We would arrive there around dusk, and walk along the beach till the last of the fishermen had disappeared. Then we would head to the end of the pier, just to talk about life. Every once in a while we would see boats off in the distance, and we would make up wild stories about the adventures that the people on the boats were having. One time, a fisherman had left something tied to the pier, and we were horrified to pull it up and find a baby hammerhead shark on the line, eaten up by other animals, a huge crab still attached to it as we pulled it up. Another time, we headed there during a storm, in retrospect, a very dangerous and stupid thing to do. The waves crashed high against the pier, and we could actually feel it sway beneath us. We were full of dangerous behavior that day; it was the same time that we shared our first and only kiss, a foolish thing which could have jeopardized the best friendship that I have ever had. It would seem like a fishing pier would be an uncomfortable place to sit and talk, but it was not at all. The wood was old and worn, and it had the feel of satin. Whatever splinters had been on it had been worn away by time and the pounding of the water. The noise of the ocean, rather than being distracting, was lulling; in fact, it seemed to encourage us to talk about the serious things in life. Casey fell in love with someone else first, and when I think the sound of the water made the news easier for me to hear. I had...

The water and the balmy air also made it easier to pretend that Casey was not crying when describing their eventual breakup, and the betrayal of a mutual friend.
I thought that I was the first one to try to bring someone else to the pier to capture the magic. I was much older by then, 17, and Casey was away at college. I had been dating someone for a couple of months, and I just knew that sitting on the pier, we would have magical conversations together. However, it was too cold outside, and the sky did not seem as bright, and I actually got a splinter when I ran my hand along the rail. Instead of a magical evening, the pier was the place for our first fight. After that, I reserved the pier for my time with Casey, or for when I wanted to think and be alone. Then, one time, Casey and I were both dating other people, and the four of us headed out to the pier. We brought along Cranium, snacks, and a few drinks. It was a balmy evening, though it looked like it would be a chilly night. In deference to the newbies, we brought a blanket, and the four of us sat in the light of the moon on the water, playing games and laughing into the night. I am still with that person, and we head to the pier every once in a while. It is there that we have shared our deepest secrets, where we can pretend the water drowns them out, as we get to become the best of friends.