[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190328/2bbaa4f71b137d4574adb0fc7cce81e1.png[/img] [img]https://img.izismile.com/img/img8/20150622/1000/surfer_girls_make_summer_extra_special_43.gif[/img] [color=D52759][i][sub]Take me, away from here Everybody’s so fake Everybody’s so fake, I swear But I don't wanna go back there Everybody’s so fake Everybody act like they care Everybody act like they care Why the fuck do everybody act like they care? I was dying and nobody was there Please don't cry, baby: life ain't fair I run away from my problems I do the drugs when I want 'em I ran away from my momma Don't bother me with no drama[/sub][/i][/color] [img]http://www.cobbk12.org/simpson/valentinovo-divider-31.png[/img][/center] [indent][color=darkgray] [indent][indent][i][b]‘They always say to let the sea set you free… And I take that quote to heart. These days, I spend more of my time in the sea rather than the land. So much so, that my family’s convinced I’m secretly a mermaid. I leave my home by dawn, spend my days conquering the crashing waves, and only come back after the sun bows out. By the end of the day, my toes and fingers are prunes, my dark locks are tousled into soft, salty waves, and my skin glows with the constant kisses from the rays of sunlight. In the ocean, my tears lace together with the saltwater, fading off into nothingness, with no curious witnesses to question the motives behind the pain. In the ocean, nobody asks me what’s wrong with me, why I cry so much when I’m alone, why I carry the weight of these hidden, stinging scars across my body when I’m a girl who has everything. But how can I even begin to explain the presence of these ghosts that haunt me so? How can I express that, lately, all I can dream about is the day a wave will knock me from my board and permanently wash me away? How will anyone understand that when I fall into the depths of the sea, I like testing just how far I’ll go to get rid of these pitiful feelings inside me? How could anyone not deem me insane when I stay underwater until my lungs start screaming for air, relishing in the pain of not breathing, praying that I’ll finally be brave enough to not save myself from drowning, [sub]drowning, [sub]drowning[/sub][/sub]…’[/b][/i][/indent][/indent] With a loud gasp, Valeria Drake’s small figure emerged from the depths of the Santa Monica beach. She’d been at the surfing game for hours now, killing the time it took Sami to fix the RV and for the rest of their friends to make their arrivals. Wrestling against the current, the girl swam around until she reached her surfboard, and in one swift motion hoisted herself back onto it. Using her arms as paddles, she slowly made her way back to the shore, only stopping when the water was shallow enough for her to walk. When her small feet touched the warm, light-colored sand, the long-haired girl looked around in search of her belongings, using her hand to cover her face from the rays of the California sunlight. It was only after a few seconds that Val was finally able to locate the bundle of items that had been patiently waiting for its owner. She put on the black and red plaid button-down blouse over her black bikini -without bothering to close it, because who the fuck does that?-, slid her feet into her red flip-flops and slipped on her Oakley sunglasses before she grabbed her beloved surfboard and made her back to the RV. Upon first impressions, one would think that dragging around a surfboard of decent weight and considerable height for a long distance would be a match for the small Florida girl. But, see, Valeria Drake wasn’t just [i]any[/i] small Florida girl: she was a fucking [i]animal[/i]. The girl lifted 100 pounds at the gym like it was nothing, and ran circles around those who dared challenged her physical capabilities. So it wasn’t long before she was almost finished with the walk from the beach, down the pier and to the food truck -all without breaking a sweat. A smile spread across her face when she noticed most of the gang was already at their spot, and only got wider when her brown eyes fell on a certain boy with the hazel eyes and the purest, kindest of smiles. The mere sight of that walking angel of sugar and sunshine made Val’s stupid heart go a mile a minute, filling her with this need to just sing and dance and cry and laugh and scream to the seven seas that he was nothing other than perfection in the form a man... Not that she would ever admit that, of course. Vanilla, sugary feelings weren’t Valeria’s strong suit, and she’d be damned before she ever confessed to Nate that she’d harbored a crush on him from the second he’d stepped foot on the halls of Beverly Hills High. So she willed her dumb heart to steady itself instead, took a deep breath, and approached the group. Coincidentally enough, the long-haired girl arrived just in time to hear Nathan’s last sentence, which made Val’s heart do a somersault inside her chest. [color=D52759]“Awwww! Is little Natey concerned about the well-being of little ole’ me? How fucking [i]cute[/i]!”[/color] Valeria teased Nate with a smug smile, taking the chance to flick some saltwater at his ridiculously attractive face before turning to greet the rest of her friends. [color=D52759]“I’d hug each and every one of you beautiful jackasses, but I’m sopping wet. And the last thing I want is to ruin y’all’s outfits, so this kiss will have to do!”[/color] she announced, blowing a kiss and a wink in their general direction. Letting out a playful laugh, she turned around to see Sammi still underneath the RV, looking like he was ready to take the damn thing back to the junkyard that he’d fished it from. [color=D52759]“See, [i]that[/i] right there is the reason why I’m not a gearhead,”[/color] the girl stated, jerking her head in Sami’s direction with a playful smirk. [color=D52759]“I know jackshit about cars, and I don’t have the patience to deal with all the upkeep. I’d rather pull out my skateboard and just [i]whoosh[/i] the fuck away to where I need to be.”[/color] It was only then when Valeria noticed Emilia, who was holding the sweet nectar of the gods in one of her hands. The short girl's face lit up in an excited expression, and she let out a loud squeal. [color=D52759]"Em, have I ever told you just how much of a perfect person you are?"[/color] Val told her friend, grabbing the drink from her hand and planting a big kiss on the blonde's cheek. [color=D52759]"How about we ditch these guys to run off and get married somewhere? I promise I'll love you forever: cross my heart and hope to die."[/color] [/color][/indent]