TIDES

Chapter 1

The Ocean between us

Nina

I stood in the kitchen, arms crossed, staring at my dad as he dried the dishes. The rhythmic sound of the towel against porcelain was driving me crazy, and I could feel my patience wearing thin.

"I don't understand," I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended. "You were allowed to sleepover at your boyfriend's house when you were my age."

Dad didn't even look up from the plate he was drying. "You're not going anywhere tonight. You're staying here with me."

"Why?" I demanded, my frustration bubbling over. "I'm sixteen, Dad! It's just a sleepover. Why are you acting like this?"

He set the plate down on the counter, his brows furrowed like they always did when he was trying to stay calm. His dark eyes, the same shade as mine, met mine for a brief second. "You're not going. End of discussion."

I huffed, my shoulders tense with the fight that was clearly coming. I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could get another word out, I heard the sound of laughter and shouting from the backyard. Uncle Roy and my cousins were watching the game, their voices carrying through the open window.

"Ugh!" I muttered under my breath, spinning around to march out of the kitchen. "You never let me do anything. I'm not a little kid anymore."

I started to head toward the sliding glass door that led to the backyard, but just as I reached it, Auntie Aria stepped inside, a curious look on her face.

"What's going on in here?" she asked, glancing between my dad and me.

"Nothing," I muttered, but my voice was sharp, betraying my annoyance.

Dad looked up at his sister, his face tight. "She wants to sleep over at that boy's house again."

Auntie Aria raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a sly smile. "What's the harm? She's a good girl. Sam's a nice boy. What's the problem?"

Dad set the dish towel down with more force than necessary, his expression hardening. "The problem is she's not ready for that kind of thing. She's my daughter, Aria. I decide what's appropriate."

I felt my face flush with the sting of his words. I hated this—hated the way he always acted like he knew better. Like I was still a little kid. Like I couldn't make my own decisions.

"She's fine, Tyler," Auntie Aria said, crossing her arms. "She's growing up. And you can't keep her in a bubble forever."

"That's exactly what I'm trying to do," Dad shot back, his voice rising. "She's not going anywhere tonight. Not until I say so."

I felt my chest tighten, and the anger that had been bubbling up finally boiled over. This was so unfair. This was always how it went. I couldn't take it anymore. Without another word, I stormed up the stairs, barely sparing Auntie Aria a glance. I could hear her calling after me, but I didn't stop. I just needed to get away.

"Tyler, you cannot let the whole Frank situation affect the way you parent Nina." I heard as I marched up the stairs, "You have to let her be independent."

I slammed my bedroom door shut, flinging myself face-first onto my bed. The pillow felt like it was suffocating me, but I didn't care. My mind was racing, my heart pounding in my chest. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, I unlocked it and called Sam.

It rang twice before he picked up, his voice groggy. "Yes?"

"I'm not allowed to come over tonight," I said, my voice small and tight with frustration. "He said no. Again."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. "I'm sorry, Nina," Sam said finally. "That's... it's messed up. You deserve better than that."

"I know," I whispered, staring at the ceiling. "But he's being impossible. I don't know why he has to act like this. Like I can't make my own decisions."

"I get it," Sam said, his voice soft but steady. "It sucks. But... I understand. You're stuck between him and me, and that's not easy. You should just sneak out."

I could feel my chest tighten. Sam wasn't angry. He wasn't blaming me. But that didn't make me feel any better - and I did not want to sneak out.

"No," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "My dad would freak out If I snuck out."

"I know," he replied gently. "But like it's lowkey messed up. You're my girlfriend - I should be allowed to see you whenever I want."

A shaky breath escaped me, and I wiped away a stray tear that had slipped down my cheek. "Well I guess not? My dad said no and that's that."

"Yeah, well if you actually wanted to see me then you would sneak out," he said, his voice tense. "But yeah - whatever Nina it's all good. I get it. I'll talk to you later."

Was this boy serious? I rolled my eyes, hanging up the phone and burying my face into the pillow again.

I'd only been with Sam for 2 weeks and I already wanted to break up with him. Is that normal? I didn't know. All I knew was I was failing Geometry and Sam was top of the class.

I stayed there, staring at the ceiling, feeling like everything was a mess I couldn't clean up. The quiet of my room felt heavy, suffocating. Eventually, my eyelids grew heavy, and sleep pulled me under.

"Nina!" The voice was louder this time, followed by someone shaking my shoulder. I groaned, blinking at the brightness of the room. "Nina, you're late!"

I rubbed my eyes and sat up, groggily trying to make sense of what was happening. Lily was standing over me, her face a mix of panic and annoyance.

"Lily, it's too early..." I mumbled, still half-asleep.

"No, it's not! It's 7:30! You were supposed to leave twenty minutes ago! You're going to miss the bus!"

I blinked, disoriented. The sunlight was streaming through my curtains, the clutter of papers on my desk was exactly where I'd left it, but it felt like I was waking up in someone else's life.

"Crap," I muttered, scrambling to get out of bed. "I totally overslept. Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

"I tried!" Lily grinned, her hands on her hips. "Now get a move on. I'm not carrying you to school."

I groaned again and threw on my uniform, trying to ignore the mess of emotions still tangled up in my chest. My dad's face flashed in my mind, his disapproving frown still fresh. Sam's voice echoed in my ears. I didn't know if I wanted to cry or scream.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," I grumbled, grabbing my bag and rushing toward the door. "Let's just hope today doesn't suck as much as last night."