I sat at my kitchen table, Laptop open in front of me, foot up on the chair, pulled close to my chest, my head rested on it. Across from me sat Peyton, and Flo.
"What about Brian Lucas?" Flo suggested biting into one of the freshly baked brownies that were courtesy of my mother. I retch, pretending to puke.
"No way!" I say, typing away on my computer, Facebook open and a stalk session in full blow. After the initial pleasant surprise of our impromptu camping trip, reality hit me hard. Peyton had invited Dave her boyfriend of 2 years (since that first kiss at Nestfield) and Flo had begun to date a boy named Scott who was in his first year of University whom of which she had met through Dave's older brother, naturally Scott was invited and that left one lonely farmer; myself. After over two hours of scrolling through mutual friends on Facebook we came up with zero luck to a third boy to invite.
"This is it! The summer I decide to become a spinster! Buy a few more cats and I'm ready to go!" I yelp standing up hopelessly, reaching for the fat ball of fur that sat on the ground near my feet. "What do you thing Papaya? Would you like a new friend?" I hold the ginger poof in front of me, an annoyed meow escaping her mouth.
"Stop torturing the cat Maeve" My mom says as she enters the room, grocery bags lining her arms. I sigh placing Papaya on the ground at which point she sprints away.
"What do you think, Mrs Walsh? Should Maeve date Brian Lucas?" My mother coughed a little before turning to Peyton who had said the ridiculous statement.
"No dear, I do not think so" I laughed a bit recalling my 6th grade birthday party in which Brian managed to pop the bouncy castle and demolish the food in under 30 minutes. She begins to unload the groceries, and I follow her lead.
"What's this about anyway? Why does Maeve need a boyfriend?" She says unloaded the bags one by one.
"Well... Dave, and I have invited her camping with us, and Flo and her boyfriend and well we just don't want it to be awkward." Peyton says ignoring my frantic yet silent hand gestures for her to shut up.
"Why Maeve that sounds lovely! Dave is such a nice boy" I roll my eyes, opening the fridge and placing a lettuce inside. "Oh Golly Maeve I've just had the best idea!" My mother shrieks pulling out a chair besides Flo, "Your father has just had some clients arrive from America! They have moved here to stay! There son is transferring universities and could really do with some friends, he-" I stop my mother.
"No, no, no! Mum I am not being set up with a boy through a business deal, and American? Honestly?" I sigh taking a seat and helping myself to what might had been my fourth brownie that day.
"Oh come on Maeve! Apparently he is studying literature very smart boy, your father also said he is quite the dreamboat!" I moaned in annoyance.
"What's his name Mrs Walsh?" Flo asks pulling my laptop to face her, I sigh as my mother and Peyton cosy in next to her.
"Urr hmm let me think, Jake, Jack, urr umm Jed! Yes! Jed Peterson!" My mother says delighted with herself.
"Found him!" Flo states proudly. And then silence, I look up and see my mother, Flo and Peyton all of their eyes glued to the screen.
"Your dad was right when he said Dreamboat" Peyton looks up at me her eye brows raised. Flo turns the computer to face me and there sits the profile of a boy, maybe nineteen or twenty, dark brown hair and chocolate eyes, sitting on his page in all his glory.
"Oh" I say quietly looking at the page and then back up at my mother and friends. Silence lingered for a while, I looked at the page where a young man lived, his pictures full of life, his style simple, which didn't seem to match his perplexingly ordinary face. I paused.
"Nope no way" I shut the laptop, standing up. Moans came from the kitchen which I had just left.
"But he's spunky!" My mother shouted to my disgust.
"NOT HAPPENING!" I yell as they catch up to me "I will not be set up as though part of a business deal! I don't even know the boy!" I say in spite of my feelings toward the mysterious figure.
"I'm calling your father!! It'll be all arranged! When do you leave Peyton?" My mother says as I close the door to my room leaving them outside.
"Two weeks" I hear a reply before I turn my music up to bull bore blocking out the events of the evening.
____
Two weeks later and my bag was packed to my mother's joy, Dave was planned to pick us up in his van for the two-hour drive but before they arrived the dreaded had to happen. I sat in my room, doing final check of my outfit before Mr Spunky arrived. I was looking in the mirror when a flash of silver could be seen behind my reflection. I turned around to see an expensive four-wheel drive pulled up on the curb outside my window. A Boyish figure jumped out of the back seat barely having time to pull his bag out with his before the car drove off. He stood facing the place the car had been for a while before turning to look at my house, I couldn't look away fast enough and eye contact was made, an awkward wave was shared and before long my doorbell rung.
"MAEVE! MAEEEVEE! JED IS HERE!" My mother hollered despite the fact I was in a room merely metres from her greeting place. I entered the hallway, walking up to where my mother was stood. "Maeve this is Jed- his dad is a very important friend of your fathers and he has just moved here from the states." My mothers attempt of an introduction was brought short when the phone rang and she was sent steaming down the hallway with an excuse me.
"So..." I say looking at my feet.
"So." He says, his voice was deep and he had the kind of the American accent you hear in movies. The tension got greater as neither of us made eye contact.
"Um.. What part of America are you from?" I look up at him matching his gaze, suddenly aware of the fact he had been looking at me.
"New York" He mutters.
"Cool" I say swinging on my heels, the only noise to be heard, my mothers rampant gossiping to her friend on the phone.
"I'm-" I start at the same time as him "Ur you first" I mutter, he nods at me respectfully. And for a split second I thought maybe this wasn't going to be too bad, I mean he seemed like a nice guy, he was attractive, apparently good taste in music due to his Beatles shirt... and then he started talking.
"Listen, I don't want to be here- just so you know, I not only had to leave my friends and house but now I'm being set up with some girl to go on a camping trip for the whole summer so that our dads stay friendly in business, and my mum doesn't have to worry about me walking in on her pulling the gardener, so quite frankly I'd prefer if you didn't try any small talk" I stood speechless, my mouth open.
"You think I wanted this? Well quite frankly I didn't want to spend 6 weeks in an isolated camping ground with a cocky asshole like you, the only reason I'm doing this is to shut my mother up but honestly right now my mother is looking like Johnny cash compared to you." I finish spitting out as my mother walks in the room. A horn sounds from outside and a smile appears on my mom's face.
"What perfect timing!" She yips like a small dog, I open the door bag in hand, allowing Jed to walk through first.
I wave to Peyton who is standing by the boot of the van waving at me like a maniac, Dave beside her rearranging the suitcases to fit two more. Jed storms ahead without a word to anyone as he chucked his bag in the boot and jumped in the car.
"What's up with Mr dreamy" Peyton Whispered. I shrugged mouthing that I'll tell her later, I knew my mother too well to know it was only safe once out of her earshot.
"BYE MOM" I yelled out of the car window as we pulled away. This better be one hell of a summer.
YOU ARE READING
A Summer With You
Romance"Summer romances end for all kinds of reasons. But when all is said and done, they have one thing in common: They are shooting stars-a spectacular moment of light in the heavens, a fleeting glimpse of eternity. And in a flash, they're gone." - The N...
