Sunsets

Bella

My cousin Hannah, Brian's shyness, and the last sunset.

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I walked home from school that day taking as long as I possibly could. It's not that I have anything to come home too, my dad's a lawyer and has a case to fight at four o'clock. My moms a doctor and she took the night shift which means my cousin is looking after me all night. Even though she's pregnant.

It's not that I'm embarrassed by her. I've only met her and her parents four times before she moved into my house. I just don't know what Brian's going to say. I don't know why I didn't tell him I'll just meet him on the beach.

So here's the story about Hannah.

She was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. She has a younger brother named David. Her parent's are cold as stone which probably played a role in the state she ended up in now. She's four months pregnant and her parent's kicked her out of the house. When my parent's heard (through my grandparents), they found the cheap hotel she had been staying at for a week and a half and reached out to her. It took a little convincing, but she agreed to live with us.

She's also decided that she is going to keep the baby and the father (whose name is Jaden) has pledged his support through it all. They plan on staying together and doing a long distance thing although my parent's opened the door to him too. He plans on driving up to visit once a month and then coming to university here to stay closer to the family since he is a senior. He's going to become a doctor. My cousin Hanna is going to go back to school too right after the baby comes. She'd have to repeat a semester, but she says it's all worth it. Jaden's one step ahead of her and applied to all the universities within an three hour radius of Mediera Beach. And there is a lot.

When I finally get home, my cousins waiting for me at the door. "I've made you some crackers and cheese." She tells me, patting her slightly enlarged stomach. I nod my head following her to my kitchen. She's doing home schooling until the baby comes so that nothing bad happens to her at school. She's also trying to find a job to pay for the baby although my parent's have also offered to help her out financially.

"Are you going to find out the gender, Hannah?" I ask her, she loves talking about the baby. She calls it a blessing to help her keep persevering through school and tough moments. I already know her and Jaden are going to be good parents, together or not.

"Jaden doesn't want too, I want too though. So, I know what to buy. I don't want to waste money." She says, pursing her lips together. Apparently, her family was always a little bit cheap with there money and always had her in hand-me-down clothes and sleeping in old furniture. Too me, my aunt and uncle seem like real jerks!

One day, I hope that I will be able to help people out like my parent's do.

"You are so lucky, Bella. You have such nice parents and a huge home. I can never repay your parent's for being able to help my baby and I." She says, with a tear in her eye. She rubs her stomach and smiles. I give her a hug because even though I have only started to get to know her, she's like the sister I'll never had; and also because she makes good food even if she's just making snacks. Her dream is to open a restaurant but until then, she want's to work in design.

"Have you thought of names?" I ask her, trying to lighten the conversation up as I take my first cracker and cheese.

"Yeah, actually I sort of have." She says smiling and looking down at her bump. She's so obsessed with the feeling of being pregnant and having a child my mom says it's adorable. "I like Neveah if it was a girl. It's heaven spelt backwards."

Neveah.

"What do you think? Got any name suggestions, Bells?" She just called me what Brian calls me. I smile to myself thinking about the memories we have made and the memories yet to come.

"I like the name Catalina if it's a girl, if it's a boy I like Jackson."

She nods her head, as if she was considering the names. Then her expression turns back to being somewhat serious. "Do you have any homework?"

I nod and grab my bag, leaving the remainder of the crackers with cheese for her. "I should get started since a friend and I are going to hang out on the beach later."

She nods, looking like she understands completely.

I head upstairs to my room and sit down at my bleach white desk. My entire room is a empire of pink and white. The blankets on my bed are pink and white, my carpet is pink, my drapes are white. The walls are painted 'cupid' which is a shade of pink paint.

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"Hello Miss, is Bella here?" A familiar high pitched prepuberty asked Hannah around six fifty five. Hanna seems astounded by his manners but quickly recovers to answer the question.

"Why, it may be possible. What do you need her for?" Hannah asks in a serious but playful voice, projecting her side of the conversation as loud as she possibly could. As if this was a play and the actors were pretending that the audience wasn't there and they were in the original version of the story but deep down everyone in the theater knows that the actors will never fit in as well as Audrey Hepburn did.

"Well if it's alright with you, but I'd love to take her to the beach so we could watch the sunset together." Brian asks hoping for the answer he prayed for earlier. Hanna looks behind her, knowing that I was right there watching the conversation.

I shake my head symbolizing yes extremely fast with hopeful eyes. Hannah chuckles then turns to face Brian again. "Anytime, but have her back for eighty thirty."

"Are you her mom?"

"Nope, I'm her cousin. I'm Hannah."

I squeeze past Hannah, hoping that my presence will shoo her away. Not that im embarrassed, I just don't want this conversation to go too far, which is where it is heading.

"Okay, Hannah, thanks, but I should be on my way. We don't want to miss the sunset." I tell her and try and sound genuine and polite.

"Okay, bye kids. Have a good time."

"We will." I answer, looking at Brian.

The beach is warm and inviting. The sand clings onto my toes. Whatever sun is left from the hot day, it feels superior to me. Brian lays down a blanket for the two of us to sit on. Tonight, we don't play in the sand, there is no chasing each other around, we just sit there. We say the odd word, not because were shy, because we are cherishing the moment, hoping our fairy tale won't end, even though it will; and that's okay. Some things just aren't meant to be sometimes, but sometimes, the things that aren't meant to be, just mean it's the wrong time. Or it means its not meant to be, but that only means that I am one heartbreak closer to the one who is meant to be. 

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short chapter yes, but I will explain why soon. 

This book is coming to an end. There are only about 2-3 more chapters left and I am debating an epilogue. 

Thank you so much if you have stuck to the end of my story. Leave a comment below about what you think is going to happen and drop a like to get this book more noticed. Thank you!!'

Love,

 Kayla