Too late now to say, Sorry?

[Natasha Black]

Watching Veronica accept a plate of food from Catcher. This very attractive man had given her his number and she didn't want it. "I didn't mean I wanted to call him, I meant he looks like your type." Natasha's eyes Catcher, really not know how to react to everything going on at the moment but accepted the plate of food.Her thoughts of surprise were quickly turned into thought sadness for her dear friend. couldn't help but to comfort her, she watched the tears streamed down her face. She had experienced similar pain, but now it was all gone now purified by the waters that tried to take her life. Placing her plate down on the log she knew she needed to comfort her friend.

She place her arms around Veronica's body,she hugged her tightly. "Boys are just idiots. Just forget about it all right now. I understand what you're going through, we only have one life, be a rebel and make your own happiness." She knew her advice would fall flat for the past few years, all she was doing was living in the past, hoping for some sort of future that would never happen. She was going to make some modifications in her life. Starting with tonight. "You don't want to call him just wash it off. He's hot and all but right now I have my own plans for how I want summer to go."

She let go of Veronica and picked up plate headed over cooler and put on every condiment possible. She began to eat but he mind was now in different place. It was surprised when Seth agreed that skinny dipping might be fun. There would be no backing out now."Thanks for dinner Catch," after only eating one burger she put her paper plates in the garbage. She wasn't really hungry right now.So there would be more food for the others to polish off. She wanted to do something fun, skinny dipping was only the first thing that came to mind. She went to the cooler and drank another mouth full of vodka.

Shaking of the burning feeling she began taking off her tank top and shorts again and stood by the boys in her underwear. It's nothing they hadn't seen before, this time she was more confident in herself unlike the night when she had been on stage with Candi dancing to the effects of whatever pharmaceutical she had. She looked over at Catcher and played with the shoulder straps of her bra pulling them off her shoulders on both sides so they fell to the side of her arms.She bit her lip and started walking backwards getting a good view of Seth and Veronica trying to read everyone's expression. " Don't you all be to shy, were fucking shape shifter at some point we will all see each there naked whats the problem." Turning back around she stopped at a log by the edge of the water and removed the rest of her clothing. She stood there for a second then ran right in."Someone better come join me, you can't all be too chicken."

[Catcher Reeves]

Catcher stood there awkwardly, hearing Veronica sob then proceeding to behave as though nothing happened. Her emotions flipped like a switch from a moment ago when the stranger came and left; they were so entertained and now they were at an intervention of sorts. She had rejected his suggestion about calling or chasing down that man and he was somewhat relieved yet distrustful of his ears. For a moment he had heard Veronica suggest Natasha wanted the number and he was just peeking up at the clouds thinking about how ridiculous that would be. If that were the case, these two women were flakey and confusing; the liquor was his only confidante. He could only imagine how fast they’d launch an attack on him if he behaved that thirstily over every attractive woman that came to introduce themselves; double standards allowed. Making a note that Veronica was not as intrigued as she could've been, he wondered if Natasha was accurate that this man was her type; he wasn't sure why it mattered as it benefitted him none.
Despite acting the potential heartbreaker he couldn’t establish a connection with anyone unless they were friends first and it was difficult to let the world in when it was shallower than his preference and he liked to believe others were the same ideal. It was certainly news, hearing what Veronica had said about chasing a man and he presumed that man was Axel; which prompted a majorly unenthused expression to cross his face. Eating his burger until the last mouthful was ingested; he looked at the grill top. Seth had purchased such full tomahawk steaks that it would take longer than forty minutes to roast so he covered it with a lid, broiling it.

In time, Natasha was hugging Veronica in an openly comforting sisterly way and he just watched as they reconciled almost as if they hadn’t spent years apart. Stuffing a watermelon slice into his mouth, he gulped a swallow of tequila immediately after and wrinkled his nose from the gasoline added sugar high that slid down his throat. ”Well at least give it to Seth if you two don’t want it.” He said with wariness, trying to register that his best friend seemed very interested, gawking after the man; he was definitely missing something but he couldn’t come out with an outlandish question after only a week or rekindling their friendship.

Momentously everyone except him seemed to be in some hugging, consoling mood and his eyes seemed to strain too much with cynicism so he looked aside, sullen. Although Seth had not moved, he could tell there was empathy oozing around him into their space and Catcher just walked out from the circle around the flames, hands in his pockets. Boys like him were idiots, he concurred and thought how little Natasha knew it was because of girls like them; one day soon he hoped a change would come to him.

He was only half dry being around the grill and half sticky from the damp ocean water. Natasha suggested they skinny dip and he looked into the sand then into the shadowed endless distance, standing away from his friends, listening but aloof. ”You guys aren’t eating much. Leaves more for the rest of the night I guess.” It was nothing; what she thanked him for. Her reasoning to do so eluded him; he would make food for them anytime, anywhere. What left him most befuddled was how he would handle being naked in front of all of them after not having phased for months. He was no longer used to public nudity, and his attraction to both women made it a dicey situation. His reluctance told him it wasn’t just him who would be sensitive to his nakedness; he was sure neither Veronica nor Natasha really wanted to be around naked boys. With Seth they had always been fine together, but he had an inkling even that wasn’t the same now.

