I S A B E L L A

Today the sunlight conjured the most brilliant of mosaics, reflecting from each leaf and wisp of cloud. It was as if there was a pure joy in the light, as if it were happy to create art where it shone, warm and steady. It was as the smiles of friends, as fresh rain after summer sun, something to quench and soothe all at once.

I practically felt the sunburn already as i lay on the outside lounge chair under the sun.

We were having a barbecue on the back deck. The smell of sausages being grilled tickled my nostrils, the sound of quiet waves and chatter filled my ears, mixed with the noises of plates and utensils rattling.

Although i did nothing but lay here and sunbathe, i couldn't help the smile that crept up on my face. I loved how we were all preparing dinner together, like a happy family.

I loved this place, i loved these people, i loved what we were doing right now, being together, laughing together, just being us.

"How's the hangover, love?" Lucy's voice chimed in, I heard her soft footsteps pat on the deck as she made her way closer towards me.

When i peeled my eyes open, she was holding a few plates in one hand and utensils in the other, she made her way past me and to the big table in front of me before beginning to set out the plates and utensils for each of us. The large table was placed in the middle of the deck, revealing a beautiful view of the beach.

To my right, Kai was at the barbecue, at the moment he was cooking sausages as his back was faced to me. He bobbed his head to the music that was coming from inside the house, he wore dark red swimming trunks and no top, leaving his torso naked.

"It's much better than this morning." I replied to Lucy, as she placed the last fork down by the plate.

Lucy had her dark hair up in a messy bun, she wore a simple nude colored bikini that complemented her curvy body and tanned skin. I wore a bikini that tied around the neck and back, it was white with pink stripes on them, i let my natural hair down today and applied only a little makeup.

Ronan demanded we all go in the hot tub after we eat, so we all just changed into bikinis and swimming trunks.

Lucy leaned her back slightly against the table as she looked down at me. "That's good."

I nodded in response. "Come help bring in the rest." Lucy added softly, gesturing with her head towards the house before pushing herself off the table and walking back into the house.

I sat up and followed her, the music immediately got louder once we stepped foot into the house. Everybody was in the kitchen once we got in there, Ronan was sipping on a capri sun as he sat on the kitchen counter next to Noah and Ethan who prepared drinks and food. Axel on the other hand was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey pretty girl! Looking gorgeous as always." Ronan winked at me, i blushed before pushing his shoulder causing him to almost fall.

"Where's Axel?" I asked, when he regained his balance. Noah handed me a bowl of salad and sent me a small smile which i instantly returned back with a much bigger one.

"He's vanished upstairs, nobody knows what he's doing these days." Ronan replied, he seemed more serious now, like he was genuinely worried for Axel, his body tensed and he shifted in his spot trying to brush it off.

The thought of Axel reminded me about last night. I remember most of last night, and all the multiple times i managed to embarrass myself in front of Axel made me cringe every time i thought of it. I was never going to drink again, ever.

I nodded and decided to leave it, not pushing it any further before walking back outside to the deck where i placed the salad down in the middle of the table.

I turned on my heel, ready to head back inside and bring our more stuff but Kai and his sausages caught my attention first.

I rushed to him and peeked over his shoulder too look at them, he must have felt my presence when he suddenly spoke.

"Wanna try?" He asked, he held up a fork with a sausage stabbed through. I nodded, my mouth watering.

He held the fork as he brought the sausage up to my lips, i bit into it. I almost moaned at how good it tasted, Kai looked down at me with a sweet smile before letting out a chuckle at my satisfied face expression.

"It taste really good!" I said, before taking a bite into the sausage again as Kai held it.

Axel ambled onto the deck when i pulled away and chewed, he was shirtless again and wore plain black swimming trunks as usual. A cigarette between his lips.

His eyebrow was raised and jaw ticked, like he had just witnessed everything.

"Thank you." Kai responded, I felt Axel eye both me and him, Kai hadn't seemed to notice Axel is here because he softly moved his hand to tuck the hair that had fallen in-front of my face behind my ear.

I smiled up at him, and looked down. The air quickly filled with tension and awkwardness.

