The Summer Vacation

The Arrival

Ellie, 17 years old, was drawing. It was summer. Every year during summer vacation his grandma comes for a visit. So he was happy. Earbuds with some alternative rock music made him even more so. They had a lake and a lake house. Their real (residential) house was a little down the street. Right by the lake they had a small two room lodge that Ellie used to call "Lakehouse''.

There was a knock on the door. High volume alternate music didn't let Ellie hear it though. There was a second and a third knock on the door. Then his phone rang and he ran towards the door. It was his grandmother. But there was someone else as well. Someone Ellie has never met before.

"Ellie, my sweet boy. I thought you were busy with some girl."

"I don't have a girl, granny."

"How come a boy like you don't have a girl! I never quite figured out the modern norms. Anyways this is Corey, your aunt Johana's son. He's gonna stay with us for the summer."

Grandma introduced the stranger. Ellie had a question but he stopped himself from asking, "Who's aunt Johana?"

"Where's your mom?"

"Market. She went out to bring your favorites."

"Ah!! That is music to my ears."

The conversation went on until his mother came back and made them lunch. She seemed to be well aware of who aunt Johana is. She was well invested in knowing everything that's been going on with aunt Johana. To be honest Ellie did enjoy the conversation even though he was a complete silent observer.

Ellie had an extra bed in his room. It was his older brother's. But since he moved to college that bed has been empty. Corey was assigned that bed. Ellie was a bit uncomfortable at first to share a room with someone who met just half a day before. But the other choice he had was to sleep on the couch in his own house. Suddenly he didn't feel as uncomfortable as sleeping on the couch. His own bed was way better even though he had to share a room with a stranger.

A week went by. With his grandmother there Ellie was on cloud nine. Over the week Ellie came to know who this aunt Johana really was. He had seen her when he was 7 in his dad's funeral, but never after that. Corey seemed like a good person and his grandmother kept telling how he is the spitting image of his mother. So Ellie thought aunt Johana must have been a nice person as well.

"So, you're an artist?" Corey startled Ellie as he was concentrating on something.

"I wish to be, one day."

"I can see your passion. You're gonna be a great artist."

"I hope that's true. What about you?"

"I don't really know. Maybe I'll follow my father and become a preacher. Doesn't seem to be a hard job."

Another week went by just like that. Small talks here and there made Ellie realize that Corey actually had a mesmerizing personality. No wonder Corey was so popular in his school.