That Summer

Short Story 2

Chapter 1

The sun blinds me as my dad drives down the highway. I always looked forward to our summer vacation at our beach house. It was a good release for me since my jerk boyfriend broke up with me. The reason was I wasn’t as cute as the new girl he decided to date. A real class act, I know. My brother was busy playing video games on his portable console. He wasn’t much younger than me, but he hasn’t had a girlfriend yet. I guess there was no rush. I should realize how relationships can go south in a second. “Are you excited for the beach?” My mother chirped. “Yeah.” I tried to sound neutral as I could.The excitement could not be contained even with my best efforts. I couldn’t help but smile. I was really looking forward to this. If my mom didn’t have too many preplanned activities that is. I really just enjoyed staying on the beach and visiting the nearby town. All while scoping out the cute boys. I didn’t have a boyfriend anymore so why not find someone down here. Long distance probably wouldn’t work to be honest. Scratch the idea. I pictured a line going straight through the word boys. I scrunched up my face at the thought of my ex that flashed through my mind. “You okay?” My brother said. He actually sounded concerned. “Yeah. I am.” I replied as quick as I could. “Good, you don’t want your face stuck like that.” He said in his iconic mocking tone. I stick my tongue out at him. His favorite thing was to annoy me. I swear it, it had to be. “Don’t fight you two.” My mom chimed in. I sighed and turned to look out the car window. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon. It was beautiful. I wish we had gotten here earlier so I could enjoy more of the day. At least we were going to stay a whole month. With college coming up next semester my family wanted to spend as much time together as possible. I applied to plenty of different colleges and I got into every single one. I was pretty proud of myself for that. We were finally nearing the beachside town. Pulling up into the driveway I was intoxicated with the smell of ocean air. “Alright everyone we’re here.” My dad announced like we haven’t been here a million times. Well maybe not that many, but still. I pulled my hair out of the ponytail I had set it in and let it hang down my back. The auburn color of it glistening in the sun. I was sometimes made fun of being a red head when I was younger, but it didn’t bother me anymore. My dad was already unloading things out of the back. He set my pink suitcase on the ground. Then my brother got out his banged up one with scuff marks on it. I always wondered why he didn’t get a new one. He always just shrugged it off when I mentioned it. It didn’t matter anyways. His choice. “Where are my keys, honey?” My mom answered dad with a look in the usual “look in your pockets.” He started to pat down his jacket and pants. My dad was one of those people who had to have lots of pockets. It didn’t help that he lost stuff constantly. “I got em.” The keys jangled in my little brothers hand. “They were on the pavement. You should watch where you put things.” My little brother jokingly said. It wouldn’t have been annoying if he didn’t have a smug smirk plastered on his face. My dad gave him the side eye and in turn I also rolled my eyes. He could be annoying sometimes. Actually it was most of the time. My dad turned the lock to the door and we stepped in. Once the light was turned on the familiarity of the place warmed up my heart. Mom loved decorating the place in cliche beach memorabilia. The anchors, starfish, and of course the beach themed decorative pillows. The couch was also a ocean blue. My dad always hated the idea of theming things. But, he was fine with it since my mother loved it. Every birthday party since we were little had to be themed. I can still remember my princess themed party with Cinderella. She was my favorite princess at the time and everything was blue. The cupcakes, the napkins. She even got a cake featuring Cinderella’s face. I don’t even want to get started on how I had to convince her not to theme my sixteenth birthday celebration. “I’m going to my room.” He said while taking his old looking suitcase with him. At least he didn’t forget to take his games. Last year he forgot them and it was a fiasco in itself. My little brother and his games. They are inseparable. “Alright. Tomorrow I have some family activities for us.” We both groaned simultaneously. It was one thing we had in common. Avoiding my mom’s activities was on our top of things to do list. My mom just liked doing things that weren’t exactly the most fun for teenagers. Well, I did like miniature golf. I would never tell my brother that though, or my mom. “Guys, it’ll be fun. We can go miniature golfing. I know your sister loves it.” I don’t know how my mother picked up on that. She might’ve just been saying that to get us excited anyways. “I’m going to go to my room and unpack.” I said without agreeing to her previous statements. I rolled my cute suitcase to my room. It was just as I remembered it. A little outdated with my tastes, but still nice. The curtains were vertically stripped with pastel pink and white. The bed sheets and comforter had an array of colorful flowers on the front. The part where it got outdated were my princess figurines. I always left them here. It may sound sorta cheesy, but it felt welcoming. Okay maybe it wasn’t cheesy but just weird. I started to unpack the my clothes. The pink dress with the red strawberries on it was my favorite. I couldn’t wait to wear it. My red heeled pumps were in there too. I’m glad I didn’t forget them. They made the outfit look even more fun. I always described my style as flirty and joyful. Cause my outfits always seemed to bring a smile to others faces. I don’t know why I packed this, but I had my lollipop cardigan in here. It was light so I could wear it after dark maybe. I put my jeans in the dresser and hung up the rest of my outfits. “Perfect.” I said to myself proudly. I wasn’t the most organized person, but I tried. I laid down on the bed. I must’ve fell asleep for a bit because I was awoke by my mother telling me they got dinner. It was Cajun crabs from the local seafood restaurant. They were my favorite thing to eat around here. My mouth was already starting to water. My brother came whizzing by me. He couldn’t resist to tease me. “Be careful not to drip the drool all over the floor.” I responded with a death glare. I guess he didn’t know how to be nice. My mom set a huge crab leg on my plate. At that I decided it was time to start cracking. With a little bit of effort I got to taste the sweet crabmeat in my mouth. I kept dipping it generously in butter. This was heaven. I couldn’t wait to walk down to the beach tomorrow. I probably would have a hard time sleeping tonight with all this excitement building up in me. I finished up the food and got ready for bed.

