Another Way

One: She Knew One Thing

~ One ~

She Knew One Thing

The bright yellow ball hung from the sky and cast its sword-like rays on the silver-crested waves of the ocean. Thunderous crashes of shiny water pounded against the kelp-ridden beach. Tiny sand crabs scampered from one newly-formed hole to another, only to disappear quickly under the slippery blanket of sand and water. Straight ahead, all one could see was miles of sparkling ice-blue water, dotted here and there with stark masts and colorful sails. Off to the north end was a manicured line of beachfront condominiums and houses—each one strategically arranged among the rolling sandy dunes, the wild tall green tulles, and the wooden-planked paths. Families were scattered here and there with children busily creating sandcastles while their parents attempted to sunbathe in between their bouts of sporadic supervision. Cool breezes filled the air with the familiar smells of seaweed and ocean spray. Perhaps, the most impressive sight and sound of this beach was the constant company of the friendly pelicans. Although they visited every part and almost every person in this mostly secluded and privately owned beach, they made their home territory toward the south end.

It was in this direction of the pelicans’ home Chloe Wheeler was walking. As she dipped her toes into the freshly washed sand, she chuckled as she looked behind her to view the funny-shaped footprint she had left. In a moment, the next wave would wash it away, and prepare another canvas for her next foot painting. With her hands clasped behind her waist and her head tilted back slightly to let the rush of cool air brush across her face, Chloe continued on about half mile down the beach and then turned sharply away from the ocean. The excitement began to build inside as she anticipated the place she had longed to visit for almost a year. As Chloe made her way over several sand dunes and through over-grown tulles, she then carefully crawled down some large round stones until she found her place on a smooth broad flat rock. Except for a few pelicans, no one else had discovered this private place, at least as far as Chloe knew. And that’s what was important.

Making herself comfortable on her slab of gray rock, Chloe viewed the wondrous beauty of this relatively small lagoon surrounding her. The water was crystal clear, not like most lagoons, which were dark and murky. She could see the glossed rocks nestled below and the myriad of orange, blue-green creatures flittering about. The tulles encircling the little lagoon provided a wall of privacy, and the pelicans perched on rocks or posts stood guard in protection of it. Chloe took in a deep breath, letting the excitement wind down, and she began to relish the peace and quiet she was about to enjoy.

Chloe didn’t realize how much she missed this place until now. Coming here just once a year didn’t seem enough, but then she knew her family sacrificed to make the trip this year. James, Chloe’s dad, owned his construction company and business had not done well over the past several years. Chloe’s mom, Melissa, stayed at home to take care of Chloe’s younger sister, Alisha, who recently turned eight. Missy, as she was called, enjoyed working her freelance interior decorating business from home. However, her income was also impacted by the recession. Chloe decided she had been feeling very selfish. She was truly grateful her family was able to enjoy one fun-filled week at their beach!

Chloe closed her eyes for a moment. Thoughts whirled and raced around in her head and then began to settle down. So many things were about to change in her life. In two weeks, she would be starting high school, and in a few months, she would be turning fifteen. Although many of Chloe’s friends were allowed to date in middle school, her parents set her official dating age at fifteen. Oh, yes, she was permitted to go to the Winter and Spring dances, as well as the eighth-grade prom, but those weren’t exactly the same as dating. Her stomach did a little flip as she thought about all the new experiences she was going to encounter. Secretly, she wondered if she was ready.

Chloe opened her eyes and looked down into the lagoon. The sun was shining at an angle, just so it cast a mirror-like film across the surface. When Chloe looked down, she could see herself perfectly. She never thought of herself as being pretty, just average. Her extremely curly and unruly black hair reached her shoulder blades and parted naturally toward the middle of her scalp. Her round deep brown eyes accented with a rare yellow hue were set between a straight nose, much like her dad’s. Friends often commented on her unusually long eyelashes and her perfectly formed eyebrows. Moving closer to her reflection, Chloe saw a smooth complexion. Luckily, she was not tormented by acne or unwanted blemishes many of her friends complained about. And for this, she was grateful. As she smiled, Chloe viewed her white well-straightened teeth which had succumbed to two years in braces. Her frame was long and slender. She actually didn’t seem to mind her figure until now, when all her friends were filling out in the right places at a much faster rate than did she. Perhaps this year that would change too.

As Chloe pulled her knees up against her and rested her chin on them, she stared deeply into her reflection. She saw a young lady who did well in school, who had a loving family to care for her, who shared some very special friendships (especially with her best friend Amanda), and who felt good about who she was. She wondered to herself, “Would this all change too?” Over the past year, Chloe had seen many of her friends change already. They became less interested in school, hung out with older crowds, and freely experimented with drugs and alcohol. Chloe mumbled to herself, “It’s just the way life is...” However, it was Chloe and just a few of her close friends who were different from so many kids she knew. She reached down to stroke the water in the lagoon. It began a ripple effect causing her reflection to waiver. Chloe’s dark serious eyes followed the moving image. She pulled her hand from the cool water and allowed the reflection to take on its steady form. She didn’t want to change the image she saw, at least for now. She felt secure about who she was and where she was going. She felt very comfortable with the fact no one had pressured her into doing anything against her will—not drinking, not drugs, and not s*x. Although Chloe had been quite vocal about her opposition to drugs and alcohol, she kept her thoughts about virginity to herself. She secretly wondered, “Is it I don’t really know how I feel about it? Is it, in a way, I am a bit embarrassed by it? Or is it my lack of experience in dating which keeps me from speaking about it?” Chloe didn’t know the answers to these questions, and for now, it wasn’t important she have all the right responses. She knew one thing—she was a virgin and at this time in her life, that’s the way she wanted to be.

As Chloe slowly stood up stretching her long legs, she watched her reflection grow upon the water’s surface. The faithful pelicans fluttered about watching her every move, and the green tulles swayed in the breeze. Chloe took one last glance, not to admire her physical appearance, but to imprint indelibly upon her mind the portrait of who she was.