Hi there reader. This is a new story of mine, and is one of what will be many attempts to break out and try to write in a very different category to the ones I'm used to. I will be giving several categories a go, many of which I haven't ever written in before, or in some cases even thought about. I hope you enjoy the experiment!
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Robyn sat on the edge of the beach, watching the waves crash upon the sand as the last few families packed up their towels and lifted tired little children into their arms. It was 5:45pm and the sun was setting, the sky turning from red and gold to a deep dark purple over the ocean. A boat passed by out in the distance, heading for the dock around the corner and of sight from the small stretch of shore. It was a beautiful, secluded place, with lush green grass and palm trees starting barely a dozen meters from the water, separating the soft sand from the winding mountain road.
Feeling the sun's fading rays on her face, Robyn leaned back on her hands and sighed happily to herself. Despite the late hour and the simple t-shirt and shorts she was wearing she didn't expect to feel cold anytime soon; it was a beautiful temperature, the sand felt wondrously hot between her toes, and a warm breeze was starting to blow as she swept her dark brown wavy hair over her shoulder.
Robyn's relaxed state had to do with a lot more than the weather, though. It had been a busy few weeks for her, and from the minute her girlfriend Abby started talking about a trip to the coast, Robyn was hooked. Her parents had been a little shocked when she finally admitted that she was "coming out" -- not to mention their surprise when they found out it was her best friend who she was romantically involved with. Robyn's parents had known the athletic, bubbly girl with strawberry blonde hair since they were both little children -- they were practically sisters growing up together -- so once their initial amazement wore off they were actually very accepting, but it had been an emotional time for all of them. For Robyn, it was also another big step towards coming to terms with her new lifestyle; she owed Abby that much. The younger girl had loved her for the better part of their teenage lives.
The next step was moving into a new place together. Robyn was turning 21 in a few months, had started university and felt it was a good time to leave the nest, and it really wasn't too hard since Abby had been saving up to get her own apartment anyway, so they had plenty to spare. At that point though most of her old friends had been able to work out what was going on between the two of them. It didn't bother most, but one or two hadn't spoken to her since. Robyn was unpacking her massive game and DVD collection when Abby had come home from a run and noticed the low mood in the air.
"Saw that creepy old guy by the lake again," Abby said, putting down her hat and grabbing a glass of water. Robyn smiled.
"Could you almost hear him licking his lips this time?"
"Oh ha ha, very funny. Maybe you should come with me tomorrow morning," Abby smirked, pushing up her boobs with her hands. "I don't get much shake with these beautiful B's...but maybe your curvy D's will get his eyes off my ass!" She winked at Robyn, sitting down on the couch and throwing a pillow at her as she released her long straight hair from the ponytail she wore. "Not that you need the exercise...I like your sexy little curves right where they are thankyou!" Robyn laughed quietly. She had recently gotten a new bra that was a cup larger and had found it to be much more comfortable; Abby had joked about her toeing the line between Cs and Ds for the last few months and often said how her wishes had come true at last when Robyn accepted she was the larger size. Robyn knew she was joking around but at the time her mood just didn't want to lift. Abby smiled at her, but then leaned forward, a look of concern on her face.
"Is everything OK?" she asked. "You really haven't been yourself since yesterday afternoon."
"It's nothing, just...well, I haven't heard back from Kayley, and..."
"Oh, yeah...her parents were always strict with her about saying her prayers," Abby said bitterly. She then looked back at Robyn, her voice softening. "I'm sorry. Give it time; I'm sure Kayley will remember you're still her friend soon."
Robyn nodded, but Abby had been able to tell there was still doubt in her mind.
"Hey, I have an idea. You've been under a lot of pressure lately, and I think you need a break." Abby sat down on the floor next to Robyn, taking her hands and looking into her brown eyes.
"How about we bring the last boxes of your things over here, jump in the car and go somewhere nice, what do you say?" Abby smiled, kissing Robyn's hands. "Look, we said we'd take some time off work to get everything sorted and unpack your stuff, but really we've done most of it already...we need a vacation!"
"But where? Where would we go?"
"Well, it's getting warmer now, so...how about the coast? There's a beautiful seaside town I know of..."
Abby was cut off mid sentence as Robyn wrapped her arms around the slim young girl and kissed her light pink lips, rolling around on the lounge room floor together. Within two days they had found a place to stay and were packed and ready to go. Robyn still hadn't heard from some of her friends, but for the time being none of it mattered; she and her girlfriend were staying in a beautiful beachside town on their first vacation together, away from everything and everyone.
As Robyn waited for Abby to fetch a bottle of their favourite wine from the car -- a surprise, she had said, saved for a special moment -- the last few tourists disappeared around the edge of the path leading out of the bay, and as she found herself completely alone on a quiet beach in front of a red and gold sunset she closed her eyes, thinking excitedly about their new life together.
Splash!
Hmm...not quite alone.