BEFORE THE TIDE(7)
1083 Words
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Monica hesitated before picking up her phone. She exhaled and typed out a message:
Hey Max, sorry I haven’t reached out sooner. A lot’s happened, but I promise I’ll explain. I’m at Clara’s place right now, and she’s not feeling well. Can we meet up later at Harts Park? I’d really like to see you.
She reread it twice, made sure it sounded right, then hit send.
The mood in Clara’s room had lightened. Beyoncé, always the spark in any group, threw her hands up dramatically.
“All right, enough with the serious talk. Look at us, we’re the dream team of chaos!”
Clara tried to hide a smile but failed. “Oh, really?”
“Absolutely,” Beyoncé grinned.
“Now, Elina, you’ve hung around the port with your dad. Don’t tell me you don’t have stories.”
Elina leaned back, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You have no idea. The number of drunk old sailors I’ve seen making fools of themselves? Endless. Just last week, one captain tried to convince me he was a prince before the Ocean stole his riches.”
Miranda raised a brow. “And what did you say?”
“I told him if that were true, the Ocean would’ve spat his riches back out just to be rid of him.”
The room burst into laughter.
Beyoncé wiped a tear from her eye. “Elina, you need to write this stuff down. I’d pay for that book.”
Miranda chuckled. “Honestly, I should introduce some of those old men to my dad. He’d probably scare them sober.”
Monica smirked. “How’s your dad ? Given you some grace?”
“Oh, worse,” Miranda groaned. “He gets stricter. Just last week he banned me for being five minutes late from Beyoncé’s place.”
“Five minutes?” Clara asked, incredulous.
“Yes, five minutes! I told him I got caught up talking about organ transplants, and he goes, ‘If you had time to talk about kidneys, you had time to check the clock.’”
The girls doubled over laughing.
“Respect,” Beyoncé wheezed between laughs. “That’s next-level parenting.”
“Respect?” Miranda scoffed. “Please, someone needs to rescue me.”
Her phone buzzed. Miranda glanced down and sighed. “Great. Dad alert. I’ve got to head home.”
Beyoncé smirked knowingly. “Uh-oh, time’s up.”
Miranda stretched and stood. “Yep. Still grounded.”
The girls broke into another fit of laughter.
As the laughter settled into quiet smiles, Annalise toyed with the edge of her sleeve. “So… Orientation week’s coming up. I don’t really know what to expect.”
Elina shrugged. “Same here. Probably just to help us get used to the campus and new faces.”
Beyoncé flashed a grin. “Well, whatever it is, at least we’ll be facing it together.”
Miranda nodded firmly. “Exactly. A new chapter for all of us.”
Clara’s gaze lingered on them, her smile softer this time, more fragile. “I’m really glad you are all here.”
Beyoncé smirked, lightening the mood. “And now that we know you’re alive, we’ll definitely be back to annoy you soon.”
Clara let out a quiet laugh. “I’ll be waiting.”
One by one, they stretched and gathered their things while Beyoncé folded up her tripod. Just then, Mrs. White appeared in the doorway, as if she’d been waiting for the right moment. “Are you girls heading out?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Monica said with a polite smile. “Thank you so much for the cookies and juice.”
Mrs. White’s expression softened. “You’re always welcome here.”
The girls murmured their thanks as they headed downstairs. Clara walked with them to the door, lingering just a little longer before saying her goodbyes.
As they walked down the driveway, an old Lunaris P-Class from around 2006 pulled up. Its paint had faded, a small dent marked the bumper, but it still carried a trace of its once-proud shine.
The car rolled to a stop, and Mr. White stepped out, adjusting his sleeves.
“Good afternoon, sir,” the girls chorused politely.
He gave the girls a polite nod.
“Afternoon,” he said evenly. His tone wasn’t unfriendly, just careful, like a man meeting strangers for the first time.
From the backseat, Clara’s younger sisters hopped out, identical smirks already in place.
Annabelle looked them up and down. “Well, Clara’s upgraded. A whole entourage now.”
Anastasia tilted her head, faux-sympathetic. “Poor thing. Hope the house is big enough for all this friendship.”
Miranda blinked, unsure how to respond.
The twins traded a glance, identical smiles spreading as if they were already plotting something.
Monica muttered to Annalise, “I swear, they were born scheming.”
Elina crossed her arms, smirking. “Better than being born dramatic.”
The twins only grinned wider, clearly entertained by the pushback.
Mr. White sighed, cutting it short. “Girls. Inside.”
Annabelle and Anastasia pouted, but with twin hair flips, they disappeared into the house.
Beyoncé let out a laugh. “Oh, they’re a whole Broadway act.”
Monica shook her head. “More like a double feature.”
Elina chuckled. “I wonder who’s worse, those two or my siblings.”
Beyoncé groaned. “Please, my little brother thinks he’s a pro wrestler. He jumps off furniture just to ‘body slam’ me.”
Elina rolled her eyes. “Try having Irish twins siblings. It’s like babysitting chaos on repeat.”
Annalise blinked. “So your parents were… really busy, huh?”
Elina arched her brow, smirking. “Respectfully, yes.”
That sent the group into laughter, easing any awkwardness.
Monica snorted. “At least yours don’t steal your clothes. My sister treats my closet like a free boutique.”
The group laughed, and Miranda raised her hand like she was in class. “Okay, but… be kind to an only child over here.”
That sent them into another fit of giggles.
They said their goodbyes and split off in different directions. Monica checked her phone and exhaled when she saw Maxwell’s reply, agreeing to meet at Hart’s Park later.
As Annalise walked, she glanced back at Clara’s house. Clara had smiled today, really smiled. For the first time in a long while, it felt like things might finally be shifting for the better.
- Writer
