sweet stars | robin buckley

Chapter 2 - Strawberry

Reese Mora
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11:02 am

It's been two weeks since summer started. The thing about summer that nobody else seems to relate to is that it's fun and busy at first, but then you start waking up and staying in your bed all day. Maybe that's just me, I don't know. The first week of summer was great. Rocco, Dawn and I went to the pool a LOT, ate a ton of ice cream, did a ton of shopping at the mall, stuff like that. But week two of summer, Dawn went to see family family in Chicago. Rocco has his guy friends he hangs out with. My days start to blend together, and I feel and am nothing.

But today is different. Today, Dawn gets back from Chicago, and we are going to a party. I know, it sounds crazy. The three of us, at a party? Well, apparently Steve Harrington asked Rocco to come, and Rocco being the great friend he is asked if Dawn and I can come. So here I am, going to a party tonight. I have never been to a party, even though I am almost a senior. My mom has tried to take me to her parties with her friends, but I would rather stay home.

Enid jumps onto my bed and starts shoving her tail in my face. I pet her head as I get up and fill her food bowl.

"Hey honey, you up?" my mom says through the crack of my door. I turn around and give her a sleepy smile.

"Yes, Enid woke me up." I say as I pet Enid some more.

She laughs, "Okay hon. There's bacon on the stove if you want some. Why don't you go eat breakfast outside today? I'm worried you're not getting enough sun." she smiles and walks away.

I smell the bacon from the hall, and I feel like one of those cartoons where they lift up in the air and start to float towards the smell. Bacon is my favorite food, ever. I could never stop eating bacon. My mom cooks bacon for me when she knows I'm upset, or on my birthday. Which is weird, because I'm not upset and it definitely isn't my birthday.

I do as I'm told and take a plate out onto the backyard deck. There's that warm summer smell again. I breathe in, and out, and it's refreshing. I feel a hand tap my shoulder and practically scream as I turn around.

"Oh my god! Dawn, you scared the shit out of me! How did you even get in here?" I say, catching my breath.

She just smiles and points to my mom. Then she gives me a hug, because I haven't seen her in a week.

"Now come on! We've gotta go to Rocco's house." she takes my hand and guides me out the door.

-

We get to Rocco's house, and he clearly has just woken up.

He scrunches his eyes up, still adjusting to the sun light. Once he opens them, a wave of energy bursts through.

"Dawn! You're back! How was Chicago?" he says as he walks out from the door frame to hug her.

"Eh, my family there is a little... weird." she says, and then she laughs and hugs him back.

"What do you guys want to do before the party? We could go to the pool, rent a movie, ice cream maybe.." Rocco says as he grabs shoes from the hallway just inside and starts to put them on.

"Actually, I was thinking we could go to the skating rink." she beams. She fiddles with one of her rings, it has a sunflower on it.

"I haven't been there since I was nine" I laugh. That's the first time I've talked since we got here. I haven't socialized in like, a week.

"I know it sounds dumb but, I don't know, my grandpa was telling me about how fast my life moves and one wrong move and I'll end up in an office for the rest of my life and then I thought about it and I just want to have fun like we used to again, you know?" Dawn rambles. Rocco and I look at each other, confused.