Chapter 18

 HA! Chapter 18!

Everything was in slow motion. I saw the shark shift direction and come straight for me. I saw it's dorsal fin aimed right at me. I swear I saw my life flash before my eyes. I saw the day Carlos died flash before my eyes last.

*

"Carlos please don't go surfing today!" He rolled his eyes as he walked into the garage and grabbed his red surfboard. "I'll be fine! I'm just going over by Bruno's place." I sighed and we started walking to Bruno's house. When we got there I turned and looked at him. "Please don't go." "Brookie, I'll be fine." He kissed my forehead. "Be careful." He ran out to the water and I went inside. "Hi Brooke!" "Hi Bernadette. Where's Bruno?" "In his room sweetie." I walked upstairs and knocked on his door. "It's open." I walked in and he was strumming on his guitar. "Hey." "Hi." We messed around and sang some. After awhile we just decided to watch tv. We were laying on his bed watching something on the comedy channel. I looked at the window and my gut twisted into a million knots. I stood up and looked out the window. A storm was brewing over the horizon. I scanned the water and saw Carlos waiting for a wave. He stood up and was abruptly knocked off. He went under and I saw a gray blob. He resurfaced and started swimming, then the water behind him slowly started turning red. "Shit!" I screamed. I ran out of the house and down to the beach as fast as my legs could carry me. I dove into the water, not caring that I could possibly get attacked. "Carols!" I screamed. "Help me Brooke!" He screamed back, his face painted with pure terror. He went under again. "Carlos!" I stopped swimming and everything went still. I could no longer see him or the shark. "Carlos!" He resurfaced feet in front of me, coughing up blood. I grabbed him and he threw his arm over my neck. "Gimme your other arm!" He lifted it up, revealing a bloody stub where his left hand used to be. We both screamed. We got close enough in to where I could stand. I picked him up and he started struggling for breath. "Brooke....you were right....I'm sorry...I should have listened to you...I love you lil sis." "No, dammit Carlos! Please don't leave me! Your my brother, I don't know what to do without you." I started crying. "Bruno will be there for you." I got about waist deep. "I love you." "I love you too Brookie." I watched the life fade from his hazel eyes, and I watched him take his final breath. I laid him down on the sand, his right leg, gone at the knee. Left hand missing, blood gushing out of the inside of his upper right thigh. Perfect bite marks across his torso. I checked for a pulse, nothing. He died at the young age of 18.

