It was rain, not sun, that woke Marley Mason. He blinked away the splats of water soaking into his eyes and struggled up and out of the sand. Exhaling, Marley felt the salty air pass through him smooth and thin, like the engine of a brand new car and Marley Mason knew that today he was anew. Then he realized he was folly naked and, waking up next to a just as naked Ava DeLoughery, together, alone. He sat upright and smiled at her figure, the indentation of himself in the sand still nestling her. Sometime last night a rusted Marley Mason must have been scoured off and removed, revealing something unexpected underneath. He took his eyes back out to the ocean curled his fingers into the dry sand beneath him, forcing this reality to prove to him that last night was not a dream. But it was a dream, Marley eventually thought. Just the rare kind that hardly came true. The first for Marley to ever experience.

The drizzle resumed again, however, tapping the new boy on his chest and arms. He flung his head back to stare skyward where he was met with dark clouds encircling him. He tried using his new eyes to peer past them but the dark things had swollen into opacity. Yet, Marley Mason smiled and fell back into the sand. Nothing, not even this storm was going to take this moment from him. He pulled his arm over Ava DeLoughery and shut his eyes, for just a little longer.

But the waves would not have it. The furious thing came up shore and bit into the both of them.

Ava sprung up, gasping for air.

Mentally, Marley cursed.

The girl felt the sand around her and scanned the beach, grunting. Turning to Marley she said, "I can't believe we slept here all night. In the sand. How did we not wake up?" She spun back around exasperated and scrambling to redress the parts of her she became suddenly insecure about.

Marley wanted to point out to her that it obvious, wasn't it? They didn't wake up because they didn't want to. Sometime between the moon rising and them falling asleep the way their bodies intertwined and held each other must have felt like soft silk sheets instead of sand, warm blankets instead of the cold silence of the sea. Parts of them had felt like home to the other. He made a mental note to bring it up to her later, but for now, he met her hand with his own as she readjusted the bikini strap on her shoulder. She stopped moving and the waves ebbed.

Ava DeLoughery turned around to look at Marley, propping himself up with on elbow, in no rush, with no clothes on and a careless smile on his lips. With his eyes, he told her, Who cares? We're here now. Might as well make it last. He held on to her hand and pulled it toward him, the rest of her body following suit. Ava laughed as she sunk into the new boy, shaking her head to get out all the giggles before she got too close to the brand new Marley.

She breathed, "I don't even know who you are anymore, Marley Mason."

He supposed he didn't recognize himself either. That was the effect Ava DeLoughery had on him. And it was one of the many things he liked about her. Titling his chin, Marley took her lips between his and kissed her.

Gradually, between the slow passing of their lips and exhales, Marley realized he could do this now. He could kiss her. She was finally his in the way he was always hers. This was the start of many more new things, not just Marley mason.

Ava pulled back. "Marley, this is still a public beach and it's starting to rain," she laughed. "We really should leave."

She was right, of course, but Marley hesitated because he knew how fragile moments like this were. He saw it in the halfway downturn of her smile and the way he didn't quite feel his heart beating when he saw her. He knew that one wrong move would send her lips plummeting into a frown and if the sand fell out of his ears, his slamming heart would come back into focus.

But, Marley agreed because it was Ava DeLoughery who had asked and he wanted to believe that what they were now was not limited to one-off, dreamlike moments. But, it was something that could last forever.

However, Marley Mason despite not wanting to believe it, was right. And he would come to know it all too soon.

On the other side of the beach, they heard something. "Ava!"

Ava froze. She knew that voice. She scrambled to her feet before she turned around. Marley spun and all the sand fell out of his ears. He quickly pulled up his swim shorts, his hands too busy to stop everything else crashing down around him. Ava DeLoughery wanted to pinch herself.

"Ava!"

She turned around, Richard O'Riley angrily staring back at her. On either side of him were a shocked Jeremy and a pissed off Duncan. Ava took a step back. Richie, blazed forward. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Richie, wait,"

"Have you lost your god damned mind?!" He was red everywhere, his face heating up as fast as his fists were curling. Marley jumped up when he realized the other boy wasn't slowing down and at that time he wished he could shout. Stop! Don't come any closer! She doesn't belong to you!

Calmly, Ava told him, "Richie, calm down. We broke up, I can do what I want now."

"Don't play that! Do I look dumb Ava?! Do I look stupid to you?! We always break up. You know that don't mean shit!"

"Do I, Richie?"

Now he was here, standing right in front of them, and Jeremy and Duncan were just a while off and Marley knew that actions spoke louder than words and Ava DeLoughery was his in the same way he was hers and the storm was coming and he could not bear for this moment to pass him, so he moved. Marley Mason planted himself like a tree in front of Ava and sucked in the biggest breath he could muster. Then, he narrowed his eyes at Richard O'Riley.

