Who Are You?
Fiction
.:.:.
The sparkling ocean and sandy shores were a soft blur in Elise’s peripheral vision. Green eyes focused intently on the PCH, a smile couldn’t help but appear on the woman’s face as the salty air filled the crew cab of her truck. It was a gorgeous day in Huntington Beach; if the colorful sunset and crashing waves didn’t tickle your fancy, maybe the locals would.
Three women barely held onto their bikini tops as a group of men adorning swim trunks and mischievous smiles ran away giggling. Elise only laughed and shook her head at the scene she quickly witnessed in the middle of the crosswalk.
“Reminds me of my sister and our friends back home in Riverside.” Elise chuckled looking in her mirror as the same group of people began to load up their car behind her and leave the beach.
She had visited this beach quite a few times growing up. Living an hour to two away, depending on traffic, had its perk. Too bad the cons severely outweighed the pros when it came to her hometown. To be here felt as if she were the main character in a fictional tale.
Not five minutes passed before her street exit appeared on the Waze app and Elise turned off the highway.
She could see her mother now; eyebrows raised high with widened eyes and an overall daring look on her still young face. The look Elise received every time she did something wrong. Phones while driving was her mother, Rosie’s, number one fear and Elise knew it all too well. Twenty-five years old and Rosie could still make her feel like a small child.
“I know, mom. I know. Eyes on the road.” Her gaze left the phone screen as she made her way to a new life she hadn’t exactly pre-planned.
.:.:.
Elise lowered the stereo volume while slowly pulling into the car port. The number of Beamers, Audis, and Cadillacs began to make her feel like she didn’t belong. A defeated sigh escaped through the side of her pierced lip as a piece of dyed hair twirled around her finger.
“Too late to turn back now” she thought. Her mood lightened when she noticed a newer
Corolla parked by itself. Various band stickers were placed randomly on the back window and bumper of the car.
“My kind of music.” She thought as her eyes skimmed over the words Metallica, Megadeth, Slipknot, etc., What really caught her attention was the biggest sticker of them all; A giant Death Bat. A wide grin instantly appeared on Elise’s lightly freckled face.
She parked beside the Corolla and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, careful not to catch it on her industrial piercing. A piercing she cherished more than all the others.
“Oh, come on, Elise! You’ve been wanting one for FIVE YEARS! You’re 18 now, you just have to get it!” a woman exclaimed while grabbing at her sister’s arm. It was a fight Elise wasn’t going to win but that didn’t stop her from trying to escape the tattoo parlor.
“Claire, I don’t want to yet! It has to be special!” she whined.
The natural red head crossed her arms while looking Elise straight in the eyes. Elise fidgeted and lowered her head causing the hair to slip from behind her ears. Her gaze would quickly flash between the floor and Claire who never once moved.
Elise felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. For being such a shy, quiet girl, Claire was completely herself and open with Elise. Apart, the sister’s personalities were much different but together, they formed a super personality.
Claire smiled, “I’ll get a matching one with you. How about that?”
Tears filled the corners of Elise’s eyes at the seven-year-old memory. She missed her sister and was sorry to have moved on without her but this had to be done. She hoped her new roommate was half as tolerant as her sister was when it came to Elise’s personality and temperament. Elise needed a new scenery in her life and couldn’t handle the prison she was once in; this had to work.
.:.:.
Elise closed her eyes and bobbed to the sound of D-Loc’s voice playing in her truck. She wasn’t much into weed but she loved her stoner rap.
“It feels so good when everything’s goin’ smooth and you got a sexy girl to get you in the mood.
It feels so good so I wish you would. It feels so good, it feels so good…” she mouthed the words.
“What feels so good?” a man asked.
Elise jumped in her seat and whipped around to her left. A black-haired man with stunning blue eyes had squeezed his head through the half-opened window. Her eyes were wide with surprise as her right hand clutched over her chest.
Who the hell was this? And how long had she been sitting here with him possibly watching?
The sound of mixed laughter came through the window as a group of people walked up and stood behind the strange man. The peeping Tom went to retreat but only caused a loud THUD to radiate throughout the whole truck.
“What’s the matter, Jimmo? Stick your head somewhere it shouldn’t be again?” A woman teased.
