S.O.S
Chapter 1
A young woman with tan skin ran on the beach of California, feeling the breeze on her face and the wind in her hair. But mostly she was aware of how the pounding of her feet and heart were in synch with the guitar chords of Nick and Kevin Jonas's guitars.
"Ohh, this is an S.O.S,
don't wanna second guess,
this is the bottom line it's true.
I gave my all for you,
now my hearts in two,
and I can't find the other half.
It's like walkin' on broken glass.
Better believe I bled,
it's a call I'll never get…"
Caryn Young quickly changed the song on her iPod. S.O.S was the story of her life. She slowed to a walk, then a stop, as she motioned a few other runners to go ahead of her. She pulled her long, curly black hair into a ponytail so it was out of her brown eyes, adjusted her black lycra sports tank top, and took off toward her condo that backed onto the beach.
"Yo, Anna! You up yet?" Caryn shouted as she closed the glass French doors to the entrance of their condo. She jogged into the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle, downing it in one draught.
"Morning, coffee." Annabelle Brooks entered the kitchen, walking straight to the coffee pot.
"I'll talk to you after you wake up." Caryn laughed. After having a mug of strong coffee, Caryn's roommate was able to speak coherently.
"You ready for the game tonight?" Every year Anna and Caryn joined the beach volleyball team for their Californian boarding school, St. Mary's All-Girls Catholic Boarding School. They played with players from their partner school, St. Patrick's All-Boys Catholic School.
"Hell yeah! We are gonna own!" The roommates/best friends/surrogate sisters laughed as Anna poured her remaining coffee down the drain.
"Hey did you already go jogging?" Anna asked, taking in Caryn's tank top and black St. Mary's basketball shorts (the only thing that really made them St. Mary's was the gold piping).
"Mhm," Caryn mumbled, throwing the Native Californian's mug into the dishwasher. "What would we do without your parents?" Caryn asked the rhetorical question that she asked every morning.
"Why didn't you wake me up?" Anna asked, returning to the previous subject of conversation. "I would have gone with you!"
"Yeah, dealing with you in the morning is like dealing with a grizzly bear coming out of hibernation." Caryn laughed.
"Yeah you keep laughing. I'll be back in half an hour. I'm going jogging."
"Go ahead." Caryn sat on a bar stool at their kitchen counter, reflecting on her life so far, as she often did after hearing songs like S.O.S.
Caryn Amber Young was only 16, contrary to popular belief. She had grown up in a remote area of Washington, not in California. She had loved growing up in La Push with her older sister, Aunt Sue, Uncle Harry, and cousins, Leah and Seth. In truth, she had grown up on the Makah Reservation, a 15 to 20 minute drive from La Push, the Quileute rez. But after her mother and father died she and her big sister Emily moved to La Push to be closer to their cousins. That happened when she was 13.
At the age of 14, she started high school, at La Push High School, and met Jacob Black. They became fast friends and he introduced her to a lot of people, including…him.
Long story short, Caryn fell for one of Jake's friends, and he dumped her after promising her the forever and ever. At the same time her cousin Leah had her heart broken by her high school sweetheart, Sam Uley. Funny thing was Sam dumped her for Emily. A month later Emily was attacked by a bear during salmon spawning season.
With so much going on, Emily getting attacked, him breaking up with her, and her parents dead, Caryn got depressed. Sam talked to her and got her to agree to go to California for a couple of years, thinking it would be good for her.
In California, Caryn met Annabelle, Zach, and Johnny. Annabelle invited her to her house and Caryn met Anna's doctor of a mother, and lawyer of a father. They accepted Caryn as one of their own, and bought the girls a condo for their 16th birthdays, which were 2 months apart.
Now she was 16, and her heart was slowly beginning to heal with the help of Zach Cohen. He was a dancer, he was sweet, he was good looking, and he was everything he was and more. Best of all, he had promised never to hurt her multiple times.
"So I can, and I will
and you'll see your hero come runnin'
Over and over tonight.