Chapter 2

I surprised myself and fell asleep very quickly last night. Must’ve been the good food I thought. Luckily I got up early and was brimming with energy. Today we were going to play mini golf. I hated to admit it, but I was excited. They didn’t exactly have a lot of places back where I lived. The one we were going to was pirate themed. I looked at my phone and saw I had a few messages. They were all from my close friends asking me if I made it here safe. I responded and apologized for not letting them know sooner. I barely checked my phone yesterday evening at all. We were going to have a quick breakfast at a local pancake restaurant. My parents didn’t have the time to go to the grocery store yet to stock up on some items. We’re on vacation, so we might as well eat out. If I had it my way we would eat out for every meal. At least we usually always had dinner at a restaurant and not at home. I quickly ran to the bathroom before my brother got in. I wanted to take a long, hot shower. I had already grabbed my shampoo, and conditioner from my bag. I stepped in and turned on the water. It was just the right temperature. I didn’t even need to adjust it that much. I could hear my family outside the bathroom door. They were talking about the plans for today. My mom was always full of energy in the morning. She was also super loud too. I finished getting ready and made my way to the kitchen. They were all gathered around discussing the plans. My brother whooshed past me all while saying. “You could’ve taken a shower later. I had to go!” “Sorry.” I yelled back. “It’s nice to see you up early. That outfit is really cute .” My mom said. I didn’t like the fact that my mom thought it was “cute.” I wore dark washed shorts and a tank top with pineapples with sunglasses on it. Some people would say my fashion sense is immature. But I couldn’t care less. My brother finally came out of the bathroom and sauntered his way into the living room. I guess he didn’t really care for whatever the plans were. “So, I was thinking after we play mini golf we could do some sightseeing.” My brother audibly sighed. “How about we go to the beach after. Plus, I’m hungry. Can’t we discuss it over breakfast?” I couldn’t argue my brother over that. My stomach was starting to growl. My dad seemed to agree as well. “Alright. Let’s eat and then talk.” My mom said acting exasperated. We all left the house and got in the car soon after. After arriving and taking our seats at the diner I noticed the table was a little sticky. They probably didn’t clean off the syrup well enough. I looked at the menu and decided to order the blueberry pancakes. Those pancakes sounded really good. I hope they looked like the picture on the menu. Wishful thinking I know, but I crossed my fingers. My brother on the other hand ordered chicken tenders for breakfast. He really never ate what you would call a “normal” meal for the morning. My mom used to have a problem with it, but got over it eventually. The order came and the pancakes looked nothing like the picture but they tasted good. That’s what really mattered. My brother dunked his tenders into the honey mustard. Literally slathering them with the sauce. I doubt he could taste the chicken. “I had some more plans for the day, but I’ll let you guys choose what you want to do. You’re old enough.” My mom looked a little saddened at what she just said. I guess realizing we were growing up and starting to leave the house made her feel that way. “Thanks. I’ll come back and visit as much as I can during the holidays.” She smiled at my response. “I know you’re going off to college soon. I’ll just miss you that all.” My brother cut in. “Well, at least I’ll still be at the house.” “Oh, honey. I’m so happy you’re still going to be with us.” She made it sound like I was going off to war or something. My parents finished their food soon after us. They paid the bill and we left for our golf outing. If you could call it that. I always got a little competitive during this time. My brother would get so annoyed at me, but I wanted him to play fair. I sucked all the fun out of it he would say. I jumped out of the car as soon as we parked. Maybe just a little too excited. The door jangled when we opened it. They put bells on the handles to let them know people were here. “Hello, here to play mini golf I presume.” As if we were here for any other reason. “Yeah. There’s for of us.” The man must’ve been in his late forties. He already had some male pattern baldness