The Crashing Waves | COMPLETED

Chapter 4: The Backstory

I grew up in a small town in the middle of Utah. I had a good life, good family, great friends. I had everything I needed and most of what I wanted. I had an older sister who was 10 years older than me and took off for a "better" life years ago. We never had a relationship and she never kept in touch with any of us. I didn't have a ton of friends, but the ones I had were like family. Brooke moved in next door right before kindergarten. I was excited to have a girl my same age so close and we instantly became best friends. We were inseparable. Until freshman year when my dad got relocated for work. He left in February while my mom and I stayed back so I could finish out the school year and my mom could get our house sold.

School had just let out for the summer and just like that, we were moving to the California coast. I lived in the same house from the day I was born until the day we left. 15 years of memories were left in that house. 15 years of memories were left in that town. 15 years of memories that I wasn't ready to walk away from, but I didn't have a choice.

The day we moved I had been crying for at least 48 hours straight. Brooke stayed with me for a week straight. Neither of us were ready for the change that was happening and neither of us were coping well. I had even tried to convince my parents to let Brooke's parents adopt me so I could stay. Needless to say, that didn't go well. I was stuck moving. Stuck leaving my best friend of 10 years. And stuck starting over for the first time in my life.

***

We pulled up to a white 2-story cottage-style home. It had a wrap-around porch and a palm tree in the front yard. There was a sandy trail to the right of the house and as soon as we were stopped, I took off running down it. I remember hearing my parents yelling to me, but I tuned them out and just kept running. I kept running until I couldn't breath anymore.

There it was... The ocean. Right in front of me in all it's beautiful glory. I took a deep breath and collapsed in the sand. I laid there listening to the water for what felt like hours. I cried, I laughed, I remembered everything that I had left behind, and thought about how bittersweet this whole situation was. I was broken and alone, but I had never felt so calm sitting here listening to the waves on the shore. It was going to save me, or at least make this move bearable. I ran straight to the house to pick a room with a view of the ocean.

***

I called Brooke every day, about 10 times a day. If we weren't talking on the phone, we were texting. We tried to stay as close to normal as we could given the 750 miles between us.

After a couple weeks our conversations got shorter. We started spending more time with physical people. At least she did. I found my comfort being alone. I found a cove with a beautiful beach that I made my place. I spent more time there than anywhere else. It became my saving grace, my inspiration, and my survival from the situation I was put in. But I still just wanted Brooke to be there with me. That would have made it perfect. But as my mom told me a million times, I "will make new friends." Too bad I didn't really want to. Hell, I don't think I even knew how!

And to make it so much better, my 16th birthday was coming up. Sweet 16, my ass.