Precarious, he couldn’t refuse and tried to remodel his automatic reaction towards Natasha’s sensuous behaviour; granting himself the freedom to rivet his eyes upon her enticingly playing with the straps, Catcher sighed and managed a slanted smile, one that resembled his usual smirk, letting her toying taint him as nothing more than winding him up. She was nothing but a tease tonight and only tonight. He took out his hands that were tucked and wiped his face, his feelings disorganized but forcibly compartmentalized as her silhouette illuminated, purely skin and feminine form. Each of them always did what the other wanted; it was peer pressure paired with the foundation of their friendship so how could he spoil things. It would be worse to enter the sea last if everyone else was naked and watching.

”You drive a hard bargain.” Saying so to himself, he knew she wouldn’t hear him but the other two would, pressing his eyes shut to foil any insecurity and uncertainty. Catcher walked over slowly over to the driftwood trunk that was logged at the crashing edge, her pieces of underwear strewn over it while he glanced at her swimming. The tide had come in and the water was deeper now; he was still afraid for her and hoped she knew the perils of what she decided now better than ever. There, he tugged off the shirt reaching from the nape of his neck and began hastily undressing his board shorts and swimming trunks. Once those were off, it seemed there was nothing to care about anymore and he ran a few paces to dive in, floating further away from her, rubbing the salt from his eyes and smiling warmly at how cooling the water felt. "If you get out, I'm getting out." Dark water enveloping him, the clarity of the galaxy came into view, uncovered from the glaring fire. The stars were like fireflies lining up to guide them, lined as crystalline as a desert sky. With a swipe of his arm, he splashed a wave in Natasha’s direction so it rolled heavily towards her with the current while tossing dripping locks of hair away, bright eyed and facing the moon.

[Veronica Call]

Veronica finished her burger and her own misery thoughts took over her mind. She was practiced breathing and keeping mantra on repeat in her mind so she doesn’t have anything else to worry aside from being her best self. She sighed and got up to throw away the plate. She lost her appetite for actual food and wanted a tub of ice cream. She hugged Natasha back, sharing same pain as her. One good thing came out for Natasha, her dying in order to break the imprint on Quil. She seemed happy, content and the way she spoke, Veronica noticed how the weight has been lifted from Natasha’s shoulders. ”Thank you. I really needed this hug and advise from you. I’ve missed you like crazy. And whatever crazy idea you have, we will make it happen.” She laughed when she mentioned giant tatted man that gave her number and shook her head. ”I’m good, I don’t want no man in my life right now. I have you guys and that’s plenty for me. I love you Nat.”

She got up to throw away her plate and stretch her legs. Veronica missed this part of friendship, being there and being supportive of one another. Catcher being outside of the pack, he was still one of them. She was dying to know what he was thinking and really wanted to hear what he has to do. She fears that he might not open up completely about what he thinks or feels. She threw her plate away and walked back to see Natasha’s silhouette without any clothes by the shore. She watched as she went into water saying something about being a chicken if no one joins in. Few minutes ago, she was telling her she would make her crazy insane idea come true and here she was debating if she should join or not. She mentally hit herself for making that promise knowing that it would bite her in the ass one day. That one day was now.

She watched Catcher strip and slowly made his way to Natasha, splashing water and gazing at the beautiful stars under crescent moon. ”Seth, you coming?” Veronica walked towards the trunk, she pulled her romper from her shoulders, letting them drop by her ankle. She came out of the romper, placed it on the wood, followed by her pantie and since she wasn’t wearing any bra, she didn’t had to worry about it. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Calming her nerves and heart in the process. She walked closed to the shore, letting cool water touch her, making her shiver a Little. Fuck it. I’m doing this. Veronica walked towards the water and when she was in the deep, she went under water and emerged, moving her short hair back. She aligned her body to the surface of the water to float on her back. Opening her eyes to a sky full of stars and moon shining. This was a view she would have died million times for. ”It’s so peaceful here.” She whispered to herself.

[Seth Rivers]

Seth shook his head as Catcher at the offer to take the big guy's number. "The only thing I wanted his number for was to see how he got his muscles so big. Did he eat an elephant or something." He flexed his arm to see how big his arms were. Compared to the human mountain his arm was no more than average guys who spend all day on a couch eating cheetos. He would always look more like an over inflated string bean, he could eat enough to keep as much muscle as that guy.

Seth fished his third burger and picked up his drink, Veronica had made a comment earlier about him not being twenty one yet. Age didn't matter, it wasn't like he got brain damage or not being responsible enough. He didn't know why she was caring for him like that tonight, he didn't need another sister, he just wanted a friend that was done for fun.He watched as Tash had finished eating and cleaned up. There was all this for and she was already done there was more from him then. He hadn't been playing much attention to the sky it had past twilight and all the stars were making themselves known.

A quick change of the mood around the party happened.Tash had stripped down to her underwear and teased them a bit before she headed to the edge of the water and undressed and headed into the water. Seth stood there mouth open and a half chew bite of food fell out. Catcher and then girls barely ate anything he was already on his fourth burger, with all the excitement he placed it down on a plate not knowing he returned to it or not. Seth was shocked that Tash who was usually shy was now completely naked in the water.

When Catcher joined in next Seth didn’t expect anything different from him. He always enjoyed a good time. It was one of the things he liked about his best friend. He had a great sense of adventure .For a moment it was just him and Veronica and soon she was off down towards the shore removing everything and heading in. A thought came across my mind, a childish one he could either steal all the clothes and run down the beach or join his friends in the water, Either option at this point seemed great. It was Veronica shouting for him to get in that pulled him back to reality. He quickly ran down the beach striping off his clothes leaving them in the sand splashing water in every direction obscuring their view of him. He looked up at the sky and a shooting star flew past his field of vision. He made a wish hoping for everyone to find their happiness.