forming. “Alright.” He said in a grumpy attitude and rang us up. “Head on outside. They’ll get you the balls and clubs.” We followed instructions and walked outside. There were two young guys there. The one with the short haircut looked really cute. I blushed. Thankfully my brother didn’t notice. He would make it extremely embarrassing. My family walked up and I stayed behind. The one with the slightly longer hair gave my parents the clubs and balls. I was the last up as my family started for the first course. The really cute one was the one to give me the golf ball. “What size club do you want.” she said. Well, I thought this person was a guy, but it turned out it was a girl. For some reason I couldn’t stop feeling flustered. “Uh, the normal size.” I said. “Alright, I think I can do that.” She hands everything I need. “What’s your name?” She asks. It surprised me. Why would she ask for my name. Is she hitting on me? I pushed the idea to the back of my mind and said “Aubrey.” “Oh cool. I’m Jessica.” She said smoothly. I thought that she seemed like one of those people who could make you fall for them with just one word. What was I thinking? She’s a girl. I started to realize that maybe it didn’t matter. I reacted just the same. Startled at this I say “Nice to meet you. See you later.” I tried to be as causal as possible as I walked back to my family. “Took you long enough.” My brother said. He was clearly annoyed. “We already went. Your turn.” I eyed the center down and putted. “Yes!” I shouted a little too loudly. I had gotten a hole in one. “I got the score card.” My mom assured me. The game was on. We finally reached the pirate ship with me in the lead. This was now or nothing. My brother wasn’t too far behind. He had gotten surprisingly competitive as well. I eyed the position of the hole in the course. I situated myself and swung. I didn’t get a hole in one. Not even close. My brother scoffed. “Watch this.” He said smugly. With a quick movement he swung the club forward. The funny thing was he did worse than me. I tried to stifle a laugh. I failed. Dad and mom took their turns. While they did better than the two of us. They had a ways to go. We kept going until we all made it in. We turned in our clubs while my mom tallied the scores. The girl wasn’t here at the moment. Maybe her shift ended. “I’m hungry. Where are we going to have dinner at?” “Dinner?” I questioned him. “We already planned lunch earlier if you were listening.” “Oh, my fault.” I was perplexed at how lunch was already planned without me knowing. Shouldn’t I be part of that? We got here shortly after we ate. And it was already one o’clock. I wanted to go for another round. “Aubrey won!” My mom exclaimed. I felt a surge of pride fill me. “Whatever. She won last year.” My brother said begrudgingly. It was unexpected for him to care this much. Or at least seem to. I decided to comfort him. “You’ll win next year.” “Uh-huh.” He said while half listening. “Where are we having lunch at?” “Sorry sweetheart. We shouldn’t of picked a place without you.” My mom apologized. “We’re going to a burger joint. My pick.” He triumphantly said. “Okay.” I didn’t care as long as the food was good. The place was filled with a bunch of older people and college students. What a mix was all I could think at the sight. The local state university wasn’t too far from here. I was going to pick that school, but I decided against it. I chose one closer to my family. Mostly to appease my mom. Also, for my major. They had a great nursing program. I always wanted to be a pediatric nurse. I just felt I was good with children. Maybe this would be a great chance for me to learn about different subjects. It wasn’t known for being a party school. I got lost in my thoughts till my brother asked me what I wanted. “I’ll have a cheeseburger.” I said on impulse. Wasn’t the worst choice I could’ve picked. “And to drink?” The man behind the counter asked with a grimace. “I would like some fruit punch.” He looked at me strangely. Maybe people got soda around here with their burgers. We picked up our order and chowed down. “So, who was that guy you were talking to?” My brother started. I guess he did notice all along. “First off. She wasn’t a guy. And second off all we didn’t talk that much.” It took his brain a minute to compute what I had just said. “Oh. Okay.” Was all he said. We finished up our meals and went sightseeing for a while. Then we thought of getting pre dinner ice cream. The best thing about vacation.