A deeper voiced chuckled in reply, “Only this time I don’t think there’s a prescription that can help Jimmy out of this situation.”
Laughter broke out louder this time as Elise just sat there not moving a muscle. This skinny man began to turn and pull his head in every direction in hopes of freedom. It was when he began to brace his hands against her window the Elise snapped back to reality. And snap in general.
Her fists tightened around her thumbs as she pulled in her bottom lip.
“Let him have it!” Her sister’s voice rang inside Elise’s head.
Claire was always one to back up her little sister and push Elise to stand up for herself.
Everything in Elise’s mind went blank as she let loose.
“Listen here, you lanky fuck,” the pissed female pointed at the one they called Jimmy, “If you so much as put even one scratch or one fingerprint on my truck, I’m going to have to kick you so fast and so hard that you travel into the past. And when you do, tell your mother to fucking suck it up and swallow so that she makes the future a better place. Do you understand me, shithead?”
Jimmy slowly nodded his head while the group of friends howled with laughter. The fire in her chest had subsided a tad when she noticed how defeated this man looked. She sighed and dropped her guard before turning the ignition over a click. The window was rolled down just enough for Jimmy to be released. He stumbled a few steps while grabbing his neck and gasping for air.
“I would have gladly rolled the window down had he given me the chance. Is he always this dramatic?” Elise scratched at the hairline around her forehead while stepping out and shutting the door.
The same woman who had been teasing Jimmy smirked, “He’s actually way worse. Once his favorite duck ignored him for a full hour and we swear Jimmy was going to go into a comatose from crying so hard. Not sure if that’s possible but he would have made it happen.”
She smiled and raised her glasses to take in the people in front of her. There was seven in total; four men and three women.
.:.:.
The woman who first spoke had a Monroe piercing above a sparkling smile. Her neck length, bleached blonde hair slightly bounced in damp waves with grey-blue eyes peeking out from under her bangs. She stood next to a man just a tad bit taller than she.
His hair was partly done up in a spiky black mess, most of the hair gel obviously left behind in the ocean. His tattooed arm hung loosely around the blonde’s waist while his green eyes watched her with adoration.
Elise noticed his features and couldn’t help but feel envious. She could tell right away they were a cute couple. Her attention turned to the tallest man, Jimmy, his chin resting on the head of a long-haired brunette. She was more tan than the rest, possibly of Latina descent but with Scottish features peeking through. Her smile could light up a black hole; her entire personality shown on her face.
The last couple was hard to identify past their sunglasses but they appeared to be the shortest. The man had dark hair that could be styled into a mohawk, a slight smirk on his face while she had a heartwarming smile. Auburn hair in the style of a bob complimented her strong features. He held her from behind as they took in my appearance. Each one stared at me, probably with the same thought going through my mind.
Who was this person?
She then focused her attention on the lone wolf, or who she hoped was a loner. His hair was cut short making it appear to be a dark brown. He was the biggest built but the dimples against his face softened his look a bit. A curious feeling enveloped Elise as she wondered what he hid under the aviators. Each man had various tattoos peppering their body, way more ink than their ladies had. After what seemed like an eternity of silence Elise finally spoke.
She scratched her hairline again, a nervous habit she could never shake. “I should be going now, it was nice meeting you?” she questioned and quickly walked away with a wave. She was completely hopeless of any small talk. With her memory, it was a surprise she remembered how to speak English.
“Hey, wait!” A woman called out as Elise was making her way through the carport.
She turned around and saw the brunette begin to approach her with a grin. “I haven’t seen you before. You new here?” she questioned once she caught up.
Elise adjusted her purse and took out her phone while scrolling through her email for information. “Yes, I’m actually here to meet my new roommate. I believe in building B, number 15 with Leana. Is the front office this way? I was hoping to look at a map…” she trailed off as her eyes searched for the building.
The woman giggled, “Nonsense, silly. We can help you. Just follow me Ms…?” It was her turn to trail off as she looked at the new tenant.
“Elise.” She blurted out with an outstretched arm.
“Nice to meet you, Elise. I’m Leana” she beamed and wrapped a surprised Elise in a hug.
