I could feel the thumping of my heart pulsing in my head. This adrenaline rush was one like never before. I looked down the 300 foot drop where the black water crashed against the perilous rocks. I really hope I miss those rocks, I thought to myself. Today was the day. I’d been waiting to jump off this cliff for years. I remember hiking occasionally around Punchbowl Falls and Eagle Creek with Dad, or Bill as everyone would call him, on Saturdays, the only day I got to see him, and imagining what it would be like to jump off of one of those cliffs and feel the rush of falling down into nothing but water, surrounded by wildlife all around. Nothing more then a simple jump to feel completely at ease.
My name is Sarah Nicole Kirston and I’m finally a free woman. I turned 18 a week ago and the minute that happened, I was gone. Out of everyone’s life to take on my own life. To be my own person, instead of listening to everyone tell me who to be. In high school I probably changed cliques maybe twelve times, Mom really enjoyed all those trips to the mall. I went from Skater to Jock to Goth to Art Freak and I even got to hang out with the Asians. I finally settled down my during my senior year with just a bunch of random people thrown together. Everyone was in that group. It was a cool experience seeing different people from so many backgrounds be so happy and comfortable with each other. My best friend, Terry, has always been right by my side through every clique change, boyfriend crisis, and makeover with me since we were in sixth grade. She’s my partner in crime, the milk to my cookies, the ice to my cream, the peanut butter to my jelly, and you get the point. She even held my hand while I dealt with my parents’ divorce in eighth grade, she is everything to me.
I felt my stomach drop out my butt as I jumped as far away from the edge as I could.. I couldn’t quite make out anything around me except for the wind brushing against my face and the water suddenly attacked my body and it felt like a million knives stabbing into every part of body. The salt water was starting to burn my skin, like acid. I could feel the current dragging me in different directions towards the dark caves in the bottom of the ocean. I kicked and punched with every last bit of energy I had as I slowly rose to the top. I took such a deep breath that some salt water managed to get back in there. Gross. I swam as fast as I could towards the shore and I dragged myself towards the beach, it’s time for some sleep.
My parents split because my dad was cheating on my mom with the widowed lady down the street. I never thought much of her up until then, but now she’s my new step mommy. Whoopee! My dad and Layla are expecting a baby, which should be due in about a month, and I just can’t wait to be a sister. Really, I can’t. My whole life I’ve grown up as an only child and although Terry was always like a sister to me, it just wasn’t the same. I never had someone to play with when I was younger, nobody to fight with as I fought through puberty, and no one to drive around like the cool big sister. As big as the differences are between me and Layla, I’m actually really excited to help out with the baby.
I slowly arose from the ground and tried my best to wipe off the sand on my back and my legs. I trudged back to my car, my big fire-engine red Ford F-150, and slammed the door. Thank goodness I brought some blankets, I was shaking horribly from the freezing temperature of the water. I turned the engine on, cranked up the heat, and made my way back to my dad’s house.
I’d been living with Bill ever since my mom left, she decided that she was going to become one of those travel freaks who wants to “get out there and explore the wonders of the world”, she was probably in Antarctica by now. I missed her but I understood her motivations for wanting to leave. She writes every know and then about her recent travels and is hoping that once she leaves Antarctica, she will head off to Brazil for some huge soccer game. She was always a wild woman but she seemed to be very settle in the way she did things. I was just glad that her best friend, Cathy, went with her to keep her safe and keep her out of trouble. Right after Bill and my mom split, it felt as though I was always taking care of her. I did the grocery shopping, the cleaning, and keeping tabs on her at all times.