"And I do wanna love you
If you see me runnin' back
And I do wanna try
Because if fallin' for you girl is crazy,
then I'm goin' out of my mind
So hold back your tears this time.
"Me I'm used to…" Caryn picked up her cell phone and flicked it open.
"Hey baby," Zach's deep voice sent a shiver down her spine.
"Hey you, what's up?"
"I passed Belle on the beach. She said you were by yourself and I wondered if you wanted some company." he replied.
"Sure, it's always good to see you, where are you?"
"Just outside your door," he chuckled.
"Well, come in! The door's open!" She laughed at the silliness of her boyfriend.
"You know, you shouldn't leave your door open," he started as she heard the door open. "Someone could sneak in and grab you." As the last two words left his mouth, Caryn felt two muscular arms wrap around her waist and pull her into a hard chest. She felt two lips gently kiss her neck and she relaxed in his arms.
"I love you," she sighed.
"I love you too baby girl." Caryn turned in Zach's arms and looked into his deep, chocolate brown eyes. She brushed his skater-style black hair out of his eyes and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips.
He broke the kiss and tugged her over to the white suede couch and collapsed onto it, pulling her onto his lap.
"Are you ready for the game?" Caryn asked.
"Mhm. Are you going to the after party at the club?" Zach asked, rubbing smooth circles on his girlfriends back. Caryn had changed into a black baby doll with blue flowers and a black peasant skirt with blue beading. The baby doll was a thick strap tank top and was low cut.
"Duh! You're my ride to and from the game. Where I go, you go!"
"Would you have gone if I wasn't going and you had your own ride?"
"Like I said, where you go I go."
"Forever and ever baby." Caryn turned so her legs were on laid out on Zach's right, and he put his left arm out to balance her. They kissed gently, and the kiss quickly escalated to a steamy make out session, with Zach on top of Caryn.
"EWW! Guys. PDA, not a-okay." The young couple broke apart and sat up at the sound of Anna's disgusted voice. Zach removed his hand from underneath the back of Caryn's top, and Caryn removed her hands from around his neck.
"Thanks for keeping her company and polluting the couch Zach I'm sure you were way better company then I could have been." Anna said sarcastically.
"So true, so true." Caryn replied just as sarcastically, just to get a red pillow in the face.
"Yo! Anyone home?" A blonde male head stuck through the French doors.
"In here Johnny!" The blonde named Johnny made his way into the lounge where his girlfriend, brother, and friend were.
"Hey bro," Zach greeted his younger (by one year!) brother. Zach was 17 while Johnny and the girls were 16.
"Hey Zach, hey Caryn," he leaned over and pecked Anna on the check. "Hey baby."
"Hey Johnny." There really was no family resemblance between Zach and Johnny, except for the rare moment when they did or said something that reminded people of the other. Zach may have been older but Johnny looked older. Zach had long black hair that was always messy while Johnny's blonde hair was slightly shorter, and less messy. They were both built, but Zach looked stronger while Johnny went more for definition. Zach was taller, Johnny was shorter. They talked, walked, ate, and slept differently. Yet they were best friends.
"Are you ready for the game?" Johnny asked.
"Why does everyone keep asking that?" Zach asked.
"Because we are the stars of the volleyball team. Not to mention Caryn and I own the girls basketball team!" Anna yelled.
"Damn straight!" Caryn shouted in reply.
It was 8:30 at night. The St. Mary's and St. Patrick's Eagles had been playing the St. Perpetua, St. Felicity, and St. Peter Angels (ironic isn't it) since 7:00.
The way the league was organized, teams had 24 players on them, 6 players play at a time, and if the other team is in possession of the ball you can't rotate until you get a point. If your team is in possession of the ball, keep serving until the other team gets a point. After they get a point, you have to get a point to rotate. All players found it extremely confusing. It was possible (and the Eagles had done it) to serve an entire game, as long as the other team didn't get a point. When rotating, you move one position in a clockwise motion until you serve. If the other team scores on your serve, you stay on until your team is in possession of the ball again. Once that happens, you sit at the end of the line and chill until it's your turn to go on again.
