heart head west.

i reveled in the rush; once, twice, but not enough.

[silvercurrents]

fulltimefloating‌:

“Crossing my fingers for just a little bit of rain around then,” he replies, smiling a little at the thought of the beach in the sunshine. “Maybe it’ll chase away all the spring breakers come out and terrorize us for two weeks.”

He wonders if he’ll still be here in spring, but he’s been here this long already with no signs of change. Maybe he’ll figure out how to swim by then. “Funny how I haven’t met you before and now we run into each other twice in a week.”

Rafael laughs at the thought of this beach being overrun by rampant spring breakers. “The dozen or so we get still surprise me. I’m just glad most people have never heard of this place.” 

Thinking of what Petal Beach might look like if it turned into a spring break destination is enough to give him nightmares. “Yeah, this town seems to have that effect.” But it probably helps that he’s isolated himself less these past couple of months than he has for the past three years. “Promise I’m not following you.”  

[silvercurrents]

fulltimefloating‌:

Ajay settles down the sand on a surprisingly warm Friday morning. If he concentrates, just enough, he can feel the warm sand on his fingertips.

“The sun’s not going to last long, is it?” he comments as he peers off at the bulk of clouds heading this way.

“Never does.” The comment is made idly, almost to himself. It takes him a second to snap out of his train of thought, and notice the familiar face. 

The beach was one of Angela’s favorite spots in Petal Beach, and a place he’s started visiting more frequently. She would have camped out here forever, if she could. “We’ll have better luck when spring hits.” 

[silvercurrents]

wavebloom‌:

“Doesn’t everything in cartoons have big, goopy tears? Would you rather have tiny ones? Little bullet tears? That sounds so weird.”

Holly’s about to hike a leg up onto the bike’s opposite side when Rafael offers, and her tired legs thank him. “Aw, man. I’d say no, but I’ve been walking around all day today. Plus, I wanna know what you were playing on your radio. Maybe we can blast it and make the neighborhood windows vibrate a little.”

“You’re right, big, goopy tears sound way more normal than small tears.” 

He’s glad she takes him up on his offer. Raf tilts his head toward the direction of his home, just a few more blocks down. “Nah, I got it. You know I love when you mess with the radio.” He shoots her a teasing look, but he’s used to Holly’s antics. “We don’t want to disappoint the neighbors.”

[silvercurrents]

wavebloom‌:

“I wouldn’t know! I don’t have any five star dentists to compare them to!” 

“See? That’s what I was thinking, but my troop leader wasn’t having it.” Holly extends her sigh a little longer than normal for dramatic flair. “Her arms are so long! They just keep going. She’d have no choice but to get all your hangers–the only place they’d fit is her arms! But yeah, of course she would.” 

“I haven’t had any other either, but the way my sister’s tell it, the dentists here are monsters who are out to get them. They might be a little dramatic, though.”

“But hey, that’s their loss, not yours.” Neither of her sisters were interested in the girl scouts, though Mariana still has some time to decide on that. “Your mom’s arms are great, and you both are just too kind to me. I’m looking forward to it!”

[silvercurrents]

wavebloom‌:

“Try not to let it get to you, okay? I don’t know if I can afford all the Puffs for your big, goopy tears.” 

“It’s a conspiracy. Every time I talk to the cashier there, she’s always just saying it’s the same! No new salsa! I don’t buy that. Not for a second.” She folds her arms, starting back toward the handlebars of her bike at the mention of heading home. “Yup. I just wanted to get a better shot of the moon. What about you? Late night cruise?” 

“Big, goopy tears? What am I, an elephant?” 

“That’s how they keep you coming back for more. Changing it up subtly, so you don’t get bored. Keeping their trade secrets.” And it’s worked. He hasn’t gotten tired of them once in the two years they’ve been going consistently. “Just headed back from work. You want a lift? It’s pretty late.” Petal Beach might be safer than most places, but it would still make him feel better. 

[silvercurrents]

wavebloom‌:

“If I have to hear about her bad experiences with dentists one more time, I can’t be held accountable for my actions.”

Holly grins, popping one of the donuts into her mouth while she imagines getting toppled over by a bunch of young girls. “Mom tried to sign me up for girl scouts when I was young, but it didn’t work out. I was too bossy, she said?” A shake of her head follows another smile. “I’ll be there to hold your hangers! Or who knows? Maybe my mom will be.” 