[Natasha Black]

Tash waited for a moment in the water, Catcher towards her first she turned her head away from his direction while he undressed and seconds later she was greeted in the water by splash. "Do that again I'll spy on you getting out." She wanted to submerge herself into the water and come back out like a mermaid gracefully like a mermaid,place her hands on his shoulders and pull her in for a kiss. She held back because She could see Veronica silhouette on the shore getting in to join them. If only she had another few minutes alone with Catcher, she didn't so she moved farther away.

Her eyes were still on him watching the moonlight shining in his face. There was something so beautiful and rugged to him she hadn’t really noticed before. She hadn't noticed much about anything for so long, that it made a little tear drip down her face. She quickly dipped under to hide it from her. She came back out to hear Veronica looking up at the sky "Sure, is, I'v missed this." Seth came in next looking at the sky respectfully as he came. She saw a shooting star across the sky, she made a wish for herself, in that she never share.

Moving though the water she let the waves wash over her face. She felt so different since the last time she had been at the beach. She would sit look out across the water each wave would make her slip deeper in a trance wanting it to swallow her up and take her away. Tonight she didn't want that to happen any longer,tonight they pushed her to live for herself. Not caring about Veronica or Seth she move over to Catcher’s throwing her arms over his shoulders and pulling him in close for a kiss.

[Veronica Call]

Floating in the ocean under the stars and moon made her feel at peace. There weren’t any noises in her head, it was just silence. Quiet. Her mind wasn’t running hundred miles per hour, she was just there, floating in the present and enjoying. Her eyes lit up when she saw shooting star, she closed her eyes and made a wish. A wish that her friends find their true love and conquer the world. She didn’t want to wish anything for herself, she was done being old version of Veronica where she wanted something, she went for it without caring what others think or what the consequences were. There was nothing left in her except hope. Hope that she finds herself, her confidence and a genuine smile.

She threaded water without paying attention to Natasha and Catcher. They had their own thing going on and last thing she wanted was to be a creepy stalker. When Natasha and Catcher had kissed in the sand, it bothered her more than anything. She didn’t want to show how it had affected her, didn’t want to deal with the pain and just wanted to move past of all the heartache. Seth had ended up joining skinny dipping team but she realized once she got in the water was that idea may have been for Natasha and Catcher only, not for others. Feeling like a third wheeler and seeing Natasha wrapping her arms around Catcher from corner of her eye, she swam away from them. It felt like someone keeps stabbing her heart with a knife and they’re enjoying the agony she’s in. Veronica felt like she was in a deep end of a tunnel with no light. She’s standing there in the dark with her own thought. She had bottled up all of her feelings for years and so far that bottle hasn’t bursted with all the emotions.

As she floated in the water, she felt something around her ankle and she screamed. ”Fuck this, I’m leaving. Call me a chicken forever, I don’t care. Just no.” One thing she didn’t like about ocean was the animal debris, seaweed and bacteria. She wasn’t going to wait around for her friends to laugh or make fun of her. All she knew, she had to get out of water as she felt her skin crawling. She shuddered at the thought of something touching her in the dark water and not knowing what it might have been. She swam towards the shore and she was near, she ran towards where she kept her clothes. Hurrying she wore her clothes and went back to where bonfire was to dry off. She grabbed tequila bottle from her bag and chugged half of it. ”Never fucking again. I am never going skinny dipping in the ocean or go in the water after dark. No sir.” Veronica was talking to herself as she sat log, calming her heart and body down. She shook her head and enjoyed the warmth of fire

[Catcher Reeves]

”Like you haven’t already spied on me?” There was no way he could know and he just trusted she didn’t want to see anyone naked, especially not her friends. He teased her, laughing lightheartedly and splashed her again because she told him not to; the first one wasn’t more than a little wave that rolled into her but she acted like she wasn’t already in an ocean and drenched. Even if she had semi threatened him with looking, he knew it was nothing but empty and just blatantly disregarded it; he was already skinny dipping after all and everyone was looking at each other at some point. The only barrier to their bodies being the shimmering black water; they couldn’t see more than the shallow depth of an arm’s reach.

He looked back from horizon towards Natasha as a sea breeze blew towards the shore and ripples bounced around them. It was a surprise Veronica and Seth had run in; Seth’s hesitation had scared him for a moment. He thought his best friend was about to prank everyone and leave them stranded by hiding, stealing or doing something to their clothes. In the end nothing happened and Seth had sprinted into the foaming edge, crashing into the sea in large splashes. The droplets spread everywhere like showers of rain as he had turned away, shielding his face with a hand and treading water to be further from the shore.
Based on Seth’s words before he went in the water, he didn’t seem to realize he was already fit and proportioned to his height. He had no idea why his kid brother wanted to go to the gym and get built like the ridiculous man who had come and go but he didn’t suggest or form an opinion on it. All he added was an instruction for the night. ”He probably eats less than you… you better finish all that stuff on the grill.” He hadn’t forgotten the fire was still going and there was still food left, it was his job to remember and Seth was the main dinner guest. Everyone was fussing over something about themselves that he didn’t see and he realised he was the only one more concerned with whether they thought his personality was weird and not how he behaved.

