Young Writers Society

My breathing was staggered and heavy. The room felt as though it faded to nothing, just me in the black hole I created. I just kept on thinking how you could do this to someone. My heart dropped to my stomach and I felt a pit in my stomach. Where could I have gone wrong? How could I put so much trust into somebody that would betray me in such a way.

“Jullie,” Riley howled out, “we’ve gotta go back inside, he’s gonna wonder what took us so long.”

I had found comfort recently in Riley. She had believed my side, without knowing the entire story. Riley was always very giving emotionally and was nurturing. She seemed to calm the storm brewing inside my mind.

“I’m coming, just a sec,” I yelped.

I met Riley in my junior year of high school. Seeing her in school I assumed she was a stereotypical mean girl. She had always been with her best friend and they seemed to hold themselves highly. You would say their names, and you immediately knew who they were. Their duo always scared me off, I found myself always thinking, is that what me and Aleena will look like one day? When I actually met Riley, she was very sweet and bubbly. She had prolonged alluring blonde hair, freckles that caressed every precisely chosen point on her cheeks, almost as if God had been patient with making her. I was nearing the end of my rocky past with an eating disorder and when I looked at Riley and I saw how beautiful she was, while also seeing her chow down on a three course meal at lunch time, it helped teach me that food was okay and you can eat more than a under portioned salad and look even more divine than a goddess.

I entered my junior year with my best friend of three years now, Aleena. She had long dirty blonde hair and a smaller frame. Me and Aleena met our freshman year of highschool, we were both newly fourteen with big dreams of high school. We both visioned going to prom, the big parties after, football games, and then summers. Throughout our freshman year me and Alenna grew very close in our math class and began to see each other outside of school. The next summer we truly grew to be best friends, we just understood each other. No words or form of communication was needed between us. We spent almost half of our freshman summer together and spent more time together thenext year. We grew inseparable and we were there for eachother in ways no one had ever been there for me. I struggled a lot mentally our sophomore year but Alenna was always right by my side. We skipped school together in her boyfriend's truck, went to the Inlet Bridge with her grandfather almost every weekend, and just generally were always around each other. Now it was our junior year, we had turned seventeen and were closer than ever before. Nothing in this world would stop us, we gained two new close friends and we were almost happy as ever. We had done almost all the high school milestones we dreamed about at fourteen. We went to the parties, went to homecomings and proms. Just a few football games and had boyfriends. We went through drama together and she was always my branch to hold onto. When you find one person or thing in this world that just makes sense, you grasp it and do not let go of the grip you have on it. Aleena feels like my other half. We could not speak to each other for hours while being in the same room and I would be content with the time we had hanging out. She is the sun to my moon. The grass to my dirt. I’m not sure if I could ever make my life work without her. Aleena had always been there for me when no one else was whether or not we actually acknowledged eachothers feelings outloud, we knew and were there for eachother whatever way was possible. She had always backed my side and is the best friend I could possibly ask for.

We spent our time easing through classes just trying to make it through, day by day. My boyfriend who I met at the end of august, Jaxson, was the reason I am trying harder to love this life. Eventually I found out Jaxson cheated on me with his ex-girlfriend, one of his ‘friends’, and someone who I used to call my friend. I was devastated and could barely even leave my room just to use the bathroom. That feeling of cold, numb, loneliness came back again. My mother had me put on anti-depressants and she finally grew extremely concerned for my well-being. I couldn’t bring myself to go to school or work half of the time. Time had passed and we got back together, just for him to end up leaving again. My best friend was there for me, and was the shoulder I cried on throughout it all.

I finally was able to bring myself out of bed and out of the deep depression I got myself into, and decided to go out with my other best friend, Cora. Cora had chest length, thick dark brown hair, with daring blue eyes. She had a loud personality and a laugh that matched along with it. She seemed to always find joy in things. She was the other shoulder I leaned on. Me and Cora went out every other weekend or so, decided to meet up with boys, go to small parties, and do what most teenagers do, drink. This went on for months and finally Aleena and her boyfriend had split up for the seventh time. Aleena began to come out with us and we would sip our problems away, one shot at a time. These nights were filled with chaotic laughter, messy plans, and rough hangovers the next morning. I was going through what I called ‘my pimp era’. The other two, not so much. As the end of the school year drew closer, we also got closer with Riley.

And so, summer break started.

June 9th, 2022

School had just ended, the air was warm with a soft summer breeze. The parking lot was filled with laughter and revving engines. I was walking down the hallway with Aleena. The exiting doors seemed like they were calling our names to get out of this hell hole.

“I can’t believe we actually made it through the year,” Aleena giggled. She had a soft laugh just like mine. “Yeah but we failed chemistry..” I groaned.

