Berri sat silently in the car, head leaning against the cool glass window. Her mother and father sat in the front seats, but as usual, were utterly silent. Berri liked it better that way, however. Their strained and awkward conversations were better left unspoken. Not that they were bad parents; Berri was very grateful that they payed for her tuition and other expenses. They just felt more like weird robot caregivers than parents... Just as Berri's dad was was about to start saying something- to both her and her mother's obvious dismay- the school came into view. Her mother breathed a sigh of relief, manicured hands folded neatly across her lap.
As they pulled up and parked, her father began to unload her suitcases from the trunk.
"Ah, Susan, can you help me? I have a huge strain in my back." said her father to her mother.
'Almost as strained as your marriage...' Berri thought while hugging her parents goodbye. She let out a huge breath, releasing all the built-up tension that had probably accumulated from the six-hour car ride. Then, she began to walk to the office, picking up her schedule. Unsurprisingly, nearly her entire sheet was filled with drawing classes. Intimidated by the large amount of people meandering around outside, she decided to head to a quiet area by the beach. She sat on a pier overlooking the ocean, legs dangling above the sandy surf. Her hand gradually drifted to the sketchbook in her backpack.
She spotted a lone figure on the beach, sipping from a cup that appeared to be from the local coffee shop. "A student, perhaps?" Berri wondered. He looked mysterious, gazing off into the distance. She couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking, who he was thinking about. Before she realized what she was doing, a rough sketch of the man had already planted itself firmly on her paper. Berry laughed; the spontaneous nature of the whole situation caught her off guard, and she couldn't help but feel like a creep, even though he hadn't seen her. So, she hastily put back her sketchbook and reclined on the pier, taking in the sight of waves rippling across her view.