The Beach House

Chapter One: The Beach house.

Headlights off, keys out. Stepping out onto the gravel drive way was a massive relief. Ten months since I had been at the coast and I already never wanted to leave. The beach house was still its dull minty green and its white shutters that really needed another splash of paint. I had just over two months before junior year started and with a GPA of of 89% I wasn't worried, that meant a summer to relax.

Even in the dark, my eyes found their way to the shore, where the roaring waved lapped up to the ivory sand. I stopped unpacking car and took off past the old picket fence, down the winding path that lead to the warm sand. My flip flops had flown off some point in this sprint, but when my feet finally hit the water.... all my stresses about starting school again washed away.

I was knee deep in the water when I heard my eighteen year old brother Darren shout my name, I whipped around and saw him by the truck holding up my backpack and old bear. I slowly trudged out of the water, longing to stay and swim. When I got close enough to reach my stuff, he pulled it away from me and said " To late for a swim, Liv"

" Its not that late..." As I made a grab for my stuff, I slung my backpack up on one shoulder forgetting how heavy it was, and wondering if was it really worth bringing two extra sketch books. As I headed toward the house I felt more at home than when we were in our real house.

After closing the door I started towards the stairs, passing the dimly lit kitchen. My parents were stocking the cupboards with food faster than the employees at Right-Aid. When I got to the stairs I ran up them and all the way along the hall. Pushing open the old wooden door to my room, my old day bed sitting in the corner creaked as I threw my duffel bag onto it.

I took my phone out of my back pocket and turned it on, I had 2 messages one from Rachel; my all time best friend who lived out here at the coast and one from Austin; this guy Rach and I met two summers ago while surfing at Drop Mount.

" Txt me when u get here!"-Rach

" Hey, Rach said u were coming out here! Maybe we can grab a coffee or something...? Hope to c u soon:)"- Austin.

I put my phone on the old sandalwood desk, telling myself I would answer the texts in the morning and plugged in my charger. After unpacking the the majority of my things I headed downstairs.

" Mom went to bed" said Darren. " Dad too, but they ordered pizza for us."

" Great!" I exclaimed " I'm starving" I reached for the pizza box as Darren opened the door to let ; our 4 year Springer Spaniel Memphis, into the house. I'm pretty sure he likes this house more than any of us. 

After eating three pieces of the pizza from Riziki's Pizzeria I was stuffed, wondering why everything from the coast tasted so much better. I said goodnight to Memphis and Darren who was watching TV.... typical night owl. Then I headed upstairs, brushed my teeth and quietly changed into my washed out basketball camp t-shirt and a pair of plaid shorts. Looking at the clock it was 12:22. At the end of a very long tiresome day, I pulled back the faded old pink sheets, the light scent of roses drifted into my nose as I slid into bed.