For context, me and Aleena had been skipping our chemistry class because we were petrified of our teacher, and her mom-like talks. Alenna was my day one at this school, once we began to hang out our freshman year we became inseparable. Everyone knew who we were. Aleena was the best friend I never knew I needed. We use to go to the marina with her grandfather while he worked and meet up with boys and drink far too young, but I loved her with every ounce in me. She was the one person able to see through me and even though we weren’t big on hugging unless we were both shit-faced out of our minds, I knew she was there for me emotionally. I had my keys in my fist, and said bye to the two friends I relied so deeply on, just to meet up with them later.

I drove to Riley's dad’s house carefully and when I arrived, I knew what kind of day it was going to be. A beach day. Our beach days were always the best. We used to stay for hours, just laughing and talking about stupid boys that would never fall in love with us. I always struggled to go out as far in the water, but we still had good times. I was excited, summer was here, and the first summer day we were going to the beach.

The car ride was filled with blaring tunes, sticking our hands out the sunroof, and occasionally catching a glimpse of a group of boys in the car beside us. As we got to the beach we gathered our belongings and ran under the bridge to the other side. The beach seemed so surreal. The waves were crashing as if they were desperate to touch the hot yellow sand. You could see families lined up with umbrellas, towels, bags, and maybe a game of spike-ball.

“Do you guys wanna get in?” Riley questioned us. “Let me warm up, the water is gonna be so cold.” I exclaimed. Me and Aleena tested the water by dipping our feet in and it sent a shiver up my spine. It felt like the warm summer sun never even warmed up the ocean at all. We tanned and swam and would joke around with one another. 3 o’clock hit and it was time for me and Aleena to go to work. We worked at the restaurant by this beach, Hammerhead Dockside. It was a bar and restaurant, where everyone seemed stressed out yet also cheerful. It was accompanied by loud soulful music everyday of the week, and along with plenty of tourists to fill our outdoor seating. We were hosting today and even though it seemed like a short 5 hour shift. It felt like eternity. The sunset has a flaming orange hue to it followed by a mellow blue.

Finally we reached the end of our shift, me and Aleena split our ways.

As I was pumping the gas into my shit-show of a car, I saw my ex. What the hell is Jaxson doing here? Panic set within me, but it also seemed kind of funny. I brushed it off and finished my journey back to Rileys. We sat and did her college entry work and fell asleep later that night. I find it peaceful to have days to myself, just going shopping, or to the beach. I did exactly that today. After Riley was off work we went to Dewey beach. The parking lot in front of the pizza place was filled with a roaring crowd of teenagers, we stayed with many of our friends and had a good night and eventually went back to Riley’s to go to bed. Beach days and long work shifts grew more frequent. As well as time with my guy best friend, Aaron.

Aaron had a slightly muscular build but was also lean. He had gorgeous brown curls that looped down to his collar bones. His eyebrows were fuller but shaped somehow perfectly. His daring dark brown eyes matched flawlessly with his defined jawline. Over the past summer Aaron had become one of my closest friends. He always gave me advice when I was in need as I did the same for him. We would waste our days away all together and our nights in drinking and smoking.

Recently me, Cora, Riley, and Aaron began to hang out. After I had gotten off work today I grabbed my phone immediately, impatiently waiting for an answer to my call. Aaron picked up the phone, “What’s up Julie?”

“Do you maybe wanna come hang and you know.. At rileys tonight?” I questioned. “I’m low on gas but if I get a ride sure,” he said.

“I guess I’ll pick you up,” I rolled my eyes back. I always liked being in a room with Aaron. I guess in some ways he understood me better than most. Aaron always understood my issues with eating and never criticized or judged me for it. I didn’t need to understand anything else, I just knew that we had eachother. What I did understand though was that Aaron was in a rough spot himself, I always hoped that our hangouts brought him some form of comfort. The two of us were drowning and wallowing away in our pain. He didn’t know what would save me, and I wasn’t sure what would save him. There was just the comfort and understanding that we were drowning together, side by side.

I was driving through the night to make my way to Aaron's house. He told me to make sure I don’t pull in front of the driveway. I parked my car in front of the trees, trying to keep myself hidden. The door handle was pulled and he told me to just start driving.

“Did you not tell your dad that you’re going out tonight?” I freaked out. He shook his head. I sighed and shrugged it off. We finished our journey to Rileys and once we got there two cases were waiting for us.

We blasted music from her speaker, danced, drank and just enjoyed each other's company. Riley grabbed my hand in an offer to dance with her. I eagerly walked her way and we danced together. Me and Riley grabbed Aarons hands trying to get him to join a small dance circle. He let his arms become limp like a rag doll. We brought his arms up as ours came up trying to find some sort of rhythm. The rest of his body didn’t move a muscle, not even a slight sway. We eventually gave up and me, Cora, and Riley danced together. We grabbed our favorite card game as of right now, sat on the cold hardwood floor and took turns grabbing cards and reading them aloud.