They Could Care Less

2: New Friends

"And I'm leaving," said Thea, then rapidly left him.

She continued to take pictures of everything she thought was interesting, completely forgetting her encounter with the kind and attractive stranger. She felt how the wind started to get stronger, and after only a few minutes she was by the Jones Beach with waves that fought to get to the beautiful but empty beach. She instantly remembered the day her mom decided she was old enough to tell her that her dad was dead. According to her mom, Thea's father didn't just leave to work in New York, but he and many other passengers on a plane had collided with another smaller plane. If the story was true or not, Thea did not know but it was closest thing she had to an explanation and it was still a heart-breaking story, fictional or not. She couldn't help but let a tear run down her face when she realized that it was the same sea her father had drowned in. Thea immediately took out a black and white picture of her father and hugged it as hard as she could. "I wish you were here, I wish that you were standing here, holding my hands. I wish you'd be here to comfort me and help me in this strange place. Every time I think of you the empty space in my heart screams a little louder," Thea whispered and started to silently cry. She quickly wiped her tears when she noticed that people walking by stared at her weirdly.

Thea kept holding the picture in her hand and thought about how her father had gotten water instead of air inside of his lungs. How he fought just to stay alive. Thea stood still and kept thinking deep dark thoughts until her phone started to ring. She pulled herself together and took her phone out of her pocket. She answered and sat down on the soft sand.

"Hello, it's Thea Smith!" she answered with a smile to cover her broken and aching heart.

"Thea! It's Christina. When are you coming back?"

"I'm on my way," Thea answered and stood up after only sitting for a few seconds. She shook off the sand from her clothes.

"Okay, I'll wait for you. Hurry!"

"Bye..." Thea mumbled and hung up. Thea took a whole other way home just to continue to take pictures of the big new city. She took pictures to later on show her mom when she went back to Texas.

When she was on her way back she saw the all new sports car everyone had been talking about driving by. She quickly snapped a few pictures and stared at the man that drove the car. He was around her age, and Thea only saw his dark chestnut brown hair. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses and his lips were formed in a straight line. Thea stood still there on the street and watched the car until it turned around a corner and disappeared out of sight. Why did he look so sad?

Thea was back at Christina's apartment, more like outside, she rang on the doorbell and after only a few seconds the door opened up. Christina looked at Thea anxiously before she let her in. "Why did it take you so long? You were not supposed to be out that long," she said and closed the door.

"New York is big," Thea stated and managed a smile.

"Sure, sure, I've cooked the world's best fish and chips, so go and get changed and then you get to taste it," Christina said and started to walk for the kitchen with a smile on her lips. Thea was starting to like her.

"Okay!" Thea shouted after her and went to her own room. She took her clothes off and instead put on her most loose pajamas. She walked out of her room and went towards the kitchen where she got to see Christina's pleased look towards the food that smelled lovely.

"I have put a plate of food on the table," Christina said and pointed at her homemade food.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" Thea asked right before she took the first bite.