Chapter 3

We pulled up into the parking lot. Turns out there were a lot of people wanting ice cream. It took us awhile to find a spot. This was one of the best ice cream shops around here. I got out and made my way in line while my family took their time. Making my way through the crowd I spotted a familiar face. It was the girl who was working at the mini golf course. She looked back and saw me. She smiled and I started to melt. What the hell was going on? “Hey.” She motioned for me to come over. “I have a question. Are you stalking me?” “What! No!” I stuttered in complete shock. How could she think that. “I know you’re here with your family. I was just kidding.” Jessica said as she patted me on the back. “Oh, I thought you were serious.” I said still flustered. “No, sorry. I didn’t mean to get you worked up.” “It’s okay. I mean it.” She grinned at me again. I felt my heart do a flip. I don’t think I ever had a crush on a girl. Well, there was this one time I thought a girl was pretty when I was younger. Though, it was never like this. My family appeared behind me. “You’re the girl that was working at the golf place.” He said. He was just as surprised to see her here as I was. “Want to join us for dinner?” I said without thinking. “Oh, have you two become friends already?” My mom asked. “You’re welcome to come. Our treat.” My father offered. She looked unsure. My brother than convinced her with “Free food, why not come?” “Sure.” She said awkwardly. We all went up to get our ice cream. I can’t believe I asked that. I wanted to pound my head against the stone bench next to me. Not a great idea in my opinion, but it could knock some sense into me. Once we all got our ice cream and finished it we hoped into the car. I could only imagine how nerve wracking this could be. Getting into a stranger’s car was a big stranger danger lesson. She sat next to me. “So, you like mint chocolate chip ice cream?” He said to cut the tension. “You’re her brother right?” She said not answering the question. “Yeah? It’s not an easy job. You got to deal with her on a daily basis.” I rolled my eyes at that comment. “Doesn’t seem too bad. Aubrey comes off as a nice girl.” Not too bad. I’ll take it. I snuck a glance at her. She was busy talking to my brother so she didn’t notice. She was so pretty in a tomboyish kind of way. I wished that I was the one to strike up the conversation. But conversing with others I just recently met wasn’t my strongest trait. We sat down at the table as soon as we arrived. It was crowded so we were lucky my parents had made a reservation beforehand. And even more fortunate they gave us a table that could fit six. “This place is really nice. I like the cloth napkins. Jessica said as she unwrapped it and took out her utensils. “I don’t have enough money with me to pay for this place. Are you sure it’s okay to pay for me?” My parents reassured her and we all fell into conversation. “So, do you guys live around here?” “No, we have a vacation home near the beach. My wife is the one who picked it out and we’ve had it ever since.” “That sounds nice. I don’t get to go on vacations that much. I’ve been saving up for college.” I was lucky enough that my parents had already taken care of that. I did get scholarships for my academics, but it didn’t pay for it all. “That is very responsible of you.” My mother beamed at her. The waiter came by and took our orders. “Get whatever you want.” We all said in unison. My brother was being on his best behavior. He was always like this when someone new was around. She ended up getting one of the cheapest dinners. It was a fettuccine with shrimp. Nonetheless it sounded delicious. I decided to get the lobster bisque and lobster tails with a petite filet mignon. I was going all out tonight. When the food came Jessica’s eyes opened wide. “This is a lot of food. I’ll be taking some home. That’s a fact.” She said. My steak was just the way I wanted it. With a bloody pink center and a crispy outside. The soup came with the meal not before which was different. We ate until we were too stuffed to eat anymore. It wasn’t a surprise that my brother finished it all. I didn’t blame him, this was great. We got the boxes and began packing up the food to go. As soon as we stepped out from the seafood restaurant she made her way down the sidewalk. It was the opposite way to the parking lot. “We’ll give you a ride home. I don’t want you walking home alone in the dark.” My mom intervened. Before Jessica could deny the invitation I decided to talk. “My mom is right. Come with us. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you. Not that anything would, just it’s best to be careful.” She nodded and came along. “Where do you live?” “I’ll give you the directions. I live closer to the other side of downtown. Where the factories used to be.” I was surprised she wanted to walk there in the dark. The neighborhood didn’t have the best reputation. We finally arrived at her house. It was the nicest on the street. “Thanks. Catch you later Aubrey.” “Oh, can I have your phone number.” I asked. “Sure.” I typed it in my phone as if it was the most precious thing in the world. “Text me. We can hang out whenever. Well, on the weekends mostly. I work during the weekdays.” “Okay sounds good.” We waited until she got into the house. An older woman opened the door. I assumed it was her mother. I can’t deny that I had fun tonight.