Glancing past the new boy and at Ava, Richie pointed. "And with this idiot? A mute? Were you that desperate, Ava? Could you not close your damn your legs till I got back?" He paused, "Or were you just trying to hurt me?"

"Not everything I do is because of you, Richie," Ava muttered, looking away.

"Yeah? Well, everything I do is because of you. You know that. Let's go."

"We broke up, Richie," Ava repeated.

Richard O'Riley tried not to explode. "How many times have we broken up, Ava?"

Marley didn't move and he didn't want to listen either but he had grown so accustomed to it that he heard clearly what Ava said.

"What was that?" Richie begged.

Ava shifted her weight on her left leg. "Three times."

"Four" Richie corrected. "And we always make up because we have something that lasts, Ava."

Upon Richie's attempt to grab the girl Marley moved to block him off, blinking away a wetness that was no the drizzle of the rain.

Richie finally noticed him. "Look, this has nothing to do with you. She was sad and lonely and took advantage of the first guy she saw. She doesn't like you, don't make this harder for yourself."

Richie went to grab after Ava again but Marley was there, again. He sniffled, shaking off the other boy's words and gritted his teeth.

Then, Richie really noticed him. He took a step back and gave Marley a slow up-down. Scoffing, Richard O'Riley shut his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again. Marley saw the devil, fire and blood in them and he hardened himself because he knew standing here would take him to hell. But he was ready to go there and back for Ava DeLoughery.

Duncan folded his arms, "Let's just beat this shit out of him and go, Richie."

"He's not worth our time, Richie."

Richie let his friends' words fade before he spoke lowly, "If you're so close then you should know when she's lying. Go. Ask her if she thought we had really broken up." The wind was definitely picking up, whipping Richie's hair in all directions and even beginning to unsettling Marley's thick locs. Marley himself did not budge though. "Ask her," Richie insisted.

Marley Mason felt the rust creep upon him as he turned around to meet the eyes of the girl he had slept with last night. She wasn't looking at him but he stepped toward her anyway and waited patiently for her words. The waves were upon them again and the sky was black with dust and destruction. When Ava ultimately looked up to the new boy, there were tears in her eyes. He tried searching them in the way he had become so proficient in doing around the dining table of Jah's Jah's Jerk Foods but now the things had swollen into opacity. Ava DeLoughery must have awoken anew as well. I don't even recognize you anymore, Ava DeLoughery.

"Marley, I'm so sorry," she said.

The rain began then. Pouring from the sky in the same unforgiving way Marley's tears rushed out. He didn't get a chance to see the lightning but he heard the unmistakable roll of thunder shudder his spine. He wished he had never woken up today.

Richie sighed. "Now, this is your final warning. Move. I don't want to beat up a retard but if you don't—"

Marley spun around and shoved Richard O'Riley back with all the strength he had. Ava sucked in a breath.

Richard O'Riley had only taken one step backwards. Yet, his face when he looked up again at the new boy was the last clear image Marley could see that wasn't in red. In a flash, Richie's fist had connected with his jaw and there was pain striking him from everywhere so quickly that he knew Jeremy and Duncan were upon him too.

His few punches connected with nothing but air. His struggling breath was the only thing he could hear. His own blood was making its way into his eyes.

That day, Marley Mason went down and surrendered to the kicks, punches and scratches riddling throughout his crushed body. In the sharp sand, below the beginnings of thunder, Marley saw the sky open up and prayed he wasn't dead.

When he finally came to, Marley Mason realized he was completely abandoned on that beach. In a pool of his own blood, he knew that those were the type of guys that would always beat him to a pulp and get the girl.

And that Ava was the type of girl to pick them over him, over and over again.

And he was the type of guy that would let her.

But not anymore.

And the hiatus is over! What did you think about this chapter?

This week's dedication goes to because she was a silent reader at first but finally commented with the sweetest words! Honestly, it's those comments when I'm not even writing that really push me to come back. Thank you so much for your kind words, they honestly mean so much to me and I'm in awe. Thank you from the bottom of my heart fr. Remember, if you guys and the next dedication is literally yours! Tell me your thoughts on this chapter in the comments below!

I'm back readers and starting next year I have a lot of things planned. New content you're gonna LOVE, new website, new blog. EVERYTHING is getting an overhaul and I'm not gonna leave again. I'm actually so nervous for the changes I'm about to make and all the work I'll have to be putting in but excited too. I can't wait and I know you'll love it.

Hope you all had an excellent Christmas! Also, quick question, what's your favourite Christmas movie?