The Ocean's Call: Part One | ✔

Part One

"Bad dream."

"Same one?" she asks. I've told nana about the bad dreams I keep having, its nice to talk to someone about them. Nana is one of the best listeners. She lets you vent everything off your chest and offers some advice but for the most part she's just happy to be listening.

I nod, throwing my brush onto the dresser. I grab my bag and follow her out of my room. I barely have time to greet my parents and brothers as nana shoves a slice of watermelon in my hands and shoves me out the back door.

The car is sitting in the driveway, filled with our stuff for the markets and the engine is running. Nana has probably been up for a while, she's normally out of bed and gone for her morning swim before the sun even thinks about rising.

I climb into the passenger seat and we're off. Nana and I are a well-oiled team, we have our set up for the market ready in record timing. By the time nana shoos me away to go get fruit and vege the markets are buzzing with customers.

Mike, the fruit and vege man is beaming with a wide smile when I approach him. He lifts the large box he's already filled with fruit and vege for us.

"How are ya, Isla? Nana doing okay?" he asks, holding the box out for me.

I nod. "Tired but here. Busy morning?" I look around at his always busy stall. Mike sells out pretty quickly. He's one of the most popular vendors who visits the bi-weekly markets. He's been supplying my family with our fruit and vege ever since I can remember. I also went to high school with his daughter, Emily.

Emily is my all-time best friend despite the fact she lives an hour away. Mike must know what my next question is because he directs me to the donut van not far from his stall. Emily is a sucker for market donuts, something about hot cinnamon donuts just hit the spot. I swing by our stall to drop the fruit and vege off before I head off to find Emily. I make sure nana doesn't need my help just yet.

Emily is still hanging around the donut van except she's talking to Liam, her crush of the month. I hang back watching her bat her eyelashes, flicking her hair over her shoulder. Her light flirty laugh makes me smile; she reaches out touching his arm. He doesn't seem phased at all, continuing whatever he's talking to her about.

I slowly approach them, sliding up next to Emily with a hip bump. "Morning lovebirds."

Emily gives me a stern look. "Morning." She grits to me before flashing a big smile for Liam.

Liam smiles at me, pushing his shaggy brown hair out of his face. "Just the person we were talking about."

I raise a brow, glancing at Emily. "You were talking about me?"

"Just telling Liam about the bonfire we're having this weekend."

There is no bonfire happening anytime soon but the look I get from Emily tells me I need to go along with this impromptu plan she's making. "Oh yes, right that bonfire. Are you coming, Liam?"

He nods, shrugging lightly. "I'm considering it."

Emily nods. "The bonfires on Pryce beach are the best."

"If I remember correctly, they are."

Liam has been to a Pryce family bonfire, a lot of the people who live in this town have but Liam is technically an outsider to our town. He isn't a born native of Horseshoe Bay, his family moved here a few years ago but he fits right in with the place you think he has lived here his whole life.

"Even better than the Banks parties." Emily says eagerly.

I roll my eyes. People are always looking to suggest a feud between the two founding families of Horseshoe Bay. The Banks and the Pryce families. I happen to be a Pryce and I get along perfectly fine with the Banks family; our families have for many years. Actually, all the way back to our founding day a hundred and three years ago in fact.