That One Summer

Summary: When Katie was 7 years old, a tragic accident occured, screwing up her whole childhood. For the next 9 years, she refused to talk to anyone who she wasn't close to, and refused to go into the water at the beach. But that one summer, when she turned 17, she met Jacob, a boy who infuriated her to no end. She hates him because of all his questions, she hates him because he made her talk, even if it was just to yell, and she hates him for the way he makes her feel. That one summer... that was the summer she lost herself.

That One Summer

"Where are we going?" I asked my father, taking my navy blue coat and slipping it on over my tiny, seven year old body. It was surprisingly cold for early August, but I didn't mind. Though I prefered summer, I loved to wear my navy coat, that my father had bought for me at the end of last winter. Since it was the end of winter when I got it, I hadn't been able to wear it much, and I had been upset at first, but then spring flew by and then came summer, and I forgot all about my coat while I soaked up the sun and went sailing with my father. It was like our own pass time. No matter where we were during the year, or if we were seperated, father always came home during summer to take me sailing.

My father smiled at me, a smile that was only for me. He never smiled that big at anyone who wasn't me. "We're going sailing, darling." he said.

As soon as he said those words, my whole face lit up with a smile as bright as the sun. Sailing! I jumped up and down in my place where I was by the staircase. "Are we really, daddy, are we really?" I squealed out in my excitement.

He chuckled at my reaction to his words and nodded his head, still smiling. "Yes, dear, we're going sailing again!"

I squealed again, clapping my tiny hands together excitedly. "Yay! Daddy, wait right here!" I called out excitedly as I ran up the first platform of stairs. "I'm going to get my sailing hat!" I heard him chuckle as I disappeared up the stairs, my wavy charcoal black hair blowing past me as I ran. I ran into my room and began tearing it apart, just to find my sailing hat. It was silky, and navy blue, the same color as my jacket, and my skirt. Once I found the hat in the middle of my mess, I slipped it on, and started for the door. Then a shimmer of sparkle caught my eye. I turned towards it curiously, and walked to its spot on a metal hook on my dresser. There it was, in all its glory, a beautiful bracelet. The bracelet had pearls and diamonds going across it in a random pattern, and had plastic light pink beads popping in occassionally. It might not seem too special to any onlooker, but to me, it was an important part of my life. This bracelet was my mother's. She had given it to me before she had died. My fingers unconsciously curled around the bracelet, and before I knew it I had slipped it on my left wrist. I pulled my jacket sleeve back down and smoothed out my blue skirt. I straightened out my white blouse and ran back down the stairs. My father was waiting for me in the same spot I'd left him in.

When he saw me, he smiled and picked up his hat off the coat rack. He looked at me questioningly, as if asking me with his eyes if I was ready to go. I gave him a big smile and a thumbs up, and we both laughed as we walked out the door. We didn't live too far from the beach, so he walked behind me on the sidewalk while I skipped merrily in front of him, him laughing and smiling the whole way. When we reached the beach, he directed me to the peer, where we spotted his sailboat, which he had named 'Little Annie' for my mother and myself, because her name was Annabelle, and my middle name was Annabelle. He held my hand as he helped me into the boat, and he got himself in, then unhooked the rope from the hook. And we were off.

I took my usual spot in the back, where I can watch the sun follow behind us. Dad took his spot behind the wheel. I turned towards him once the peer was out of sight. "Where are we sailing to this time, father?" I asked curiously. We never sailed too far, but we did find interesting places everytime we went out on the boat.