CHARLEIGH
Charleigh took in the scene before her.

Her half-naked classmates, the many kegs spread across the beach in Roy, Washington, and the fact that everyone was drunk except for her.

Also the fact that her boyfriend of 4 years dumped her for Emma Reeves.

A popular, easy-to-get kind of girl who sluts her way around town as much as she could.

She'd probably slept with every senior in Roy.

Which isn't that much seeming that the population there was only around 900.

The wind was whipping ferociously around Charleigh and her hair flew with it rhythmically.

Charleigh knew that all the seniors on the beach tonight would participate in Run.

Run is a competitive game played by the graduating class of that year.

Every year, Terry, a senior who participated five years ago announces the game and he was standing at the beginning of the trail, leading to the forest on the east side of the beach.

His stern face was scanning the crowd and he met Charleigh's gaze and she shivered.

She'd never thought of participating in Run but she'd always watched the challenge from the side lines and observed quietly, she'd tried to sneak out last year with her elementary school best friend, Isaac.

She missed him from time to time and she recalled how stupid she had been to let her boyfriend, Russell Johnson, get in the way of her friendship.

Charleigh still recalls the days that she decided to go with Russell instead of Isaac or even ditch him all together just to hang out with her Russell.

Just the thought of him dicking around with another girl and not just any girl, Emma made her sick to her stomach.

She swallowed hard and tried to calm down her racing heart.

Charleigh also recalled the day that she and Isaac split for good.

"You know what Lei, you keep on messing with me and my emotions and I'm sick of this bullshit," she recalled Isaac saying.

Pain and hurt washed over his face like a storm and her heart felt like it might have cracked.

She knew she'd hurt her best friend and she knew he wouldn't forgive her.

She also knew he wouldn't forget that one kiss they shared during Spring Break one year.

To Charleigh the kiss was meaningless but she could tell by Isaac's eyes and the way he pressed his lips against hers as they sat in the hot, smothering sand that it meant the world to him.

Charleigh got lost in thought for a minute and she felt an arm wrap around her shoulder.

Her breath caught in the middle of her throat and she blinked hard.

"Hey my best bitch," a voice much like her friend Riley's slurred.

She was so close to Charleigh's ear and she could smell the Vodka off her breath.

Her scent smelled like a mix of cigarettes and booze, Charleigh scrunched up her nose.

"Hey," she replied and-it was Riley-she took her arm, snaked it's way down to her waist, and shifted to the front of Charleigh.

Riley's face was flushed a scarlet pink and her eyes were glazed over with rush.

"Y-you know what I think," Riley hiccuped and pointed her finger at Charleigh,"we should join Run."

Charleigh stopped for a second and cocked her eyebrow up.

"Wait are you serious?" She asked to her friend, spazzed out by the idea.

"Of course," Riley giggled out.

"You're not fucking serious are you?" She asked again warily.

"I'm serious," she store in to Charleigh's eyes and the sky behind her turned to magenta, the clouds began to swirl.

"What makes you want to do this?" Charleigh asked, clearly confused.

"I don't know. I j-just feel like it. Now quit being a pussy and let's go to the starting line," Riley tugged on Charleigh's arm half-hazardly and in the result almost ripped her arm out of it's socket with her buzzed strength.

"Ow! Riley be careful. I'm not going over there so you can just stop now."

"C'mon," Riley whispered uselessly.

Charleigh would not budge.

"No...I just came to watch and I don't want to get involved with this because it's too danger-"

Charleigh was cut off when all of a sudden Riley picked her up and scooped her in to her arms.

Her face was in Riley's dirty blonde hair and she could smell the sea salty scent and nicotine.

"Let me go!" Charleigh yelled, but it was no use because the speakers by Terry were blasting.

A crowd had already started forming in front of Terry and the entrance to the forest leading to an old, abandoned road.

Riley set Charleigh down and put a death grip on to her right hand.

There was no use of running now so Charleigh scanned the crowd to look at the competition.

She knew all her classmates because there were only less than one hundred in their graduating class.

She found Vanessa and even Rachel standing together side by side.

They'd broken up for a while and was surprised that they were back together.

She looked over more people until something caught her eye as she gazed over at the bonfire at the heart of the beach.

The person who would get her blood pumping and her nerves shot.

Someone who hadn't text her back in a month, someone who she wouldn't dare to see.

Standing right in her vision was Russell Johnson.

Not only was it him.

Emma was there too.

But the thing that made Charleigh's face turn green was the fact that she had the snapback she bought Russell, on her head, and he had his arm locked around her waist, mouths glued together.

Charleigh had to hold back the incoming puke that was forming in the middle of her throat and her head started to pound.

No text backs, no messages, no nothing.

He could have at least had the nerve to call her or apologize for the shit he put her through.

But Charleigh knew that would have never happened.

All the times he'd told her she was beautiful and he loved all of her flaws, and as he would say this he'd kiss the tip of her nose and take her hand.

All of it was one big,fat lie that tied in to the reason for Charleigh's heart break.

He said he loved her.

Is this what love is supposed to feel like?

No, Charleigh didn't cry, except her face shifted in to neutral mode and she turned to Riley.

"Let the games begin."