Chapter 4

She texted me last night while I was asleep. I finished the reply to my friend and went straight to read what she had said. She asked if I wanted to hang out some more today. Well, that was quick. She was definitely getting my hopes up. She didn’t even know I liked her. I even didn’t know if she was interested in girls. If she was straight I would probably freak her out by asking her out. It was best to keep it to myself at the moment. I walked out of the bedroom in my purple pajamas. They had little white stars on them. This made them look like a violet night sky. Of course everyone was up before me. I should really put on an alarm so I wouldn’t get up so late. It was almost noon. I didn’t go to bed too late, so I really couldn’t figure out why I woke up at this time. I was always a heavy sleeper and could sleep forever. “Get a good night sleep?” My dad asked. “Yes.” I mumbled the answer. “I’m surprised you could sleep that long.” He said. There was no hint of mockery in his voice for once. “Yeah, I can literally sleep forever.” I poured myself a cup of coffee. Sugar and creamer were a must for this. Drinking it black tasted terrible. “That fiend you brought with us yesterday was so sweet. I wish she would’ve ordered some more food.” “Mom, she ordered a gigantic bowl of pasta. I think that’s enough.” I said all while defending her. “Okay. I was just saying my opinion. No need to get upset.” I didn’t realize how defensive I had sounded. My goal wasn’t to be rude. “She invited me hang out today. Do you mind if I go?” “Yeah, sure. What time are you going? Do you need a ride?” “No, we’re just going to the beach. She’s going to meet me there around one. I just need to pack a towel and some sunscreen.” My brother looked at me like he was trying to figure out a puzzle. “I’ve never seen you make a friend this quick. Interesting.” He stroked his imaginary goatee. “Yeah, okay. Don’t be rude.” I knew he couldn’t go a morning without a comment. There was no point on wearing makeup since the water would just wash it away. I combed my hair and grabbed my swimsuit and packed a towel with a cute puppy dog on it. Sprayed some sunscreen on and was ready to go. I would probably be slightly late. Hoping I would be on time at this point would be pointless. I said goodbye to everyone and walked out the door. My flip flops sounded behind me.

