Loving Lisbeth Salander (XIV Series #1)

The Girl Who Threw a Fist IV

Forest!

My heart felt like it had been shocked by an ECG at how relieved and excited I was the moment I caught sight of her fiery red hair. Her usual aura resonated the entire room. Like everyone else was a blur but her. I was sure my excitement showed over my face because Harvey lets out a grunt. I extended my neck upward to get a clearer and better view of the path she was taking and all these people were making it hard for me as they kept pushing me here and there. “I’m going to her!” I exclaimed, close to his ear, hoping he would hear me.

“And leave me here?!”

I glanced back at my friend, whose frown was even deeper than last time. “Come with me then!”

“No way!” He shook his head in disagreement. “No way are you going to leave me here alone in this ugly place!”

“Stay close to me then!” I yelled back as a response and watched him tail behind my back. “I have to go approach her and try to talk!” I yelled over at Harvey, still trying to keep my vision fixated on her red hair. I feared I was gonna lose her in the swarm of crowd and miss my chance to see her when she was the only reason why I’m here in the first place. She was walking in a faster pace than her normal. And her eyes were gleaming with despair.

I didn’t know how many people I actually shove to clear a path I can walk right through to her, but my moral senses weren’t working right now. Everything on my mind was Forest, Forest, Forest, and Forest. These people who were keeping me from getting closer to her were the least of my concerns. They were drunk students who didn’t even care about themselves anymore so I figured why should I? On top of that, they won’t remember me pushing them away after they wake up from this miserable night they just had.

“Watch it!”

“Sorry…” I mumbled, still squeezing myself through the crowd to get closer to Forest.

I scanned for the room but I couldn’t see her anymore. Where did she go? I was sure I kept my eyes fixated on her but she disappeared. My head was starting to ache from all this loud music and terrible smell around me. “I think I saw her go that way!” I said, frustrated that I lost her, but before I could even take a step while saying that, Harvey stopped me by the arms and gave me a genuine concerned look.

“She’s doesn’t even care that you exist!”

I stared at him and immediately understood where he was going with it. It’s sad to be reminded by that all the time but I didn’t want to remember me not trying. “I know but,” I paused and turned back hoping I would see her but I didn’t, and just saw a bunch of students, drunk dancing with people who were equally drunk on the ground and on counters and tables. “You know I don’t give up without any fight.” I lost her. “I’ll go look for her!” I screamed.

“What?!”

I pointed outside and leaned back to his ear. “I’ll just go there! After I see her, we’ll go! I promise!” I walked away from my friend, who didn’t look like he took it well, and headed to what looked like an outdoor space of the house. A patio, perhaps? I looked around and everyone were holding their phones up to one direction. I followed their line of vision and saw a girl floating over the pool.

I froze.

“Help! He—” The girl looked like she was struggling to reach the top surface of the water. “Hel—” She was coming up and down from the water, and despite her shortage of breath, she was still trying to say the word help. I looked around but everyone was just laughing at this scenario, and I realized I had to do something before the girl drowns, and possibly die because everyone was being an jerk for not doing anything to save this poor girl.

“Oh shit.”

I heard a loud splash behind me and before I knew it, she was already there.

“Is that Forest?”

“Young?”

“f**k…”

Forest dove right in the water and swam right to the girl that was struggling to get up.

“Wait. Let me film this. Oh shit.”

Forest. There’s no mistaking her. Her hair still screamed red when damped and underneath the water, her black outfit was too familiar in the eyes of the public. I stopped and watched her swim to the poor girl that was almost out of her breath, panting. She looked like she could be a swimmer for an Olympic team, but that wasn’t the problem I should be thinking right now.

When Forest had the girl wrapped around her arm, she swam back to the edge of the pool with a little struggle. I quickly ran towards where she just pulled the girl up from the pool to the edge, and rested the poor girl’s head over my lap. “Are you okay?” I asked, and the girl kept coughing, pounding her chest with her fist. The poor girl looked scared, terrified even, as I caressed her back as gentle as I could. My pants and the lower part of my shirt had already been soaked by the girl but none of it mattered to me. It was more important that this girl was getting the comfort she needed after what happened, and more importantly, Forest.

I looked back up and saw her heading towards a group of people who still were finding things amusing. I recognized the guy. I wrote about him for our school paper almost every issue because he was the captain of the well-known basketball team, James Cardin.

