A change of scenery is what I need. I just need to get away...
Marissa thought pressing her forehead against the cool window, taking in the vastness of the ocean. A few weeks after graduation she had received a letter from her father asking her to join him in Hawaii to help with his sailing business. She had been unsure at first, but with the way things had unraveled with Ryan, and unsure of whether or not college was the best decision for her, going somewhere far away would be nice. Sure, she'd miss Summer, but she was packing up to leave for Brown. So here she was, an hour into her flight towards Hawaii, getting ready to start over. A fresh start, Marissa said to herself. New place, new friends, a new life. She soon fell asleep, dreaming of the new things to come.
"...Thank you for flying with us, and enjoy the North Shore!" The plane touched down on the runway. Jolted by the impact, Marissa woke abruptly from her nap. Wiping a thin line of drool from the corner of her mouth, Marissa looked out the window at what awaited her outside. It was a small airport, if you could call it that, surrounded by a fence that led out to the parking lot. People had gathered at the entrance of the gate. Shielding her eyes from the sun, she made her way off the plane, looking around. Kind of like home, except there are a lot more trees, and no Mc Mansions... A gentle warm breeze blew through her hair, and she immediately regretted wearing jeans instead of a skirt. She approached the gate of the small airport, and waiting at it was her father. Wait, that can't be him, Marissa thought, looking the man up and down. He looks, good.
"Hey, Kiddo!" Jimmy called, smiling and waving at Marissa.
"Hey!" She jogged over to her dad, enveloping him in a hug. "You look good." Marissa said pulling back from the embrace, examining him. He had definitely filled out a bit more, and he had a tan any girl back home would kill for. But it was still her Dad. A healthy, happier version.
"Thanks, but, I've always looked this good." He chuckled and pulled her back into another hug, kissing the top of her head. "I've missed you so much."
Marissa hugged tighter, "I missed you too."
