The train pulled into the station, and Chloe found herself practically leaping out the door. The fresh, salty air filled her lungs, and she grinned, the wind whipping strands of hair across her face. This was it. The place. The moment. She raced toward the pier, her bag bouncing against her side.
She spotted Daniel, already leaning against a railing, and ran over, her laughter bubbling up. “Daniel! You won’t believe the things I bought, and the photos I got printed!” Her words tumbled over each other. This day, this memory, was a treasure.
Daniel looked up, his expression a mixture of surprise and… something else. “Chloe? What are you talking about?” He seemed confused. She’d painted the scene so vividly in her mind, the carnival rides, the shared ice cream, the sunset.
"Today! The beach! The treasure hunt!" she exclaimed. She had imagined sharing all of that. But Daniel raised an eyebrow. “Chloe, we planned to go over to Mark's. Remember? For the gaming tournament.” Her jaw dropped. The ocean waves, the sand between her toes…all gone.
“The… the gaming tournament?” she repeated slowly, the words feeling alien on her tongue. Her stomach clenched. A wave of disappointment washed over her.