Ephemeral Reverie

ECHOES BY THE WAVES

CH10: ECHOES BY THE WAVES

The decision to spend a day at the beach was impromptu, a spontaneous continuation of their celebration. Soren picked her up from her house, along with Thorne and Zara, who are in the backseat. She laughed as she saw Zara's sulking face. "What's with you, Zara? ," she asked as she hopped inside the car.

"I hate my seatmate, Soren," Zara asks, pleasing Soren to put Thorne in the passenger seat.

Soren just glanced at Thorne, wanting help. "You will feel like I'm not here. I will never make even a bit of noise." Zara just sighed as a reply.

As they arrived, the salty breeze of the ocean welcomed them. It feels so long since she last visited the ocean; as far as she can remember, it was before her father remarried at that time. She felt like it was a goodbye. Although she has a bad memory of the beach, she still enjoys being here as she can heal her inner child.

Their carefree spirits igniting a playful banter that echoed against the crashing waves, Thalia found herself running towards the beach along with Zara. They playfully have fun with the waves and catch up in the joy of the moment. She somehow forgets about the bouts of dizziness and tightness in her chest that have plagued her lately.

Soren and Thorne ran towards them to join in having fun in the water until they all ran out of breath. At that time, they decided to sit in the sand on the beach and talk about life. "I got accepted at Sentinel University! I can finally pursue journalism! "Zara shared the news with infectious excitement. Zara's smile sparks with pride and anticipation. She hugs her best friend and says congratulations.

Soren stood up and went to get drinks. He came back with soft drinks and beers in his hands.

"Nice one! "Thorne almost jumped in excitement as Soren handed him the beer.

"Zara, you'll pursue journalism, but what specific field do you want? "She asked, picking up the chips beside her.

"Broadcasting amazes me, but newscasting. I love it most." She hopes her question doesn't give Zara a hard time. Soren is already confused between art and music, but now Zara is confused about the specific field she will get into.

"Remember when we were in elementary school what your teacher had just said? "She suddenly remembers that moment, and she hopes that will help Zara pick her choice.

"I can't recall it anymore." Zara sighed, trying her best to recall the moment.

"Your teacher just said that newscasting suits you the best. The way you deliver the news amazes and catches the attention of the audience," she said, reminiscing about the moment and how proud she was of Zara. Winning the press conference three times in a row really amazes her even more. Thalia and Zara reminisce about the moment they shared when they were in elementary school.

While Soren and Thorne immersed themselves in games that bordered on competition, Thorne's quick wit matched Soren's strategic maneuvers and effortlessly added a playful challenge to their afternoon in the sea.

As the sun began to set and the sky was painted in shades of yellow and orange, they settled on their tent and watched the sunset together. The gentle breeze of the ocean whispers its lullaby.

In the quiet of twilight, Thalia opened up. "I've been having these dizzy spells and chest pains." Concerned knitted in Soren and Zara's brow. "What? Why didn't you tell me? "Zara asked furiously. Thorne calmed her down for a moment; she didn't bother to tell her, as she thought it would just be temporary.

But it's already been a week since she experienced that, and she just can't hide it anymore. Perhaps she doesn't want Zara to worry about her.

"You should get checked out, Thalia," Soren suggested.

All she could do at the moment was refuse to get checked; she doesn't have enough money to afford one. She's investing her money more on the art materials that she will need once she enters the art school. It would also be bothersome to ask her friends for money, even though she knows that they will willingly offer it.

She turned her attention to her bag, where her acrylic keychain could be found. It was just simple, and she even hesitated to paint one for Soren and Throne, but it was more embarrassing to not hand one. So, with full confidence in her eyes, she distributes the keychain.

"For your voice that will echo through the ages," Thalia handled Zara with a tiny microphone engraved in the keychain. Zara's eyes lit up with pride and happiness as she felt support coming from them.

With a smile that carried gratitude, Thalia handed Thorne a miniature stethoscope. "For your passion as a future healer," Thorne smiled; she never sees him smile that genuine.

Leaning back to Soren, she handed him a keychain where a basketball and music note intertwined. "For your song and off the court," she murmurs. She felt so appreciated by the friends she has now. She's content with what she has and can't ask for more, as this already feels enough.

A family she can lean on when times get out of hand, a family she can seek advice from, and a family she can run to when everything is a mess. It was a mixture of excitement and anxiety, as sooner or later they would part ways. Zara will pursue journalism at the Sentinel, which is a long drive from her school. If Soren chooses basketball, they will rarely see each other as the training will be more frequent, and if he chooses music, she thinks that he will pursue it at Harmons, which is on the mainland. As for Thorne, he will be in the States to pursue his career in medicine.

They all had dreams that she wanted them to fulfill, and she's happy for everyone to have the chance to grab them. Sometimes, she hopes that she met them a little bit early, but she also believes that meeting someone is the right time to meet them.

A warm voice suddenly wakes her up in her thoughts; the soft strumming of strings fills the air as he continues to sing. The melody he sang just fit perfectly to end this day. It was full of fun; she couldn't help but want more. To her, this was a day to remember, etched in their hearts like the footprints in the sand, with their voice that echoed through the waves as the day witnessed how they had fun and eased their worries.