Grounded:
As she sat in the lounge chair of the apartment, she waited for a call, or a knock at the door, just something to draw her back to reality. The black leather of the couch was cold against her near naked body, for all she wore was a very short denim skirt and a flimsy bikini. This was the first time she had ever been grounded, for real, and it was complete torture. It was still early, she brushed her ash blond hair from her eyes and looked at the clock on the kitchen wall. It read 10:30. She sighed, glancing around the room for something to do. There really wasn't much.
She was alone in the apartment, her mother had gone shopping for the day, and had taken the 2 other children with her. The step father she didn't get along with, but he was out at work, or so he said. Slowly, she walked over to the sliding doors, where the sun was shining brightly in. She put her hand to the handle and gently slid back the glass door to sit out on the balcony. She sank into one of the arm chairs and moved it silently to the edge of the balcony to lean on the glass barrier. She folded her arms on the cold, silver rail of the 18 story high balcony, and glanced out to sea.
It was still only winter, but spring was only a week or two away, and already it felt like summer. She watched the cars race down the esplanade to find a car park, and the people on the footpaths, riding bikes or carrying picnic baskets, or just strolling down enjoying the sunshine. She watched as the children laughed and played in the sand, the life guards watching the swimmers in the flags, and the surfers catching waves, out of the way. She longed so much to be out there with her friends in those waves.
A sleek red car stood out below as it turned into a park below her on the other side of the street, 4 men piled out, 3 of which grabbed surf boards from the rear. They were all dressed in just board shorts, but the other man jumped back in the car, and turned up the volume on his stereo. Suddenly, the whole area could hear this good rock beat as he jumped out of the car. She just smiled as he grabbed a board from his friend and they headed out for a surf. She continued to watch them until they were way out at sea, waiting for the big waves to roll in.
It was then she returned her gaze to the sands, she spotted below her friends. All 8 of them, 5 girls and 3 boys, one of which her boyfriend, were all mucking about in the sand. She tried to call out, but none of them could hear her.
She searched for her phone in her pocket and dialled his number, but his phone was turned off, and the other 3 numbers she called, none of which she got an answer. She put her phone away in her pocket with a sigh, as she continued to watch from her balcony. They played touch football, and soccer, and volleyball, and they splashed around in the surf, all of them having fun in the sun.
A single tear rolled down her cheek as the beat continued to sing from the red car and her friends losing all their worries in the world, to the pounding beat and the rolling waves. She sat there all day, just watching her friends, and the couples strolling in the sand, and the children playing tag, and the families eating, everyone just having a fun day at the beach.
It was 5 o'clock when she checked the time next. She hadn't left the balcony all day, not to eat, or drink, or anything. She watched the sunset, casting orange shadows, and the families leave and couples kissing one last time. She watched the surfers catch their last waves and her friends, slowly, one by one, disappearing to their homes. She watched her boyfriend, kiss her best friend then head off. She was upset, not that he kissed her, but because she missed one of the best days of her life, because she was grounded. As her last friend left the sand, and the surfers had left, and the music stopped, she headed on inside as it began to cool down. She just shut the door quietly and dragged her feet as she headed off to bed.
She left her body sink in to the bed before the tears began to stream down her face, one by one, crying her heart out at what a beautiful and wonderful day she missed, because she was grounded.