An Unforgettable Summer [on hold]

1:The Process Of Going Insane

CATS POV:
The seatbelt digs into my protruding collarbone as we drive along the windy road.

One earphone blasts Green Day into my brain while the other hangs loose.

Rain patters on the windscreen and the water makes the road wet and scary to drive on. But it also makes the trees on either side of the road beautifully distinctive and bright.

I wish I could take a photo.

I adjust the sleeves of my sweater and look over at my mom, Vivienne Collins.

Once a beautiful woman, now struck with signs of ageing. Creases gather at the corner of her round eyes which become deeper when she smiles. Same goes for the ones at the corners of her thin lips.

Grey streaks mix with the copper hair tied in a long braid down her back. Her dark green eyes have lost their young spark and the corners droop naturally.

Everyone says we look really similar; same waist-length copper hair, same womanly figure, same thin feminine face, same exceptionally long nose.

I look from her face to the road and back at her. She's concentrating awfully hard on the road, carefully manoeuvring her unfocused nature.

She knows I'm angry with her. Why else would she be so quiet? Good, I'm not talking to her anyway.

Just this morning, we had a huge fight. It started off with me trying to get information out of her about where I'm spending my summer...

I had strolled into the kitchen where her back was turned to me, while she doing the dishes. I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and stood there awkwardly for a while, until I plucked up the courage to talk to her.

"So...where exactly am I going while your away?", I had asked.

My voice was nervous with that nagging Australian accent I can't get rid of.

I moved from Australia when I was 10. I'm now 17.

The accent got me a lot of attention at school but I'm the type who's not overly fond on unnecessary attention and it made me more shy than I already was.

I've been in America for seven years now and to be honest, I would love to completely forget about my life in Australia.

When I was 9, my dad passed away from a sudden heart attack in our own house. I remember it like it was yesterday.
**
We were having dinner one night after he had come home from work late and all was well; he was cracking his usual corny dad jokes and mom was laughing at every single one, still smitten with love after 18 years of marriage.

He was just about to tell us another one of his knock-knock jokes and suddenly went glassy-eyed.

His whole body hesitated and shuddered before he dropped onto the plate in front of him, making food fly through the air.

I didn't know what was happening.

The smile I was holding two minutes ago was wiped off my face. Mom screamed and ran for the phone to called the ambulance.

The sight of my limp dad made me nauseous and mom in hysterics made me forget all calmness I'd had. He'd had a heart condition which caused him to not be able to do strenuous actions but the doctors assured us this would never happen.

The next moment was a blur, but I remember calmly lifting dad off the table and into my lap on the floor.

I searched his face for some sign of life.