Summer Love

2

Day two of vacation couldn't be better. Today was the day I would be hiking up the rocky terrain to the active volcano on the island. Sure, the temperature had dropped a little from yesterday, but that's probably also from being so high right now. In my shorts and pale pink t-shirt. I slipped on my jacket and trudged farther away from civilization. I snapped a few pictures here and there along the way because the scenery was just too captivating. "Isn't it all that I told you and more?" I smiled and joined Jo on the edge so that we could look down at the molten lava, "Indeed it is quite astonishing." She pulled me aside when a small crack opened up beside my foot and began slowly oozing, the hot melted rock soon hardening once the cool air hit it. I didn't know anything else to say but wow. To know that this doesn't only happen in movies or shows is outstanding to me for some reason. All along I knew it was real, but I guess my mind just couldn't grasp the concept fully until now. "Ready?" I nodded my head, "Yeah, let's get out of here before something bad happens." I began walking back the way we came, but Jo had other plans. "C'mon over here for a minute." Doing as told, I stood beside her on the edge overlooking the marvelous ocean. "How far do you think that jump is?" I glanced down and weighed the outcomes before responding, "Let's do it." It did not look too far, maybe 300 foot? Running over to the abandoned bungalow a little up the pathway, we stripped down to our bathing suits and grabbed two boards that were laying off to the side. Don't get me wrong, I love to be thrilled and adventurous, but this dive has my nerves in a bind and my stomach in a knot. "C'mon, you have done worse." I shrugged my shoulders, I guess I have. Holding hands, we ran over the edge and prepared for the rush of the electrifying water to consume us. I smiled when I went under, the snappy coolness of the clear substance instantly relaxing me from head to toe. I was where I belonged-in the water. Floating peacefully to the surface, I lithely pulled myself on to my surfboard and padded out to sea in anticipation. Today the waves were predicted to be crazy stellar. "Good?" I nodded with a lopsided smile, "Totally."

"That was much needed," I sighed happily and Jo smiled back at me in agreement. "You were fantastic out there, you have to join the contest this weekend!" I glanced over to see Teague's and Nik's father, Samuel, looking in my direction. "Thank you and I plan on it." We walked off and I internally scowled, his whole family makes me sick. Jo booty-bumped me causing me to be freed from my thoughts and we both began to die laughing. "Take a deep breath girl, today is all about you and me. It is one-hundred percent girls day, no boys whatsoever." I grabbed her hand out of nowhere and began running full speed to the ice cream cart, dragging her right along. Buying two drumsticks, we strolled slowly down the coastline and kicked at the water occasionally as we talked mindlessly. I loved days like this, the ones where it is like all of time stops and it's just you and your friends going on and on exchanging laughter for a what feels like a countless number of hours when in reality, it has only been five minutes. "So tell me Lyric, how are things back home?" I smiled, "Things haven't really changed much. I have my temps, that is about it." "How's it feel to finally be driving?" I smiled wide and twirled with my hands in the air like they do in movies for emphasis, "Amazing!" She laughed and so did I, until I accidentally hit someone. "Oh, I am so sorry!" I gushed turning around to see who I hit. "Watch where you are going next time." She turned around to face me and after she saw who I was, she smacked me across the face and it took everything in me not to knock her lights out. "See you this weekend, Lyric. That is, if you don't chicken out." She flipped her hair and walked away, chasing after a group of boys. "Who was that!?" There was a sting on my slightly sunburned face, but it doesn't really matter. She's just mad that I received a brand new car for my birthday and she didn't. It's just perfect that I have to share a birthday with her (Note the sarcasm.) "Annalise Jenkins, my rival." Jo gave me a perplexed look, "What did she mean when she said 'if you don't chicken out'?" I took a deep breath, "Last time we were up against one another, it was down to just me and her until Mom got a call saying that Granny Fran, you know the one who lives right on the coastline of Imperial Beach, had passed out from a bleed in her brain. Even though I hated to, I had to forfeit the competition so that we drive out there as quick as we could. Ever since then, Annalise has been trying to convince everyone that I was too afraid of losing so I quit, but it didn't do anything. Everyone knows what happened, they all came on different days throughout the two weeks that she was in ICU. They came to check to see how I was handling things and if my family or I needed anything. The whole school had my back and I couldn't have been more appreciative." By this point, we had reached the end of the beach and were on our way to go retrieve our clothes and belongings out of the vacant little home, then on to deposit the boards back that we borrowed. "You coming?" I shake my head no, "I'm just going to hang out here for a while, go on I will be there shortly."

