Love On The Beach

Chapter 2

Aria

So! You’re probably wondering… “Who’s this girl? What happened to her father? Why does she love reading? Why is she here at a new school and left her hometown?’
Well, I have a lot of things I should share with you.
I’m Aria. Aria Elizabeth Chase. Oh, I love my last name. If you are a Percy Jackson nerd, you would know it's the last name of Annabeth. If you aren’t a Percy Jackson nerd, I suggest you read it. 10 out of 10 for me. My whole family loves books.
I’m 16 years old, turning 17 in December. I have a 9-year-old sister, Layla, and a 19 year-old brother named Kai. My mother is named Naomi. I have brown, curly hair with ocean blue eyes and freckles all over my face, which I absolutely love. My whole family are also christians. I used to sing for the Worship Team. I am also single.
I love to read, if you haven’t already noticed. I have 5 favorite, all-time, best book series: Keeper of the Lost Cities (Or KOLTC), Percy Jackson, Hunger Games, Divergent, and Harry Potter. Best book series ever. I love to swim at beaches, play soccer, do track and cross country (CC), play the violin, and draw. Those are all my hobbies. I don’t know if listening to music is a hobby, but if it is, it is one of my top hobbies. Along with reading, of course. I love listening to pop music. My top favorite artists are Benson Boone, Lindsey Stirling (She’s a violinist), Ed Sheeran, Olivia Rodrigo, Luke Combs, and JVKE. They have helped me a lot this past year.
Now… about my dad…
My dad was maybe one of the best guys ever! It really tore me apart when I got a call that he was dead. See, my dad worked at the mine we had in our hometown. Amazing at it, too. Everyone looked up to him, like I did. But one day, just a normal day at the mine, everything was going great. But someone accidentally, somehow, set off an explosive, and what do you know? My dad happened to be right next to it, with so many other people. Including him, so many died that day, many injured as well. I got a call during school from my mom. Once the call was done, I was silent for the rest of the day. Didn't cry, didn’t speak, nothing. Once I got home, there was a whole bunch of crying for me, Kai, Layla, and my mother. We were devastated. It was so sudden. After his funeral, my mom said we are moving. She didn’t have a good job anymore, and she saw a good job offer at Pebble Beach, in Crescent City, CA. One of my mom’s friends made a plaque for us since she knew we were moving. It says:
In Loving Memory
Of
Dain William Chase

There’s more info about it, but I really don’t want to talk about it right now. We have the plaque next to the front door of our new house. That’s all I’m gonna share.
My house is near Pebble Beach, which is amazing!
Living right next to a beach! Awesome! Our old home was an hour away from our house, now it’s 5 minutes away! My mom works there as a lifeguard. So does my brother, with his new girlfriend he met when we first showed up. That is all I’m going to say for now.
“Hey mom!” I say as I walk into our kitchen after waking up on a Saturday morning.
“Yes, honey?” she says, cooking breakfast.
“Is it-” I stop to smell what she is cooking. “Mmm…” I sigh. “Your famous pancakes, bacon, and eggs!”
“Yes ma’am.” She smiles. “I thought you would love it. Now, what do you want to say to me?”
“Can I go to the bookstore they have a few blocks from here after breakfast?”
“Hmm…” she says. “I don’t know. Well, I guess you could. If your brother can take you.”
“Take who where?” My brother, Kai, asks, walking into the kitchen all tired.
I run up to him with a “please face”. I ask, “Can you take me to the bookstore, please?”
“Dear, you’re almost 16. Don’t pester.” my mom says.
“No, no. It’s okay, Mom. I don’t mind. We could have some bro-sis time,” Kai says, smiling.
I smile. “Thank you!”
He puts his hand in my hair and makes it messier than it already is. “Of course, sis. Give me an hour. I gotta eat.”
“Me too. I’m starving.” I grab a plate and start loading it with food.
I hear a groan from the doorway of the dining room. I turn, and it’s my sister, Layla, with her red hair all tangled. She gets the red hair from our dad.
“Morning, sleepyhead. I thought you’d be up first,” Mom says.
“Nuh, uh.” She groans again as she sits down at our table.
“Kai and Aria are going to the bookstore,” Mom says, handing her a plate of food. “Me and you can go into town and have some fun, if you’re awake, that is.”
That wakes her up. “Okay!” “Okay!” She starts scarfing down her food.
I roll my eyes. I finish my food after a few minutes and start getting ready to go into town.