The sparkling ocean and sandy shores were a soft blur in Elise’s peripheral vision. Green eyes focused intently on the PCH, a smile couldn’t help but appear on the woman’s face as the salty air filled the crew cab of her truck. It was a gorgeous day in Huntington Beach; if the colorful sunset and crashing waves didn’t tickle your fancy, maybe the locals would.
Three women barely held onto their bikini tops as a group of men adorning swim trunks and mischievous smiles ran away giggling. Elise only laughed and shook her head at the scene she quickly witnessed in the middle of the crosswalk.
“Reminds me of my sister and our friends back home in Riverside.” Elise chuckled looking in her mirror as the same group of people began to load up their car behind her and leave the beach.
She had visited this beach quite a few times growing up. Living an hour to two away, depending on traffic, had its perk. Too bad the cons severely outweighed the pros when it came to her hometown. To be here felt as if she were the main character in a fictional tale.
Not five minutes passed before her street exit appeared on the Waze app and Elise turned off the highway.
She could see her mother now; eyebrows raised high with widened eyes and an overall daring look on her still young face. The look Elise received every time she did something wrong. Phones while driving was her mother, Rosie’s, number one fear and Elise knew it all too well. Twenty-five years old and Rosie could still make her feel like a small child.
“I know, mom. I know. Eyes on the road.” Her gaze left the phone screen as she made her way to a new life she hadn’t exactly pre-planned.
.:.:.
Elise lowered the stereo volume while slowly pulling into the car port. The number of Beamers, Audis, and Cadillacs began to make her feel like she didn’t belong. A defeated sigh escaped through the side of her pierced lip as a piece of dyed hair twirled around her finger.
“Too late to turn back now” she thought. Her mood lightened when she noticed a newer
Corolla parked by itself. Various band stickers were placed randomly on the back window and bumper of the car.
“My kind of music.” She thought as her eyes skimmed over the words Metallica, Megadeth, Slipknot, etc., What really caught her attention was the biggest sticker of them all; A giant Death Bat. A wide grin instantly appeared on Elise’s lightly freckled face.
She parked beside the Corolla and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, careful not to catch it on her industrial piercing. A piercing she cherished more than all the others.
“Oh, come on, Elise! You’ve been wanting one for FIVE YEARS! You’re 18 now, you just have to get it!” a woman exclaimed while grabbing at her sister’s arm. It was a fight Elise wasn’t going to win but that didn’t stop her from trying to escape the tattoo parlor.
“Claire, I don’t want to yet! It has to be special!” she whined.
The natural red head crossed her arms while looking Elise straight in the eyes. Elise fidgeted and lowered her head causing the hair to slip from behind her ears. Her gaze would quickly flash between the floor and Claire who never once moved.
Elise felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. For being such a shy, quiet girl, Claire was completely herself and open with Elise. Apart, the sister’s personalities were much different but together, they formed a super personality.
Claire smiled, “I’ll get a matching one with you. How about that?”
Tears filled the corners of Elise’s eyes at the seven-year-old memory. She missed her sister and was sorry to have moved on without her but this had to be done. She hoped her new roommate was half as tolerant as her sister was when it came to Elise’s personality and temperament. Elise needed a new scenery in her life and couldn’t handle the prison she was once in; this had to work.
.:.:.
Elise closed her eyes and bobbed to the sound of D-Loc’s voice playing in her truck. She wasn’t much into weed but she loved her stoner rap.
“It feels so good when everything’s goin’ smooth and you got a sexy girl to get you in the mood.
It feels so good so I wish you would. It feels so good, it feels so good…” she mouthed the words.
“What feels so good?” a man asked.
Elise jumped in her seat and whipped around to her left. A black-haired man with stunning blue eyes had squeezed his head through the half-opened window. Her eyes were wide with surprise as her right hand clutched over her chest.
Who the hell was this? And how long had she been sitting here with him possibly watching?
The sound of mixed laughter came through the window as a group of people walked up and stood behind the strange man. The peeping Tom went to retreat but only caused a loud THUD to radiate throughout the whole truck.
“What’s the matter, Jimmo? Stick your head somewhere it shouldn’t be again?” A woman teased.
A deeper voiced chuckled in reply, “Only this time I don’t think there’s a prescription that can help Jimmy out of this situation.”
