Summer Forever

24.

Watching the sunrise in Shellside Bay had become something I took for granted for all those years I lived there. But visiting for my autumn break, it was a luxury that I'd soak up as much as I could.

I sat on the sand, just metres from the water, watching as the clouds turned pink. Orange flames licked the sky, slowly stretching towards the horizon. Even looking at the water, I could tell it was freezing. There was some icy quality about it in autumn—or maybe it was the chill breeze messing with my mind, making the water seem more silver than usual.

I willed the ocean to rise higher, for the water to creep over the sands and step over my toes. I missed the feeling of salt water on my skin, and yet I was too cowardly to take the step into the icy waves.

When I lived here, autumn in Shellside Bay was a time for staying indoors, hiding from the cold wind and colder water.

Now, I would take what I could get. I would recharge at the beach and take in every last second until I was forced back into the city.

I loved the city. I loved living with River and all the opportunities it brought with it. I loved being able to buy a carton of eggs downstairs at two in the morning. And I really loved being able to get a cheeseburger for Maccas at any time of day.

But Shellside Bay owned a corner of my heart; and staying away for this long had drained it empty. It was time to refill.

I counted the waves as they lapped over the sand until my counting was disturbed by footsteps shifting the sand behind me.

"Isla!"

I spun at the sound of River's voice. He raced down the sand, his feet almost slipping, sand piling into his sneakers. Yet, he didn't stop. His face looked frantic.

"Isla!" he shouted again. His voice was eaten by the wind and the waves, barely reaching me on the final syllable.

"What happened?" I yelled back.

He reached me, bending over his knees, and sucking in air as I waited for the news. He shook his head, like shaking the exhaustion away, and met me with wide eyes.

"Results are out."

"What?"

"Results. They're out."

"Already?" I sputtered. How many weeks had it been? It didn't feel long, and yet, it felt like months at the same time. A thought occurred to me. "Have you checked yours yet?"

He shook his head. "Want to check together?"

I nodded, fishing in my pocket for my phone. I'd turned it to silent, deciding to spend my entire morning surrounded by only the sound of the ocean and the light of the sunrise. And yet, there it was.

An email waited for me in my notifications.

Subject line: Term 1 Results.

"Holy shit," I muttered.

"What, that bad?"

I shot River a glare. "No. I haven't opened them yet. I just—I don't know. What if it's like last time?"

What if I failed again?

What if, after all of that additional effort, it still wasn't enough?

What if university was all a big mistake? And I wasn't made for this life. And I was destined to live in Shellside Bay forever—take over my mum's waitressing job, throw out my textbooks, shut down my laptop.

What if all this was for nothing?

"What if it's not?"

I turned to River, frowning. "What?"