*Update - I posted a live video of Thunderstruck rather than a lyric video because, come on, its Angus on the guitar. And who needs AC/DC lyrics anyway, right?

Thunderstruck - ac/dc

Early in the morning, Hope was awoken by the sound of kids running past. She yawned, stretched and realized she was in a sleeping bag. She opened her eyes, saw that she was in a tent and remembered that she was camping. The events of the bonfire were mostly clear, she remembered the music and the dancing. She definitely remembered that drink and the fuzzy feeling, at that thought she grimaced, not really wanting to be a teenage drinker. She also remembered the slurring stranger guy and shuddered. What in the world was she thinking, talking to him. But the next thought is what stopped her breath. She gasped when she remembered Will. Was I dreaming or did that really happen?

All she knew was that if it was real, she didn't want to have more regrets so she decided right then that she was going to find out. He had said he would be surfing at north beach today. It was 6:30 in the morning but from what she knew about surfing, which was next to nothing, she thought they went out pretty early.

So Hope got dressed, choosing sweats, a black t-shirt and grey hoodie, put her hair in a ponytail, grabbed a Granola bar and jumped in her car. After stopping for her morning elixir, coffee of course, she headed to north beach to find Will. This time she remembered a beach chair, thankfully.

She sat in her car looking out at the water for a few minutes, squinting to see if she could recognize him. There were definetely surfers out there but she couldn't tell one from the other in her car. Looking closer was the only option. Hope opened her door, got her bag and chair while balancing her precious coffee and walked to the edge of the lot. She walked down the embankment near the designated parking area, which was no more than a large dirt lot, and started a slow walk along the shore. She kept her eyes on the water, so many surfers, how will I find him? As she finished that thought, she saw him walking toward shore, surf board under his arm, full body wet suit and hair dripping. He paused to shake the water out of his hair and Hope's chin practically hit the sand. He's hot.

Will noticed her immediately and shot a hand up in recognition. Hope stood still, transfixed by his hotness, awkwardly smiling back at him. As he got closer Hope's nerves got stronger. But she told those butterflies to pip down, kept her eyes on him, and said "Good morning, Will" almost shocking herself.

"Good morning to you! How did you sleep?" he smiled at her with his sparkling eyes.

"Fine, thanks, and no headache. Thanks for rescuing me last night. I don't know what I was thinking" Hope was also embarrassed by telling him practically her whole life story, but she didn't want to remind him about that.

"No problem. But don't you remember what you were thinking? You didn't want to have anymore regrets." He winked. Such an easy confidence just oozed from him it was almost contagious.

"Great, you remembered. I was hoping you had forgotten about that. I can't believe I rambled on like that." Hope also couldn't believe how easy it was for her to talk to Will. It must have been him, and not the buzz, after all. She was definitely absorbing some of his confident demeanor. Fine by me she thought.

"You weren't rambling, it was only a 5 minute walk to your tent", he said with a huge grin. Hope set up her chair on the sand and Will plopped down next to it. "Don't feel bad, it's okay to open up and talk, I was glad to help you out" He had helped out more than he knew, and Hope wondered why.

That reminded her, "By the way, how did you know my name?" She sat down as she waited for his reply.

"Oh, Ethan told me" he answered as he looked out to the waves. It was a good thing they were already sitting down because Hope felt like she might pass out. That was the last thing she expected him to say.

"W what?" She choked out the words. "Y you know Ethan?"

"Yeah, as long as I can remember" he continued to look at the water. He seemed to be holding something back, some knowledge that he didn't want to share.

"W was he there last night?" Please no no no no.

"No, he hasn't been to a bonfire in a couple years" still watching the water. Hope had the feeling again that Will was in deed holding something back, but she didn't want to intrude on his private thoughts by asking.

Thank goodness. "So when did he tell you who I was?" Hope had regained some composure.

"That night, when he walked you over to the bonfire and introduced you." Now he looked back at Hope.