From the corner of my eye, i could see Axel lean against the wall as he watched us both, he smoked his cigarette but i couldn't tell what he was thinking.

He was simply unreadable.

"You look really pretty." Kai added after a beat of silence, as he flipped the sausages. I blushed, and felt my lips stretch up into a smile.

I was going to thank him, maybe even give him a compliment back but Axel beat me too it.

"She does, doesn't she?" I turned to look at Axel, who was burning holes into the back of Kai's head with his eyes, a nasty smirk on his face.

Kai turned around towards the voice, finally noticing him. He stilled for a moment before moving back to his sausages.

"Mhm." Kai replied dryly. I swallowed, and watched Axel's eyes shift towards mine before they collided.

I looked into his blue eyes, he looked into my green ones. He seemed pissed, i felt awkward.

Ethan came into the rescue when he walked in with glasses in his hands, he stopped in his tracks and looked at all off us.

"Why you all standing here in silence." He asked, before breaking out into a chuckle and then placing the glasses down.

He looked at us all once again whilst shaking his head and beginning to walk out, i rushed to Ethan's side and hooked my arm with his so i could get out of here.

Ethan looked down at me and raised an eyebrow, i realised i had barley ever spoken to him and that also he has very big arms.

"Hi." I smiled.

"Hello."

"I'll just come with you."

"Okay."

We walked back into the house, my arm remaining hooked with his. Ethan smirked to himself as we walked through the house.

"So, how are you?"

"I've never seen Axel so fucking jealous." Ethan said, bursting out into a laugh and completely ignoring my questions.

"What do you mean?" I asked, stopping us in the middle of the living room.

Ethan rolled his eyes before replying. "He's jealous because he thinks there is something going on between you and Kai."

I almost laughed.

Axel didn't even want me as a friend, why would he be jealous.

"How do you know that?" I asked, my face scrunched up.

"It's not that hard to tell, darling." Ethan shrugged his shoulders, winked and then unhooked his arm from mine before walking into the kitchen.

I stayed glued in my spot as i looked towards the deck, Kai continued grilling and Axel was out of my sight.

I brushed it all off, i didn't have time to be thinking about this. I'm hungry.

Ethan walked back out with a few more glasses and wine before walking back outside.

I walked into the kitchen after him. Ronan stayed sat on the on the kitchen counter as he watched Lucy carefully cut vegetables. Noah was taking out a few beer bottles.

"Anything else need taking out?" I asked, Lucy shook her head causing Ronan to jump up from his seat and down onto the floor.

"Fuck finally!" Ronan shouted, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and pulling me out.

"Let's go, i'm fucking starving!" And before i knew it i was being dragged outside.

Axel was already sitting down, his attention was on his phone as Ethan, Kai and Noah helped take the meat that was cooked onto the table.

The table was now packed with food. Both me and Ronan gaped at it like it was heaven. We looked at each other and smiled before basically throwing ourselves onto our chairs.

Ronan, as expected sat next to Axel who didn't acknowledge him in the slightest. I sat by myself at the edge of the table, across Axel.

Not long after, Kai sat next to me, his strong cologne brushed my nostrils as he sat down. I watched Axel as he took a peek from his phone to acknowledge me and Kai sitting next to one another, but that didn't last long before he was back down looking at his phone.

It didn't take long before everyone else was hare, and once everyone else sat down we dug into our food like we have been starved for days.

"No phones on the table!" Ronan snatched Axel's device from him, which didn't last long before Axel got it back and put it away.

"Fuck off." Axel said, smacking him across the the head causing a few chuckles to escape.

Lucy on the other hand, cackled.

"What you laughing at, Moody Margaret?" Ronan snapped his head towards her.

"You're ugly face." She snapped back, Ronan smirked.

"That's not what you were saying last ni-"

"Shut the fuck up, ginger." She cut him off before he could finish.

What the heck!

I turned my head towards Lucy, my jaw was basically hanging to the floor. She ignored everyone and continued eating, her once tanned face turned bright red.

I turned to Kai, and we both shared a amused expression before turning and looking around for others peoples reactions.

