**I've made revisions for this chapter. Some things have changed. **
~Alexis's POV~
The fat raindrops splattered persistently against the window of the car as we drove. I hadn't even gotten a glimpse of the sun since coming here because of the constant precipitation. The bleakness of the weather did nothing good for my mood, but instead reminded me of the drastic change of setting I was being pushed through. I was dragged from the warm, sunny beaches in California to this dreary place for the summer to live with my aunt. My mother said I didn't see her enough, which I guess was true, but who could really blame me? Why would I willingly leave my home to come to this cold, damp place?
I rested my head against the window and let out a sigh, watching the blurry scenery through the rain as we passed. This whole town seemed to be made up of thick, monstrous trees; their branches acting as arms that reached out in every direction, trying to hold everything in place. I almost felt trapped as we drove along. I don't know if I'd get used to the overabundance of plantation around here any time soon.
I groaned and looked over to my aunt, who was somehow driving the car through this drenching rain; I don't even know how she was able to see the road due to the heavy downfall. I guess she was pretty used to driving in thick rain since she literally lived in the rainiest place in the nation. "Is it always this cold?" I asked, trying to keep the disdain out of my voice. It sounded like I did a pretty good job, I sounded more bored than anything else. My aunt glanced over and flashed her white teeth through her small smile.
"It'll get a little warmer than this as we get further into the summer," she told me, trying to concentrate on driving as she spoke, "But hey, we have beaches here though! That oughta help this place feel more like home!" Being the optimistic person she was, I could tell she was trying to make me look forward to this summer. Her attempts weren't working as well as the two of us would've liked. I didn't know anyone here, so basically all I'd be doing this summer is killing time until I could return to California. So far the only thing about this foreign town that piqued my interest was the mention of beaches. I could always count on the familiar sound of crashing waves and the smell of salt in the air to put me at ease. The salty water that I loved so much always felt amazing as it swirled around me, pulling at my legs as if it were tempting me to wade out further.
I didn't used to love the ocean though, I still remember how terrified I used to be of the water. My fear festered in my worry of drowning since I didn't know how to swim. My parents hadn't taught me the skill, nor did they find someone to give me any lessons. I didn't really need to learn when I was little anyways, considering that when I was a kid we used to live in Kansas – in the middle of a continent with hardly any lakes or rivers. Plus, since we didn't even have a pool, there honestly really was no point in me learning to swim.
The temptation of the salty waters always drew mom in, so it was no surprise when we eventually moved to California simply because mom couldn't stay away from the ocean. She loves the ocean just as much as I do - if not more. After moving to the coast, she spent a lot of her time on the beach. I went with her one time just to collect the shells along the coastline, but I remembered seeing a big, pretty conch sitting just out of my reach below the lazy waves. Of course, that shell was too great of a temptation for little me to resist, so I hesitantly made my way into the water to retrieve it. The salty waves lapped against my legs, and I don't know, something just clicked with me. I loved the feeling of the cool water, of the movement as it ran past me onto shore and scurried back as if it suddenly decided against being on land and wanted to be back where it belonged.
And just like that I started swimming. I remember how deeply I fell in love with the salty ocean water that day – my fear of the water and drowning completely obliterated.
After that day whenever we walked onto the beach, which was pretty often considering the ocean was basically in our backyard, my mother kept a close eye on me. I guess she just wanted to make sure that I didn't dart off into the water and get myself caught in a riptide. Yet for some reason it seemed as if she was observing me, as if she had been watching for something to happen.
My memories were interrupted when my aunt's voice cut through the silence. "Well, this is it, home sweet home," she spoke in her sing-song voice as she pulled into the driveway. I couldn't help but notice there was another car parked in front of the garage.
"Is there someone else here?" I asked, halfway hopeful there was someone here to meet. I didn't know how else I was going to be introducing myself to the people around here, and God help me if I didn't get to know anyone in this town. I'd be so unbelievably bored.
She turned to look at me as she brushed her dark brown hair out of her pale face. "A friend of mine is going to be out of town, and left his car here for you to use while you're here." I raised my eyebrows in surprise. That was pretty generous, and trusting too, since he must have just assumed that I wouldn't crash his car. Which of course I wouldn't do, but still. "Hope you can drive stick shift." Damn, okay so maybe I just would opt out of driving this whole summer. My Aunt must have noticed the expression on my face, because she just chuckled at me and motioned for me to exit the car. "C'mon Alex, you'll love your room!" I smiled at her slightly. Her youthful energy was beginning to get contagious.
I got out of the car and grabbed my bags, then proceeded to follow her into the house. My mom and I had some of my things delivered here in boxes, so I just had a few things to carry with me to the house.
The house was modernly decorated, color schemes accented in every room, but yet it still held a comfortable, laid-back aura. My aunt seemed to be enthusiastic about showing me straight to my room, that much was obvious by the bounce in her step, so I dutifully followed her past the stairs and down to the end of a hall.
"Your room is just over there," my aunt said, pointing to a closed door. "My room is at the top of the stairs if you ever need me." I nodded to her and smiled warmly.
"Thank you, Dianne, I really appreciate it," my smiled widened when I continued, "And you were right, I love the house." Which was true, I actually liked it here inside the house. Outside, however, I could do without the rain and cold. At least in here it was pleasant.
Dianne seemed elated at that and grinned. "I knew you would. I'll leave you to unpack." She waved as she headed towards the other end of the short hallway. "I'll just be in the kitchen if you need me," she called over her shoulder. I listened to her footsteps receding for a few moments before a question popped into my mind.
"Oh hey, Dianne!" I called, taking quick strides in her direction. Dianne was just at the end of the hall now. "Just wondering, would you mind if I went for a walk after I finished unpacking? I'd like to take a look around."
Dianne hesitated for a moment, but smiled and answered, "As long as you're back before it gets dark, go for it. Be careful and try not to get lost, alright?"
Saying alright back, I made my way over to my room. I opened the door and turned on the light, only to be greeted by a pile of boxes sitting beside the queen-sized bed. Feeling discouraged by the amount of work ahead of me, I decided to stall.
I walked into the bathroom and began finger-brushing my golden blonde hair. It was down to just past my shoulder blades, so it took a few minutes to brush through. I stared into my reflection in the mirror, scrutinizing myself. My sun-kissed skin gave me a bit of a warm glow, something that I'm sure the people in this town didn't have. With the lack of sun and all, they all were probably fairly pale. My eyes met my reflection's, their deep blue studying the image in the mirror. I noticed an abundance of green, and realized I could see the window's reflection through the mirror. The rain apparently had stopped falling, so I decided to open the window. When I slid the window open, a rush of salty air breezed in. I closed my eyes and inhaled, instantly feeling more awake and rejuvenated. The ocean was nearby. The sooner I got unpacked, the sooner I could head that way.