June 1996
95 days
I was laying on the beach the next day trying to push my father's harsh words from my mind. What did he know about anything? He was just an old fart who "lived" life ignorant to what it really had to offer.
Life is so much more than a five days a week, 9-5, working yourself into your own grave. I refuse to be a prisoner to the system. I refuse to be a prisoner in my own body. I refuse to struggle through life waiting to die. No, my life is worth more than that.
A gentle kick to my leg jolts me from my teen angst filled thoughts. Through my knock off Ray Bans I see the ghostly-pigmented blonde girl I was gawking at yesterday standing above me. She has a godly tanned boy about my height standing next to her. His mess of sandy blonde curls falls over his eyes slightly; his looks scream surfer. She didn't look like the type to date surfers.
"You're that kid that was staring at me yesterday, right?" She smirks.
The boy clears his throat "Please excuse my idiot sister. She just loves to make people uncomfortable." He pointedly glares at her in which she childishly sticks her tongue out at him. He returns the gesture and turns his attention back to me. "So did you want to hang out with us? I promise I'll keep the creep over here away from you if you need me to." She shoves him gently, but offers me a hand. I accept it, grabbing my blanket as they begin walking across the blistering sand.
We finally stop at a group of three towels lying in a fairly empty section of the beach. They each plop down at their respective blankets as I set mine on the right side of the guy that apparently isn't her boyfriend. "So who are you guys anyway?" I ask.
"Well," the girl starts. "I'm Bonnie and this is Clyde. We're on the run from the feds you see." She leans in closer looking at me over the top of her aviators. Her warm brown eyes look from side to side to make sure no one is listening. Looking back to me uncomfortably in the eyes she says, "We're wanted for being so fucking awesome."
"Clyde" puts his hand over her mouth and rolls his eyes. "I'm Ashton nice to meet you. I'd shake your hand, but I'm afraid if I let go of her she'll be spewing more idiotic mess." She begins mumbling something into his hand, but he doesn't let go. "Nope. You're mute now." Ashton informs her.
In response she licks his hand and smiles when he releases her. With a disgusted look Ashton stands up, "Excuse me while I go wash the rabies off my hand." and with that he trudges off to the water to wash his hand.
Sticking her dainty hand out, she grins at me, "Alice. Pleasure to meet you. And that," she gestures to the very tan boy with dark hair trudging over the sand to us, "is Calum. CALI COME MEET OUR NEW FRIEND!" She calls to him.
He's a well built guy with a quite a few tattoos for someone about the same age as Alice and I. He reaches over and grabs what I assume is his towel. Simultaneously, he extends his hand and introduces himself as Calum Hood, not by some made up alias as I'd suspected.
Ashton finally returns and takes his seat in the sand next to me. "So what brings you to America Luke?" He questions. Alice and Calum direct their attention to me expectantly.
"Family vacation" I shrug, "nothing special."
"Well, what's you're story?" Alice asks.
"There isn't anything to tell." I try to explain, but Alice wasn't going to hear it.
"You smoke. All smokers have a story. I mean why else would they smoke unless it was to expel all the bullshit going on in their lives."
"There's nothing to-" I try to say again.
"Luke, you have a story and I'm going to hear it by summer's end of its the last thing I do." Through her sunglasses I can tell she's staring at me, her mouth in a tight smirk. Everyone has a story, it's what makes us human, but there's no way I'd tell her mine.
As much as I sat there telling myself that I'd never tell, I knew she was right; I'd crack eventually. But not today. Rolling my eyes, I turned back to the waves crashing their white foam, watching as they left a soggy, sea-shelled path behind. I watched my three companions as they threw a football around the beach.
Alice's short legs carried her along the length of the beach, going long for a pass from Ashton. Her blonde hair blew in the salty air; there was just something about her.
I felt a tugging in my chest as I watched her jump on Ashton's back, her grin ear to ear as he lugged her into the designated end zone. She jumped down and ran over to me, smiling a crooked smile. "Don't be such a wallflower." She tells me grabbing my hand. "Live a little."
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That night I laid in bed, my arms behind my head as I stared up at the ceiling. The sound of the crashing waves made its way to my ears through the open window creating a pleasant white noise that slowly lulled me to sleep.
I dreamt of her smile, and it was the best dream I'd dreamt in years.