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The sun infected the sky with warmth as morning drew closer. The boardwalk is nicer when there's less people around. I stare onto the horizon with conflicting thoughts. Mum had taken us on vacation to Cape Cod on one of her grand 3 month trips, like every year. Ayesha is still asleep. Not like she's awake much anyway. I grab a coffee with my remaining money and head back to our condo. Mum isn't home. She probably fell asleep at some dude's house after hooking up. I call anyway, in case she’s in danger of any kind– and no surprise to me, There's no response. I sit on the porch with the sliding door open, in case Ayesha wishes to join me. Today, I’m going job hunting. Something small, big… anything that’ll get me money. I’ve got one goal this summer: run away. And I'd do anything to achieve it.
My name is Raven Janssen, and I will succeed. I write in my journal, the one I've kept since I was 11. This is my prized possession, the one thing I have that hasn't changed over the years. Sure, it may be pretty basic, but that just means it has more than pages to hold its meaning. I fall off my train of thought as Ayesha sits to my right. “You’re up early,” I state, blatantly. “Yeah, I didn't sleep much last night. Researching places I might be able to work. You’re not the only one who wants to get out of this hell hole.” Ayesha flopped onto her back with a hollow thud, sighing dramatically. I stare out over the marsh, before walking back inside. I leave my coffee on the balcony in case Ayesha wants any, since we’re trying to preserve our money as best as possible. I dress, before slipping on my shoes and changing out my CD. I wait for Ayesha out the door, since she usually takes much longer to get ready, but today it didn't take her much, to my surprise.
“The shops are about a couple miles down east,” I state, digging through our maps and pointing out our destination. “That’s a far walk…” Ayesha complained, before snatching the map out my hand and taking a closer look. “But it might be worth it, based on the ones listed down there!” Her frown blended into a warm smile, her complaints cured. For me, I didn't care as much what we were selling, I just wanted the money. Why else would someone want a job? The cul-de-sac soon faded out of vision and we now were walking a bridge. “Long way down,” Ayesha snickered. “Sure would be a shame if I just..” She had the audacity to nudge me closer to the railing, before I gave her a deadpan stare. “Meanie,” Despite my irritation, I couldn't help but grin a bit. It wasn’t long until we reached the more suburban part of the beach, and the newly risen sun cast a certain glimmer onto the ocean, making a brown sugar contrast on the shallow water.
The boardwalk was stunning as always, and it was a perfect day to job hunt, since the locals haven't gotten out of school yet. We doddled from store to store, looking at things and exploring whatever caught our eye— and soon enough, we found the ultimate eye candy. A jewelry shop. The place looked well-lived, and probably closer to an antique shop than a jewelry shop. There was a girl standing behind the front desk, no older than 9 it seemed. She looked at us before waving and calling me and Ayesha over. “Looks promising..” I observe, before shrugging and tagging Ayesha along with me. “That place looks so dirty though,” Ayesha said, her tone condescending. “It can’t be that bad if it's a jewelry shop, Ayesha. Stop complaining.” I roll my eyes before trying to persuade her instead of coercing her. “Besides, don’t you love jewelry?” I can practically hear her contemplating despite the only sound being waves in the distance. “When you put it like that… maybe it's worth a shot.” I grin at her, knowing she would cave eventually– before dragging her to the shop.