Coastal [h.s]

eleven

CHAPTER SONGS:

CLEMENTINE-SUN ROOM

LOVE IS NOT ENOUGH-ASHE

~~~~~

SOPHOMORE YEAR//MAY

~HARRY~

My headlights illuminated the sign for the public beach as I pulled into the spot. Shifting my car into park my eyes flickered over to the clock in the center of the dashboard which read 5:45. I wasn't able to suppress the small yawn that left my lips. No matter how often I woke up this early it never truly felt like my body adjusted to the schedule. As the whistled notes at the end of Abby Cates song drifted through the car speakers I turned the key in the ignition, killing the engine.

I swung the driver side door open as I climbed out of the car and made my way across the back to the trunk grabbing the red blanket from its permanent home among the random stuff I hadn't cleaned out from the last surfing trip Jaxon had joined me for. I closed the trunk and took a couple of steps to the passenger side where all my painting stuff was scattered about the seat and the floor. I grabbed my bag of paints and brushes and the large sketchbook of watercolor paintings that was thrown on top of the tote. I double checked that my small portable speaker was in the bag as well before closing the door with my foot and locking the car. The beep broke the eerie silence of early morning.

The large rock I frequented when I came to the beach to paint came into view as I closed the gap from the parking lot to the sand. I had been in a bit of a painting slump lately and the only way I knew how to get out of it was to come and capture the bleeding colors of an early morning sunrise. It was something I had started doing in high school whenever I needed a moment of peace and quiet that carried to college whenever I was running low on inspiration. The beach at sunrise was always able to kick start my creative vision.

Setting the bag and book down against the rock I pulled out the small red blanket spreading it over the sand. I moved my belongings to be sprawled around the blanket to keep it grounded against the slight morning breeze. Crawling onto the thick fabric trying to take the least amount of sand with me I smoothed the edges planting my water bottle on one of the corners to act as an anchor. My speaker going on the diagonal corner I pushed the button on the top hearing the small noise it made as I reached into my back pocket of my black jeans to retrieve my phone. I opened the spotify app and found my sunrise playlist putting it on shuffle and placing my phone face down on the blanket.

I let my gaze shift to the steady waves of the ocean in front of me. It was still dark and the moon's broken reflection hung in the water below. Taking a deep inhale my senses were consumed with the ocean, that salty smell never failed to relax my muscles and if I didn't have to get on with my day after, the waves' lullaby would no doubt rock me to sleep. Letting out the breath I rolled the sleeves of my lilac colored sweater slightly to avoid any possible paint stains. Caroline had found the sweater the last time we went to our favorite thrift store. She had almost kept it for herself but decided the color would make a good addition to my collection and forced me to take it. I had a thing for thrifted sweaters, ironic in the never ending California heat, I know.