A bang on my desk caused me to wake from my deep slumber. "Who?" "Your girlfriend." "I don't have a-" I raised my head and blinked my eyes. My Boss glared at me. "2nd time in the day, Carter." "I was working on a holiday." That wasn't true. It was Sunday and I was lounging on the couch, watching television. He pursed his lips; I knew how to feign innocence. "Shouldn't you be at home?" I leaped up from my chair. "It's 5 already?!" "Yes." I pocketed my phone and picked up some papers. "Bye, Boss." "Wait...how would you like to get a holiday for a few weeks?" "You're firing me?" "No, of course not." "You never give away long holidays." He sighed in defeat. "Some supervisors are going to arrive in the publishing house. It would be best if you're not around." I nodded my head and a broad grin spread across my face.

"Talk to me, baby. I'm going wild from this sweet, sweet craving whoa oh. Let's lose our minds and go crazy crazy...", I mumbled the lyrics of Cake by the Ocean and opened my door. As soon as I entered, I threw the papers on the coffee table and jumped on the couch. "Let the lazy marathon begin." My phone rang noisily and I picked it up. "Hey, Mom...I got fired from my job for a few weeks...Come over? Why?...She's coming to visit? Now that's a deal breaker... I'll be there. Bye." She is coming to Gulf Shores. I have to go.

I opened my closet and put a selection of clothes inside my suitcase.

After my flight from New Orleans, I took a deep breath and welcomed the Gulf Shores air. My Mom came over and hugged me. "Oh, you've grown so much since I last saw you." "I know, I started working out." "That explains the muscles. Except for that you had them before, now they are more prominent." I chuckled. "Let's get home."

Mom pushed me lightly to make me enter my room; it was just the same. My eyes lingered to the computer desk. "Mom?" "Yes?" "You kept this." On top of the desk, there was a necklace, with a Q pendant and right beside it, there was a pendant with the initial C.
She had one too. "Yes, I did. Before going to New Orleans you would wear this everywhere." I decided to put it around my neck. "Is she here already?" "No. Her mother invited us over for dinner." "Oh." "Wear something good." "Yeah, yeah."

I took a long breath. The smell of the sea filled my nostrils, which always helped me relax. The evening sky was sunset orange with streaks of pink smeared across it. I really wished that instead of sitting in front of a desk stacked with a mountain of paperwork, I could enjoy this view everyday. "Aarggh!", a garbled voice screamed. My head whipped towards the source of the sound. A girl was emptying sand from her high heels. What sort of stupid person wears heels to a beach? I jogged towards her. "Hey. You need help?" "No thanks. I'm fine!" "I was just being nice. You shouldn't have worn heels on sand." "I'll wear whatever I want. I just arrived here and wanted to visit the beach in whatever I was wearing and that happened to be a pencil skirt and high heels." I rolled my eyes. "Fine. You need help reaching home?" "You think I don't know my own home? It's that way." She pointed left. "Um, no. I think it's that way." She pointed right. "You're going to point at the sea, now? Wow! We've got Mera from Atlantis." "Mera has red hair! Okay, I admit it. I need help." "Where do you live?" "It's a beach house." "Well I'm going to my friend's beach house. I can take you there and then you can locate your house." I extended my hand. She swatted my hand away. "No way. Don't push your luck." We walked towards the beach houses in silence. "So, you're visiting?" "Hmm." "Me too. How long are you staying here?" "Mm?" "Are you incoherent?" "Why don't you just take the hint? I don't want to talk to you." "Fine, whatever." When we approached the beach houses, I slowed down. "That's my house!" "Congratulations." She shot a glare at me. I walked ahead towards her house. The girl followed right behind. "Are you like one of those puppies who follow a person home and then the puppy is so cute that the person keeps it as a pet? Ruff ruff!" "I'm going home. It's right there." I walk ahead again and she was right at my heels. "What is your problem?!" My Mom waved her arms and called me over. I treaded towards the front porch. Her Mom came outside and smiled at the girl. "Oh, Quin you already met Catie?" Catriona looked me up and down. "Quin?" "Cat?", we said simultaneously. Her lips turned upward. "We meet again."