We fell apart

Prologue:

I hear it before I see it.

The sound of waves crashing relentlessly against the shore is something I have grown accustomed to having lived in Dillon, California all my life. The echo of waves pounding the shore and seagulls is always the indicator that home is close when I'm driving back from university. Except normally I make this drive in late spring after pulling a Red Bull fueled night studying for a Psychology final. I haven't been in Dillon during September since high school. Christmas break, Spring Break, and summer but never late September.

Window down, I let my fingers drum against the rough exterior of my '72 baby blue Chevy truck while the wind dances in my pale blonde fly-aways that have escaped from my bun. Demons by Imagine Dragons is playing softly on my speakers as I park on the rough sand.

When the days are cold and the cards all fold

All the saints we see are made of gold

When your dreams all fail

And the ones we hail are worst of all...

Coming home is always better in theory.

On those especially chilly, lonely days at college in Oregon when I'm throwing a pity party I'll sit curled up in my dorm room bed and brood over how if I was at home I could go to Benny's Ice Cream Emporium with Gabe, Henley, and Connor just like old times. We could all share The Monster (the biggest sundae there) and Henley would eat all the cherries because they were her favorite. Connor would call her a pig and we'd all laugh while Henley would be fake-pissy but have a smile tugging at her lips anyway. In my pathetic homesick day dream we'd eat ourselves sick and then go lay out on the beach under the sun, fat and lazy, until the last auburn tinted rays of daylight receded. Then we'd hop in Gabe's obnoxious orange jeep and drive with the wind in our hair sun on our backs and music in our ears.

When I actually come home anymore Mom makes a fuss over how I need to learn to straighten my unruly waves. Dad gives me a hug and then gives me a calculating once over to make sure I haven't gotten gages or a tattoo anywhere visible and then retreats to his man cave with NFL blasting on the T.V. I spend my time at home either attempting to see Gabe and Connor but they come home less than I do.Henley never left. By the middle of the week I give up trying to play party planner and just stick to re-reading my old dog eared Sarah Ockler paperbacks and discarded Glamour editions. By the end of the week I'm itching to leave and my parents are done being domestic for a couple months.

I get out of my truck and make my way down the steep grassy slope that gives way to a wide stretch of nearly vacated beach. There's a chill in the air and I mentally curse northern California for being the exact opposite of So Cal. Whereas southern California offers beaches with sand that burns your  the pads of your feet and oceans like bath water Northern California beaches are just plain frigid.

In the distance I see a wet suit clad guy body surfing a steel wave. I vaguely recognize a dog barking but today nothing registers completely.

As I reach the middle of the beach I stuff my fists into my green OSU sweatshirt and wait, feet sinking into the coarse sand.

They really should be here by now. We always met at the beach when something big happened.

Connor making Varsity Baseball as a freshman? Beach.

Henley getting her license on the third try? Beach.

Me getting accepted to OSU? Beach.

Gabe getting a full ride academic scholarship to some Christain school in Maine? Beach.

Connor getting accepted to Sonoma State University? Beach.

Henley deciding not to go to college? Beach.

Feet shuffle in the sand behind me. I keep looking straight ahead at the blending horizon of sun and sky.

"You heard?"

"Yeah, I heard."

I want to hide the truth

I want to shelter you

But with the beast inside

There's nowhere we can hide

AN: Hi guys, this is my first novel. Please feel free to critique but remember there is a fine line between helpful and rude. Do you guys think I should continue? I must warn you now, this is not going to be a light cheerful sort of story. I plan on covering some controversial and dark topics. This is also not in any way a rekindled romance story. Anyhow, thanks for reading please vote and fan if you enjoyed it(:.

*THIS STORY AND ALL CHARACTERS, SYMBOLS, ETC ARE MY PROPERTY*

Thanks(: