Elsewhere

1| Sea of despair

Home was never more beautiful. The sun dipped behind clouds as the bright afternoon slowly welcomed the night. The waning sky sheltered an endless ocean of glittering waves and tall grasses atop the rocky cliffs which bordered the bay. Red and orange roofs dotted the land between the two cliffs. Each house had a view of the sea, each greeted by the sinking sun that dove beneath the horizon. 

I could never grow tired of the view.  

Everything was simply perfect. It was going to be the best way to end the year and welcome the one to come. 

Franny007: How's the party going?  Sent 3:17pm.

I looked back at my phone. Still no reply from Jordan. She might've already been drunk. Ever since we were little, she would tell me about how much she wanted to try beer. Ever since she was allowed to drink, she's gulped down the bottles like a pro. And I would always be there to make sure she didn't go too far. Today was just one of the rare occasions that I was late. I was carried away by my training at the pool.  

The party must've been in full swing by now, as most parties with our classmates were. "Start early, end late" was the motto. 

Before I started my walk from the carpark to the picnic area where the party was, I double checked my bag to make sure it was still there. I let out a sigh of relief. It was there, a slightly tattered paperback. Atonement, by Ian McEwan. 

The book belonged to my boyfriend, Kyle, which he gave me to read. The two of us had a mutual affinity for books that Jordan often rolled her eyes at. "You two are a match made in bookworm heaven," she would say.

Honestly, when Kyle and I first met I never thought that we would be anything beyond friends. He was new to town, and I happened to be in the same classes as him. The principal gave me the job of giving a tour. Soon after I introduced him to Jordan, and the three of us became inseparable. Doing our school projects together, hanging out together at every place you could possibly go in Tusca, sitting on the beach until late at night together, and taking the worst selfies together that should never be seen by any living creature. 

The three of us had planned our futures together, too. Jordan wanted to be a lawyer and work in a big city. Kyle wanted to stay in town and continue his family's restaurant business. I wanted to be a professional swimmer. 

"That's such an unstable career, though!" Jordan told me when I told the two of them. "How are you going to raise a family and pay the bills? You'll have to be the best!"

Kyle, on the other hand, said, "It'll be alright as long as you put your all into it. And you're an amazing swimmer, Fran. You're fine, don't listen to Miss Nihilism over there. Anyway, have you given any thought to where you are going to settle down?"  

"I'm going to spend most of my life here in Tusca, of course. No better place than home."

 Kyle smiled and looked at Jordan. "Looks like you'll have to come visit the two of us here at Tusca often, Jordan."

Then one weekend, Jordan had to go to a debating competition across the country. It was just Kyle and I left to hang out. On that Saturday night, Kyle and I spent the whole night just talking. Talking about our futures. School. Having kids. Then we stumbled onto the topic.

"When do you think you'll start dating?" Kyle suddenly asked. 

"Um," I paused to give it some thought. "I guess it would depend on whether The One shows up, you know? I'd only date someone if they are serious."

Kyle cleared his throat. "Well, what if The One already showed up? What if someone just asked you, right now, to be their girlfriend?"  Kyle turned to me.