“Aw, come on! She’s not wrong! The dentists we have in Petal Beach aren’t... the greatest.” 

“You would have made an amazing girl scout. Bossy is just one step away from leadership skills.” When she thinks Holly is making fun of that one time she drunkenly admitted that she had a crush on her mom, Sol laughs with pink tinged cheeks. “Really? You think she would?”

[silvercurrents]

fulltimefloating‌:

 “I won’t break a bone. I’m indestructable, pfft, just because I’m not as big as you. You know what that is? Sexist! No! Ageist!” She exclaims loudly, poking a finger into his chest but when her eyes meet his, she falters.

it takes her a second of opening and closing her mouth before she sets it into a pout. “If you’re not back in five minutes, I’m coming in for you.”   

Rafael is just barely able to hide the smile she’s close to drawing from him. “I didn’t say I wasn’t gonna break a bone, just that I don’t want you to.” 

But she relents, and he’s more grateful for that than he realized he’d be. “Five minutes. I got you, don’t worry.” He gets to it before she changes her mind, jumping over the wall and tracking down what Vivian lost on the other side of it. When he thinks he’s got it, he reaches up to show her. “This it?” 

[silvercurrents]

wavebloom‌:

“We’ll duke it out. Maybe if we’re lucky, they’ll put it in the papers about the brave fight you put up.” 

Holly rolls her shoulders, stretching one arm out in front of her and holding onto her elbow. “We can’t help that they keep adding double discount deals. That’s not our choice. It’s reasonable!” It’s nice to talk with him more fluidly–for a long time, things were strange, like moving through sand. “And then we’ll be up until six in the morning trying to digest all of them. With no apologies, obviously.” 

“If we’re lucky? I couldn’t deal with them not recognizing me for it.” 

“Yeah, they’re really asking for it, aren’t they? And their tacos keep getting better–not sure how.” Rafael laughs at the thought of them up at six in the morning, dealing with the consequences of their actions. “We’ll deal with that when we deal with it.” When he notices the streets are pretty dark save for a streetlight or two, Raf turns back to Holly. “Were you on your way home?”  

[silvercurrents]

wavebloom‌:

“You’re going to give my mom a very real cavity if you keep being so sweet.” 

“That’s the plan! I’m trying to get a little girl scout brigade together, to go on adventures with me.” She teases, clearly not wanting to be the one responsible for giving a bunch of young girls sugar and being the target of unhappy moms. “She had a lot of new ideas and patterns she put together over the holidays. There was so much spare red fabric–it’s going to look like Christmas in there for a while, but I already know some of the pieces would look incredible on you.” 

Sol laughs, and shakes her head. “Well, we can’t have that, now can we?”

“You really have to watch your back with that group of girls. They wouldn’t hesitate to overthrow you as the leader!” She might be exaggerating, but it isn’t especially far outside of the realm of reality. “You’re too kind! I can’t wait to look through those racks and try on... just about the whole store.” 

[silvercurrents]

wavebloom‌:

“I’m getting there. Hopefully sooner than we think. Then I can tell the whole town I clowned you.” 

“Getting five tacos isn’t splurging at this point! I’m used to it. We can’t go back to three, it’ll just be too miserable. And besides, splurging on sweet bread is not going to feel like a mistake once you’re eating like, five pieces for two bucks.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not going down without a fight.” 

He laughs at the amount of tacos they always get when they grab dinner at Pétalo Taqueria every first Friday of the month. “You’re right. Bet we’ll be up to six by summer. And you got me hooked on that sweet bread, anyway.” 

[silvercurrents]

wavebloom‌:

“Well, your tastebuds have paid, too. It works out!” 

“Not yet? I’ll have to come around with some Gatorade soon, for sure. The little ones–just one time! And everything’s falling in line, I’m really excited. She’s gonna have some really cool shit when the shelves are stocked again, it’ll be special just in time for the new season.”

“Rarely! Maybe twice, and they weren’t even that bad!”

“Gatorade? What are you, nuts? You’ll have a little gaggle of children at your heels! They won’t let you leave!” She’s learned that the hard way, multiple times. “I can’t wait to see the store, though! The collection of clothes she gets in the spring are always way too good to pass up.” 

