Ivory grinned as she got close enough to the wave, standing up with her hands out for balance, she took a few deep breaths. Everything was going fine, no dizziness, nothing. She felt completely in her element. What was this feeling? Adrenaline? Euphoria? Whatever it was, it was addicting, but the sweet feeling quickly ended as she felt the painful burning feeling spreading through her. Ivory winced, her vision was blurred and her board seemed to escape from underneath her as her eyes rolled back and she felt herself fall into the crashing wave.
Aidan didn’t hesitate as he stripped off his clothes and shoes, leaving his underwear on and quickly ran into the water to help the girl. He swam to her easily, the board he grabbed with one hand as he lifted her up onto it, swimming the board and the passed out girl to the shore. The life guards quickly ran over, and started CPR. Aidan knelt by her side, something oddly familiar about her.
All Ivory remembered was the feeling of salt water entering her lungs, and all she felt at the moment was that. And a throbbing pressure on her chest? It was confusing to her at first but then she subconsciously remembered the feeling of the undertow and current pushing her around. She tried breathing but just managed successfully to shift to her side and cough out some of the water. Voices erupted from all around her. Several murmurs of "She's waking up."
“Alright, it’s under control.” One of the lifeguards said and the others tried to clear the other people off.
“Is she going to be okay?” Aidan asked, “Yes, thanks to you…” The life guard said, giving him a pat on the back, and giving him a look, asking for his name, “Aidan.” He said, standing up.
Ivory finally managed to open her eyes, she squinted at blurry figures and voices that surrounded her. Strangely, one of the voices felt familiar, but her theory was proven right when the voice sounded out the name of someone she hadn't seen for years. (should she go to the hospital or nah?)
(Probably)
“Can you drive, Aidan?” The guard asked, “She might need checks at the hospital.” Aidan nodded, “I’ll take her, you guys should get back to work.” The guard nodded, thanked him and walked off, “That was quite a tumble you took there.” He said, offering a hand for her to stand up with.
"It was nothing, I'm fine." Ivory took the stranger's hand, avoiding eye contact as her vision was still a bit fuzzy. "Anyways, thanks for-" She smiled- but stopped and raised an eyebrow at the sight of his face. She let go of his hand. "Aidan?" The name sounded so unusual coming out of her mouth.
“Hi, Ivory.” He said, giving a small smile, “Come, we need to take you to the hospital.”
Ivory nodded and followed him silently to his car. And though she said nothing her mind was full of questions. Where had he been? How long had he been in Australia? What happened?
He got in the car, finally used to the steering wheel being on the other side of the car then it was in America. He watched as Ivory sat and buckled up, not saying anything. He started the car, the radio station Tripple M playing old 80’s rock music. After a few minutes, he spoke, “Any..any questions for me? You seem unusually quiet…”
Ivory leaned back into the upholstery and turned to smile at him. "Unusually?" She pointed out. "I'm unusually quiet?" She looked down.
"I thought you didn't remember me at first, I have a hundred questions."
“Then say them. The traffic here is terrible at the moment as of all the road works on South Road, the way we are heading so we have time.” He turned at the green light, heading towards the shopping centre.
Ivory breathed in deeply. This was a moment she had pictured many times but never thought would actually happen. "Okay." She started. "Let's start off with the basics; what happened?"
“When? Now? You passed out surfing, I saved you.” He shrugged and got stopped at the road works.
"At the beginning." She answered promptly. "What happened between us?…or you..or me?" She was still a little dazed from the beach but she was just as curious as she was all those years ago.
“Oh, right…the day I left, we flew here to Australia…my parents,” He tried to keep from wincing at the word parents as they wern’t, “My parents thought you were a bad influence on me and didn’t want me contacting you…at all.” He sighed.
"Really?" Ivory replied, that made a lot more sense. "Why didn't you contact me now? I mean, you're an adult." She sighed and glanced at the non-moving cars in front of them.
“I was scared too, after… what happened when I left I didn’t know if you’d be angry at me or not, I didn’t know what I’d say until now.” The cars around the stated moving and they drove off again, the traffic getting better slightly as they went.
"Aidan," She started, "I'm not angry. I could never stay angry at you." She smiled faintly and noticed the traffic beginning to ease up. "Oh and thank you.. you know, for 'saving' me back there."
“Pft, it was nothing.” He smiled at her.
(Oft, sorry I;ve gotta go for a bit, I’ll be back later!)
