(Flashback)

When I woke up this morning, it was still dark, but the sky was starting to glow, signaling the rising of the sun. I got out of bed and quickly put on a dark red sweater that was lying around on my bedroom floor. I went out on my small balcony, ignoring the sharp, cold breeze on my face, and got my feet up on the railing. With less difficulty, I hoisted myself up on the roof.

My house wasn't that large. Even though my father works as a lawyer in a well-known law firm, he wanted a simple house and live a simple life, thus a moderate sized house in a normal neighborhood. Due to the size of our house, it was easy for me to climb up the roof.

Though it was colder up on the roof, the sight that I was about to see will be worth it. A flash of orange began to gradually spread across the sky. Then the shade of orange slowly began to have a mix of yellow. As always, I was filled with awe as the sky grew brighter and brighter.

I didn't know how long I was sitting on the roof. I only realised that I stayed out there for so long when the sun was out full blast.

"Charlie, come on down," Mum called out from my balcony. "Breakfast is ready."

"The sunrise was beautiful today," I commented in the middle of having toast with ham and cheese omelette with my family. "It's a wonderful day for a swim."

My mother sighed, "Charlie, you have to focus more on your studies than swimming. I've told you that already a thousand times."

"But, Mum, you know that Charlie will still say, 'I love to swim. Besides, we live near the sea. You can't keep the water away from me,'" my older brother, Tyler, said, looking pleased at his impersonation of me.

Now, my brother is the one my parents always wanted to have. Good with his brain, student council president, vice-captain of the debate team. From his grades, he's had offers from other private boarding schools from other countries.

And there's me.

I wasn't good with academics... at all. But my sports grades were shooting through the roof, if I may gush. My father didn't really give much thought about it, as long as I was happy with what I do. My mother, on the other hand, wants me to do something worthwhile that will give me a boost when its time to choose a career.

All I can think about is being a swimming pro.

Obviously, my mother did not approve. My mother always thought that being an athlete as a profession isn't very stable as a career, which leads us to numerous arguments. Tyler always tries to pacify my mother when we argue, but I know he supports me.

"Speaking of swimming, Russell and Lory are taking in a kid today," my father said. "He's from Japan, and he's a swimmer. You should make friends with him, Charlotte."

"Dad, he's a guy. You're supposed to tell me to stay away from guys since I'm your sweet girl," I snickered.

"Oh please, like you need Dad to tell you that," Tyler snorted. "You scare the boys away before they get to you."

"I do not!"

"Really? How about Calvin? He had puppy eyes for you for over a week until you just had to challenge him for a swimming race."

I blushed and looked down at my toast and eggs. It was true, but it wasn't really my fault that they can't keep up with me.

"Children, play nice," Mum tutted. "Tyler, don't you have to go to the library for your research? And you, Charlie, are still thirteen. You're barely even a teenager yet. No boys for you and focus on your studies, and speaking of studies, you are not allowed out of the house until you finish your homework."

Knowing that Mum already placed her foot down, Dad kept quiet and began to read his newspaper while Tyler choked in laughter while drinking his orange juice. I, on the other hand, wanted to slam my face right on my breakfast.

No kid ever wants homework. The world would be a happier place if teachers just understood that.

So I ditched my homework and sat at my usual spot at the roof. The sun was nice and warm on my skin. I kept thinking how nice it would be if I could go out on the beach.

Then a midnight blue minivan pulled around the corner. I recognized it as Russell and Lory's minivan. The new kid is probably with them already.

My thoughts were answered when the van parked on the house next to mine and a boy just about my age got out of the car. He had a cap on and the shade prevented me to see his face. But even from afar, I can see his broad smile, showing off a wide set of shark teeth.

A smile made its way on my face. Now that's something you don't see everyday.

As if the boy sensed me looking, he turned and raised his head. The sunlight gave me a clear look on his face. His burgundy hair peeked out from the sides of his cap, and his red eyes - a shade lighter than his hair - looked up at me.

I doubted he saw me though since the sun was too bright for him to look up the roof. Nonetheless, I looked into his eyes the same way he supposedly looked at me.

"Charlie, Russell and Lory are here with the new kid," Mum called from inside my room. "Let's go give him a welcome."

I sighed and climbed down to my veranda, and when I looked back next door, I saw the new kid with his backpack going inside his new house. Mum pulled me inside and forced me out of my so-called dreadful pajamas and into a girly dress.

"Charlie, this is Rin," Lory introduced. Russell was in Rin's room, fixing up and settling his baggage. "Rin, this is Charlotte, but she likes to be called Charlie. Be good friends with her, okay?" Then she and Mum went to treat kitchen and started talking about stuff their age would talk about.

Rin and I shook hands. While my hand was still encased his, I pulled him close for a hug and gave him a kiss on the cheek. I watched as his face burned a bright red, almost as red as his eyes. I let out a soft giggle.

He was awfully quiet for someone who looked pretty excited to be here, and Lory spoke to him very slowly as if he was a child. My eyebrows raised as I figured his problem.

He was bad at English.

I let out a snort in my efforts to hold in my laughter. So he came to Australia being bad at English. His eyebrow raised in confusion. My eyes trailed over to his jacket's pocket. I caught a glimpse of his swimming goggles.

"Do you swim?" Rin asked with his really awkward accent.

"Definitely," I replied. Then a thought popped in my head. "Wanna head out to the beach?"

Rin's face brightened at the word 'beach', then he looked at Mum's and Lory's figure in the kitchen. I rolled my eyes and grabbed his arm, pulling him to the front door.

"They wouldn't even know we were gone."

Ta-da. Prologue's up, peeps. Tell me whatcha think. Although you probably can't tell much from a prologue. Ah well...

Reviews and faves/follows are greatly appreciated. Seriously, no writer likes a silent reader. Well, most of them. Love 'ya!

Also, my next update with not be this. On New Year's Eve and New Year's, I'll be updating my other stories, My Other Half and Melt My Frozen Heart (on my Wattpad account under the same username), so feel free to stop by and read those as well. Those stories need some lovin' too.