Tides
The sky was a canvas painted with pastels. Just before the sun truly alisema goodbye, it hung in the sky. Her eyes sparkled and her hair shinned with the last light of day. Salt water filled her lungs as she took a deep breath. Sand began to cave in on her feet when she tried to songesha them from where they were. She stared once zaidi at the now deserted beach, pwani and thought, maybe a little longer? But no, she couldn’t. She was too good to break her parent’s curfew, and with the first siku of school nearing, she knew she needed a good nights sleep. She slowly brought herself to her feet and grabbed her things. As she left she heard a boy’s voice behind her, “Wait up!” She swiveled around to see a handsome boy, not much older than her, jogging with something in his hand. To shocked to speak, she stood there, waiting. The boy was tall, tan, and had gorgeous brown eyes. His hair was cut neatly, but yet, it still looked shaggy, “You dropped this.” He held out his hand and inside of them were her inayopendelewa sunglasses.
“Oh!” She gasped, “Thank you! These are my best pair!” She exclaimed, brushing off some sand that had stuck to the lens.
“Well, be sure to watch them zaidi carefully.” He alisema teasingly. She giggled and he laughed. At that moment, bells and chimes began going off from what sounded like far off in the distance, when in reality, it was only in her purse.
“It’s my mother.” She alisema to the boy,
“Hello mother?”
“Where are you?”
“On my way I swear! I just dropped my…”
“Well hurry! First siku of school tomorrow and it’s almost past your curfew! wewe know how your father gets!”
“All right, goodbye mother.” The girl sighed. She heard the line go dead and she hung up and looked back at the boy.
“Well, I guess that’s your cue, huh?” The boy said,
“Yes, it is. Well, I suppose we may run into each other again sometime?” She said.
“Yeah, hopefully we will.” The boy alisema slowly back up and turning around. The girl started to walk nyumbani when she heard him call out, “Wait! I never got your name!”
She quickly spun around and responded, “Kacey!” What yours?” She saw the boy turn and smile, but he did not reply. Why didn’t he tell me his name? She thought to herself. But she decided not to think too much of it. Why did his name matter? At least, it didn’t matter yet.

“Hun, wake up! It’s your first siku of high school!” Kacey’s mom alisema as she walked into her new room and flipped on the lights.
“Ugh! Why? Must I go mother? I don’t know anybody!” Kacey complained.
“It’s freshman year, really, nobody knows anybody.” Kacey’s mother replied. “Now get up, I’m making breakfast.”
Kacey, as slowly as possible, got out of her kitanda to pick out an outfit. She grabbed her new cotton Candy multicolored tank juu and threw on her shorts and black All-Stars. She grabbed her curling iron and make up, and walked into the kitchen. Her mother was there at the microwave,
“Stove’s not working so I’m heating up some oatmeal.” She smiled,
“Yummy. Wait, where’s father?” Kacey asked looking around.
“Sleeping in, he had trouble sleeping in the new house.” She alisema softly.
Oh. Kacey thought. She put on her makeup and curled her hair as quickly as possible. Barely having enough time to eat and brush her teeth, she ran to make the bus. There was one other person at her bus stop. A girl who looked older than her who wore too much eye makeup for her taste and all black, which had to be unbearable in California summers. Kacey tried not to stare at her but it was kind of hard.
Once she climbed the stairs on the bus she looked for an open seat, which wasn’t hard since she was one of the first stops, but she didn’t want to pick a bad seat. Kacey decided on the fifth kiti, kiti cha back on the right, hoping it was an okay choice. Calm down Kacey, it’s just a seat. She finally exhaled for the first time since she got on the bus and grabbed her iPod. She turned on some Katy Perry and closed her eyes. Relax, she kept telling herself. She felt her moyo rate slow down and lucky for her, her bus wasn’t nearly full kwa the time she got to school, so she could sit all kwa herself.
Once in the outdoor commons, Kacey looked around desperately trying to find the “A Hall.” She quickly spun around and ran into someone, “What the?” He alisema sounding angry. Everything in his arms had fallen to the ground.
“Oh… my… god, I am… so sorry! I’m new here, and I didn’t see you,, and I’m really nervous…” She began to ramble but to her surprise he started laughing.
“No, it okay, really it’s my…” But he stopped talking once he saw Kacey, “Kacey?” He said. She looked at him and realized this was the boy from the beach!