As if Natasha hadn’t been enough of a siren, he felt her attention on him and glanced back to see her watching him with such romantic eyes. She had doe-like brown eyes that were sweetly hypnotizing in the twinkling light, they were almost always iridescent in the day but now they reflected the night. Long strands of her dark hair fanned out around her, slicked to her as she pulled across the surface, enhancing the enchanting effect of her stare. He was losing himself in the rumination of his thoughts while she glided closer and closer until she quietly ducked hiding half her face and emerged right in front of him. Her gaze, unwavering, was telling him to be brave tonight, either live or die in this moment and he could sense himself wanting to feel that lightning strike him and burn him down. Then she kissed him again, and it was the same rapture on his mouth as her hands reached to seize him like a gentle net. She had lips like morphine. It almost knocked him out every time she had touched him tonight and he pressed into her for the chance to feel that kind of kiss that crushed him, breaking him down; she could have blown a kiss that left him gasping and his hand ran down her side. She was a mermaid making him think he had waited for this all his life, that he had a chance to never let her go even if she drowned him and he pulled back, staring into the same eyes, at a loss for words.

There was something he didn’t understand about her tonight. Did he want to? She was going very far to play this game with him and that was more provocative than the fact she didn’t stop in front of the others. They didn’t react as confused as he did either and he was starting to think he was missing some things; it didn’t help that they knew a lot more about her than he ever did. Maybe all he knew was wrong? She had turned the tables on his reigniting crush since prom and for the second time Veronica had seen it, seen them but she didn’t seem to care the way he hoped. It was probably making her sick simply with public displays of affection and he just furrowed his brows looking to the side, a thousand questions appearing in his mind as he tried not to care about how this would affect everyone either. She was doing this to get a reaction and he was doing everything he could not to have one; he needed to see what was going on. Once or twice, so suddenly was surely just a prank ; even Seth had said nothing of every little detail that read like flirting. He peered back at Natasha, still confused but less grim, prepared for her to poke fun at him any second then tell him that it was all a joke.

Like the liberty bell, a piercing scream rang, high pitched and perfectly damsel, Veronica escaped the skinny dipping so fast he didn’t even have time to look around for whatever she claimed to have non-violently attacked her. She had been cussing and talking about night swims being off limits forever and he ended up just raising his eyebrows and struggling to suppress laughter, slightly shaking with giggles. He took a stroke towards the shore before turning and grabbing Natasha’s hand to drag her through the water after him, releasing her nearby Seth, squeezing her hand in his usual habit to comfort or assure her as he did so.

”V you could’ve waited for that big man to come back… you know, fight a shark for you!” Calling after her, he finally calmed his amusement and looked to his friends tilting his head in a nod towards the direction of the bonfire. ”I’m gonna…” He implied without finishing his sentence before swimming back as Veronica just huddled by the fire in her little shaken and disturbed fetal position on the log. His eye-line flickered to the distance before he got out as he thought about all the unknowns in the water and how she could be afraid of something so beautiful and eternal. They were in prime location for whale watching and he wondered if he would ever see them rise with a fin breaking the surface someday, the ocean's majestic creation.

A faraway look on his face, he splashed Natasha and Seth at the same time and scrambled to his clothes, just shoving on his underwear on and grabbing the rest to run along the sand quietly until he was behind Veronica. There had been kelp washed up along the driftwood their clothes were at and he picked one up in haste with his shirt just so he could wipe it against her arm as she stared into the flames; it was wet and glossy, the texture like a slimy fish but completely harmless to touch. Once he managed that, he ran for his life to hide, eating a cube of watermelon and drinking from his bottle that was still open as he stood behind the grill just grinning.

[Seth Rivers]

Seth moved out deeper in the water, looking at the sky, looked over at his friend watching what had happened between Natasha and Catcher. He hoped Tash knew what she was doing because making such advances could be opening cans of worms that she might regret opening. Hearing Veronica scream made Seth look around the water worry about something might have been swimming around his feet also, but it only felt like some seaweed. That sort of stuff never scared him. She ran out right after getting away from what she though would kill her, tiny bits of sea grass. Seth just shook his head, she was a shape shifter on of the worlds top predators he though she be more confident.

Watching Catcher drag Natasha along, Seth moved closer to shore to talk to her. As Catcher splashed towards them and started moving up to the beach towards the fire. Seth looked at her standing there beside him. "I hope you're not just playing with his emotions. I thought telling you he'd had a crush on you would make you feel better not get you behaving so weird." He walked away out of the cold dark water and slipped on his shorts grabbing the rest of his clothing he headed back to then fire. The last thing he wanted was something else to drive Catcher way making him leave again. He was enjoying the summer so far he didn't want a his pack mate to ruin it for him.

Picking a bag of chips and a soda Seth sat down on a log near the fire. "V you gotta stop being scared of the little fish. They are not piranhas, they are not going to eat you." He opened  the bag he shoved a whole handful of chips in his mouth, quickly chewing and swallowing down before adding more. He chased it all down with the can of sold letting the cold sweetness wash away the copious amount of salt that was drying out his throat.

"Do you know what I'm going to do for you V? I'm going to buy you a goldfish."Seth wasn't even joking he thought that maybe if she had a goldfish then maybe she wouldn't be so scared of creatures in the water.