3 hits are permitted per side, excluding serve, and teams played for 2 hours. Playing was tiring for the players on the court, especially if their team was the only one scoring because you would never rotate.
Every half hour there was a 5 minute break, but after the break the players got back into their positions again.
Anyway, the score as 43-0 for the Eagles. Caryn had been serving all night with Zach, Anna, and Johnny (in that order) on the attack line. The teams were on their 5 minute break.
Caryn sat on the bench and shoved her hand into one of the coolers filled with ice and water bottles. Her wrist was ruby red, she had popped a vein, and her wrist was 3 times its normal size. She doubted that it would look or feel normal any time soon.
"What a night to forget to wrap your wrists," Zach commented, sitting next to Caryn. He grabbed a water bottle from the cooler and dumped half the contents on his head.
Caryn slumped onto his shoulder. "Yeah well last I heard from Coach, I wasn't supposed to play tonight unless I rotated on and even that probably wouldn't have happened because I was supposed to be number 24 in the line up."
"Hey, cheer up. You're doing great." Zach kissed her sweaty forehead as the buzzer rang over the calm beach.
The Eagles (all 6 that were playing) huddled into a circle, careful not to touch each other because they were so sweaty.
"To quote my favorite football movie, I know you're tired, I know you're hurting, and I wish I could say something classy and inspirational, but that just wouldn't be our style." Caryn told the exhausted team, who had their hands resting on their knees so they wouldn't fall over. She nodded to Zach and Johnny to continue.
"Pain heals, chicks dig scars, but glory…lasts forever," the brothers said in unison. That was one of those moments where the family resemblance was overwhelming.
The team clapped once and jogged, despite their tiredness, to their positions. Caryn picked up the ball and softly underhand served the ball onto the opposite side of the net. One of the Angels dug the ball higher up. The player next to them volleyed the ball over the net.
"Set me up!" Anna yelled. Zach volleyed the ball high over Anna's head. Anna ran up and spiked the ball over the net, onto the boundary line. The referee blew the whistle and pointed to the Falcons side. The 6 players ran and gave Anna a high five. Anna threw the ball to Caryn who caught it like she would catch a chest pass in basketball. She quickly sent it flying into the centre of the Angels court. The crowd erupted into applause when nobody on the Angels team returned the ball, until the heard the ref's whistle blow and noticed that Caryn was hunched over her wrist, holding it with her left hand.
Zach ran to her.
"What happened?"
"Something snapped, and then popped. I didn't even see the ball leave my hand because of the blinding pain. Did we get the point?" Caryn asked, blinking back her tears.
"Yeah, we got the point," he replied, chuckling at her focus on the game.
"What's up?" Anna asked as she and Johnny walked up with Coach McGraw.
"Something snapped and popped in her wrist." Zach replied.
"Great, can you still play?" Coach asked. Zach glared at him.
"With all due respect sir, she could be seriously hurt. Playing could just result in serious, permanent damage. And then you would lose your star player." Johnny stated calmly, trying to keep his brother from pummeling the coach.
"Listen son, usually I would bench her for the rest of the season because I want her to get better. But the only reason I'm asking, and the only reason she's playing today instead of resting up for the championship game, is because I'm looking out for her best interests," the middle-aged volleyball coach spoke to Zach.
"I'm still here." Caryn sobbed. Zach was holding her in a tender embrace while the athletic therapist examined her wrist.
"I know. But see those people in suits sitting in the front row?" When Caryn nodded he continued, "Those are college scouts from the University of Southern California. They've been watching your progress through basketball and volleyball since you came here. If we win the championships, they want the 4 of you at their university. But it's all of you, or none of you."
"Coach, she can't play. She dislocated her wrist. The snap was it moving slightly out of place. The pop was it completely dislocating. She over extended it by serving so much and so hard." Dr. Lalonde told him.
