Last Summer

River

My favorite thing about the Outer Banks is the warm sand. Even after the sun sets, the heat still radiates off of it. That, combined with the sound of the waves, I'm in my personal heaven. Nothing beats it. I can close my eyes and just take it in. The peace is engulfing.

But the peace never lasts long.

"River, hey. You ready to go?"

My sister's voice shatters my serenity. I sit up in the sand, brushing off my arms. My sister looks at me, impatience plastered across her face.

"I wasn't necessarily, but sure." I smile back at her, brushing off my annoyance.

She stands up quickly, her phone in one hand, bag in the other.

"I told Mom I would meet her at the country club at four. It's four thirty. Could you hurry?" She insists.

"Yes, Harper. I am currently in the process of standing up, do you mind if I finish?" I snap back, sarcastically.

We come to the Outer Banks every summer to spend it with our mother. It's a culture shock, to say the least. When we're not in the OBX, we're in Oregon with our dad. In a small, three bedroom apartment. An old Honda Civic. Then we come here to Mom's and it's BMWs and three story houses.

I quickly grab my things as Harper scurries over to the car. My bossy, twin doesn't enjoy Kildare County the way I do. She's here to be one thing.

A Kook.

The country club is the last place I want to be. I pull my messy, black hair into a bun at the top of my head as my sister places the BMW in park. She looks over at me and sighs, "Please, don't fight with her. We haven't seen her in a year."

"Enough, Harper. I said I'd be on my best behavior. Pinky swear." I hold my pinky out, waiting for her to grasp it with her's. Her brown eyes soften. Harper pushes her auburn curls behind her back as she meets my pinky.

We're total opposites. Besides being identical twins, we're nowhere the same.

We unbuckle our seatbelts and walk up to the gate of the club. Her sandals in sync with my dirty vans.

"Oh, girls! Over here!" My mother calls from across the small cafe. My sister jumps excitedly. We make our way to the table, my hands shaking.

My relationship with my mother is rocky, hence why I'm only here in the summer, when I have to be.

Sitting at the table, my mother scans me, her brown eyes taking in every new detail, while my sister babbles about what she's done since last summer.
My mother is gorgeous. Perfect auburn hair, powerful brown eyes. Her smile is almost blinding. But, every perfection has a flaw to go along with it.

"You colored your hair." She motions her perfectly manicured hand to my head, interrupting Harper.

"Yeah, I did." I state the obvious. I can see the distaste.

"Why would you do that?" Her tone becoming irritated.

"I wanted to."

"Your natural is much prettier. Auburn is very uncommon and unique, River. I don't understand why you would ruin your perfectly beautiful hair like that." My mother continues to chastise.

I roll my eyes, sitting back, crossing my arms over my chest. "Thank you, Mother."

I look to my sister on my right, she shifts in her seat uncomfortably, smoothing out her lavender colored dress. I look down at my clothes. A pair of high waisted shorts, a black mini tank top and dirty black and white checkered vans. My hair is tied up with little care. My sister looks like she has somewhere important to be, as does my mother. I look at her in front of me, as she speaks to Harper. She is dressed in a navy blue, flowing sundress with matching heels. Her expensive sunglasses are perched on top of her head. If you looked at us from across the room, clearly, one didn't fit.