Surrendering to Heat

Chapter 1: The Beginning

- - Angelina Harte - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The wind was nowhere to be found and the sun glared heavily as it bounced off the shiny hood of the car. Cameron's lack of air conditioning, dusty, old jeep never bothered anyone until I got here. This place is vastly different from the tropical Hawaiian air that I'm used to. Comfortable warm weather, with a cool Hawaiian breeze. I'm going to miss it the most. For crying out loud, it's August and the heat is at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit and climbing. Isn't the weather supposed to be getting colder not hotter?

I could feel myself melting into the plastic covered seats and turning into a gross puddle of sweat. Drip. Drip. Drip.

I look around in hopes of snapping out of this heat-induced daze. Cameron seems completely unfazed by the sweltering heat, so lucky. With a mop of wavy light brown hair naturally streaked blonde from the sunlight, warm caramel eyes that turn molten gold in the sunlight, and perfectly bronzed skin. Can you see a trend? He's practically bathed in sunlight here, so you can sort of understand why I use words such as "golden" and "sunny" to describe him. He's practically a shining Edward Cullen's every time evil beams from the sun bit him. It also doesn't help that those adjectives describe his personality so perfectly too. Cue the eye roll! Cam barely looks anything like me. He's my older brother, but others often mistake us as a couple, gross.

He notices my intense stare. I didn't realize I've been watching him for a full minute. "See something you like? I know I'm handsome and all, but it's a bit too much to have my own flesh and blood checking me out too." He flexes and flashes me a lopsided grin that tells me he's joking.

I play along. "Ewww gross Cam. Full of yourself much? I doubt I can even pretend to look at you like that. I mean remember the time when I was at your house and you-."

He cuts me off midsentence, "Hey! We promised to never speak of that! Secret handshake and everything remember?"

I can't help but giggle at his reaction. "Oh right. Now that I think of it, I do recall something like that." I nonchalantly do an exaggerated gesture that says, "Who knows?".

"But my tongue could possibly slip someday."

He mock glares at me. "You wouldn't dare. Just in case you haven't forgotten, I happen to know some things that I'm sure you don't want to slip from me." He copies the gesture I made earlier. "And besides, with my dazzling good looks and sparkling personality I bet you wouldn't even think about telling anyone about that. You know you loooooove me," he finishes cockily.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever makes you see rainbows and unicorns in the world bro. Anyways, are we THERE yet?!? Please tell me we're at least close! It's so hot that I feel like I'm about to die of a heatstroke before we ever reach your stupid house," I pout and complain over-dramatically.

Cam glances at me, amused. "We'll get there when we get there. I see your never-ending patience hasn't changed," he rolls his eyes sarcastically. That's one thing we have in common. The eye rolls that we sometimes sync into doing, as if on cue. With that, he ignores me for the rest of the trip, dedicating his full attention to the road. He starts singing along with Bruno Mars on the radio. It's playing "Today My Life Begins".

"Funny, but I don't appreciate the sarcasm. Exactly how long until we get there, Cam?" I wait for an answer, not really expecting an answer from him. When he starts singing, I know he won't listen to me until he wants to. I remember he used to do that when we were younger...before I left with my...mother. Ugh, I can't even think that word without tasting the tang of disgust in my mouth. I sigh, and tiredly rub my eyes.