[Natasha Black]

She was enjoying her moment with Catcher. She didn't really understand why she kissed him again,but Veronica had if they were a thing she would be happy for them. It might have been put on impulse as he looked so handsome standing here in the water or she might have been staking her claim in front of Veronica. She was the Alpha sister, she held some sort of respect. She felt his hands on her side and could smell the alcohol on his breath. She would have stayed in the moment but she pulled away just as Veronica let out a scream and ran out of the water. Whatever had touched her foot was completely harmless,it's not like there was some toe eating monster below the surface there to eat just her. She laughed a bit watching her run off.

Catcher took her hand and pulled her though the water, she was still smiling, it was amusing to hear him talk about the big guy fighting a shark for Veronica and it played out like an animation in her head. She could clearly picture the big guy with a shark in a headlock punching it in the face repeatedly until all its teeth fell out

She was almost too lost in her thought to notice Catcher getting out of the water. He splashed some water at her and she turned her head away but if Seth wasn't near to her she probably would have watched him exit the water.

Seth was now standing near her and she folded her arms across her chest not wanting to give him a show. He seemed to be more focused on how she was treating Catcher anyway, telling her he had been behaving strangely and that she better be trying with his feelings. She just took in Seth's words for a moment. She wasn't one to play with someone's feelings, Catcher was great, she just didn't notice the little things he had been doing before trying to cheer her up or just to make her smile. He deserved to be happy too and Veronica gave her the green light so why should it matter to Seth what she was doing.

She stayed a little longer but soon she too got out of the water. Slipped on her clothing and walked back up the beach silently. Got up and grabbed a few pieces of watermelon and stared into the fire. She got there to hear Seth talking about goldfish.She looked over at Veronica wondering if she was going to accept his offer. A goldfish would probably be the perfect pet for her. It didn't have fur and she didn't have to walk it. Natasha sure didn't want a pet of her own.She hadn't shared her life plan with anyone and Seth was right really she shouldn't try to start anything without being honest " I should have told you all sooner but after this summer I'm heading away from university." She looked over at Catcher by the grill and smiled slightly. "I just really want to have a fun summer."

[Veronica Call]

It was a relief to be out of the water and watch the fire dance in the dark, brightening every darken spot around her. One thing that the fire couldn’t brighten up was darkness in her heart and mind. No one could ever remove darkness from her aside from; it was a decision she had to make and soon. If she stayed like this, she will push everyone away and she won’t have anyone in her life. She bottled everything up for the sake of friendship and family but for how long? She was lonely for years trying to find her companion who still hasn’t turned up. She was staying hopeful that one day he will turn up and they can carryon but that was her denial talking. She was in this deep well with no way out.

There were times where she would find herself packing and unpacking her things and leaving Washington behind for good. There wasn’t much for her there any way. She was on the side lines, watching her friends find their love, happiness and making mistakes as they go. She was proud of Natasha for having courage for cliff diving, came back to the world and even more than that she might had found her happiness with Catcher. She thanked the stars for having something floating around her ankle and she ran. She couldn’t watch Natasha and Catcher kiss like that. Years ago she was in the water with Axel, kissing, playing and living in the moment; that was all gone and she’s left with memories. And to watch Natasha and Catcher like, her heart ached even more. She was mad at the world for not letting her be happy. Back of her head, she knew it wasn’t the world but rather herself. She was stopping herself from finding happiness again.

Veronica wasn’t by herself much longer and she wished she was. She sucked in air through her mouth and slowly exhaled to calm herself and her feelings. She finished her bottle of tequila and placed it on the sand. Feeling something wet and slimy on her skin, she jumped and a squeal left her mouth. ”What the hell man!” She rubbed her arm to get rid of slimy, disgusting feeling off her skin. She knew her friends would never forget this and will make her remember, cringe rather, til the day she days. Veronica rolled her eyes when Catcher made a comment how she should have waited for half naked buff man to save her. She didn’t need him or anyone saving her; she needed to save herself. ”You were gonna what? Save me? You were too busy putting your tongue down Tash’s throat and vice versa.” She saw him grin and all she wanted to do was smack it away. A week ago she had slapped him at prom and ended up getting drunk and tainted half of city red. Four of them combined were dangerous and it all takes one person’s idea to turn the night around.

Not too soon after, Seth and Natasha joined them and she chuckled at the comment about goldfish. She can’t even take care of herself let alone a fish. “You don’t need to do that Seth. It’s fine. I’m fine. Thank you for asking..all of you.” She grabbed water bottle from cooler and sat down next to Seth. Opening bottle, she drank slowly and almost choked on water when Natasha said she’s leaving La Push for college and wanted fun summer. Veronica raised her eyebrow at her friend, wanting to know what she means by fun summer. She was happy for her that she wanted to go to college. She noticed the way Natasha was looking at Catcher and her mind instantly filled with Catcher and Natasha, fooling around behind closed door, skinny dipping more at night, and god knows what else. “What exactly do you mean by ‘fun’ summer? It could mean a lot of things…for instance - one night stand, hooking up with certain somebody here, flirting with every walking dick.” She drank more of water and eyed her friend. She never saw Natasha having casual fling but anything is a possibility at the moment.

[Catcher Reeves]

”Of course I’m not gonna save you, Who doesn’t wanna see that shark fight… if the shark didn’t kill him, you surely would. ” He stared at her, narrowing his eyes then rolling them quickly but still grinning about how irritated she was from a strip of seaweed. Before he retorted further, he let the cat get his tongue and stopped himself. If this had been like the old days, he would have continued to push her buttons but they were not so innocent now and he didn’t want her to start crying or actually getting mad about something he said. The worst case scenario was him pushing her to leave when she had just come to open up; he wasn’t insensitive in their bickering.