They didn't care.

I looked up at the sky, that was beginning to set. The decks lights have now turned on as it began to turn darker, it continued to stay warm even in the evening, a cold breeze whipping my skin occasionally.

Not long after, the rest of us continued eating, ignoring everything that just happened.

We ate in a comfortable silence for a good few minutes, focusing on our food.

"You okay?" I heard Ronan ask. I lifted my head to look at him, and quickly realised he was speaking to Axel.

Axel only nodded, his plate was still mostly full, i only noticed a few things have been eaten of the plate but even then it was barley anything.

"You sure, man?" Ronan asked, he placed a hand on Axel's shoulder. I noticed how Axel stared off into the distance, his pupils delaited, his mind somewhere far away.

"Yes." Axel replied, shaking Ronan's hand off. It sort of seemed like a warning from Axel not to ask again, and when Axel realised we all were staring at him i watched him force himself to lift his fork and take a bite.

He ate it like it was the most disgusting thing he's tried, as he chewed slowly he looked down at his plate, in attempt to hide his face.

I couldn't help but stare at him, he's acting so weird. He's not as calm and collected as he usually is, he's lost in his thought, like he's lost touch with reality.

Ronan seemed to catch on as well, he ditched his eating and was now staring at his best friend.

Axel dropped his fork, his eyes darted between me and Ronan before staying on mine.

"What?" He gritted through his teeth with a hard expression. Ronan looked him up and down, cocked his head.

"Are you on drugs?"

Axel snapped his head to Ronan, the table was so silent nobody dared to say a word. The waves at the beach loudly crashed against each other as we waited for a response.

"What did you say?" Axel mumbled, they both stared at each other.

"Are you high?" Ronan phrased it in another way, his face was so serious i was beginning to get nervous.

Axel stood up from his chair, knocking it over in the process when he lifted Ronan by his shorts collar.

It took us all off guard.

I flew up from my chair with them, and then followed everyone else. We watched as Axel didn't say a word but held Ronan up by the collar and started into his eyes.

Ronan'a expression remained hard with a tint of confusion, he looked into Axel's eyes like he was trying to figure him out.

"What the fuck, Axel?" Ethan spoke up. Axel ignored him.

"Axel put him down, he was just asking." Ethan spoke again, Axel ignored him again. He kept his eyes glued on Ronan's.

I swallowed a large, sore lump in my throat.

"Put him down." Noah spoke, Noah rarely spoke. Atleast not whilst i was around him.

Axel continued eyeing Ronan for a few seconds longer before dropping him down onto his seat causing him too almost fall back with his seat and tumble.

He then grabbed his beer off the table, catching eye contact with me for a split seconds before storming away into the house with big, long strides.

I stared down at Ronan, who was staring at the entrance Axel just went through.

I sat down slowly "Are you okay?" I asked.

Ronan's eyes darted to me, he ran a hand through his hair and took a swing of his beer.

"Yeah.." He mumbled. Everyone else sat down after me, we sat in silence.

What the freak just happened.

"What the fuck has gotten into him." Ronan said, he shook his head, his face filled with worry for his friend. He wasn't angry, he wasn't annoyed, he was just worried.

"He's been fucking crazy these past few weeks." I heard Ethan say, his legs were spread out whilst one hand rested between them and the other held a beer bottle as he sipped on it.

"Just leave him, he's clearly moody as shit today." Noah spoke up, as he continued cutting food and eating it.

Suddenly i lost my appetite.

I wondered if Axel was okay, if he needed a hug, someone to talk to, i wanted to know what was going through his head.

I just wanted to understand him.

I thought of going up there, but i knew it was best to leave him alone. He was angry, and it wouldn't help if i got involved.

I sucked it up and continued eating my food, the rest of us got back to normal after a few minutes, we brushed it off.

We laughed and we talked and we waited for Axel to come back down as we finished our dinner.

We all slipped into the hot tub after, we laughed, we talked and we waited for Axel to come back down again.

But he never did.

~~~
I had really bad writers block, i'm sorry if this chapter sucked.

I might edit in the morning.

Thank you for reading my lovelies <333