I walked through the city and onto the board walk. The surrounding shops and retaurants were lit up like it were a holiday. Scuffing my sandals along the sandy boards, I strolled through the crowds of people alone in thought. I was stopped when a small mass of people stepped in front of me. Looking up from where I had concentrated on the ground, I saw the familiar faces of the group I had left just months ago. Their expressions of stone surrounded me. They were all there, exactly as I last saw them: Marc, Renee, Barry, Trey, Kerrie, Paul, Sandra, Josh, and in the lead as usual, Miranda. She stood with her arms folded, just inches away from my face. "Haven't seen you around for a while, Sid," she emphasized the first syllable of my name to the point where it became an insult. I cleared my throat, but intended to say nothing in return. Having been my best friend for quite some time, I knew how Miranda worked. She would threaten all she could, but never once would she carry out her dirty work herself. "Word got around that you got Nick on probation for a year. Now what the f*ck did you do to get him into that shit?" her sentence was not phrased as a question. The rest of the group began to advance at my silence. I bit my lower lip in caution. At the first break in their human wall, I slipped through them and ran out onto the beach. I heard Trey start to come after me, but Miranda's authority held him back. "No, let her go. We'll be around to find her again." Although I was no longer being pursued, I continued running until I came to the pier. Seeking refuge under it, I sat upon one of the many rocks residing beneath the old wooden structure. My heart was heavy. I wasn't sure if it had always felt like this, or if my conscience was just bearing more than usual. I had lost the only friends I ever made, and it wasn't like I had a real family to miss, but I longed for one nonetheless. Everywhere I looked in my life I saw either failure or an empty gap. The only thing complete was my relationship with Taylor. I felt my breathing begin to intesify and my chest heave with each new breath. I sprung off of my perch, hurling the surrounding stones into the water, letting out frustrated cries of anger with each throw. My legs buckled from dispair, landing me in the wet sand, joined only by my tears.