"No chance at all?"
"No, unless she wants me to pop it back in and wrap it."
"Let's go with that." Caryn whispered.
"It'll kill." Dr. Lalonde replied.
"Can't hurt more than it already does." Caryn replied.
"Alright. Give me the arm. Zach talk to her." Caryn let her arm relax as Zach started whispering sweet-nothings in her ear, like:
"You look beautiful," and "I would take it all away if I could," and "I love you so much." As he whispered, Laurie Lalonde applied enough pressure to force the joint back into its socket. The wall of tears behind Caryn's eyes broke and flooded down her face. Johnny and Anna's hearts went out to their friends when they saw Zach crying as well. Caryn and Zach grasped each other, keeping each other together in every way possible.
Dr. Lalonde grabbed a tenser bandage and medical tape and quickly wrapped the injured wrist, her hardened heart going out to the young couple who were all the other needed.
"Are you sure about this?" Zach asked as his silent tears subsided. Caryn gave a silent nod as they joined the rest of the team.
"Sorry Caryn, sorry little buddy." Andrew Williams said as the two young people joined the huddle.
"It's alright Andy; just knock someone's head off this time." Caryn replied, trying to smile.
"Consider it done!"
"Now guys, there's gonna be a change in strategy. I'm covering Caryn's position, so Anna will have to cover mine, meaning Johnny will have to cover hers, etcetera. Just look out for one another out there." Zach said.
"No guys cover your own positions. I can hold my own. We only have 25 minutes left." Caryn argued.
"Caryn, I don't want you to do any serious damage to yourself!" Zach replied.
"I'll be fine. The only reason I asked the doctor to reset my wrist is so that I could play!"
"Guys shut up! Caryn, no forehand passing. Zach, if the ball goes too low, cover Caryn's spot. I'll cover your spot if I need to!" Anna yelled. The team nodded their heads in agreement.
"Fine." Zach stomped off to his corner of the court.
"He's just looking out for you." Johnny whispered to Caryn.
"I know. It's just that I want a boyfriend, not a protector or father figure." she replied, as she walked to the server's corner of the court and picked up the ball.
"45 serving nothing!" Caryn called as she turned her back to the net.
"She's gonna serve it backwards!" The Eagles mumbled to each other. Zach turned around so he could see Caryn.
She threw the ball high over her head and smacked it with the back of her hand. It sailed over the net and landed un the white Californian sand. Caryn turned and caught the ball, wincing as it tweaked her wrist.
"46 serving nothing!" The game went on like that for the remaining 20 minutes of the game until the buzzer rang and the Eagles ran and jumped on Caryn.
Zach pushed his way through the crowd of supporters, teammates, and fans.
"Are you okay?" he asked when he reached her.
"It hurts but its okay," she replied. He wrapped her in a tight hug.
"DUDES! WE WON!!" Anna yelled as she ran up. The coach of the Angels walked up, shook Caryn's hand, and handed her the game ball. As soon as the coach walked away Caryn raised the ball high over her head and shouted in victory. Her teammates picked up the 6 players who played and carried them onto the dock of the beach they were on. They put them down at the edge and the entire team jumped into the ocean.
A/N: Wow. Anyone who guesses correctly who he is will be my new best friend. But I'm sorry, no one can beat Fred. Sorry, that's an inside joke. Last night I had 4 extremely large Root Beers served to me by a guy named Fred. Fred was good people, I miss Fred.
The extremely Root Beer-high,
Tough Girls Don't Cry
Oh, and this is how I see the characters:
Caryn: Vanessa Hudgens
Anna: Brooke Langton
Zach: Nicholas Braun
Johnny: Derek Hough
Sam: Dwayne Johnson
Jacob: Johnny Pacar
Embry: Joe Jonas
Jared: Graham Wardle
Paul: Nathaniel Arcand
Emily: Carrie Ann Inaba
Quill: Ryne Sanborn
Seth: Taylor Lautner
Leah: Cheryl Burke