Flashbacks [Phan]

•

Dan was seventeen.

He watched from his perch on the rocks as the dark ocean waves swallowed patches of light brown sand, the sun casting an orange glow across the beach as it set behind the already perfect scene. Beside him was PJ, curled into a ball underneath his hoodie while he slept. Any passers by may have thought they were a couple, come to enjoy the scenery, but they would be wrong. The two were only good friends, one of whom happened to enjoy photography.

Dan looked at his watch and, seeing it was already nearly seven, started packing up the equipment he had brought. Once he was done, he gently shook PJ awake so he could take the camera home with him. Dan would love to bring it home himself, but if his mother saw it, she would surely destroy it.

"I have to get going," he explained to his tired friend. "Thanks for coming with me. I'll see you at school Monday."

PJ just nodded and laid his head back down on the probably uncomfortable rocks with a muffled, "bye."

Dan cringed a bit at his choice of wording, but didn't say anything, and simply turned to start walking home. Once there, he was met by the sound of shattering glass right next to his head as his mother threw an empty bottle at the door as it opened.

"You're late, bitch," she called from her place on the couch.

"Sorry," he muttered, scooting past the entrance to the living room to avoid having something else throw at him. He nearly made it, but was hit in the back with a small shard of glass as another bottle was smashed against the wall behind him.

Before she could say or do anything else to him, he ran down the short hall to his bedroom and locked the door. He then sat down on the uncleaned sheets, placed his head in his hands, and cried out his loneliness until he could no longer.