Chapter One

Lachlan Gates sat on his "Lazy Boy Ultra gaming Chair 3000" playing the next generation video game. The world around him lost, his sense of reality gone. What else would an 18-year-old boy be doing in the middle of summer? Gaming was the only thing Lachlan was good at he thought; sitting in his big empty room in his parent's basement; 18 years old and a graduate from Newport high school in OC California. His parents were wealthy and had the biggest house in the neighborhood. Yet even with all the amenities and opportunities of a prince thrown at him, Lachlan hated his life. He hated that everything he wanted was in his grasp, that every luxury a man could want can easily be spoiled.

Lachlan took the bus to the mall to see his friends, leaving his Mercedes dusting in the garage. He hated how his friends ridiculed him for being a spoiled rich boy; he wished that everybody would look at who he was, and not how much he's worth. He found a job as mailroom boy at the OC Register; the local newspaper. His dad was furious when he heard the news "Why don't you just come work for me at my office?" he said.

"Because I want to be my own man" Lachlan replied. His dad owned the most luxurious hotel in Orange County "The Newport Beach Resort" Lachlan could have easily became his dad's partner and would never have to worry about money again. But he lived his life the way he wanted, always has and the way he sees it, always will. He figures working at the newsroom would elevate his chances of fulfilling his dreams as a writer. Besides, the only good thing that Lachlan excelled at was video games and writing. He held the top score for Mario as well as the top score for his High school writing contest.

One thing he was not good at though: were Women. Out of all the girls in Orange County the only one he trusted was his own mother. All the girls he knew in high school and all the girls he's met at the mall all seem to be clones of each other he thought; they all looked the same, dressed the same, even talked the same. He was tired of it.

And even when he did meet somebody that was remotely interested in him, they all seemed to be more interested in his bank account.

Lachlan sat up off his couch and walked over to the mirror. He wasn't super ugly he thought to himself. He brushed his dark black hair with his hands to stare at his face. "I look like a pretty average guy," he thought to himself. So why was he destined to be alone? He went upstairs to the kitchen and walked up the living room stairs to the top floor. He almost tripped over his mom's cats as he made his way to the top. He walked towards the glass door that windows the most stunning view of the beach. Lachlan gently pushed the door open, the salty ocean air and breeze flushed past him before he could even walk. He made his way over the balcony and watched the summer sunset. The most beautiful thing in the world, he thought. This was the thing screensavers were made of. Lachlan loved looking at sights like the ones he had, he seemed to never take it for granted that he had it. He could see people in the distant. Couples walking together on the beach, teenagers wrestling in the sand, people having bon fires. He didn't want to be part of their crowd he thought. If he had the chance, he would trade his life for anybody else's right now. Well somebody with a bit more confidence then he would ever have. The only thing that Lachlan desired was peace and quiet. And a girl that understood him, things that only movies could project. The sound of the door creaking interrupted his thought.

"What are you doing at home?" it was the voice of his mother. She and Lachlan's father had just returned from a charity event. "I had a day off work and decided to stay home" Lachlan replied.

"It's a beautiful summer day and you decide to work and stay home all day? Are you crazy or something? "

He shrugged,

"Why don't you do what everybody else your age is doing and go have fun on the beach?"

Lachlan looked down towards the distant at all the people having fun and throwing sand and looked at a himself right now, at home in his pajamas, talking with his mom. "I don't want to do what everybody expects me to do," he whispered.

"Well good news," she replied ignoring his last comment. "Your uncle Van is going to retire again next week and he wants us to come to his retirement party, it's going to be at his hotel in New York. Try to make it if you're not too busy watching TV or playing video games." And with that she gave him a tug on the cheek and made her way back inside.

New York? He thought, well that's somewhere he's never been before. Maybe a vacation would be exactly what he was looking for. He quickly made his way downstairs to pack, tripping over cats as he did.