Coasting

Chapter 1

Day 9

I could finally breathe again.

I wasn't sure what it was, but a small part of me knew that it was the distance; the physical separation of 3,000 miles from where I stood now, at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, and the place that I called home for the past 18 years of my life.

Even though I had only been on this coast for less than 24 hours, it somehow felt more like home to me than California. This coast was small, quaint, simple in comparison to the massive coastal cliffs that jutted out into the Pacific Ocean, connected by magnificent bridges. Here, everything was within feasible reach, and after the past 3 years there was something so comforting in that.

The sun was just peeking above the horizon. Somehow, despite the three-hour time change, I couldn't sleep. So I tip toed down the stairs of my aunt and uncles house in the dark and stepped into their backyard, which had direct access to the beach. I don't know how long I sat in the sand, watching the water recede further and further into the ocean as the tide retreated.

Time wasn't a worry at the moment though. I had the entire summer to sit here and watch this exact sun rise every morning.

Surprisingly, this was the first time I had ever been to my aunt and uncle's house. Seeing as they lived across the country from us, I only saw them every so often on a holiday. They both worked full time as consultants and so they traveled a lot as it was. And with no kids of their own, they tended to keep to themselves.

In spite of recent events however, it was decided that it was best for me to live with them for the summer before attending Duke University in the fall, especially since they were only 2 hours away from the school itself.

Duke.

It was hard to believe I was actually going to be a student there in just three short months. It always seemed like a fantasy that would never actually happen. My mom had attended Duke and had always made it her dream to see her children attend, so naturally she was heartbroken when my older sister Rory decided to skip traditional schooling altogether and move south to Los Angeles to pursue a career in modeling. It didn't really surprise any of us though.

The sun had almost fully risen by now and the beach was bright with the new morning light. I looked back over my shoulder at my aunt and uncle's beautiful house only a stone's throw away and wondered if they were up yet. Probably not, seeing as it couldn't be later than five or six in the morning.

I turned back toward the ocean and lay down on my back, not caring that my hair was about to be full of sand. I closed my eyes. They felt incredibly heavy now, probably since I hadn't gotten any sleep, and I let the sound of the waves entertain my ears with the rhythmic crashes and swirls.

As always, the last thought I had before sleep overcame me was the constant countdown in my head:

Day 9.

~ ~ ~

"Dude, stop kicking sand at her!"

"I'm not trying to!"

"Guys, can we please pour-"

"Shut up, Fletch, we're not pouring water on a stranger."

My eyes immediately snapped open at the thought of salt water covering my body. Three figures were leaned over me and I squinted in the light to figure out what was going on.

"Well, good morning sunshine," one said and as I sat up, all three figures took a step back from me. My eyes finally adjusted to the brightness and I realized the three figures were three shirtless guys, all who looked about my age, standing around me. I felt my heart pick up its pace when I realized how attractive they all were and I suddenly felt completely taken aback.