Despite that, he believed he was the only person who had ever wanted to treat her like the princess she was, and he suddenly remembered kissing her hand on that rainy night all those years ago. It was like a light switched on but he dimmed it almost immediately, not wanting to deal with the drug that was her running through his veins. In the immaturity of it all, he had considered just kissing Natasha in front of her again due to her irritated response, but he knew that wasn’t remotely close to what he ever expected to do. It went against everything he was paranoid about in front of Veronica but he couldn’t deny he was drifting from her the more Natasha behaved irrationally interested.
After all that he had been through, he deflated his ego to refrain from arguing that she had been doing the same with Axel; he would be out of control once that subject started then the thoughts of Quil would begin to haunt him too. He was the only one without known relationship issues that bothered the two of them and he would never lose this. Whatever they might have thought of him at school he thought there would be nothing they could say and he was pleased with that conclusion. Thinking, he opened the grill and picked up the poker to stab the charcoal, extinguishing it. The meat was sitting, and it could rest for awhile before Seth would probably eat it so he just took out his annoyance at the flames, throwing the stick into the sand after.

He was about to remark that Veronica was finally drinking water but she choked and he just blinked. What was more confusing was that Natasha began talking about college; something he had forgotten to ask everyone about. ”That sounds great.” Replying, he watched as she smiled and spoke as if directly to him about having fun in the summer. That look bore holes into his mind and he could have been soaked up like a sponge if she meant what she implied; wondering what that even entailed and dismissing it all as soon as Veronica started breaking it down with questions. Sensing the concern, he worried too but then decided it really wasn’t up to him and there was nothing they could all do about whatever happened; it sounded as though Veronica was displeased about Natasha’s life choices that hadn’t yet occurred and she was both right and wrong. Almost attempting to rescue her from a future that would be complicated, he watched the two women’s reactions misunderstood one another’s caring motives. Closing his eyes, he pursed his lips, noticing how frequently he had been struggling to comprehend tonight’s events.

Sighing for the nth time, he went to the marshmallow bag and stabbed one to the end of a pocket knife, picking up the rest to take it to the opposite side of the fire, sitting with arms holding his knees in the sand, cradling himself. He waved it carelessly over the tip of the bonfire, throwing some twigs into it simultaneously. ”She probably will have a fun summer because everyone will befriend her anyway. Doesn’t even matter what she wants to do, they’ll just come find her like high school. Just don’t get carried away at those frat parties.” There was no doubt she would fit in at the college scene and he almost had a stereotype ready in his mind but said nothing more of the horrors of hormones gone wild. She would probably be the one who kept the party going if she behaved the way she did tonight to everyone and he wrinkled his nose trying not to think about it, hoping they would just do the talking, explain the drama in their imagined future.

The marshmallow barely cooked but it was soft enough since he disliked overly heated things, and he ate it from the knife, melting the sugar like icing in his mouth. ” Are you excited?” He directed his words to both Veronica and Natasha and then threw Seth some cubes of marshmallows like he was feeding a fish and waiting for him to catch it without hands since he was holding the bag of chips. Seth was good at this. ”We’ll get her a goldfish later. Give her something to do. But she’d probably like Piranhas better; they’re more relatable to her.” He chuckled, digging at Veronica’s biting temper, eyes twinkling at her before looking into the flames and slowly licked the palatable blade of the crusted sweet, satisfying his sugar depletion while gradually removing it so he could roast another on the sharp knife, just listening for answers with no information to offer of his plans.
"Seth, aren't you going to college sometime soon too? I know you've got stuff at the shop."

[Seth Rivers]

Veronica seemed to not enjoy his offer for a goldfish. He would get her one of the fancy kinds that had a fan line tail and was shaped like an egg. They were cooler than the long skinny one people fed to their other fish. "You will be missing out his name would be Bob, and you could watch him Bob up and down in the water all day" He had a pet fish as a kid they were always relaxing to watch. She probably benefits from a pet but I'd she didn't want one she wouldn't bother.

Seth looked over at Tash watching her sit down with some watermelon slowly eating it and talking about going away to school. She hadn't even mentioned it to him so he was slightly irritated between the was she had been acting with Catcher and now saying she wanted to have fun summer he didn't know what she meant. "Honestly Tash it would have been nicer to know this sooner, I thought you wouldn't have hid this from me. As for your fun summer, don't do anything you won't regret later. You will have to come home sometime."

Looking over at Veronica she had her own thoughts on the situation. Tash had been throwing herself at Catcher would that really turn into hookups with him or one night stands with strangers. She was never really that type. Until recently he had to drag her out of the house just to get her to do more than sit around her room all day listening to music. The events of prom night had pulled her out of her shell a bit the past week. " Hey now V, don't talk like that. You haven't been here the past few years. Fun for her might be getting out of her head for a while. Things aren't the same around here anymore. Some of us were left behind…" He listened to Catch's point of view on Tash's situation, he hoped she would find more friends and be more of a person then a house decoration. Getting out of La Push was what she needed to let go of all the past shit and start over. They had stuff they needed to let lie in the past and start thinking about the future. He watched Cach roasting a marshmallow on a pocket knife,watched the flames dance in the fire, wishing the fire could cure all the pain his friends had gone through but he knew it would be that simple.