I begin a second journey to the pier hoping to run in to Amherst again. When I told her that we could play today, I never thought about asking about where to meet them. Spotting Devon walking in with the tide, I strolled up to him. "Hey, Lyric right?" He sat his board down and greeted me. Him and his sister seem to be the only decent ones of the family. "Yeah, that's a mighty fine board you got there." He smiles and thanks me, "My sister should be back any moment if that's who you came over here for." I cannot lie, he does have a nice smile, but I am not really looking for a relationship today or this week. "Hey bro, great job out there." I didn't need to turn around to know the Matthew brothers were behind me. I inwardly smirk when I see the look Devon gives them. I hear Nik curse under his breath and I take that as my cue to turn around. "Oh hey guys," I give them a fake smile, "how you doing?" Nik narrows his eyes at me and Teague glares. I turn back to glance at Devon who is holding back a smile. He finds it funny that the two despise me for the reason they do and so do I, but I dislike them for a similar reason so I really have no room to speak. I turn to face Devon completely, "So where were we?" Just in time, his little sister runs up and hugs my leg. "I knew it, I knew you would come back to play!" Sticking her tongue out at Teague and Nik, her mother and her brother laugh. I crouch down and allow her to climb on my back before standing up straight. "It's nice to see you again, Lyric," Autumn smiles and hugs me, "You two be careful now and have fun."

"Whatcha wanna do, cutie?" She smiles and begins to slip signaling that she wants down. "Can I go surfing with you?" Nik rolls his eyes as I look to Devon to earn his approbation. "Just be careful," He takes the board from Teague and hands it over to me, causing him to scoff. So I walk out in to the water before sitting her on the board and paddling out. "You ever do this with Bubby?" She shakes her head no, "He's always too busy to play with me." She pouts and I poke her cheek knowing that she will laugh. "Oh oh! There's a big one!" She points at the rising water and I smile at her, "You ready?" Going out I stand up on the board and so does she, holding on to my leg just smiling like there is no tomorrow. I steady us until we hit the shore and jump off into the wet sand. "I did it!" She dances around happily and sits back down with me. "You did!" We high-five and I watch as she runs off to grab a shovel and some buckets for a sand castle. "That was pretty cool out there." I look up to see a muscular boy about my age. His eyes were blue like the ocean and his golden hair like the sun. "Thank you," I smile up at him and invite him to take a seat beside me. "Is that your little sister?" I shake my head, "She is one of my friend's sister." She runs back and plops down in front of us, immediately scooping sand into one of her three colorful buckets. "I am Edemona, you are?" He must be from the island, his voice and name are beautiful. "I'm-hey man c'mon our food is ready!" Gabriel interrupts me and stares down at us, "Lyric, what are you doing here?" I shrug, "What does it look like, Gabriel?" He laughs and so do I. "You two know each other?" Edemona glances between us and my identical brother pulls him up to his feet. "Yeah man, she's my twin," I hear him say as they begin walking away. I smile one last time in their direction before filling up a bucket and dumping it to help build the second level of our castle.

"Bye, sweetheart." I hug Amherst one last time and make the journey to the beach house so that I may climb on my bicycle and ride over to the church. I cannot wait for tomorrow, especially the moon and candlelight reception on the beach. Lukas' family was flying in today and should have landed fifteen minutes ago meaning that they shall arrive when I do. I really hope they are congenial, if they are the opposite then I do not think I will be able to stay calm and collected. Leaning my bike in the appropriate spot on a rack outside the door and forthwith a car pulls into the lot. I watch as a girl around my age steps out in overalls and converse. I pay no attention to the others and I stand firm in my place. I wait for her to turn around, hoping that my eyes are not deceiving me. Her long mocha hair with amber highlights blows in her face before she ties it up in a high ponytail and catches sight of me. Her eyes go wide as so do mine before we both run, meeting in the middle with a hug. "I CANNOT BELIEVE IT'S YOU!" We squeal in unison and breakaway from our embrace, locking arms and skipping happily into the church together so that we can sit and catch up. Let me fill you in. Her name is Rosalind Chaves, standing at 5'8" and weighing in at 108 lbs., this girl has been my life-long best friend even after she moved to Texas in grade 7 leaving me alone in a school of nincompoops. "Why are you here!?" I ask once we are seated. "Lukas is my second cousin! Don't tell me his fiancé is your cousin Jo that I have always fantasized about meeting!?" I nod my head and we both squeal again knowing that in less than twenty-four hours we will be relatives by marriage. I think to myself, 'This is going to be the greatest vacation ever.'