© 2003 by Leigh Mikage Heavenlyjaystar@aol.com
STORY LAST UPDATED ON 09/01/2003
PROLOGUE
When I was four years old, I remember waking up with a start one night. I went downstairs to find Daddy in the dining room, crying.
"What's wrong, Daddy?" I questioned.
"It's your mother, Ocean, she's gone," he answered me.
I didn't understand. "Daddy, what do you mean? Did she go to the store?"
"No, Ocean, she's gone for good and she's not coming back," he told me.
I started to cry, and ran back to my room.
When I was elementary school, I people used to make fun of me about my name, Ocean, and Jordyn, my best friend, would stick up for me. Jordyn got into many fights growing up over me. She also got into fights because some of the boys made fun of her name because it was a boy's name. I first met Jordyn when I was in kindergarten, and she hit a boy named Lance in the nose for teasing me.
My father was very rich, and so was my mother before she left us. We lived in a huge house in Crystal Springs, California, and three people lived with us. Loflyn, he was our butler and he had lived with us since before I was born. Elysa was our maid and cook. She was also Loflyn's wife. Manning was their son, and he and
Elysa lived with us, too. He went to school with me, but he and I have different friends. Manning was one year younger than me, and was in only one of my classes.
My name is Ocean McCloud and I am sixteen years old. I thought my life was perfect. How wrong was I.
CHAPTER ONE
When I woke up, I glanced over at the clock. It read 3:00 am. "Why do I do this?" I wondered out loud. This was the fourth night this week that I'd woke up early. Then I glanced at the picture on the table next to my bed. The picture was of my mother, Cally McCloud. My mother was beautiful. She had aqua eyes and long brown curly hair. She was tall and thin, at least that's what I remembered. My mother left me here with Father when I was four years old. She didn't even say goodbye. I tried to hate her, but I just couldn't. I couldn't help but think about how my life would be if she were here. I mean Father was great, I love him, but every girl needs her mother.
I closed my eyes and went back to sleep. I woke back up when my alarm went off at 7:15. School didn't start until 8:30, but Loflyn drove Manning and I at 7:50 because it took twenty minutes to get there.
When we arrived at school, I was greeted with a kiss from my boyfriend, Larkin. Larkin had hazel eyes and he was 5 ft 8, seventeen years old and muscular. I'd known Larkin since I was in the eighth grade. Larkin was in the ninth. We met at the ice skating rink. I fell and he helped me up, and it was like love at first sight.
We kissed for a long time, then I heard, "You two lovebirds at it again." It was my best friend, Jordyn. Jordyn had green eyes and blond curly hair. She was 5 ft 6 and we'd been friends since we were three years old.
Larkin and I looked up. "Hey, Jordyn," I said as she gave me a hug.
"Hey, ocean eyes." She was the only person who could call me that.
Then Adam and Samantha approached us. Adam was Larkin's best friend Samantha was one of mine. Adam was the same age as Larkin and was in the twelfth grade as well. Samantha was in the same grade with Jordyn and I. Adam and Samantha were always glued together, at least that's what Jordyn said.
"So you three coming to Nate's tonight?" Adam questioned.
"Yeah, we will be there," Larkin told him.
Parties came naturally to us we went to at least two parties every weekend. We hadn't missed one yet.
"We'll see you guys at lunch," Adam spoke as he and Samantha walked away.
"I have to go, babe, I'll see you later," Larkin said, kissing me.
I kissed him back. "See you at lunch."
At lunch, while Adam and Larkin went to get us some food, I noticed Samantha didn't look so good. "Sammy, you feeling okay?" I questioned her.
"Yeah, I think so, I'm just tired."
"You look pale," Mindy told her.
I knew Samantha since the ninth grade. She had blond hair and blue eyes, and she was as short as me. Mindy, Cindy and Josie had been friends with me since the eighth grade. Chase and Eric were some of Larkin's friends.
After school, Larkin drove me home, but Loflyn still had to pick up Manning. There was a long silence on the way home and I wondered if something was wrong. So I questioned, "Is something the matter, Larkin?"
"No, why, is something the matter with you?"
