Arabelle Vine, a 22 year old photographer in Seattle Washington, is happy with her current life. She has friends, a great family, and a job she loves. But Arabelle wants to be more than just content with her life. She wants excitement, and she wants...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Everyone views life through different perspectives. Some people see beauty, some see love. But I see pain. You aren't truly living if you've never been in pain. But being in pain all the time is different. It makes you not want to live anymore. It makes you want to take just the right amount of pills so that you will never wake up. Pain makes you never want to grow old with your soulmate, and watch your children grow up. Pain slowly tears you apart from the inside until the real you is gone. On the outside people may still see the same bubbly person you used to be. The one who always wears a smile and has their hair done perfectly everyday. The one who feels, the one who isn't numb.
That was my life for awhile.
Now I am slowly picking myself back up piece by piece. It's been hard, really hard. But I am pushing myself so that I know what it is like to grow old with your soulmate and watch your children grow up. I am pushing myself to be the old me. And she is slowly coming back out.
I can't say that it's only been me through this journey. My parents, and best friends have been there by my side through the worst of it and haven't left.
They never judged, even when I woke up to them crying next to me in the hospital after I tried to overdose. They never doubted that my story was the wrong one. Even though everyone else did. They always believed in me.
Now I am slowly starting to believe in myself too.
As I look through my camera at the beautiful sunrise overlooking the water, I am proud that I am finally achieving something I love without anything holding me back.
"Wow." I hear Eloise mumble as she stares at the golden sky.
The sun is just barely above the horizon and it has created a world of gold as it rises. The sky, cloud free, is a bright golden color. And the reflection onto the water pulls you in as it ripples with hints of gold.
"Earth truly is a beautiful place." Mavis breathes out as she readjusts herself on the picnic blanket.
"It really is." I say as I snap a picture of the glowing sun.
I'm honestly surprised I was able to convince the two of them to come out here with me this morning. Neither of them are morning people, they'd rather sleep until noon.
Not me.
I've always been a morning person, ever since I can remember. I remember sitting on the porch with my dads, both holding a cup of coffee as I drank a cup of apple juice.
The grass is still dewy, not a sound in the air except for the occasional bird singing a soft melody, or the sound of a squirrel dancing in the trees. The smell of rain still present in the air from the storm last night.
God, I love the smell of rain. I feel like you can smell when it's about to rain before you even see the clouds turn grey.
"Anyone want some fruit?" Mavis asks pulling out a fruit bowl she made the night before.
"Me." Eloise says, walking over from her spot on the edge of the water.
"I'd love some." I say as I place my camera down and let it hang around my neck.
We all settle down on the large blue and white patterned blanket as we watch the sun rise the rest of the way. Eating fruit and talking about the most random things. Mavis filling us in on her sex life, and the latest guy she been seeing. They never seem to last long, but it doesn't seem to bother Mavis. Some stay longer than others but she tells herself not to get to attached. The last time I saw her cry over a boy was when she got broken up with in 11th grade, right before homecoming.
Eloise fills us in on her relationship with Eden. They're taking a trip to Hawaii in November , and she can't stop talking about it even though it's months away.
Eloise and Eden started dating sophomore year of college, and let me just tell you, they couldn't be more perfect for each other if they tried.
Once the sun has risen and i've taken a few more pictures, we pack up our stuff and hike our way back through the woods toward my car.
Blasting music and singing along to all the songs on Eloises playlist, with the windows rolled all the way down, we make our way back home.
We decide to head back to my apartment to relax for the rest of the morning, none of us having anything planned for the rest of the day.
We all settle in the living room, Mavis putting on some ridiculous reality t.v show, while I pull out my computer and camera to go through the pictures I took this morning.
••••••
"MAMA MIA, HERE I GO AGAIN!" Mavis scream as she dances around my kitchen.
"MY MY, HOW CAN I RESIST YOU!" I sing along as I stir the pesto into the pasta.
"MAMA MIA, DOES IT SHOW AGAIN? JUST HOW MUCH I MISSED YOU!" Eloise joins in as she uses a wooden spoon for a microphone.
We've been listening to ABBA for the past half an hour while we cook dinner. The girls ended up staying the whole day. No point in them going home if they're just gonna sit alone the rest of the day. I laugh as I watch Eloise twirl Mavis around the kitchen.
"Ow!" Mavis hisses, grabbing her foot, "I stubbed my fucking toe. Stupid table."
Me and Eloise snicker to ourselves as we watch her yell at the kitchen table.
"Hey! Stop laughing at me." Mavis turns around and points her finger at us. "Stubbing your toe hurts like a bitch."
I hold my hands up and turn back around to the oven, a giant grin on my face.
"Alright it's done." I say turning off the stove, getting bowls and forks out for us.
I pile the pesto into the bowls and bring them out to the table, while Mavis gets us drinks and Eloise turns off the music.
"Okay guys." Mavis says setting our drinks down. " I think i'm going to take a break from dating and all that jazz."
Me and Eloise glance at each other, both knowing what's gonna happen. Mavis does this every now and then but after a couple of months complains about needing to get laid, or how lonely she is.
"Why?" Eloise asks.
"I just feel like I need some time to myself."
"I think that sounds like a great idea." I say taking a bite of my pasta.
"Ooh Maybe i'll glow myself up a bit. Maybe have a couple spa days, and get my hair touched up." Mavis says as she runs her finger through her hair, and holds her hand out to observe the state of her nails.
"Mhm." Eloise says swallowing a bite of her food. "Let me know when you get your nails done. I am in desperate need of a manicure."
I stay silent as I watch the two of them assessing each other's cuticles. I love these girls so much. I don't know what I would do without them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Word count- 1279
A/N First chapter is super short, it's kind of just an introduction/prologue for the rest of the book. but I promise they get longer.