Laughter broke out louder this time as Elise just sat there not moving a muscle. This skinny man began to turn and pull his head in every direction in hopes of freedom. It was when he began to brace his hands against her window the Elise snapped back to reality. And snap in general.
Her fists tightened around her thumbs as she pulled in her bottom lip.
“Let him have it!” Her sister’s voice rang inside Elise’s head.
Claire was always one to back up her little sister and push Elise to stand up for herself.
Everything in Elise’s mind went blank as she let loose.
“Listen here, you lanky fuck,” the pissed female pointed at the one they called Jimmy, “If you so much as put even one scratch or one fingerprint on my truck, I’m going to have to kick you so fast and so hard that you travel into the past. And when you do, tell your mother to fucking suck it up and swallow so that she makes the future a better place. Do you understand me, shithead?”
Jimmy slowly nodded his head while the group of friends howled with laughter. The fire in her chest had subsided a tad when she noticed how defeated this man looked. She sighed and dropped her guard before turning the ignition over a click. The window was rolled down just enough for Jimmy to be released. He stumbled a few steps while grabbing his neck and gasping for air.
“I would have gladly rolled the window down had he given me the chance. Is he always this dramatic?” Elise scratched at the hairline around her forehead while stepping out and shutting the door.
The same woman who had been teasing Jimmy smirked, “He’s actually way worse. Once his favorite duck ignored him for a full hour and we swear Jimmy was going to go into a comatose from crying so hard. Not sure if that’s possible but he would have made it happen.”
She smiled and raised her glasses to take in the people in front of her. There was seven in total; four men and three women.
.:.:.
The woman who first spoke had a Monroe piercing above a sparkling smile. Her neck length, bleached blonde hair slightly bounced in damp waves with grey-blue eyes peeking out from under her bangs. She stood next to a man just a tad bit taller than she.
His hair was partly done up in a spiky black mess, most of the hair gel obviously left behind in the ocean. His tattooed arm hung loosely around the blonde’s waist while his green eyes watched her with adoration.
Elise noticed his features and couldn’t help but feel envious. She could tell right away they were a cute couple. Her attention turned to the tallest man, Jimmy, his chin resting on the head of a long-haired brunette. She was more tan than the rest, possibly of Latina descent but with Scottish features peeking through. Her smile could light up a black hole; her entire personality shown on her face.
The last couple was hard to identify past their sunglasses but they appeared to be the shortest. The man had dark hair that could be styled into a mohawk, a slight smirk on his face while she had a heartwarming smile. Auburn hair in the style of a bob complimented her strong features. He held her from behind as they took in my appearance. Each one stared at me, probably with the same thought going through my mind.
Who was this person?
She then focused her attention on the lone wolf, or who she hoped was a loner. His hair was cut short making it appear to be a dark brown. He was the biggest built but the dimples against his face softened his look a bit. A curious feeling enveloped Elise as she wondered what he hid under the aviators. Each man had various tattoos peppering their body, way more ink than their ladies had. After what seemed like an eternity of silence Elise finally spoke.
She scratched her hairline again, a nervous habit she could never shake. “I should be going now, it was nice meeting you?” she questioned and quickly walked away with a wave. She was completely hopeless of any small talk. With her memory, it was a surprise she remembered how to speak English.
“Hey, wait!” A woman called out as Elise was making her way through the carport.
She turned around and saw the brunette begin to approach her with a grin. “I haven’t seen you before. You new here?” she questioned once she caught up.
Elise adjusted her purse and took out her phone while scrolling through her email for information. “Yes, I’m actually here to meet my new roommate. I believe in building B, number 15 with Leana. Is the front office this way? I was hoping to look at a map…” she trailed off as her eyes searched for the building.
The woman giggled, “Nonsense, silly. We can help you. Just follow me Ms…?” It was her turn to trail off as she looked at the new tenant.
“Elise.” She blurted out with an outstretched arm.
“Nice to meet you, Elise. I’m Leana” she beamed and wrapped a surprised Elise in a hug.
Notes
Sigh. I can't believe I deleted this earlier. Oh, well. I'll be more careful this time. Thanks to everyone that read this the first time I posted haha.
It's a bit slow but it'll pick up, I promise! Comments and critiques are appreciated!
Well damn! ;) glad you’re back!
6/2/19