Cesper Beach, Chapter 1

Despi Edmar picked up her sunglasses and gazed into the mirror. She saw a face, covered in makeup and grinning back. I love my life. Boys trod up to her everyday, staring at her loose hair, telling her how beautiful she was. Her parents had bought a mansion at the top of the hill, overlooking the ocean. Sometimes at night she would gaze at the sparkling water, tears gliding down her tanned cheeks. She put on her sunglasses looked at the mirror again, posing. I am so happy. Under the crashing of the waves, Despi heard a horn honking. She hurried down the empty halls and outside.
Andrew Valle was leaning against his shining car when Despi came out. He had a small, simpering grin; and held his arms swaggering outwards when he walked, as if trying to grasp the entire world. He gave Despi a smoldering kiss and jumped into the car, nodding at her to follow suit. Despi’s father liked Andrew.
Despi leaned back and breathed in the fresh air of the clean car. It was perfect and orderly, like her life. She smiled at Andrew from behind her sunglasses and he turned on the radio. “We’re going to the beach,” He muttered gruffly, his eyes on the windshield. They didn’t talk for the rest of the ride. They never talked. Why should they? Wasn’t being together enough? Despi sighed and tapped lightly to the beat of the song, The Gambler.
Andrew pulled the car into a gas station to fill his tank. Despi watched him as he leaned back, brown tuffs of hair escaping his tilted hat. Her eyes fell slowly downward, from his broad shoulders to his long, glowing legs. This must be true love, she told herself, to know someone’s entire body by heart.
Another person came out of the gas station, a teen. Despi watched the young man, frowning, as he neared. He was whistling contentedly, a grin playing upon his narrow face. His eyes were flushed with life, radiating a light force so different than Andrew’s bored, confidant features or Despi’s own fading smile. Her eyes followed him unblinkingly as he nodded cheerfully to Andrew, who looked away; and continued onto the train station.
As soon as the boy disappeared, Despi felt that pit in her stomach; the growing void of emptiness that threatened to suck her into herself. It was worse than the others, and she leaned her head against the smooth, flawless car, biting her tongue. She shut her eyes, trying to look away; to look anywhere but the truth.
Despi swallowed when the car door slammed and Andrew started the engine. “All right, babe, let’s go,” He grumbled, and the SUV swerved forward. Despi pushed the boy from her mind. She turned her eyes on the road ahead, the road that she was fated to follow. The road she wanted to follow. Because she was the happiest girl in the world.