Chapter 4 Chapter 4

We heard screaming in the distance, and we stopped. “Did you hear screaming?” I asked. 

At first it sounded like someone was yelling because of a game or something, but then another scream, louder, and this one didn’t sound like joking around. 

More voices started shouting over each other, and suddenly the whole atmosphere of the beach shifted. We turned around and stood still for a second. Everyone was standing up, looking toward the bonfire area, and someone yelled Nico’s name from somewhere down the sand. Talon and I looked at each other for half a second before we took off running. We ran all the way back to the bonfire. 

When we got there, some of the girls were screaming. A few of the guys had two guys pinned to the sand, and Theo was half sitting, half lying in the sand, clutching his side, while Ethan kept trying to hold a towel against the wound and yelling his name like that alone would fix it. 

The sand around him was already dark where the blood was soaking through, and Sienna was crying while Harper kept pacing back and forth, saying someone needed to call an ambulance.

Nobody seemed to know what to do, and everyone was talking at the same time. Talon shoved through the crowd looking ready to lose it while I dropped to my knees beside Theo and forced myself to focus. Nico is right beside him, blood on his forearms. 

“What the fuck, call the police, the ambulance," Talon yelled. 

“Talon, it's three hours away," someone said. 

I rushed over to Theo; I threw my phone at Sofia. “Sofia, call my mom, put it on speakers, and the rest of you be quiet.” I said as I kneeled beside Theo and gently raised his shirt. 

“Are you home, sweetheart?” I heard my mom say.

“ALL OF YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP," Talon yelled.

“Aurelia? What's going on?” "Mom asked," sounding panicked.

“Mom, there was an accident. A fight, someone’s hurt. It looks like he was stabbed."

“Okay, I have your location. The medics are on the way. Helicopter incoming. Check his wound; you know the process," she said, her voice calm. I lifted Theo’s shirt and saw the wound. 

“Five inches from the hip upward, excessive bleeding." 

“Put pressure on it. Keep him awake. They're ten minutes out," she said. Someone handed me a shirt, and I wrapped it up and pressed it against his wound, and he flinched.

“Sorry. "Someone hold this here." Talon came over and held it. I moved over to Nico and grabbed his arm; he tried to pull away, and I grabbed his arm tighter. 

“Mom, someone else has another laceration; it’ll need stitches."

"Okay, the ER is already prepped. "You come straight to the hospital," she said, even though her voice was calm, but I heard the seriousness in her tone. We all heard the chopper. 

“They’re here," Sofia said.

“Okay, stay on the call; I'll seek them out," Mom said.

When the helicopter touched down, the medics ran towards us. “We got the call," one of them said. 

"This is the chief of SilverRidge. Get them here now." My mother’s voice came over the phone.

“We got them, Chief," one of the medics said. It all happened so fast. They got Thoe onto a stretcher and began leading Nico away. Sofia handed my phone to me and then began directing everyone to pack up.  I tuned the speaker off. “Mom, I'm fine, I promise. It’ll take us a while to get there, but I promise I'm okay and safe. His name is Theo… wait…”

“Sofia? What's Theo’s last name? His parents," I asked. She rushed over and grabbed the phone. She told Mom his parents' names and their number, then rushed back to pack up. 

“You did good. You stayed calm; be careful and stay safe.” 

I ended the call just as red and blue flashing lights filled the area. It took us almost one hour to get it all sorted out. 

When we got to SilverRidge General, it was two in the morning. When we walked into the ER, we were a sight to behold. Twenty-five high school kids, dressed in all sorts of attire, were just milling around. Mom was at the front desk; when she saw me, she rushed over. 

“Damn, braniac, that's your mom? She’s hot," someone said, followed by "Ouch." My mom was forty, and she could pass for a thirty-something-year-old. She exercised and ate healthy , took supplements and had spa days. She took good care of herself and had me do the same. She was tall, with the same blue eyes and golden brown hair as mine. It's like we were twins. Same face structure, everything.

“You’re okay." She said it was more of a statement than a question. She pulled away and looked around. 

“Is anyone else hurt?” She asked, and there was a series of no's.

“Have you spoken to the police?” she asked

"Yes, we have, Mrs. Anderson," Sofia said.

“Okay then, your friend is out of surgery; his parents are with him, and he is recovering. Your other friend was taken care of, and he left. You can all visit tomorrow during visiting hours. You should all head home.” 

After thank-you's everyone started drifting off one by one. "Hey, can I talk to you?” Talon asked. 

"Yeah, sure." 

He walked over to a corner, and I followed him. “What is it?” 

“You were calm," he said. 

I shrugged a little, but when I looked up, he was staring at me in this weird way that I couldn’t really figure out. It wasn’t the same teasing look he had been giving me all week. This one was different, like he was actually seeing me for the first time instead of just the quiet girl from class. For a second he opened his mouth like he wanted to say something else, but then he just rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.

“No use panicking; panicking causes accidents," I said.

“I guess so, thanks for knowing what to do. I’ll see you on Monday." He said before walking away. On the drive home I was tired; Mom kept sneaking glances at me, but she didn't ask.

“How much?” I asked.

“650 thousand, you?" She asked.

“35 thousand," I said, smiling. 

“Good. We keep going," she said as she pulled into our driveway. We were saving, both of us. I didn't need a part-time job, but I did it anyway. We've been poor before, and Mom vowed to never fall to that state ever again. After a shower I got in bed and was out. 

On Monday morning when I walked into class, it was half full. "Hey, I heard there was a stabbing incident at the beach," one of the guys said and shrugged. Talon walked in with Nico. Talon put the smoothie on my desk, and Nico stared. "Thanks," he said before walking back to his desk. 

When lunch time rolled around, I was heading to the cafeteria when Talon grabbed my hand and led me the other way. “What are you doing?"