Summer Strangers

Chapter One

Hey Guys! So second book on wattpad, previous one is unfinished, don't know where that one's going. Let's see where this one leads us to! Yay!

"Another secret of the universe: Sometimes pain was like a storm that came out of nowhere. The clearest and best Summer could end in a downpour. Could end in lightning and thunder."

― Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Oh and on top is our main protagonist, Amelia Donovan.

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Summer is just around the corner! Families are booking vacations, dedicating their time to spend it with their friends and relatives. Book lovers are hurrying to spend all their money they have saved to buy books from Barnes and Noble for the 50% summer discount. 

Teenage girls are shopping, this very moment, for the iconic mauve, floral-patterned, full body swimsuit that has just been announced on sale, ready to spend their days at the beach. And boys, well they're boys. They wake up early in the morning, meet up with their friends for their morning workout and then hang out at the fields all day. If they get bored, they too go down to the glorious, Miami beach and under the scorching sun, play Volleyball with teams mixed of boys and girls. I know about all this because last year (and the years before) I would do the same with them. But this year they are spending their lazy, marvelous summer... without me.

Why? Well, let's understand one thing.

My parents have never actually been one of those ideal couples. They would always fight, mostly about their damaged, troubled girl - me - but would force themselves to live together blindly, refusing to file for a divorce.
To tell you the truth, it was about time my mom and dad went their separate ways.

But because of that, I had to make a choice: to choose between living with my dad or living with my mother. My father didn't really want me, so as an immature 17-year-old girl given a choice, I chose my mother.

So I expected that she would let me, as the ignorant and busy mum she always was, to spend the summer with my friends from morning to dawn like I always did. But no. She decides to have a mother-daughter bonding time by going to Coral Springs where the Jacksons house is.

Apparently, Mrs. Jackson, Emily, has been best friends with my mother since they were in first grade. So she invited my mum and I this year to come and live with them for a month.

Sadly for me, all my plans were ruined the moment my mum accepted their invite.

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"Hey, girl! So you got everything packed?" Says Jenna with excitement pervading her tone through the phone while I'm struggling to fit everything back to my closet with one hand.

"What's the excitement about, Jen?" I say sighing to her stupid tone. I myself aren't this excited. The fact that I will be away from Miami this summer is going to be hell.

"Come on, Amelia, you can't hold a grudge towards your mum forever! And anyway, who knows, maybe hot guys might be settling in, nearby. By any chance, you might even forget about Chad!"

Chad. My Crush since 5th Grade. Got rejected once or twice, finally went out twice or thrice and had a short-term relationship. Until it was ruined...

I hear Jenna release a giggle when she says Chad's name. She never liked him and I think it's because he's never flirted with any of my friends. Unlike her previous boyfriend...

I wince at the thought of that memory and I shake my head not to think about it.

"Jenna, I have to go okay? I need to tidy up around here. We'll all meet at your house up in Coral Springs at around 3:00 pm." I inform her about all the details and how it takes about an hour to drive from Miami to Coral Springs, and I thank her once again for ditching summer in Miami and following me with the others to Coral Springs. Thankfully I won't be alone there.

I'm glad I'm at least spending time with my best friends. No way my mother could've ruined this summer for me. 

I throw my phone towards my double bed and search the room for my Ray-Ban sunglasses. My white, creamy, feathery carpet is now permeated with different colored clothing. I let out a huge groan and begin folding and piling them inside my small closet. I then finally spot my brown sunglasses under my bed and place them on my counter near my tall, wall-attached mirror.

Until I am done at 1:30, I can finally see the beig, parquet floor with my carpet covering most of it. On the front side of my room is my huge glassed, doubled door which leads through my balcony. On the right is my double bed with creamy covers resting on it, mostly filled with fluffy black pillows, and on the left side is my white, long desk, still crowded with books and textbooks that I have yet to throw away since school has finished.

I pick out a black, flowy, off-the-shoulder shirt and attach it with ripped, blue jeans rolled up to my ankles. I approach my mirror next to the counter and begin analyzing my features, contemplating what hairstyle I should go with. 

However, not giving much thought to it, I simply shake my blonde, straight hair and pull it up in a lazy bun. I find a black bandana, filled with white and gold patterns, and put it over my head. I place some gloss on my rosy lips and some mascara over my eyelashes, giving them a bold effect.

I pull my sunglasses over my eyes, covering their shade of emerald, and grab my black handy bag and rest it over my shoulder. As I take a last look, I wrap my fingers around the black leather handle of my suitcase and go down the stairs.

My nostrils, as soon as I step out of my room, are pervaded with the smell of delicious blueberry pancakes. Great attempt to make me forgive you, mum.

I quickly go down the stairs, leave my suitcase at the doorstep of the front door and approach the kitchen. I can hear my mum humming a song before the wall shifts out of way and reveals an elated, calm woman, gently adding some maple syrup over two plates filled with blueberry pancakes. Where's my lawyer, busy mum?

"Good...morning?" I half-say and half-ask as I'm perplexed about her shift in character. It's been months since she's baked. She's always adored baking, but lately these past few months, after the divorce and my sister choosing my dad and all, she obviously hasn't been in a great mood.

"Oh, good morning!" she says enlightened, "Finally you're ready. Amelia, I took the car to the wash and now it's super fresh and clean, ready for our drive to Coral Springs!" There's a glimpse of hope in her eyes yet I can see how hard she's trying to seem all right.

"Sorry mum, Jenna is driving me..." As she's ready to protest, Jenna's Beetle horn interrupts us from outside.

"See you there, mum," I tell her and grab a pancake from one of the plates. I grab my suitcase, and I hear her let a huge sigh.

I step out the door, and quickly devour the pancake as I run towards Jenna's car. It's a beautiful, luminous, sunny day and I could've been going to the beach right now. Ugh.

"Hey." I give Jenna a small smile and open the door in her gorgeous, radiant blue beetle convertible. God, I need my own car!

"Hey! Ready to go?" She answers with an equally, excited smile, and I nod appreciatively.

I have a feeling this is going to be a long summer.

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"If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans."

Okay! So excited, my first chapter for my new book! Summer is actually approaching and I'm so excited. Exams will obviously take away my free time so I won't really be able to update but I really hope you guys like my story. I need you guys though to Like if you actually adore my story and if you hate it, rate it out 10. Follow for more stories like this :)

Any spelling mistakes will be fixed soon.

Write for you soon <3