*

I'm back in reality. I watch as at the last second the shark turns and rubs right by my legs, bumps my hand, turns and heads back out to sea, never turning around or hesitating. My body is completely frozen, nothing's daring to move. I feel a single tear fall down my cheek. Next thing I know my feet are being put down on sand, and 7 worried guys were surrounding me. I could still feel the, just pure power that shark possessed in my leg. I smiled. "I'm alive." They all looked relieved. More tears fall. "That shark could have killed me as easily as he killed Carlos. But he didn't." I looked at Bruno. "That's the same spot Carlos died...." I look at the ground, remembering the blood that seeped from his body onto the sand. "....this is where I laid him down." I just hug Bruno, making sure this isn't a dream. He puts his arms around me and kisses the top of my head. "You ok?" I look at him and smile. "Totally, but I could seriously use a shot after that." We walk back to my house, surprised to find it empty. We walked inside and grabbed all the leftover drinks from last night. We all kick back a shot of Jack Daniels. The guys keep on drinking and I just settled for a beer. I sit on the small couch between Bruno and Eric. Jamaero, Kenji, Phil, Ari and Phred sat on the opposite couch. We have like a million pillows on our couches, no joke. I take one from behind my back and can't find anywhere to put it so I chuck it to the other couch, hitting Kenji right in the face. "What was that for?!" "It was in my way." He throws it back at me. "Children." Bruno says. I look at him and hit him right in the face with the pillow. "Ohhhhhhhh!" Everyone says at the same time. He takes a pillow that was behind him and whacks me in the face with it. "Ohhhhhhhh!" They say again. "Dayum!" Phil says. Bruno throws a pillow at him. "Oh it's on." Everyone grabs a pillow and we have a full on pillow fight. I feel like I'm 3 again, not 24. Everyone's laughing so hard they can barely hit anyone. I hear a knock at the door, I grab my beer and answer it. "Wuddup." I open it and smile. "Melody! Hey cuz! Oh snap, are these yours?" I point to a baby girl she's holding, probably no more than 6 months old, and another little girl about 2. "Oh, no. I'm babysitting these two." "Oh, that's a relief." "Hey baby who's here?" Bruno stands beside me and my cousins mouth drops. "Oh my freaking god! Bruno Mars?!?" "Shh! Quiet!" I hold my hands out to settle her down. "Oh my god!" She grabs my hand. "No way! You're engaged to him." I bring her inside. "Just settle down Mel!" "Oh gosh, sorry." I look at Bruno and he hasn't taken his eyes off the little girl Melody's holding. "Can...can I hold her?" He asks nervously. "Oh Uh, yeah sure." She hands her to Bruno. "Hey little baby. Hi." He cooed. "What's her name?" "Alyssa, and this is Sasha." She says pointing to the girl standing beside her. "Well come on." We walk into the living room. "What happened here?" "We got attacked by pillows." I grab all the shot glasses and the bottle of Jack Daniels and put it in the kitchen. "Guys this is my cousin Melody, and these are the kids she's babysitting." Everyone says hey and I immediately notice Phil seems to be taking a look. "Hi, I'm Phil." "Hi." She giggles. Bruno's sitting on the couch with Alyssa and Sasha. I go and sit beside him. "I never knew you liked kids so much?" "Their so fun, especially when their little." Alyssa starts crying and Bruno insists on making her bottle and feeding her. I show him how to do it and he actually seems interested. We go sit back down on the couch and feeds and burps her. Smiling and talking to her at the sametime. After he feeds her he starts to play with her, making faces. He actually gets her to laugh and he thought it was the greatest thing ever! "Aww did you hear that?! I made her laugh!" He gets the niggest smile across his face. It's like magic. We watch tv and talk until dark. "Well I gotta take these guys home." Melody stands up and takes the kids. "Do you need some help?" Phil asks. She looks at him and smiles. "I'd like that." They walk out the door. "I think Phil likes her." They all nod their heads in agreement, I yawn. Phil comes back in and everyone goes to their rooms, except me and Bruno. I go upstairs and change into an oversized T-shirt and my favorite silk pajama pants. I walk back into the living and slide the coffee table to the side, I slide the two couches together making a small bed. I grab a couple of blankets and pillows. I walk back into the living room and Bruno's wearing only his boxers. "Boy, I don't think you own a pair of pajamas!" "What makes you say that?" "Well, every time I see you getting ready to go to bed you're wearing your boxers! I remember when you were a kid your mother made you put pajamas on." "Are you complaining?" "Uh.." I look him up and down. "No, not at all." He laughs. "Though so." I lay the sheets on the makeshift bed and toss him his pillow. We lay down and he starts to play with my hair. "Bruno?" "Yes my love?" "I love you." "I love you too beautiful." I put my head in the crook of his neck and lay my hand on his chest. If only life could be this easy, if only.

*

Bruno watched as her chest slowly rose and fell in a steady rhythm. God she was so beautiful, but she deserved better than me. I was going to be on tour, I would be busy a lot, and she would be alone a lot. She deserved someone who would never leave her alone at night, someone who would always be there. Maybe I should quit singing, and try to be a good husband. Oh who am I kidding! Brooke would never let me do that, I don't think I ever could stop singing. I just don't want to screw this up. I love her so much, I don't know what I would do with out her. "Bruno?" "Mmm?" "I love you." "I know, and I love you too. Now go to sleep." "You stop worrying and go to sleep too." "How'd...." "I can feel you tense up." "Ok, alright." I kiss the top of her head. She knows me better than anyone else. She's right I should stop worrying and be thankful for every second I get to spend with her. I close my eyes and let sleep take me.

*

"Carlos? Where am I?" This wasn't the usual field that I was in. This was like a dark forest, burnt trees, dead bushes, and not a single beam of sunlight in sight. I followed the path for what seemed like ages. "Carlos! This isn't funny!" The bushes behind me shook, making me jump about 5 feet off the ground. "Jesus Christ! Carlos!" I kept walking feeling as if I was being followed, which I probably was being followed by Carlos. "Carlos when I get my hands on you Ohh! You better be ready!" I pass under a tree and turn a corner, stopping dead in my tracks. A rusty gate is blocking the way. "Shit, this is just great!" "It's going to get better." Says a voice. "Yes, much better." My blood turns to ice. Oh. My. God.