"No, I'm just worried about Sammy. She didn't look very good at lunch."
"I noticed, but I don't think Adam noticed."
"He's her boyfriend, how could he not notice?"
"I don't know, but I'd notice if you weren't feeling good," Larkin told me, pulling up to my house.
"I would notice if you were sick, too," I told him. Larkin leaned towards me and put his lips on mine. I loved to kiss Larkin because he was so gentle, and I knew that he only loved me. And I loved him, too. We kissed for a very long time. Then I replied, "Larkin, I have to go, got homework and a party to get ready for."
He kissed me again and answered, "I'll pick you up at six."
"Okay," I spoke, kissing him then getting out of the car.
When I opened the door of my house, Elysa greeted me. "Good afternoon, Ocean."
"Good afternoon, Elysa. Is Daddy in his office?"
"Yes."
"Thanks," I told her, walking knocking on Daddy's office door.
"Come in," I heard him say, so I opened the door.
"Hi, Daddy."
"Ocean, I want us to sit down and talk one of these days."
"Okay, Daddy, but not tonight, Larkin and I have plans."
"Okay, honey, have fun," he told me.
As I closed his office door, I wondered what he wanted to talk to me about. When I started for the stairs, Manning was walking into the door of the house. "Hey, Manning, you going to Nate's tonight?"
"No, Jenny and I are going to see The Eclipse," he told me.
"Oh, okay, we'll see you later. Have fun, and tell Jenny I said hi." Jenny and Manning had been going out since last year.
When I got into my room, I did my homework and the phone started to ring. It was Sammy. "Hello."
"Oh, Ocean, it's awful," Sammy cried.
"What's awful, what's wrong?"
"Ocean, I'm pregnant."
"What? I thought you and Adam were using protection."
"We were, but once it broke."
"Have you talked to Adam yet?"
"No."
"Well, you have to tell him it is his responsibility, too."
"Okay, Ocean, I will tell him tonight at the party."
"Okay, see you at the party."
"Bye," she spoke, hanging up.
This was awful. I knew how Sammy wanted to become a doctor and make something of her self. But since she was Catholic, she wouldn't be able to have an abortion.
Later that night, Larkin picked me up. "Hey," I called to him.
"Hey," he spoke as he kissed me.
"Manning's not coming tonight," I told him.
"Thank God," he replied.
"You don't like him, do you?"
"No."
"Why?" I questioned him.
"Well, for one, his parents are housekeepers." Larkin laughed.
I didn't think it was so funny. "So are you saying that if I didn't come from money, you and I wouldn't even be together?"
"No, of course not," he replied quickly as we pulled up to Nate's.
"At least give him a chance. He really is a good person. Please, for me?" I asked him.
"Oh, okay, for you." He smiled then he kissed the tip of my nose. Larkin was wearing his light blue jeans with his white shirt. I was wearing a black tank top dress with three buttons down the front of it. This party was supposed to be fun, or so I thought.
CHAPTER TWO
When we walked into the party, Larkin went straight to the beer. I saw Adam over there, too. I needed to find Sammy. But I didn't see her so I went to join Mindy and Cindy.
"Hey, Ocean." Cindy waved as I approached them.
"Hey," I told them both.
"Where's Larkin?" Mindy questioned.
"With Adam," I replied.
"Are you and Larkin sleeping together?" Mindy questioned me.
"No, of course not. Why do you ask?" I asked them.
"You love him, don't you?" Cindy asked.
"Of course I do, but I'm not ready to sleep with him."
"Is he ready?" Cindy questioned.
"I don't know, what's with the third degree?" I asked them.
"We're just wondering," Mindy replied.
Then Jordyn came up to me.
"Hey, J."
"Ocean, come with me," She replied. Jordyn didn't look happy.
"What's wrong, Jordyn?" I asked as she took me into the bathroom. When we got into the bathroom, I saw Sammy. Her shirt was ripped and her eye was swollen shut. "What happened?" I looked up at Jordyn.
"He hit her. That son of a bitch hit her," Jordyn replied angrily.
"Sammy, did you tell him, is that why he hit you?" I questioned her.