Catcher mentioning she probably like a piranhas better brought him back to his usual goofy self. He tried to catch the marshmallows his best friend threw in direction and caught on in his mouth. Seth chewed it and swallowed it down quickly. Being asked about college himself Seth shook his head. He didn't really mention how sometimes it sucked being the youngest but having more responsibilities than others. He had taken on more after his dad passed, he noticed his mom was struggling to keep afloat that is why he started working at the mechanic shop. He had shown enough progress that he was skipping college completely and just taking on an apprenticeship at the garage."I'm fast tracking, the world will always need mechanics. I've already started. I'm doing an apprenticeship at the shop, I have some in-class stuff to do also but I'll probably be pretty occupied with it for the next few years."

[Natasha Black]

Natasha finished her watermelon and folded her arms across her chest. A log crackled in the fire setting little fragments of embers flying into the air, they quickly died as they fell to the sand. Catcher seemed excited to learn she was going to school and wanted to enjoy her summer. She wasn't going to lie she wanted to spend some time with Catch but Veronica's words irritated her a bit. Who did she even think she was asking her about one night stands and looking up and when it came to flirting with every dick. Veronica once knew her well, she didn't really know her at all anymore.

She was about to just get up and walk away but then Seth came to her defense. He was truly her best friend, he was still there when she needed someone on her worst days. "Seth's right, if maybe you lifted your phone to your ear more often and called, maybe you wouldn't have your face in a bottle all the time." She had observed things recently and she wasn't sure if she was the only one who noticed it. She wasn't trying to be mean, she felt abandoned by her old best friend. They both were going through some difficult stuff,Natasha could have reached out too but she was always stubborn and always held off apologizing first.

She watched Catcher move, and poke a marshmallow with a pocket knife, and roasted it on the fire for a short time. He had his own opinion about what a fun summer would be for her. She wanted to make new friends with people who didn't know about her or her past relationship. The parties might be fun too as long as stupid people didn't bother her too much. "It's very possible you all just don't understand me anymore, new friends are great but I really just wanted to spend most of my summer with you three, maybe do a road trip just get away from the Rez for a while. This place often feels like a trap trying to keep us here or calling us back. Some of us like it here, others have bad memories. Should we make new ones to maybe remember our time here in a better light." She got up and pulled a can of soda out of the cooler and stood closer to the fire watching the flames dance to the ocean breeze.

[Veronica Call]

Veronica mimicked Catcher and stuck her tongue out at the end. There all there to see Merman fight a shark and save her. At that point, she rather push the shark on the nose and swim away as fast as she could. She didn’t need a help saving from anyone aside from Axel. He had be the sole reason of her hallow and depression. If he could only come back and see how she was holding up. How things in her life fell apart and stretched thin thanks to him. Imprinting sucked and wouldn’t want anyone to have to go through that. It was wish that would never come true. She kept telling herself to move on and forget about him. Coming back to La Push seemed like a mistake some days. She wished she had stayed with her mom in Maine and this would have been avoided. She would have never phased, never fell in love with Catcher, never imprinted on Axel and she would go on about her life as a human form. Making mistakes, going to college after high school, dating guys, joining a sorority with her friends and the possibilities were endless. Now, she was there surrounded to by friends that felt like strangers now.

She chuckled and nodded at Seth. Yes, she was gone and left them behind and never called them. If they knew the truth about how many times she picked up her phone, typed up messages to everyone about how she misses them and wished she had support from them. Every time she would bawl her eyes and delete the message and turn off her phone. It went on for months where she did that and found courage to come back. She doesn’t know if she is going to stay or leave; time will tell her again. ”And how many times have you picked up your phone to call or text me, Natasha? It’s two way fucking street. While you stayed here and cried over Quil and Ellie, bonded with Seth and others. I was out there, alone finding that asshole who left in middle of the night. So I’m not sorry and I will never be sorry for not calling or texting. This…” Veronica was calm but she was going to the point where if she said anything else there won’t be going back. ”is bullshit. Do whatever fuck you want with your life. I’m done caring about you. May you find your happiness in college.”

Between Natasha’s behavior week ago and now, she was truly done. Once upon a time, she loved her like a sister and will continue to love her but from afar. She was worried about what Natasha might do during summer and might find herself in a sticky situation. ”Look, you went cliff diving, died and probably broke your imprint on Quil after years and you have C and Seth. Me? I’m still imprinted to Ax and I don’t know if he is alive or dead. I take support from liquor to calm my mind and heart every night. A virgin girl who’s imprinted on a hundred year old ghost, living a life as a widow. It’s funny if you ask me.” Truth was finally out and she felt lighter. It was truly sad that she was living as a widow when they were never married. It wasn’t her friends fault in this and lashing out wasn’t her intention at all. She had all these bottled up emotions and they came rushing out. Veronica got up, grabbed bottle of margarita, twisted cap open and took couple of long sips. It was juice to Veronica; didn’t make a dent on her brain or body even if she drinks couple of them.

”Coming off bitchy and snappy wasn’t my intention. I crashed your bonfire barbecue thing and I’m happy to leave you guys. I came here to drink my sorrow away and wait for sunrise. I could do that another night anyway. And for the record, I do not want a pet goldfish or a piranha. If you do, I will drop them in your pants and watch you be in pain.” Veronica was true to her threats. She hated piranhas amongst other things in life. If Catcher and Seth ever get her one, she will buy one and put each in their pants and watch them suffer. Yeah it will feel good for first few seconds then she will cringe and run. As her friends discuss their future, her heart was filled with happiness but at the same time it sank. They have something planned when it came to their future whereas Veronica, didn’t know what she was going to do the next day. She had this perfect life planned for herself in high school which felt like it was snatched away from hers. She stood by the grill, looking at the fire then to where land ends and sea takes over. Clenching margarita bottle in her hand as her mind stopped running with words and ideas. She had finally quiet down inside, waiting for sunrise to happen; a new day will be there soon with same actions.

