The Jersey Girl

THE LAKE SCENE

**THE LAKE SCENE**

I wake up bright and early, probably around six in the morning. Nobody else is awake except for me. I throw on my bikini, with some shorts and a see-through tank top for a cover. I eat a banana for breakfast, throw my hair up into a ponytail, grab my shoulder bag, and slip on my flip flops.

“Where are you going?”

My hand is barely touching the door knob when his voice cracks the silence. I turn my body halfway. He’s standing next to his door, yawning, his brown hair all messed up. He’s not wearing a shirt, just checkered pajama pants. I keep my voice steady and my eyes trained on his. “Out.”

“But where?” He repeats, stretching his arms out. I think for a quick second that he’s trying to distract me, but I’m not going to let it get to me.

“To the lake, I don’t know. Why do you care?”

“I don’t,” He snorts, walking over to the kitchen. “Everybody is going to be asking where the hell you went, so I’ll fill them in. You don’t tell anybody anything, Pia.”

It’s true. I keep to myself. “Whatever.”

I shut the front door quietly and walk down the porch steps. I stop, looking first at the lake down the hill and then the forest to the left. Which one do I pick? I take a step to the left, hesitating, before I consider the lake. If I hurt myself in the forest, I don’t have my phone with me, so that’s not a very good idea. At least there will be people at the lake.

I turn back towards the lake. My eyes avert to the open window on the cabin. Scene’s staring at me all the way from the kitchen. My cheeks turn red and I scurry down the hill, not wanting to be watched.

There’s few people here at six in the morning. A couple people fishing down at the dock, barely anybody swimming. I sigh in relaxation, sliding my flip flops off to feel the sand in between my toes. It’s such a soft, warm feeling that I don’t ever want to leave. I could live here forever and ever.

I slide my flip flops back on, forcing myself to continue on my journey. There’s a nice little swing hooked onto a tree not too far ahead. It’s facing the lake and where the sun is rising. I smile and head over to it, sitting down on the comfortable swing. I pull out Divergent and flip to any page, having already read this before.

My eyes keep averting up to the sky every two minutes. The sun rises more and more, shining brightly. As it continues to rise, more life comes outside. Families riding boats in the lake, people jumping in, tanning, everything. It’s like a perfect paradise. I get so lost in my book and watching social activity that I don’t realize a little girl staring at me with wide eyes a few feet ahead.

She’s trying to hide herself behind a tree, but it’s failing miserably. She’s staring at me with a pout. I smile at her; she gives a mini gasp and ducks more behind the tree. I chuckle, closing my book and stuffing it back into my bag. “Hello?”

Her soft, curly brown hair peeks over. “Hi.”