"Yes, he said I was a slut and that he wasn't responsible for my little bastard," Sammy cried.
"Oh Sam, you can stay at my house tonight, and I will be right back. I have to talk to Adam."
Before I left, Jordyn stopped me. "Don't do anything stupid. Do you want me to come with you?" she told me.
"No, you have to be here for Sam," I told her.
When I found Adam, he was outside sitting on the hood of his car. "Adam why did you hit Sammy?" I asked him.
"Oh, look, if it isn't my best friend's girlfriend. I see that bitch found someone to cry to," Adam sneered. I couldn't believe him. I thought he loved her. "That bitch deserved it, trying to pin her bastard on me," he spat.
"That bastard is yours, and you know it," I told him.
"It's her fault she got herself knocked up," he said, throwing his beer tin can onto the floor.
"A girl can't get herself pregnant. This is your responsibility just as it is hers."
"That's not my kid, okay, there's no telling how many people she slept with," he yelled at me.
"You know it is yours, and you know that Sammy has only been with you."
"Shut up, okay, you stupid bitch, just shut up!" he yelled, and he pushed me so hard I lost my balance and I fell down.
Then Larkin ran outside. He must have seen Adam push me from the window. Larkin helped me up and asked, "You okay?"
Before I could reply, Adam sneered. "Larkin, you better get your bitch." Larkin punched him, and Adam fell to the ground.
"What were you doing?" Larkin asked me.
"He hit Samantha because she told him she was having his child. I had to do something," I told him.
"You want to go because when Adam gets up he's going to be really mad," Larkin told me.
"Yeah, let's go. But first I have to get Sammy because she's coming home with me tonight," I told him.
"Okay. I will meet you at the car."
When we got to my house, I kissed Larkin good-bye and he said he would call me. When we were in the house, Sammy called her parents, and she was tired. I didn't blame her. It had been a long night.
The next day I woke up at seven, and I woke Sammy up. She wore something of mine to school. She didn't look so good in the morning, and she was very pale.
So Elysa cooked up one of her special recipes that she said would help. I think she knew Sammy was pregnant.
When we got to school, I met up with Jordyn and Larkin. Larkin wanted me to come with him, so Sammy stayed with Jordyn. When we got to the back of the school, Larkin kissed me. We kissed for a while then Larkin started to unbutton my shirt. I stopped him. "Larkin, I can't, I'm not ready."
"You are ready, I know you are," he told me, and he kissed me harder as he unbuttoned more of my shirt.
"Larkin, stop, I'm not ready, okay, I'm not," I said, stepping away from him. "I mean, God, didn't you see what happened with Adam and Samantha? She got pregnant and he left her. I can't get pregnant."
"Ocean, you won't get pregnant."
"You can't be sure," I told him.
"Listen, Ocean, if you did get pregnant, I will take care of you and the baby. We'll get married," he told me.
"How do I know that? Larkin, things change. How do I know that if I get pregnant you won't walk away in the sunset?" I replied.
"You don't trust me, do you?" he asked me. Before I could reply, he walked away. I stared to cry as I buttoned up my blouse. I trusted Larkin. I loved him. I was just afraid.
When I went back to the front of the building, I went straight into school and to my locker. I saw Larkin while I was opening my locker. He was with this girl named Tanya. He wasn't broken up with me for two minutes and he was with her.
Then Jordyn walked up to me. "Look at her. Who does she think she is, all over him like that?" Jordyn objected.
"Yeah, well, he doesn't look like he's not enjoying it," I said, tears in my eyes.
"Tell me what happened," Jordyn asked me.
"Larkin thinks I don't trust him because I won't sleep with him. I'm afraid to get pregnant like Sammy. What if I do, what if Larkin leaves me like Adam did Sam?" I told her.
"But you know Larkin wouldn't leave you. Tell me the real reason, Ocean."
"I am afraid, Jordyn, okay, I'm just afraid," I cried, running into the bathroom.
Jordyn came after me. "Please, Ocean, tell me what's wrong."
"Oh, Jordyn, I'm not really scared about getting pregnant. It's just that if I do, I know Larkin would marry me. It's just that I am scared that I might leave my child like my mother left me," I cried.
