I step off the bus and immediately see my father loading up the truck with everything we would need on our trip to Cuba. I despised the thought of going but he hadn't given me a choice on the matter. We were going together and that was final.

"C'mon Keith, hussle. Go get the rest of the things so we can get going. I don't want to miss the plane and neither do you because if we do you will have hell to pay." I don't need him to elaborate so I hurry and grab the remaining bags from the house and lock up behind me. I throw the bags into the truck and climb in.

"Keith I think you'll enjoy this more than you think. You get all this time almost all to yourself in a new place. As long as you stay out of trouble we won't have any problems." His voice made it obvious that if I tried anything I was dead.

"Alright Dad. I'll probably spend most of my time in the hotel room anyway. I'm not much of an outside person when it comes to cities." I lean my head against the window and frown at the hot sun beating down.

"Okay but I don't want you wasting all your time inside. Get out there and swim or something. Get a tan instead of being so vampiric. Its unnatural for someone from Texas." His disgust with me was clear. Every morning he had something to say before I went to school about how I embarrassed him with how I looked and that I should work to be more presentable so that he could be proud and show me off.

"Yeah yeah I will. I'll at least need to go get food so I'll go outside some. I'm sure the curiosity will get to me eventually." I close my eyes and try to catch some shut eye on the way to the airport. My dad surprisingly lets me do so, just the soft sound of country music playing from the radio instead of his voice telling me about his boring day.

We drive to the closest airport, meaning Houston, and get on our five and a half hour plane ride to Havana. The plane ride was boring and uncomfortable. My dad attemted to make small talk for at least half an hour before he gave up and went to sleep for the rest of the ride. I, of course, couldn't fall asleep and so I was cursed with watching the movies they were showing. They didn't keep my interest and I kept finding myself staring outside the window at the black and white waves that calmly moved the ocean beneath us. I sighed at the thought of what it must look like in color.

Once at Havana we quickly found a cab that would take us the two hour drive to Varadero where we would be staying for the next month. I did have to admit that the culture of Cuba was already catching my eye and my curiosity was intruiged. My body, however, told me just how humid it was going to be and I could already predict just how much I would be walking just to find another airconditioned building.

When the two hours were over I helped my dad haul all the stuff up to the room and I stretched out on my bed. The air conditioning was heaven compared to the hell that was outside and I sighed happily. My dad slumped down onto his bed and wiped at the sweat that had formed on his forehead despite his reassurances that it wouldn't be as bad as I thought. He jumped in the shower and I changed into pajamas and tried to fall asleep with all the new sounds around me.

I wake up the next morning a little later than I usually do because of the slightly different time.

I sit up and yawn as I stretch. I look over to see that my dad is already gone but that he has left me a note:

Take a shower and get out to the beach.

- Dad

Short and sweet was always his motto. I do as told and take a shower then change into some shorts. I pull my hair up so it doesn't stick to my neck from the heat. I find the extra strength sunblock I packed because, despite my dad's easy tan I only burn, and slather it on every part of exposed skin that I am able to reach. After grabbing my towel and phone and slipping some flipflops on I head out to the beach right outside the hotel.

The place is packed as I should have expected but it still surprises me. I pull my sunglasses down onto my eyes to make it obvious I don't want human interaction and move towards the waves. I lay my towel out and sit down on it, not really knowing what to do after that. I sigh and pull out my phone just so I have something to do.

I message one of my friends from back home and tell him that we got here safely. He doesn't believe me when I tell him I'm actally outside so I decide to send him a picture. Just as I do a frisbee comes from across the beach and hits me directly in the side of the head, hard.

I look in the direction it came from, already mumbling profanities under my breath at the perpetrator when suddenly I see him.

He's running towards me and its like an explosion of color comes from him. I gasp and pause everything I'm doing just to stare at him. His dark tanned skin slightly radiant from the sun, his dark hair flattened from the exertion of his game. His vibrant shorts catching my eye but I don't have a name for the color. All I know is that its beatiful. Everything is beautiful. His eyes meet mine when he picks up the frisbee and I can see the same shock cross his face. We stare at each other as the very world around us changes from the monochrome prison we have always known to this beautiful painting with every color known to man.

We stare at each other for a good two minutes before someone, who I assume is an older sister, runs up to ask him whats wrong, or at least I think thats what shes saying. They speak back and forth in Spanish before she quickly hugs him then pushes him down to me. We continue to stare at each other as his sister grabs the attention of passerby. Just as they all start cheering I see him smile and before I know it we are kissing there, on the beach in front of all these strangers and my life is changed forever.

Hey guys, author here. I really hope you guys liked the first chapter!! I started this quite a bit ago and just finished it all in one go.

If you guys want to read more please feel free to tell me, it really helps motivate my writing process and keeps me going.

Thank you to anyone who read the whole thing and If you could give me a vote that would be greatly apprieciated!! Or even if you just tell a friend that would be great!! I will try to keep this updated every week but I don't have a set day yet.

Thank you again!! Hope to see you next chapter