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✧𝕊𝔼𝕍𝔼ℕ✧

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ℂ𝕙𝕚𝕝𝕕'𝕤 ℙ𝕝𝕒𝕪
ℍ𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕘
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13 𝙔𝙀𝘼𝙍𝙎 𝙇𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐄𝐀 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐓 𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐈𝐑. The summer sun felt scorching compared to the cooling air conditioning of the car. A grown Elizabeth Sinclair sat in the front seat, twirling a piece of her long brunette hair between her pale fingers. Madison held a soft smile as she hummed quietly, driving down the familiar road. Today was an exciting day for the Sinclair family, it was moving day once again. It had been thirteen long years since the family had packed up their things and moved to Colorado. For the first time in thirteen years, Elizabeth was finally coming back to Santa Carla. Elizabeth wasn't quite sure why her mother had suddenly decided that she missed home, considering she was the one that once labeled Santa Carla dangerous and hazardous. Despite the sudden change in her mother, Elizabeth wasn't angry at her decision.

Elizabeth's mother came bursting out from nowhere one day explaining that she missed her home. She missed the ocean, the boardwalk, her home. Next thing Elizabeth knew, they were packing up their things and moving back to Santa Carla. They even got their old home too, and at a cheap price. Supposedly, no one bought the house after they moved, which they both thought was strange but didn't think too much of it. During their time in Colorado, Elizabeth didn't exactly branch out like her mother had hoped. Essentially, Elizabeth kept to herself. She was still her happy, young self, but she didn't make any friends. Sure, there were people she talked to all throughout her middle school and high school years, but she wouldn't exactly consider them friends. Elizabeth felt that she never really connected with her peers, not like she connected with Star.

Elizabeth and Star had remained friends throughout the years since she moved. They wrote letters back and forth, talked on the phone almost every night, and Star even came to visit in Colorado a few times during Christmas Break. They were still close as ever, the sisterly bond never fading despite the distance. Star had been especially enthusiastic with the news of the Sinclair's return.

"Elizabeth! Hello?" Madison laughed as she patted Elizabeth's knee. Elizabeth was shaken from her thoughts, she returned her mother's smile. "Sorry," she laughed sheepishly. "What were you saying?" Madison chuckled as she focused back on the road. "I said, are you excited about seeing Star?" Her mother questioned. Elizabeth nodded, "Of course, last time I saw her was Christmas break two years ago," Elizabeth chuckled. That Christmas break was one neither Star or Elizabeth would forget. Star had come to visit Elizabeth for a week and they mostly spent it sledding and ice skating.

The whole week was filled with good times and laughter. That was, until Elizabeth started her period and bled through her snow suit while sledding, causing the snow to look like a murder scene had occurred. The whole neighborhood had been unfortunate enough to witness the whole thing. Elizabeth was afraid to face her neighbors for awhile after that. "Yes, it has been quite awhile. I'm sure she's excited. Her mother wouldn't stop talking about how excited she seemed over the phone," Madison explained with a smile. Elizabeth nodded as she looked out the window with a small smile on her face.

They were finally coming up on the road near the boardwalk. Hundreds of people stood in the streets and on the sidewalks, shopping and traveling. There were a few surfers who worked on their boards and washing under the beach showers. Everything looked so interesting to Elizabeth, she stared at everything in wonder. Elizabeth could barely remember Santa Carla, being only five years old when they left. Whenever she would try to think about Santa Carla, it was all a blur of colors and laughter. Even though she barely remembered it, she somehow knew it was close to her heart. She remembered Star very clearly, she remembered starting school, Christmas' and birthdays. Everything else is more or less a blur in her mind.