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I’ve spent the past few weeks inhaling the fresh morning air. “How beautiful.” A smile curled my lips. I marveled the yellow and orange sun rising over the Pacific Ocean.
If I didn’t have to return to college, I’d stay right here. Surf board in hand, wet suit on my body. Yup, another beautiful day in sunny California. Dropping my board in the water, I laid on the board, paddling further out. A good wave was approaching. I popped up on my board and rode the wave. Fucking refreshing. Surfing was what I lived for every single day.
I remembered, walking out of the hospital, then I drove around the city talking to Alissa on the phone. I told her everything. She said I could stay in one of her family’s beach homes in Venice Beach, CA. Alissa promised not to tell a soul where I disappeared to. I strolled into the bank and withdrew a quarter of a million dollars. I parked my car up the street from our house and requested an Uber.
I arrived later that morning at Kennesaw airport and chartered a private jet. There wasn’t a chance I’d take one of our aircrafts. If I did my parents could find me. The moment I landed in L.A. I purchased a burner phone and called my mother.
“Hello, Mom.”
“Vicky, are you, all right? Where are you?”
“I’m safe. I needed time alone.”
“Why?”
“Mom, please allow me this time. I love you.”
She sighed. “I love you too.”
I disconnected the call.
She didn’t understand what happened. Why I was so upset. I fell in love with a boy who just became a man a week before all hell broke loose. Zander turned eighteen-years-old. He spent his birthday with me at a carnival. Zander and I only had the best time this summer. Riding four wheelers, sky diving. You name it, we’d done it. My face hurt from all the smiling and laughing. Sex wasn’t important anymore.
Standing in Zander’s presence having the time of my life was important.
I gave up what was important to me so my brother could keep his best friend.
But if Zander couldn’t have me, I knew he didn’t want to hang out with my brother anymore.
All I wanted to do was sit on the beautiful beach and be alone. Cry and cry until my tears dried up. This was my piece of heaven.
My parents brought Hayden, Zander, and I to Santa Barbara one summer. My father stayed with my mother at a medical facility. She had a breast augmentation. My mother requested a mastectomy after learning she had breast cancer. She wanted to do everything in her power to be here for me, Hayden, and dad.
The maid doubled as a nanny while my parents were away. Hayden, Zander, and I learned how to surf. It was a bitter sweet summer. I knew my parents wanted to make us feel as comfortable as possible during that terrible year. Zander was a great friend. He listened to me. Never once judged me. Zander had seen me hit rock bottom. He was my rock through it all.
