Detours

Jessie hated leaving California, the ocean, the sand between his toes, the cool surf washing around his feet, and the smell of the seaweed as he tangled it around his shoulders. He'd been learning to body-surf with neighborhood friends and was getting pretty good.

All that had come to an end when his dad announced taking that out-of-state job. "Why isn't the one you have good enough?" challenged Jessie. No one listened. "From heaven to hell," Jessie thought. He almost hated his dad for making him change friends, schools, and his home, leaving the wonderful sea behind. He bet the teenagers of the desert never even heard of surfing!

Making it worse was changing late in the semester. He wouldn't know anyone in his classes; he thought he'd be the new freak! His heart was heavy. Would there be anything good to write?