I closed my eyes as the tears ran down my face. No! It can’t be! It’s not fair, I thought. My mind swarmed with all the memories we had, but sadly the ones that swarmed in my head just brought me more and more pain. “I am so sorry Sarah,” I heard behind me. It was my parents, apparently they knew all along, but if it wasn’t for this relationship, I think my life would be on a very wrong path headed towards who knows what. But thankfully, Aiden Michael showed up in my falling apart life. *    *    *

My hair was curled and cute, my clothes were bright and my flip flops were ready for summer. No one would have guessed I was breaking on the inside. I guess you could call me the “goody two shoes” and I wouldn’t care; I would probably be way to busy day dreaming about that guy. You know the guy that everyone has a crush on, that lasts forever, but after that crush is gone you wonder why you ever liked him, but then he hangs out with you, and your back in love. Yes, that guy. And like always, the heart throb is always the heart breaker, and sadly mine had been broken way too many times.  

I was excited about summer because I knew that it would give me an escape, a chance for my heart to heal for my high school year. I wanted to be free of the love life for at least 4 months, so I could hang out with my friends and not discuss how cute he was today, or how beautiful his eyes where, or relaugh at that joke he told in history. I wanted to be free.

The bell rang and school was dismissed, the last time for us 8^th graders. Summer was here and I could already imagine the warm sand making its way through my toes as I sat on the beach staring into the beautiful sunset and its rays caressed me and I could hear the waves crashing on the shore. I definitely loved the beach, and I definitely couldn’t wait to get back to it… it was my private escape. And it was where my mom was shipping me off this summer. No not to spend time with my dad like in the book/movie last song, no, my dad lives happily with my mom. I was going to live with my 23 year old sister Carly, or Carls as we call her. And I had not seen her in 6 years.

I wished my friends good bye and headed off to my sisters car, ready to leave the small town of Clarksville, SC, not caring about the 3 hour drive to Charleston. I saw “him” walk by with his new girlfriend. I acted like I didn’t care, and I tried to forget it, but nothing could compare to the hurt I felt inside.