Beneath the sun and beyond the ocean

Horizon

I hate the sun. I hate the reflections it's rays create on the ocean floor. I hate how it's warmth just makes the night colder. I hate how much I love it, as it just makes it that much harder when it disappears over the horizon.

"Marina it's already 7, hurry up" Dahlia yanks the covers off of me, goose bumps jump onto my skin as the cool morning air hits me.
"Dali go away." I mutter in response and she grabs my ankles. I land with a thud on the wooden floor and groan, blinking my eyes against the morning sun streaming through the window. Really? School? Again? Pulling on some shorts and a t-shirt, I scramble down the stairs to inhale some breakfast before rushing out the door. I'll admit it is a nice morning, bar the bruise on my back.

There's only 3 more days until summer break, I don't think I'd last much longer than that. Stereotypical clichés and droning teachers will be the death of me if the long expanse of dry dirt isn't. I've longed for the cool touch of salty water and the colourful boats that line the blue horizon. Dahlia takes me to the beach house every summer, and for those few months of sun, I'm once again whole. 

The bright sun warms my freckled face as I jump into Dali's blue Jeep Wrangler, her most prized possession. The roof is down letting the cool wind whip my hair and making my eyes water a little. "Rina get your damn hair out of my face or we're going to crash. Jesus when did you get so blonde?" Dali exclaims. Since it got sunnier my hair has changed like 3 shades lighter, it always does. In the winter my hair is almost as dark as Dali's, almost brown, dirty blonde. She'd never admit to being a brunette though. We've got the same sea green eyes from dad, the only part of him left behind. Dahlia cried almost every night after he left, two days after her 19th birthday we came back from school, and it was almost like he was never even there. I wasn't surprised when he left, just hurt that he didn't even bother leaving a note. 

Arriving at school always leaves a sinking feeling in my gut, if I could just drive around all day, I would. I wander into the crowded hall, loud voices attacking my ears as I open my locker. The day passes slowly, it's almost like I'm not even there. I chat to my friends - if you can even call them that - and daydream through lessons. Dali drives me home and I crash in my room, exhausted by the long, dry day. The next day passes the same, everyone trying to survive until the holidays, and finally the last day of junior year comes around; no one can sit still, desperate to escape the sweaty classrooms and strict rules.

The last lesson seems like an eternity and 30 sets of eyes stare at the clock obsessively. The minute hand hits 12 and the loud bell sparks hope into the herds of students running through the paper-covered halls. Only one more year now. It kind of feels like I've wasted my high school years. I walk behind the crowds as they desperately push and shove their way out of the prison-like structure. I will not miss this place, I daren't think of the cruel September day when I'll have to return to the death-sentence of a school schedule.

As I approach the crossroad in the corridor I notice a tall boy joining into my hall. His eyebrows are furrowed in a deep frown; brown eyes meet mine and he nods at me. I give him a small smile and he continues out of the doors, stepping out into the bright freedom that awaits me. His hand lingers on the door, inviting me to follow into the exciting summer ahead. I almost leap through, sending him a quick thank you before heading towards the bright Jeep waiting for me.

When we get home I shove my readily packed bags into the boot and sit impatiently on the doorstep as Dali locks the house up for the summer, double checking every door and window. She finally clicks the lock on the last door and we set off towards my true home. I watch the towns pass by, filled with celebrating kids and groaning parents as Dali's playlist blasts. I pull my hair into french plaits before painting my nails a bright shade of blue that almost matches the Jeep. 'Kids in America' from Riverdale starts up on the car speakers,                                                    "You still obsessed with that show?" I joke and Dali rolls her tired eyes at me. The sun is lowering slowly beside us as we speed down the empty road. She's loved that show since we were little, probably too little to be watching it.