Run Away [Editing]

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Two months later at the end of August it was my sister's birthday.She was turning sixteen. Only then did I realize how much I missed her.

Every year I would wake her up early and give her, her present. It was tradition but this year I couldn't do that. It made me miss her even more.

I woke up early upset that this was the first birthday that I wouldn't be there with her.

I changed into my jeans and T-shirt, I slipped on my flip-flops. I quietly walked downstairs and out the kitchen door.

I strolled onto the beach. The  tide was out at that moment. I sat down on the sand, my head on my knees. I listened to the waves come in and out. It calmed me slightly but I could still feel the tears on my face.

After a while I heard footsteps come up to me. Someone breathed out as they sat down next to me. We didn't speak for a little while just listened to the waves; I watched then come in and out.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly. I nodded. I lent my head against his shoulder, he wrapped his arm around my back, he was warm. "I know you're not, please tell me what's up?"

"It's my sister's birthday today she's turning sixteen, I miss her. I sent her a card the other day, I took a bus out of town just to send it," I said tearfully.

"I know how you feel I miss my family; I'll go back one day. I thought when you went the other day I thought you weren't going to come back I was so relieved that you did." He lent his head against mine, his hand rubbing my back.

We sat there most of the day talking. At lunch he went and got some food for us.

"You know it would be good just to hear her voice," I said wanting to be with her, I know she'll be missing me.

"Go on then call her. Use my phone," Alex said slipping his phone out of his pocket and handing it to me. I dialed her number into it. It rang four times.

"Hello, who's this?" she asked over the phone. I hung up sadly. "She sounds exactly the same as she did before."

"Yeah I know. It's going to be okay. I promise you that."

"You're my best friend you know," I said. Somehow over the past three months we'd  become close. I guessed driving to school together, working together and having the same friends does that. Plus he is like the only guy I could be around and not get a panic attack around. I did have to get over the flirting but that was easy.

"I know you're mine too. It's getting late we'd better get going inside. Come on," he said, reaching for my hand pulling me up. We walked slowly off the beach, "Tell me everything you did on your sister's birthday."

"I'd wake up early and go to her room, I'd tickle her awake so she would wake up laughing. We'd open the presents and spend maybe an hour trying them out. My mum would make birthday breakfast and then drive us to the park or the beach or somewhere. After school we'd go to our birthday restaurant and they'd sing happy birthday to her. We'd watch a film when we got home and have cake. We'd also go to bed as late as we wanted."

"That sound like an amazing birthday," he said smiling happily.

"And it was, every one was the same but different."

"Would you like that for your birthday?"

"I don't know maybe, it would be kind of fun I guess but it's always been her thing you know."

"Yeah I know. Let's get inside and have some food okay?"

"Okay," I replied.