Chapter 5

I arrived at the beach in my frilly swimsuit. It was a bikini with white polka dots and a navy blue background. I thought it was cute. Maybe not the best one to attract someone. It was better I be myself anyways. Pretending to be someone else wasn’t a good idea. It would just lead to heartbreak later down the road. Thinking of jumping into a relationship again so soon didn’t seem like the best idea either. Also, I’m still trying to understand what attracted me to her. “Hey.” Jessica waved at me to come over. “Hey.” I say back. She was wearing swimming trunks and a black tank top. The shorts had green leaves on them and they matched the background of the top. It was a little charming to me. Flicks of her blonde hair blew in the wind. It reminded me of one of my fantasy novel’s character. When the author described her hair as being spun gold. I must’ve been staring too long because she looked back at me amused. “Are you okay?” “Yeah.” I tried to brush it off. We walked along in the sand. I had already taken off my flip flops as my toes fell into the sand with each step. It felt nice. The sun beating down on my back barely bothered me at all. Side by side we laid our beach towels on the ground. “Cute puppy towel. It really suits you.” “Oh, thanks.” I wasn’t sure what she meant by it suits me. She must’ve of read my facial expression because she explained herself. “I mean you’re cute.” Oh my god. Did she just call me cute? “Thanks.” I stammered. I was never this bad with guys. What was going on with me? She smiled like she could cast a beautiful enchantment on me with ease. Well in all reality she was already doing that. We waded in the ocean and collected seashells. I found a really pretty one with white specks. She didn’t seem to have as much luck as me. We laughed and talked about our families. It was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. “Do you like me?” The sudden question made my head spin. “I mean would you want to date me? Of course you like me, or you wouldn’t be here. I just mean in a romantic way.”She awkwardly laughed. Did I like her in that way. I wanted to pretend I didn’t. My family and friends didn’t even know I was interested in girls. Up until recently I wasn’t exactly so sure. Maybe I had always liked the same sex and never realized it. But I also liked guys. Maybe that made me bisexual. I heard that term being said before. “I think I do. You’re really pretty. And I really enjoyed hanging out with you today.” “Wow, I never was called pretty before. Well, not in a long time. I got called that when I was little and feminine. Now I guess I’m too masculine to be called that.” “That’s not true. You are so pretty.” I butted in before she could degrade herself anymore. “Actually, I like you too Aubrey.” “You do?” That was a little bit of a relief. “Yeah. I don’t know if you have ever been with a girl before.” I replied with a head shake. I couldn’t get my mouth to construct a sentence that wouldn’t sound like gibberish. “Well, are you willing to be with me? Does your family know you like girls? My family knows, but they sorta refuse to accept it. They pretend it doesn’t exist and I’ll end up with a guy at some point. It’s just stupid.” That stirred me up. How could her family not accept her? It made me worry my family would be the same way. “That’s stupid they can’t accept you!” I said angry a them. “Yeah, I agree.” Jessica looked like she was on the verge of tears. I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a tight squeeze. “You’re sweet. I love how accepting and enjoyable you are to be around.” “Thanks.” That was all I could think of to say at that very moment. “If you want to you can kiss me.” It seemed like every drop of blood in my body swept itself up to my face. My cheeks warmed. “I would like to.” I kissed her softly. But then she decided to go a little rougher. Almost as it was filled with longing and lust. I had to pull away from embarrassment. I wasn’t used to this. I was afraid I’d get a nose bleed like one of those anime characters. “Did you not like it?” “I did. I just wasn’t expecting it to go in that direction.” “Sorry, I got a little excited.” I brushed my hair out my face and turned to see my brother standing behind us. His eyes almost bulging out of his head. “Jacob! What are you doing here?” “Mom asked me to check up on you. It’s getting sorta late now. I wasn’t expecting to walk in on a make out scene.” With that even Jessica blushed. Tinges of pink mixed into her tanned cheeks. I stood up abruptly while brushing off the sand on my legs. “You should go with your brother.” Jessica looked like she was being punched in the gut. I don’t know what she was thinking at the moment but it must’ve been too good. I couldn’t stand to let her look that way. “Call me. okay?” “Do you need a ride home?” We both asked her. When did we start saying stuff in unison? Or have the same ideas? “I’m good. I’ll start walking back before it gets dark. Don’t worry about me.” She packed up her belongings and started to head out. “I’ll see you later.” She said. That lifted my heart that was beginning to feel heavy. I felt a twinge of hope that this wasn’t over. My brother looked at Jessica walk down the sidewalk and then disappear down the street. “So, the two of you are dating?” “Yeah. Or at least I’m trying to.” He snorted. “It didn’t look like you were just trying.” “I’m just nervous about telling our parents. What if they don’t accept me?” Their was a concerned look in his eyes that I could tell was genuine. “They’re not going to have a problem with it. Our parents could care less who you date as long as their nice” “I hope.” Was all I said before we walked off in silence. The sound of the crashing waves drifting further away. When we finally got home he tapped me by the shoulder. “Do you like this girl?” “Yes!” “Then you better tell our parents. You don’t want to wait longer than you have to.” He looked me sternly in the eyes. “There’s nothing to worry about. Trust me.” “Thanks.” I swung the door open and saw my mother sitting at the dining room table. “I was worried about you. It’s not good to stay out late. It could be dangerous.” She looked behind us. “Where’s Jessica?” “She walked home.” “Jacob! How could you let her go home alone. You should of least walked with her. It’s dangerous.” She kept going on how much crime there is everywhere. I finally cut her off. “There’s something I need to tell you. It’s really serious.” “Oh, my god. Did something happen?” “No, but we need to talk.”

