Ocean

I sit on the sandy beach, my birthday dress dancing with the wind. I brushed my hair out of my face as my gaze traveled to the ocean, it's milky foam entrancing me. All those years, all those promises, all those stories about family. They were all fake, the family wasn't mine, nothing is. People say when you turn sixteen they call your birthday - a sweet sixteen. But no, that rule doesn't apply to me, instead, it's a sour sixteen.

As a cold wind blew over me, I shiver and remember Leo. His words created a once beautiful flower to wilt. I rubbed my tears from my eyes and got up. 

Though it was the last few hours of my birthday, I could at least try and enjoy it. I took off my shoes and let my foot sink into the squishy sand. Its cold surface giving me a small bit of relief.

I then started to walk towards the waves, Leo's words replaying in my head, "She's adopted, you were meant to tell her last year, how long are you going to keep this secret?" my "brother" and his parents were arguing in the basement while my birthday party was taking place. I heard them yelling and had snuck down to see if everything was alright, but then I heard Leo's statement and that drove me to tears. So I ran out of the house and unto the beach.

My feet entered the water and it was surprisingly warm. I smiled down at my feet and looked into the sunset, maybe there was a bit of good in this world. Looking around, I noticed I was the only one at the beach since it was getting pretty late. 

I continued my walk down the beach, but one word kept haunting me: adopted. I sit on the edge of the shore though I was soaking my dress in the process. 

"Hey," a deep voice behind me, startled me out of my thoughts.

"Hi," my voice sounds kind of squeaky after all that crying. 

"You all right?" he sounds concerned - why would he take concern of a girl in a soaking dress? I nodded, wiping away tears from my eyes, trying to conceal my embarrassment. "You aren't are you?" he got me.

"No...," I trailed off, I didn't have a response for once. I looked up at him and locked eyes with the prettiest green eyes I've ever seen. 

"Wanna take a short walk," He stretched his hand out towards me. It's common knowledge not to follow a stranger anywhere but his eyes showed a sign of comfort and understanding. I took his hand and he pulled me up and led me down the beach.

"So what are you doing out here?" I was curious. I live in a beach house and no one comes by at this time of the evening.

"Just surfing," he said nonchalantly. I then noticed his black hair dripping.

"You surf?" I loved surfing, well watching it on television, I've never learned though. The way they look so calm and collected on their boards, it looks like an interesting sport to try. 

He laughed heartily and then replied, "Doing it since the age of six," then he looked down at me. "Why are you wearing a dress? You're at the beach,"

Right, that. "It's my birthday today," I look away from him and into the sinking sun. I felt his hand slip away from mine.

"Happy birthday, how old are you?" I snuck a look at him, and he was scratching his hair embarrassed. 

"I'm sixteen today," we locked eyes but looked away. Then he turned around and we started walking back to where we met. The walk was silent but it was a comfortable silence. 

When we reached back to our meeting place he asked, "Want me to walk you home?" I thought about it but then I reached my answer.

"It's okay, I'm good," I started to walk away back to my shoes, the sand sticking to my feet. When I heard feet behind me.

"Wait! When I was surfing I found this," He pulled out a little white shell with blue dots all over it. It was exquisite, I'd never seen anything like it. "Think of it as something from me, a little birthday gift," I smiled widely at him but then blushed as I saw his eyes searching mine.

"Thanks," he started to walk away and turned back once to wave, I waved back. When I reached my shoes, I grabbed them and started treading towards my house, planning my next move.

---

When I got to the front door I took a deep breath and stepped in. Everyone was gone and my "parents" were cleaning up the remains of the party. They had worried faces and immediately when they saw me they flipped. 

"Dannell Robyn Alexander!" my mother, I mean Julia said, "Where have you been for the last hour?!," This wasn't going to end well. "Also why is your dress wet?"

"I needed space away from liers," With that, I hopped up the stairs two by two, ignoring the second question.

"This conversation is not finished!" my father, Robert, remarked. And just when he said that I slammed the door of my room shut. 

In my room, I deflated, my confidence was popped. I sat on my bed in the direction of the lone window. Outside I could see the waves lapping on the shore. It made me remember something.

The shell. I pulled it out of a hidden pocket in my dress. 

Maybe not all people were liars.

I continued staring out the window the moon giving little visible light. I stared at the moon, a big saucer in the sky. I sighed and looked back down to the beach.

There was a silhouette down at the beach with a surfboard. Though I couldn't see the face, I could tell it was the boy at the beach.

I heard a knock at the door.

"Danell open up!" It was Leo, "Mom and dad want to speak to you,"

And though I was tempted to open up and act like I heard nothing about my adoption. I knew that knowing the truth is better than nothing.

I looked back at the window and he was gone. My gaze shifted down to the shell in my hand.

All I need is a little bit of hope.