Ocean Eyes

Chapter Two

“It was nice of you to come and greet me,” I smiled, but everything inside of me was either wishing they would leave or that I would get the hell away from them. I couldn’t explain it, but something about them made me uneasy.

Maria waved a hand. “Oh, pish-posh. We couldn’t just wait idly by for you to make an appearance! We love meeting new people!”

I laughed unsurely. They were frightening.

“We have an adopted son, too,” Phil began. “He’s a lifeguard so he’s still on duty, but I’m sure he’d love to meet you, as well! You’ll have to come over some time. He’s twenty, around your age.”

“June is eighteen,” Aunt Theresa declared, finally stepping up beside me. “She will be finishing her final year of high school with me and then moving back with her family.”

“Oh.” Phil’s face fell a tad. “Well, we’re glad to have you for the time being. Don’t be a stranger!”

“Sure won’t,” I replied.

“You have a nice day now,” Theresa said through gritted teeth, waving them off her property. We watched them until they were back on their side before she tugged me inside, slamming the door. “Weird, aren’t they?”

“A little bit.”

Aunt Theresa moved a hand through her golden blond hair. She was thirty-two, but she looked about twenty-five. Maybe the beach did that to you. “Just don’t interact unless it is absolutely necessary.”

“Okay, Aunty, I get it.” I moved into the kitchen, hopping up on the bar stool. “What’s for lunch?”

“Whatever Willis brings home.”

I frowned. “Won’t that be dinner?”

She shrugged. “We usually skip lunch. It just seems so insignificant. But dinner is always great, I can promise you that.”

My stomach growled loudly and I slapped a hand over it. Aunt Theresa laughed and tossed me an apple. I smiled gratefully and took a bite out of it.

“Why don’t you go down to the beach for a little bit?” she suggested. “Get to know your new home for the next year.”

“Okay." I tore off another chunk of apple and pushed off the stool. It was going to be weird getting used to being an only child. No Derek or Ashley or Solomon. Going off on my own and having no curfew would be a change.

They sky was beginning to darken since the absurdly long time it took for my parents to get me here. But I didn’t mind. I had always liked the nighttime more.

I slipped my sparkly blue flip-flops off and held them in my hands as I jumped the fence and landed noiselessly in the sand. I tossed the apple in a nearby garbage can. My hair was just too short to braid so I had it pulled up in a ponytail, the wind blowing wisps of it free and into my face. I stayed a suitable distance away from the rolling ocean waves, sticking to the beach. Just the thought of stepping into the water had chills racing down my spine. The beach was fairly empty at this time, save for a few scattered couples lingering down near the water.

Being in jeans and a sweatshirt left me feeling a tad out of place, but from where I came it was always cold and since the wolves ran hot I was forced into heavy garments to survive. I was the only normal person, so my problems were cast aside in regards to the better welfare of the pack.

I slipped the sweatshirt over my head and balled it up, sticking it under my arm. The white lifeguard station was empty. Solomon and I would always sneak up those things in the night when nobody was looking. We’d only been chewed out and kicked off a few times, but that had never stopped us.