"Oh, Ocean, have you told Larkin?"
"No," I said, wiping the tears from my eyes.
"He deserves to know," she told me.
"I know, but he didn't give me a chance."
"Well, maybe you can talk to him at Danny's tonight. You're going, right? I'll give you a ride."
"Yeah, I'll go."
"Okay. I have to go. I will pick you up at six," Jordyn spoke, leaving the bathroom.
When I left the bathroom, a guy named Cody approached me. "Hey, Ocean, I heard you're a free agent," he said with a smile on his face.
"Yeah, who told you that?" I questioned him Cody was labelled as a lady's man. He always got what he wanted, and he went through two women a day. But he was cute.
"We'll, it's all over the school," he told me, smiling. "How about you going to Danny's with me tonight?" he asked me.
"I don't know. I mean, it hasn't even been a whole hour since we broke up," I told him.
"Well, how about I see you at Danny's, is that a deal?"
"It's a deal."
Later on that night, Jordyn picked me up, and we went to Danny's. When we were inside, I saw Larkin with Tanya, and they were kissing. I felt like I was going to be sick. But before I could make it to the door, I was stopped. "Ocean." It was Cody. "Seams like your ex is having fun. Why aren't you?" he questioned me.
He was right. Why should Larkin make me feel horrible? Cody handed me a beer, and I drunk it in one gulp. He gave me another, and I drunk it so fast my eyes started to water. I wanted to drown out all my sorrows. Cody kept serving me beer after beer until I was out of it. I think it was about my seventh beer. Then Cody suggested we go outside for some fresh air.
When we were outside, he pushed me up against the side of the house, and he kissed me hard. It hurt and I couldn't breathe. He started to unbutton my shirt and he embraced my neck.
"Cody, stop," I told him, firmly pushing him off me, but he didn't listen, and he ripped my shirt. He was working his way into my bra. "Stop it, Cody," I told him, tears starting to run down my face. Then he started to kiss my breasts. "Cody, stop," I screamed, but he didn't listen I tried pushing him away, but he was so strong.
When he started to work his way to my skirt, I started to get dizzy. Then my whole body was released, and I saw Larkin punch him in his face. Cody fell to the ground.
"What in the hell were you doing with him?" Larkin questioned me as he grabbed my hand and threw me against the wall.
"Why do you care, you left me for Tanya, remember?" I spoke back to him.
"Ocean, I didn't leave you for Tanya, I left because you don't trust me," he told me.
"I do trust you, Larkin, I do, it's just that I'm scared. What if we do have a child and I leave it like my mother left me?" I cried.
"Ocean, that won't happen," he told me, wrapping his strong arms around me.
"How do you know?" I questioned, looking into his brown eyes.
"Ocean, your mother left because, well, I don't know why, but that isn't in your genes," Larkin told me as he kissed the tears running down my face.
"Larkin, I'm sorry," I told him, hugging him.
"Sorry for what?" he asked me.
"I'm sorry I can't sleep with you right now," I answered. "But there is a lot of girls who would love to. Why don't you go to one of them?"
"Oh, Ocean, I'll wait for you forever," he told me as he kissed me.
"Really, Larkin?"
"Yes," he answered.
"Thank you, Larkin. If you hadn't been there he would have raped me," I cried. "Take me home, Larkin, please. I need a hot shower. He wouldn't stop touching me," I wept.
"Okay, let's go." When we got into the car, Larkin questioned me, "Why did you go out there with him? What happened?"
"When I saw you with Tanya I wanted to die. He gave me about seven beers, and I needed some fresh air so we went outside. He pushed me up against the side of the house and he kissed me so hard it hurt. He ripped my shirt and kissed me everywhere. He was making his way in my skirt when you came," I cried.
"Ocean, I'm sorry for everything today."
"It's not your fault, Larkin. Promise me, Larkin, promise me that we won't fight over anything silly like this again," I told him.
"I promise," Larkin told me, handing me his coat.
When we arrived at my house, Larkin kissed me and walked me to the door. Tomorrow would be just like any other day. But little did I know tomorrow would be the day that would change my life forever.
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