Tides

Instead of going to New York, Hawaii, or even London for summer break, I sit in a old rusty beat up truck. With springs poking out of the seats and the back windows permanently stay up. The only window that opens is the one of the driver's side. Which Jason keeps half open, high enough to keep the dust from the dirt road from seeping into the car. Through the corner of my eye I can see cheeks rising as he looks over at me and starts to chuckle. "This isn't funny" I say resting my head on the only soft spot of the truck, while crossing my arms. "Yes. It is" his chuckle starts to turn into a laugh, "your making it feel like this drive, is your last drive of freedom to prison, instead you're just going to Scarlett lake" his eyes dig holes into my side, but he still laughs. Blowing hair from my froehead, just going to Scarlette lake? i think. i let out a low scowl, which only makes him laugh harder.

Scarlett lake, isn't a lake named after Scarlett Johansson or a lake named after the beautiful red gem. It was just a lake named Scarlett.The lake squished between Idaho and Utah, almost the middle of nowhere, where there are more dirt roads than regular. It is about 2 hours away from the nearest town and four hours away from the nearest Mc Donald's. the lake was known for its saluted and beautiful mountains, some people live in the lake houses and take the two hour ride into the small town for work and school, like my family dose. Others who are normal people, only visit the lake during the summer or during winter for school breaks. The only other people living there full time like my family , are old people, who have long retired and the Swedish family who run the tiny market fifteen minutes away from the lake community, by foot. On summer days the shop smells like old milk and the man sits at the counter waiting for you to buy something, he is always smiling.

After a few moments of silence I look over at Jason, who's eye brows wrinkle as he focuses on the road, sometimes, twisting the fat silver ring on his ring finger. I try to remember the brother I had who came to visit this place every summer, long after I stop wanting to go. The brother who was 4 years older than me and taught me how to ride a bike, how to stand up to bullies and how to build a paper airplane. He started to change more after High school and when he met Christina, a girl who worked in the town two hours away from Scarlett Lake. She was going to college 6 hours away in Salt Lake. She was smart, beautiful, and after three years of dating when Jason said he was marrying her, everything in his life seemed perfect and after his wife gradated, he convinced her to move to the one place he felt more at home. Scarlett lake. When Jason sees me looking at him, he smiles. "you know its changed a lot Becca, last time you where there was ten years ago" "oh really?" I say trying to chew my own pity away "yeah, a lot of the old people moved out as the families came in, remember that crazy old couple with the dog? The one with the lazy eye? They moved out a few years ago, sold it to my and Chrissy" I try to picture the old crazy couple, but all I remember it's the stinky old dog, they would let roam around the whole park. "All I remember is the dog" "no wonder that thing used to freak you out, mainly because it chased you when you ran away from it" a faint memory in the back of my mind plays out and makes me laugh, " I hated that dog" suddenly we both burst out laughing, so much that Jason started to swerve, "eh! No funny jokes to the driver!" I know he was trying to be serious but the smirk on his lips was unbeatable. "there's also a flower garden April and Jon made out back for Nanna, you should check it out" the thought of nanna made my heart twist in knots, when she died my world shattered, it didnt help that we were here when we got the call that she passed away. "yeah, maybe".

As the road suddenly started to smooth, showing we were on normal roads again. Maybe it wasn't paradise, but it had my brother. I started to smile, one of my rare smiles "see, there's a Becca smile, your going to be fine, I promise This will be a fun summer and I won't let Maggie near you with hair dye" I once again burst out laughing, Maggie my eldest cousin for the last 4 years has been dying her hair a bright neon purple, that fades easily because it was the ceap kind from the key market. looking a head on the road it seemed like we where the only ones driving it for hours. turning on my phone, i stetch to find signal, without luck. "you wont find any signal tell we get into town, and even there its tricky" three months without any communication with the outside world? i drop my phone in my purse, exactly why my parents sent me here. i bring my knees to my chest and hug them, letting the silence fill the car again. As the smooth roads Suddenly become dull and bumpy again, my bitter mood shifts in again.