[silvercurrents]

wavebloom‌:

“Me too. I should invest in one of those Batman or Superman suits for Halloween. The fake pecs would do wonders for me.” 

“Great!” She pockets her phone, triumphant. “We’ve never had the smoothies from that bakery, either. It’ll be a big day to splurge.” 

“I better watch my back, then. That’s the kind of thing that might push you over the edge.”

He’s been going out to scheduled lunches and other outings with Holly for so long that she feels like family, despite his every attempt at distance. “Are you saying you don’t always splurge?”

[silvercurrents]

wavebloom‌:

“You’re the best taste-tester my mom could ask for. This is why she’s always trying to give you free stuff!” 

Holly straightens her posture, leaning back with a nod. “That’s the best possible option–and pretty much exactly what we’re hoping for. But soccer practice sounds fun! Do you bring everybody Capri Suns, too?” Holly’s face contorts as she tries to visualize her day’s plans. “My manager didn’t ask me to come in today, so no work until tomorrow. Just samples, I guess!”

“She’s too kind! Really, I think I go overboard with how much I tell her I love her. Everything she makes is just too good for me to feel okay with leaving without paying her something for it.” 

Sol laughs at the idea of bringing a bunch of kids Capri Suns. “I’m not quite that level of soccer mom, thank god. I’m the boring version who shows up with bottles of water.” And fruit, if she has enough time, not that many kids often take some other than Elisa. “So sweet of you to help your mom on your day off! How is the shop coming together?”

[silvercurrents]

wavebloom‌:

“When I do, I’ll finally be able to take you at arm wrestling.” 

It’s a long, long way from now, but she laughs either way. “Maybe! But you still did it, so I’m buying. Where else would that money go? Come on, think about it. It’s just more responsibly spent!” 

“I’m waiting for the day.” 

He knows better than to push too hard against how stubborn she is, because it’s never worked out in his favor. “Alright, fine. But only because I know you’re going to do it no matter what I say.”

[silvercurrents]

fulltimefloating‌:

“No, you can’t leave without me,” she insists, a little more forcefully and still clinging to his arm. “I can do it, trust me.” 

She doesn’t intend to leave much room after that for protest. It takes her a second to pull herself away from Rafael but she needs both arms to try to scramble up over the wall. 

“Hey, hey, just hang on.” Rafael holds onto her arm as gently as he can, tugging her back from the wall she makes a bee-line toward.

“I don’t want you to break a bone or something.” Rafael wonders if he still has her brother’s number in his phone from the investigation, but he doubts it. “It will just take me a minute.” 

[silvercurrents]

wavebloom‌:

“You just have good taste, that’s why. Not everyone does!” 

She doesn’t pay much mind to the lack of acknowledgement on Sol’s part; Holly’s mind jerks from one topic to the next without issue. “Okay, tell me if you change your mind! They’re good, but a lot of sweet is good with a little water.” Sol praises her mom’s sweet, and Holly smiles like she’s the one responsible. “Thanks! I’ll let her know.” But she’s not quite ready to end the conversation yet–she never likes saying goodbye to Sol’s warm smile. “Anyway, what are you doing today?”

“They don’t know what they’re missing, and I’m happy to take their share.” 

The raspberry is perfectly sweet-tart, and the flavor still lingers on her tongue. “If your mom starts to sell those, you’ll never be rid of me.” She already visits this place pretty regularly as it is. “I’m just on my way home from work to do... just about nothing as I wait to pick up Elisa from soccer practice. What about you, other than sample duty?” 

[silvercurrents]

wavebloom‌:

“Whatever you say, mountaineer!” Rafael makes it look easy, and Holly scrunches her nose. 

She inspects her phone once it’s in both hands after a thanks, glad it’s not broken. “Okay, well, my budget owes you for not having to get another phone. So lunch is on me next time, and maybe we can get some sweet bread after?” 

“Hey, watch it. You could still be growing. You’ll be looking like me in no time.” 

Rafael shoots her a skeptical look. “What are you talking about? I’m not the grass that broke your phone’s fall. I’m sure you could have scaled that wall without a whole lot to trouble, too.”