The Stars and the Sea #TBBP

e n t r y

Amaara Rao suppressed a sigh as she watched her friends laughing by the beach. While they all looked like they were having a blast, she felt like nothing was going her way. Having always been organized to a fault, the "fun" trip she'd been planning with her friends had been, in her eyes, ruined by the torrential rains. 

"Come on, Amaara," her friend Ravi pleaded, running towards her from the beach. He pouted, and Amaara bit her tongue to stop herself from saying something sarcastic. "Don't be such a Debbie Downer. Yeah, a few bad things happened. So what?" 

Amaara got up, her eyebrows furrowing with distaste. "So what?! Ravi, look at me! My clothes are soaked. My plans for visiting all the famous sites in the city are ruined. I ended up losing my wallet... do you see why I'm upset? And, to top it all, you all seem to be having a complete blast while I wallow in misery."

"More like self-pity," came the voice of another one of her friends, Arohi. By now, the whole group of seven had left the water to see what the commotion was about. "Look, we're just trying to make the best of a bad situation. We can learn to have fun, regardless of the circumstances."

Amaara sighed and stared at the water. The sun had dipped below the horizon, and streaks of dark blue began to paint the sky. 

Even she had to admit the beauty of the ocean- the fact that they were all standing by the shore while the creatures beneath the surface thrived amazed her. "You're right," she sighed. "I'll just go back into the hotel room and change into my swimsuit."

Everyone voiced words of encouragement, and Amaara began jogging towards her room. By the time she was back, there were stars in the night sky. 

Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she spotted something moving, and a soft pitter-patter filled her ears. She bent down to find the source of the noise and saw a small burrow in the sand. A soft gasp escaped her lips as she saw baby turtles scurrying out of it, leaving eggshells behind.

"Guys!" she yelled, and they turned around. "You've got to see  this!"

Her friends rushed towards her, all exclaiming with joy as they saw the adorable sight. The fact she was witnessing this monumental moment- the baby turtles coming to life- made her smile wider than she had in days. 

"It's beautiful," sighed Ravi, inching closer to Amaara. He turned and winked at her. "Still think this was a bad idea?" 

Amaara shook her head as she bent down to pick up a baby turtle, running towards the water so she could put it down- setting it free in the ocean. She watched her friends do the same.

"No way," she said, happily, as she watched the turtle scramble into the water, gently being lifted by the waves. "I think this has been the best vacation ever."