[Catcher Reeves]

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Veronica stick out her tongue and mimic him, and his lips quaked with amusement at her silliness. Little did he know that after chuckling over Seth’s words about the pet fish and the summertime adventures Natasha was looking forward to, Veronica would completely flip her tune. Obviously triggered, he half expected all these comments about not being around for each other to lead to a break down or touch a nerve. As he rubbed an eye, the other was watching the three of his friends tense with the only barrier for wolves, a pit of flames.

They were everything he had, and they were all at odds. Taking a large gasp of air, he sighed, looking at the mounds of sand immediately before him, proceeding to eat another marshmallow he was about to roast, uncooked. He flipped the butterfly knife in a spin and closed it, putting it away, still holding his knees together but crossing his feet and resting his chin on his folded arms. It was like peeking at a volatile chemical experiment, people erupting from each corner one after another, volcanic and he really didn’t have anything good to add that would save the situation. It would be the most hypocritical of all to say anything since he left first, disappeared on everyone without a trace. The only thing that set him apart was that he endured to find and unite them again but even then, he didn’t want to get an earful from everyone and kept his mouth shut in deep concentration. All these outbursts were supposed to be healthy and would come to pass, he told himself; it was necessary to get through everyone’s secrets but he wasn’t trying to do it this way.

This thing between the girls was strictly out of his comfort zone and when Veronica was done with her angry breakup to Natasha he just mouthed a ‘whoa’ really quickly, eyes swaying side to side in anticipation of an equally pissed reaction from the white wolf girl. He had no clue why Natasha had included him in that whole tirade about not understanding or knowing her anymore; shots were being fired and he was some sort of casualty in the war of words. She was hot then cold toward him and he was starting to copy her without realising it was a defense mechanism. If he had to keep being a victim of random things tonight, he was going to wind up shredding everyone with his own devastating diction and he could always get the last word. For now he just wanted them to settle; Natasha sought the world like a free bird and Veronica needed a break from scouring the earth. ”Would you calm down?” To both of them, he closed his eyes and reopened them, visibly peeved, speaking to them in turn. ”You go do everything… and you go do nothing.”

But just as shockingly, Veronica said she had imprinted on Axel, confirming his age old suspicion. The self-assuring deprecation that she and him fell apart solely because of this, because even with the pack, had he never seen her romantic with Axel, he would have never backed down; the imprint was something he couldn’t blame her for and he resented it while feeling better about the righteousness of his love for her. Catcher stared up at her with a jerk of his head, straightened from clutching his legs in a snap, wanting to hear this again but not wanting to catch that once more at the same time. It was, hilariously, a catch 22; to love her, he needed her love which was in a bottled potion labeled Axel.

He should believe everything she said, but he hardly could trust his ears, and countless emotions passed his face while she drank more alcohol. Just when he had thought she was sobering up, she was making him want to drink too. Twisting around he was searching for a bottle of anything and when he laid eyes on it, he chugged it, the liquor pushing down what truths he couldn’t swallow. A part of him wanted to tell her Axel was still alive, that he would return for her but he knew that wasn’t true and it would bring her false hope. It was ironic that in her loss of faith, he found his and he recognized it as the other half of him wanting his girl back, the odds completely written off.

”You didn’t crash anything. I promised Seth I’d make him burgers.” He gestured with his hands in a shrug, thinking frantically before just blurting, frustrated. Almost adding that the beach was public space, he had a dose of nostalgia where he had said that to another wolf, incurring her wrath. ”Everything else… I can’t explain.” Wiping his lips with the back of his hand, his brows creased deeply as seriousness took over him. Truth be told, she was already drinking her sorrows away all night and he just fixated his eyes on hers, intensely grave. After a moment of pause in which he studied her, he made no mention of her alcohol dependency and let her be. If she wanted to leave, if anyone else wanted to, they were free to do so. He knew why he was here as well as all the reasons he had to stay and he was usually the first person to bounce which meant if they ditched, they would end up disappointing themselves, stooping to his level of non-comittance.”Shouldn’t you save the piranha we give you to drop in someone else’s pants?”

That person he insinuated, by a miracle, would be Axel; but now she might have that beefy surfer man whose number was inked on her to replace him. He poked her with the comment, knowing he was too stern for it to translate well and he tilted his head back, switching off concern and his opinion that she was as mean as she could ever be. Seth was just being helpful and he watched the matured boy with pride as he had on prom night. Facing her again with renewed clarity; she was in heartbreak limbo but other than the soul binding, she had him in the palm of her hand and it was a choice she didn’t want him to eat out of hers. ”Maybe it’s time you had that booze drenched ice cream you suggested.” He shivered exaggeratedly, grimacing in the process, thinking about eating after she had just given him a bloody visual from piranhas destroying more than their intended manhood she was targeting. Shouldn’t the fish drown in air though, how was it supposed to bite them that badly out of water? He was glad he still made sense or so he thought in his suddenly slightly tipsy state, a squiffiness he could numb himself with for a few minutes.