A Midsummer Night

Chapter One:

It was a warm summer night in southern Maine. Haley was sitting on the roof of her family's beach house. The building was fairly new, and was three stories tall. A luxury few could afford. The exterior was adorned with seashells and drift wood, all against blue panel walls. It was tacky, Haley thought. But then again, what wasn't in this small beach town? Haley gazed out onto the sunset, falling in love with the crimsons and oranges that cradled the gentle waves of the Atlantic Ocean. She had not been outside much this summer. It was only June 6 and she was already bored of the hot days and cold nights this place brought. Her family had thought that she would make better friends this summer than she had for the past seventeen years living in a hectic city in the middle of South Carolina. She was here for almost a whole month, and nothing seemed to be getting better. She hated herself and her inability to make friends or even hold a conversation, period. Haley snapped out of her trance like state, and pulled her long brown hair with blonde highlights out of her face and sighed. The wonderful pinks and oranges were now fading into a navy blue that seemed to swallow the sky whole. She sighed and got up from her resting place, climbing down the decayed wooden ladder that lead to a patch of dead grass at the bottom. On her climb down, she felt the ladder bend, and eventually, cracked. The fall was two stories, and her life flashed before her eyes, for she was sure she'd be dead in the next thirty seconds. 

Nearing the bottom, her daydream of death came to a halt, and she felt a pair of strong arms grasp her tightly. Nothing felt real in those few seconds, but when she came back to reality she noticed a pair of brown eyes looking down at her. He had unkempt brown hair, most likely from spending the day in the salt water. He was undoubtedly the most beautiful man Haley had ever seen. Billions of thoughts buzzed through her head, and before she was able to process any of them, his grip on her legs loosened, and brought her pale bony  feet back to the dead grass. Haley stared into the boys eyes and got lost in his eyes, the color of hot chocolate on a cold winter night. He finally broke the hush of the evening, by saying "My name is Sheen." Sheen. That name rang in her ears and she let it soak into her mind. Sheen. It felt like a warm blanket that held her and kept her safe from harm (especially decades old ladders). Without building the courage to do so, Haley introduced herself. In the most awkward way possible of course, filled with stuttering and blushing. Sheen found her attempt amusing. "So what brings you here, H-Haley?" He said, obviously mocking her, "This is the first time I've seen you around here. And trust me, it would be hard not to notice a girl like you." He smirked. Haley was so taken aback by the statement, that she could not say anything in response. He looked with anticipation, and Haley responded without thinking-"I'm staying with my aunt and uncle. I'm an orphan." 𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘍𝘶𝘤𝘬