Forest stopped in front of James, glaring at him, water dripping all over her clothes and body. Her fists weren’t balled, they were much relaxed than I expected and I was aware of the opposite psychology. I was scared that she might do something terrible if I don’t stop her right now but I couldn’t just leave someone who was almost drowned.

My head turned to see if there was someone who would be kind enough to put a stop to this but everyone looked like they were enjoying this type of show. Amusement was painted all over their faces and this opened my eyes to the world of people who lived this way. It was a lot darker than I imagined.

Forest stood across the guy dripping wet, strands of hair falling all over her face, before she landed a hand over James’ shoulder. The guy was obviously overwhelmed by her sudden heroism so when she squeezed his shoulder tighter, he flashed a small grunt, causing his knees to grow weaker. It looked painful. The way his body was now tilted to the left confirms my thought.

“The next time I see you push a girl who can’t swim in an eight feet pool, you’ll be living the rest of your life without a dick.”

That same moment she said, well that, she pushed James’ body down and pulled her legs up to knee his groin with a reasonable amount of strength.

“AH!” James exclaimed, crouching down with his hands wrapped around his crotch as the crowd gasped in horror while some managed to pull off the classic oohs and ahhs that Forest was putting on a show for this party. “You b***h!” James yelped when people started laughing at what just happened. Forest had already turned her back to walk away, but I didn’t want to end this night with a stranger’s head on my lap. I looked down and the girl seemed to be catching her breath back. She crouched away from me with small coughs so I stood with my completely drenched pants and ran after Forest.

When I saw her, she was twisting her hair into knots leaving traces of water drops all over the dry carpet. I heard her mumble but I couldn’t make out of the words she muttered under her breath. If I was closer, maybe I would have caught glimpse of her words, but I was still too out of her reach.

I took a deep breath before I let out the words out of my mouth. “Demons don’t have the compassion to save lives.”

She stopped walking but she doesn’t turn. She probably guessed by now that it was me annoying her again. I could tell she was getting used to how my voice sounded even without glancing. The carpet we were stepping on was starting to get drenched by the water that was dripping from her, but we both didn’t care. People who party to different houses would feel the same way, I bet. Finally, she turned to me with her usual lousy self, shoulders sagged like they carried the heaviest load of the heaviest rocks on Earth. “What the f**k are you doing here?” she asked in a colder tone than she usually had.

“I was trying to find you and I really wanted to experience the lifestyle you’re used to so—”

“Just f*****g go home,” She immediately cut me off without trying to make me finish my sentence. “Before you end up like that girl.” Her eyes were droopy as she turned away from me and headed to the kitchen. Her tone felt different – or so my mind wanted me to believe. She didn’t sound mad or angry – there was no angst in the way she said it. She sounded genuinely caring and worried for me, and I was glad it translated to me that way because it made me smile. It was monotonous but you can tell she was worried.

She turned to the counter behind her to grab a red cup before walking towards the cooler to grab a bottle of beer. She opened up the lid, and I heard the fizz come off the bottle as she poured her drink to the cup. She chugged it down like it was water. I suddenly wondered if she ever gets drunk. She doesn’t look sick after a drink so maybe drinking much was already one of her many talents. She threw the red cup she had and took the bottle’s lid off expertly with the edge of the counter. She tipped the bottle upside down from her mouth and gulped like a professional.

She let out a loud burp after about ten gulps and sighed in delight.

I smiled. She must have thought I was already gone because she spaced out, like she was deep thoughts that were bothering her. A normal person would do the same so I was glad I get to see this Forest. The Forest that isn’t creasing her brows, the one that wasn’t temperamental all the time. I’d ask what’s wrong but I felt her need of silence and aloneness, and I wasn’t going to take that away from her. I knew my limits with being annoying, and I can respect boundaries that she needed.

I took my jacket off and I walked closer to where she leaned comfortably, and handed her my jacket with a comforting smile, if I do say so myself. “Take this. It won’t be much of a help but it’ll keep you warm at least.”

She finally frowned when she realized I never left her side all along.

I didn’t really think she’d take it from me so I wrapped the jacket around her shoulder instead and took a step back to say, “Get home safe, Forest.” And with a smile, I left.