Chapter 6

“I like girl. Please accept it.” My lip quivered as I sat there pouring my heart out. My mom came over and hugged me from behind. “I don’t mind if you date a girl. Whether you like a guy or a girl doesn’t matter in our eyes. It doesn’t matter to your father as well. I just don’t want your heart broken over this long distance relationship.” My brother stood up for me. “She’s going to get her heart broken a lot. It’s best to give her a chance to date her.” My mom looked stunned at such wise advice coming from her teenage son. “That’s true. When did you get so wise.” She ruffled his hair. “Mom. Stop.” I decided to text Jessica and tell her that we needed to talk. I also said added good news at the end. I hoped she knew what that meant. I’d rather talk about it in person.

Chapter 7

Daybreak finally came. My dad had come back last night and repeated the same thing my said last night. I felt light knowing that this was going to work out. I took a long hot shower. Today we were going to meet and get ice cream. The place opened up early so I grabbed a quick bite to eat. A piece of toast with jelly did the trick. I thanked my brother last night and today. He acted like it was no big deal to support me. He had no idea how important it was. I checked my phone. My mom was going to drive me down and park in the lot while I spoke to her. When we got there I saw Jessica holding her head in the hands that brushed my cheek just yesterday. She looked exhausted and nervous. I should’ve just told her what my family said. I’m such an idiot. “Go get out and make sure she’s okay. She’s your girlfriend.” My mom scolded. This time it felt nice. I opened the door and jumped out. She saw me and tears started to well up in her eyes. “It’s okay.” I said running towards to her as fast as I could without tripping. I was rather clumsy sometimes and it would make the situation worsen. “What’s okay?” “My parents approved of our relationship. And I can’t just let you go. You’re amazing. I’ve only known you for such a short time, but it’s been wonderful.” I consoled her. She began to sob. “My last girlfriend decided she didn’t want to come out and dumped me. She told me it was disgusting that I wanted to be with a girl.” “There’s nothing disgusting about it. You love who you love.” I soothed. When she calmed down I pecked her cheek and my mother came out of the car. “Are you okay? I wanted to give you guys some space. But you were crying and I just couldn’t stand in there and watch any longer.” “I’m fine.” She sniffled. Her nose was starting to run. “Here.” Jessica wiped her face. Her eyes were slightly swollen from crying so hard. “Let’s have lunch together. Just the three of us if that’s okay with you?” “Yeah. It is.” That’s how our day went from to a rocky start to an amazing afternoon. And when I say amazing I mean amazing. We talked about our plans for the future. It was nice hearing what she wanted as a career and more. When I finally got home and texted my friends I had a girlfriend and explained to them how I realized I was bisexual. Thankfully all of them were accepting. And the summer days went by fast.

Chapter 8

Summer vacation was over and it was time to head home. We finished packing up everything and hauling it out to the car. I found out we were both going to the same college. We planned to meet up there and maybe be roommates. The opportunity was filled with promise. Now we were going to still be together. No long distance. There’s one thought that ran through my mind and it filled me with comfort. And it was that it wasn’t the end of our story. Just the beginning.