

“Let me guess,” Lewis began to say. “Arianna bought those for you.”

“No.” I replied. “She was just there when I bought them.”

“Oh sorry.” Lewis said. He was apparently holding out his hands in surrender from how pathetic his voice was sounding.

“Wait,” I stopped him. My right hand pointer finger was extended out to him as I said, “We’re at the beach right?”

“Yep, salt water and all.”

“That’s what I thought.” I knelt down next to my panting chocolate lab, Bear. “Hey Bear, you wanna run around?”

No reaction from him at all.

“Oh sorry.” I removed his heavy harness off of his back. The second his harness was gone, Bear transformed into any bone-loving, ball chasing dog, wagging his tail excitedly. “Go play.”

Bear’s legs quickly took off so fast they sounded like thunder.

“But what if he leaves?” Lewis says to me. I forgot he was still in front of me for a moment, causing me to slightly jump an inch up in the air.

“Psh, he’s trained; the farthest he’s gonna go on his own is like ten feet. He knows not to wander off.”

“Well in that case lets sit down or something.” Lewis suggested. He slowly puts his arm around my waist, dropping my body down on the cold sandy shore.

As soon as my butt touched the ground, I immediately felt the gritty little beads of sand crawl underneath the fabric of the dress I was currently wearing. It was like they were crawling like ants to a picnic basket of food. I swat the sand away. I gather the long flowing fabric of the dress and drape it over my legs, so as not to expose my entire nether regions; what with the wind blowing every which way.

“Don’t you just love the feel of the wind against your face? And the way the waves roll up onto the shore?” Lewis asked me. Based on his voice, his head is tilted back, enjoying himself as the wind runs through his clothing, the sound of his cotton shirt flapping against the strong breeze.

“Yeah,” I respond. I quickly pull my sweater closer to me and scoot more towards Lewis’ presence, hoping his larger masculine body will act as a shield for me against the wind. “It’s kind of chilly though.”

I heard Lewis move from his spot to a few feet back towards the big wicker picnic basket that he had in his possession the entire date. Early on, we ate quite a lot of food in a small park not far from this spot.

I can hear a long whooshing sound come from the basket; whatever Lewis is pulling out of it is causing the glasses and plates to clatter and the Tupperware to be shuffled.

“You want a blanket?” he asks me.

Without even answering his question, I feel this soft plush blanket being pulled around my back and cover my shoulders.

“Um, thanks.” I grab a hold of the blanket and pull it closer towards me.

Woof! The rattle of dog tags come closer as Bear trots his way to where Lewis and I are sitting. He lies down next to me, his lower back pushing up against my right side.

I grab a piece of the blanket Lewis gave me that is now dangling off into the sand because of its huge length and place it onto Bear’s back. Even though he probably doesn’t need the extra warmth, what with his thick animal fur, I hear him dig his front paws further into the sand, absolutely loving his life.

“Told ya he wouldn’t run away,” I gloat to Lewis, rubbing Bear’s back over the blanket.

Bear pushes his head back, tightening his muscles throughout and lets out a loud yawn, complete with rancid doggie breath.

“So, what’d you think of tonight?” Lewis asks me, completely pulling me out of my thoughts and time with Bear.

I move my head in the position of Lewis’ voice and respond, “I really loved the picnic you planned in the park and this is really nice as well.” I gesture my hands out towards the entire beach.

“Yeah, it has been nice, hasn’t it?” Lewis responds.

It’s at this point that I notice Lewis has slowly scooted his body closer to mine. Not quite sure what to make of this action, I simply do nothing. Perhaps the weather is making him cold…or was he making a pass at me?

It was when he moved his arm around my shoulder that I got my answer. The closer he drew me in, the more he reminded me of a boa constrictor clutching its prey. His hand began to rub my back in slow movements, back and forth, and so on.

Instead of being soothing, it sent chills down my spine.

What do I do? What do I do? I thought to myself.

“Lewis, no,” I whisper, more so to myself then to him.

“Yeah?” he asks. From the position of his voice, he’s completely looking at me; heck he’s probably staring into my eyes right now.

Oh crap, he heard me! I thought.

“Oh nothing,” was my response. “Just thinking of the last time I was here.”

“Let me guess,” Lewis started to say. He removes his arm from my waist. “It involves a certain blonde girl.”

I laughed out of sheer awkwardness. “Arianna and I did come here once yes.” I replied. A big smile appeared on my face at the memory of Arianna and I swimming in this exact ocean while Ash Dove’s party was going on in the distance. The two of us got in loads of trouble afterwards for sneaking off, but it was most definitely worth it.

“Are you sure you want to be with me and not someone else?” Lewis said, bringing me back into reality and out of my memories with Arianna.

“Of course I want to be here…with you.” I replied, I reached my left hand out to where I presumed Lewis’ back was.

In response, Lewis gently grabbed a hold of my arm and positioned it around his back.

“Thanks,” I muttered to Lewis.

He moved his head so it could rest on my shoulder.

But what should have felt like a kind gesture felt more like his head was smashed against my shoulder like some weird game of Tetris.

“You’re welcome,” he replied.

The smell of his gross body spray wafted off of him, the closer I was in contact with him. It was like my nose was being punished by the horrid odor that was being thrown my way.

“This is nice, right?” Lewis asked me.

“Yep,” was my only response. I smiled just in case he was looking at me or something.

If this was so fun and nice, then how come I yearned for the smell of sweet vanilla instead of the gross musky scent of body spray that was currently being thrown my way?

 

 

Comments

[taeyeons]

(1) admittedly, I am a HUGE third person kind of lady (but there are some exceptions. MANY exceptions...its just that when i write, i'm pretty much always in third person). but i don't know...i like it the way it is. we rarely write f&f characters in third person...so hmm...i like getting in laurel's head.

also i'm trying to work some lewis/laurel into the new chapter so this is perf, thanks for the inspiration.

time to break out my oceanography book (two time national ocean sciences bowl captain for my hs team what whattt (and now i'm a moderator for the event haha).