Mac Taylor, a 24-year-old Captain of the US Marine Corp, stationed in San Diego, is sitting on the beach watching some teenagers play in the water. He has the day off. He originally took the day off to spend it with his girlfriend Julia, but that was planned before she broke up with him. Yesterday, she told him that she broke up with him because she didn't feel that he was committed to their relationship, so she didn't want to stay in San Diego for a guy who wasn't fully committed to her. So she had already bought a ticket home to her parents in New Orleans before she had even broken off their relationship. She hadn't even given him a chance to say or do anything. In the moment he had been a little sad but after a long run and a work out in the gym, he had already sort of gotten over it. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe had hadn't really been fully committed to their relationship. She had never met his parents. Actually, he hadn't even mentioned her to his parents. They had been together for close to 2 years but he never really felt the need to make it officially to his parents. Telling his parents was something that the Captain took very serious like that meant something really special when he told his parents about a girl.
Now he is sitting on the beach in his swim shorts and just looking at the water and the teenagers playing in the water. Enjoying the wind in his hair and the sun shining against his face. After, what feels like a few hours, but is probably just a half an hour he decides to go for a run. Running is something that always clears his head. If he can't sleep or he has a bad day he always goes for a run. He gets up and walks towards the road. The warm sand feels burning against his bare feet. He is carrying his shoes in his hand. Earlier in the morning, the sand felt good on feet. But now when it is close to noon the sand is burning hot. Once he gets to the road he stops and takes a seat n a rock to put on his shoes when he hears a familiar voice behind him.
'Hey, Mac.' Mac turns around and sees his friend it. Stand Withney coming towards him. Shirtless only wearing swim shorts.
'Where are you going? come play with us, man.' Stan is only 1 year younger than Mac. Mac has always thought Stan was a great Marine and he has always been a great friend for Mac, but Stan is a much more social person than Mac. Mac often handles his personal life by him self Stan prefers to drown problems in alcohol and girls.
I'm not in the mood Stan.' Mac says.
'come on. It's only me and a few of the guys. No ladies.'
Mac sees a few of his friends that are also marines throwing a volley ball around. Mac had never played beach volley before he came to San Diego. Back home in Chicago where Mac grew up he mostly played baseball on the school team and throw a foot ball once in a while with the neighborhood kids. Stan who is a west coast beach boy was shocked when Mac told him that he had never touched a volley ball before in his life. Stan had made it his personal mission to get Mac to love volley ball. So far Mac thought it was fun to spend time with his friends on the beach but beach volley will never become his favorite sport.
Mac decides to skip his run today and to have fun with his friends. He gets on the team with two young men, one from Texas and one from South Carolina. Stan is on the opposite team than Mac. They play for a little while until a water break is much needed in the San Diego summer heat. The loser team, Macs team is the one to go for water for all of them. Macs too teammates run first when they see two young girls standing in the line for the beach shop. Mac just walks at a slower pace behind them when he is suddenly bumped into by a young girl.
'Oh sorry.' The young girl says and turns around to see the person she bumped into when she was trying to catch a freebie her friend had thrown way too far.
'that's alright.' Mac says. The young girl has strawberry blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. She is only wearing a black bra and a pair hotpants. She has a pair of sunglasses sitting in her hair. Her skin has a light sun brown glow. Mac notices right away her shiny blue eyes and her beautiful smile.
I'm Claire.' She informs him.
'I'm… I'm Mac.'
'Well, it was nice bumping into you… Mac." The way she says his name makes him smile. Something that no one has been able to in a very long time. There is something sweet and innocent about her. When she grabs her freebie and runs back to her friend she looks back at him one last time. Mac can't help staring at her direction for a while after she has rejoined her friend a probably forgotten all about him again. Mac shortly after joins his friends at the store.
