Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.
Where the waves are huge, the sun is hot and the tourists are hotter.
When Chance Barnes' teammates convince him to spend the summer in North Carolina, instead of returning home to Chicago, he thought it was goi...
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"So, you're telling me that every summer I've gone back to Chicago, you guys have just been coming to the beach and getting plastered while hitting on ridiculously hot girls?" Chance says with a huff. Running his hands through his hair, he stares out the window of his best friend Range Rover. The sun is beginning to set closer to the ocean as they drive along the coast.
"Uh, yeah?" Mark says while glancing at Chance with a sly smile on his face. "We've invited you before, bro! But you never listen to us."
Chance rolls his eyes and mutters under his breath. Mark is right. He never listened to his friends when they tried to convince him to stay in North Carolina. Being 786 miles from home never registers in his friend's brains. Most of them are from North Carolina or at least a neighboring state. Chance is a Yankee surrounded by a bunch of southerners. Chance never got many chances during the school year to return home and see his family, so summer was all he usually had. Although he loves Chapel Hill, nothing beats going home and getting a Chicago-style pizza.
Chance runs his hand roughly through his hair again. Mark rolled the sunroof down before even pulling out of his driveway, causing Chance's brown, wavy locks to get knotted. Mark turns down the radio as they pull up to a stoplight.
"At least you finally came around," Chance turns his head to his best friend who is smiling from ear to ear. "This is our last summer of college, we deserve to go wild!"
"Yeah, you're right. When are we going to be this young again?" Chance laughs when Mark let's out a loud 'hell yeah' and cranks the radio back up.
Chance couldn't deny that North Carolina was breathtaking. Far different than the concrete surroundings in Chicago. From the white sand beaches to the blue water and the wide-open skies, it was a great place to spend his last free summer before the reality of adulthood hits. Chance was always focused during the school year, rarely having downtime. He only goes to the occasional party, usually, the big ones that according to his teammates are a 'can't miss'. Most of his days at UNC were spent cramming for a test, hitting the weight room or out on the fields practicing. Unlike most of his friends, Chance was on scholarship that relies on his performance on the field and in the classroom. School never came naturally to Chance. He spent almost as much time in the library as on the field.
Chance was about to begin his final year at UNC, and he knows most of his time will be savoring the last time he will play baseball and living with minimal responsibilities.
Mark whips Chance from his thoughts of college when he throws his car hastily into park and removes the key from the ignition. Chance and Mark drove from Wilmington to Wrightsville Beach, a nine-minute drive, for a beach party that is always 'Lit', according to Mark. Wrightsville Beach is the party spot for UNC students during the summer. Rowdy, young adults flock to the nearby areas to spend the season doing everything but school. Mark claims that Wrightsville Beach is always the move and everyone will be there. Chance has heard the wild stories of his friend's beach adventures, getting drunk, and hooking up with the hottest girl the state has seen.
"Alright, let's party! Wrightsville style," Mark says with a hint of glee and mischievous in his voice. Chance rolls his eyes at his best friend who always gets excited for any type of party. "Hope you're ready for a night to remember."
Chance glances at the beach where he sees a crowd forming already. He turns back to Mark with a smile and unbuckles his seat belt. "Let's do it."
