Chapter 1
The wind felt amazing on my face and the feeling of flying entranced me. The ocean spray drifted onto my legs and I forgot all of my problems.
My parents had shipped me to California for the summer while they finalized their divorce. My dad thought it would be best that I didn't see him packing all his stuff, so I would not feel like I wouldn't see him again. I would just go back to Florida and realize that half the stuff is missing from our house and it magically reappeared in an apartment three blocks away. This problem was taking up so much space in my brain that I thought my head might explode.
For once, all I was thinking about was the sound of waves crashing on the shore and my body riding them. I didn't hear my mother's complaining voice or my father's habitual door slamming and keys in the ignition.
"Kelly let's go home!" My cousin shouted, "It's so hot, plus I think my skin is frying and I really don't want to peel."
"Becca come in the water!" I yelled back, "It feels amazing." Becca just glared back at me and I knew that my parent's oncoming divorce would soon fill my mind.
I rode my last wave back to shore and stepped onto the burning sand. "Kelly you know I just got my hair done and going into the water would totally ruin it." Becca continued.
"You don't even need your hair done, I thought it looked just fine the way it was." I replied pulling a shirt over my bikini top.
"Well not all of us are born with stick straight, blonde hair." Becca said coldly, "I can't believe you have the perfect hair and you don't even know how to use it."
"I told you, I don't care how my hair looks." I said rubbing a ratty towel throughout my long hair.
"My point exactly. Do you know how many of my friends have come up to me and asked me how you got that beautiful blonde hair and I got this." Becca pointed to her own stick straight, chestnut hair.
"I like your hair." I said because I had nothing else to. Truthfully, hair color or style didn't really matter to me. Eventually my hair would be out of style and curly haired brunettes would be hip.
Becca picked up her own towel that she tanned on and put her own tiny t-shirt over her slim body. "I just don't understand how I work so hard to be beautiful and all you have to do is wake up." I laughed and pushed her shoulder.
Every conversation we had consisted on my "infinite" beauty. She made it sound like I had control over how I looked. Although I found Becca as deep as the cove on which I surfed, I always knew that she would never lie. I knew I was beautiful and Becca never let me forget it.
Boys have told me that my blue eyes were like the pools of crystal and other girls have told me that I had the perfect body. Adults have not failed to tell me that my face was perfect in ever way. Even the sprinkle of freckles across my nose, the harsh angle of my jaw and the weird mole that resided at the corner of my mouth all were "perfect".
"At least you know how to use the beauty. If I could I would definitely give you all this." I grabbed my surfboard and started walking towards Becca's car. She seemed to take comfort in that and that comfort managed to keep her mouth shut until we were on the road.
"So I was thinking we could take my new skateboard and try to ride near the Zephyr shop." Becca paused, not waiting for a reply, "There are some pretty hot guys there if you know what I mean." Shelly smiled and made a sharp turn onto our home street.
"Becca I already told you that I am not really interested in meeting guys." I said.
"Kelly are you a lesbian; like seriously?" Becca said.
"No I am not a lesbian, I just don't want to get involved with anyone while I'm only here for like nine weeks" I replied.
"Who said anything about getting involved? We are just going to a surf shop, which you do surf, and seeing the nice boys that inhabit that area." Becca said innocently. I knew I had no chance of getting out of this.
"Fine. Can we just hang out here for a little while so I can eat breakfast and maybe take a shower." I sighed.
"That's cool. Around twelvish I think we should head down there." Becca said clapping excitedly. "Now let's go see how my new tan looks."
An hour later with cereal in me and a strange smelling shampoo in my hair, I sat on Becca's bed waiting for her to choose an "appropriate" outfit.
"What's wrong with the red top and those jeans?" I asked.
"You're wearing red. I don't want to make it seem like we're related." Becca stated.
"But we are." I retorted.
"Well, they have to find that out later, not just glance at us and say 'I bet those girls are related'."
"The way you talk about them makes them seem that they would really notice those things." I said sarcastically.
"Whatever Kelly. I can't just wake up put on some random tight jeans and a greasy hoodie and be ready." Becca retorted. After another twenty minutes, she chose some long, floral dress and a purse.
She took her skateboard out of the garage. "Kelly, will you like break a wheel off this or something. I need to have a reason to go in there."
I sighed and banged the front part of the skateboard against the ground until it looked crushed. "I hope you have the money to pay for this." I said.
"Of course, I can just tell mom and dad that I was playing on it and it got run over by a car or something." Becca said dropping it into the backseat of her car. "Then at least they'll get off my back about not using it."
The words 'mom and dad' used in the same sentence made me think about my own little problem. I quickly brushed the oncoming worry aside and decided to focus about a new problem. It involved my own embarrassment and that of my former favorite cousin.
"I am so excited." Becca said as she pulled the car out of the driveway.
"Me too" I replied sarcastically. My insides were begging to go back to the beach and ride the waves.