Oh. No. So much for composure. "So you knew about that night already?" She felt a little sick.

"Yes, but not your version". Will chuckled. He had a wide smile now. Mesmerizing...

Great

"So you know his version?" She really felt sick now. What could Ethan have told him...

"Yup"

Okay... "Um, do you maybe want to tell me about it?"

"Nope, not yet. Soon though." and then he got up and grabbed his board. "I'm headed back in before the waves are gone. Do you want to take a drive up the coast this afternoon to watch the elephant seals?"

"Yeah, I guess." She did want to hear the other version of the, apparently infamous, bonfire. And she was totally mesmerized by his still sparkling eyes.

"Okay, meet me back here at 2:30", he called over his shoulder to her as he ran back into the ocean.

Hope sat there and watched for a few minutes, sipping her coffee, feeling like she just got hit by a truck.

..........

Hope sat in her car, still at north beach, staring at her phone, eyes wide, mouth open. Crap, crap, crap. 4 missed calls, 2 voice mails and 5 texts. All from her mom. She didn't bother listening to the voice mails after she saw the texts

*Hope, call me right now!*

*I talked with Angela's mom...call me*

*This isn't funny. I am not happy with you.*

*Call now!!!!*

*HELLO!*

Well, now she had to face it, like it or not. Her mom knew she had lied. Dang, I should have told her yesterday. But Hope knew the result would have been the same. She took a huge breath and tapped her mom's contact.

Her mom answered on the first ring. "Hope, you have some explaining to do" Hope could hear the scowl on her moms face.

"I know, I'm sorry. I really wanted to come up here, that's the only way it could happen" Hope put her head in her hands.

"Well, you'll just have to head back now, all of that driving and gas for nothing". Of course that's what her mom would think of, not: why didn't you just tell me how important this was...

"No, I'm not coming home yet." Hope was definitive in her statement. She felt her anger building...

"Oh, yes you are, young lady. You will leave immediately!" Her mom practically screamed into the phone.

"No, mom, I won't!" Hope screamed back. Here it comes. "I have spent the last two years, longer actually, putting up with being forgotten because you were too caught up in your own life to care about me. It took me lying and driving 4 hours from home for you to even notice me."

Her mom was silent for a second and then replied more calmly, "Hope, I haven't forgotten you, I've always been there for you. I called Angela's mom because I was worried about you, the both of you. You sounded strange last night when you called, sort of sad"

"Mom, you haven't been there for me, I've had to be there for myself. And I didn't sound sad last night. Sad was how I've sounded for the last two years. Last night I just sounded numb" Although she wasn't screaming, Hope was still livid with her moms lack of understanding.

"Well, that doesn't matter now, you need to come home!" And her mom was back to screaming. And Hope was done, just done, with all of it.

"Sorry mom, but I'm staying" Hope hung up and shut her phone off, tossing it onto the passenger seat. Then she grabbed the steering wheel, put her head down and cried for the second time in twenty-four hours.

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Author's notes:

I know, I know...too short. Like I've said before, sometimes these characters dictate to me what they want to happen. Will and Hope just got right to the point today. Don't worry, they will get longer... The good news is that when I post a shorter chapter, I will probably update and post another one sooner.

Also, Will huh? So, he knows Ethan. Could we have a love triangle brewing? Don't you wish you knew ;-)

Notes on chapter title - Thunderstruck

This is my 100% FAVORITE AC/DC song so I had to include it. Luckily it fits here. Did you notice in the last chapter that Hope recognized it playing at the bonfire? "something about thunder..." was her comment. I originally thought of this as the song playing when she first see's Will. Ha, ha, but then I wanted Bloodstream due to the duel meaning that it has... darn, hope I'm not giving too much away!

Anyway, now I think of this song playing in her head when Will is walking out of the ocean and shaking the water out of his hair. Too much? oh well. I still love this song.

Hope you like it...

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]