Summer Love

Chapter One - Material World

I sat in the passenger seat, Madonna blasting through the speakers, windows down, and wind blowing in my platinum hair. My aunt Lara was driving and Lei was in the backseat, humming along to the music.

'Cause we are living, in a material world'
I turned to Lei and made eye contact as we yelled the lyrics.

"AND I AM A MATERIAL GIRL!" We sang at the same time, making Lara laugh.

"This is going to be the best summer of our lives!" I smiled and leaned my head back on the seat, the breeze hitting my face.

"Sure is! Thanks for letting us stay with you for the summer Lara." Lei smiled, her red hair and freckles glimmering in the sunlight.

"Oh don't thank me, I'm the cool aunt you can always count on." She winked, and I smiled.

We pulled up to Lara's beach house a few moments later, and we hopped out of the red convertible. Lara helped us with our luggage, and we went inside.

I headed upstairs to the room I usually stay in, and was happy to see that the room hadn't changed since I'd been here three years ago, the summer before freshman year. It still had my cd collection on the shelf on the right wall, and my bed was still on the left side of the room. The pictures and posters on the walls, and everything on my desk was still the same.

I opened the window and let the cool evening breeze in, and turned on my record player. Yet another Madonna album started playing through my room, and I unpacked my clothes.
After unpacking, I headed to the guest room beside my room and helped Lei unpack her stuff.

"Pizza's here!" Lara called from downstairs.

"That was fast-" Lei thought aloud, and I agreed.

"We're coming!" I turned off the record player and headed downstairs to see Lara taking three sodas out of the fridge.

I jumped and sat on the edge of the counter, and took a slice of cheese pizza out of one of the boxes. Lei came down after and took a slice of pepperoni pizza from a box, and we sat in silence, enjoying the food. Pizza isn't as good in Indiana as it is in Orlando, and I forgot how good it tasted.

"Sooo how is it? Better than Indiana's basic machine-processed pizza that isn't homemade?"

"Oh definitely" Lei sighed in contentment and laughed.

I finished eating, and decided to go for a night swim, so I went upstairs to change. I came back down a minute later in my white one piece.

"First night swim of the summer huh?" Lara smiled, and I nodded.

"Oh I'll come too!" Lei said, and I waited for her downstairs. She came back down soon after, wearing a black and white striped one piece.

"RACE YOU!" I laughed and ran out the back door into the backyard, where the large swimming pool was lit up by underwater disco lights, and the beautiful sunset.

"HEY YOU GOT A HEAD START!" She ran after me and I dived into the pool, the cool water hitting my skin. She canon balled into the water as I resurfaced, and splashed me in the face.

We spent the next two hours swimming in the pool, and talking about how we hope this summer is the best one yet.

"Hey Lei- what should we do tomorrow?" I looked up at the stars and leaned my head on her shoulder.

"We could go to the new roller rink nearby, or maybe to the beach?"

"The roller rink sounds fun, we should do both. I'll ask Lara to drive us."

"Or you know, we could use those bikes she has in the garage?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot she had those. I'll ask her about it tomorrow." I got out of the water and grabbed my towel, wrapping it around myself to dry off. Lei came out after and we went to the outdoor shower Lara has in the backyard.

I stepped into the shower and turned the hot water on, sighing as the warm water hit my shoulders.

A moment later something cold hit my face, and I opened my eyes to see Lei holding a water balloon and laughing.

"HEY WHAT THE HELL MAN?!" I grabbed a cup and filled it with cold pool water and she ran away screaming as I chased her to the backyard.

I tackled her to the ground and threw the cold water on her face, and she screamed.

"AHAHAHA GOT YOU!" I laughed.

"NOO I'M GONNA GET YOU BACK FOR THAT NOW!"

"YEAH RIGHT!" I ran in through the back door laughing, my feet and hair still wet from the shower.

'Hey you're getting my nice kitchen tiles wet!" Lara said from the stairs.

"Sorry!" I laughed and ran upstairs to the bathroom to change, and Lei ran inside soon after me.

"GIRLS- IF YOU'RE GONNA GO FOR A NIGHT SWIM AT LEAST WEAR SANDALS WHEN YOU COME IN! Oh, kids these days." She shook her head and smiled.