Lake House

Chapter 2

The sun had set and rose again, beginning a new day. A fresh day, another day without my mom here. I was relentless last night, I didn't get one wink of sleep. My moms birthday would've been coming up, I already knew what I was gonna give her but under the circumstances, it was more of a gift to myself.

I grabbed my easel and canvas and started to paint on it. The sun had started to rise, letting me see it's beauty. A small smile came upon my face.

The best part of every day was the sunrise, my mom used to say. She would talk about how it's a brand new start, a fresh start. Whatever bad happened yesterday was over and it's a new day for yourself. Which is ironically her motto, considering the pain she would put me through during some nights.

Today, I decided that I would apologize to everyone. After my fingers brushing across Xavier's face, I abruptly went to my room. I refused dinner and locked myself in there. Everyone had left, I felt the tension from all the way in my room.

I would walk to their house and apologize and be back to painting all day. The sun finally lit up the sky and I couldn't help but sit back and admire everything. The world was so incredibly beautiful, from every little creature to the sun that starts everything. The sun set a reflection onto the lake, lighting up the sky. The birds started to chirp.

A new day. A new start. The mistakes and success' of yesterday are long since gone. It's a new day.
Some I want to end just as they begin. But not today. The yellow glow of the rising sun gives me the gift of renewed hope and gratitude for my breath and life.

It's weird to think about sometimes, my dad is out there somewhere, looking at the same sun I am. I looked at it and longed for him to be here with me. I longed for the all-American family. I so desperately wanted to wake up and he'd be in the kitchen with mom, apologizing for the hell he put us through. But he never was there.

He had a chance to be, he had a chance to be there for me. But he bailed, that's what he seems to do best, bail on me. When things got hard, he left. That's how my mom would always explain it to me. He would just get up and leave her, leave us. And one day, he never came back.

It was now noon and I had maybe five lines on the whole easel, I needed this to be just right. I chewed my lip in annoyance as I hear someone yell from right below my balcony, "Josephine! Josephine! Throw down your long hair!"

I glared down to see Xavier smiling up at me. A laugh escaped my lips. "What are you doing down there," I yelled down at him. The sun hit his golden hair just right in this moment and for moments after.

"I didn't know if I was able to come up there since yesterday." I felt my smile falter and I lost composure for a second but quickly regathered myself together.

"Come up, I have something I want to show you." He began to climb up the side of my house, making me laugh. "What are you doing for the second time?"

"I'm trying to be romantic, way to kill it off. Like in that princess movie. What's the name of it? My sister used to watch it all the time." He hopped down and thought for a second. He had a sister? "Rapunzel!"

"Well for starters I'm not trapped in here because of an evil step mom! Secondly, the back door is unlocked!" He chuckled and went through the doors. I put a cover over my easel, not wanting him to see. I don't want anyone to see it ever besides me. I scrambled through boxes to find it.

Xavier came through the room to see me going through boxes like I'm crazy. "What you doing?" He rocks back on his heels. His sunglasses were now off and his emerald eyes pierced my own.

I continued to go through boxes until my Polaroid camera was found. I held it up triumphantly with a victory smile on my face. "I found it. Come outside. Hurry."