Spring Falls When Summer Wins - 1987

Chapter 1.

Elliot. April 13th, 1987.

    It's a rainy Monday morning at 5:20 am. I forgot I had left my window open the night before, water was soaking the papers on my desk. I quickly ran to my desk and shut the window. I grabbed the shirt I had worn yesterday from off the floor and placed it over my drenched homework.

    "Damn it..!" I whispered at my mistake. I slid a pair of jeans over my boxers, cuffed the bottom of them, and grabbed white collared shirt from a hanger in my closet. The hanger dangled loudly in my quiet house. I frantically grabbed the hanger and threw it on my bed.

    "Elliot..?" A small feminine voice came from the other side of my door. My sister slowly opened the door and peaked in. Her eyes widened seeing the shirt on my desk. She scurried in and closed the door softly.

    "Shhh! I know it looks bad-" I whispered. To her.

    "You think?!" She hissed back, helping me clean up the water. She was still in her pajamas, meaning she had been woken up from my panic. I couldn't help but feel guilty for disturbing her slumber.

    "I didn't mean to wake you," I threw the useless papers into the small trash can in my room. My sister brushed off my apology and walked out of my room with my wet shirt. I followed her like a lost puppy to the laundry room.

    "Are you hungry?" My sister grabbed some clean clothes from the dryer.

    "Why? Are you gonna tell me to eat your shorts?" I let out a quiet laugh.

    "I was going to ask if you wanted to go get some pancakes," She shoved the clothes into my arms. "But never mind. You can fold laundry while I go get pancakes." She smirked as she began walking away.

    "Noooooo," I followed my sister back upstairs, begging her to take me to iHop or Matt's Diner. Matt was a close friend of our Aunt Gale's so it was easy getting my sister to fold.

    I quickly folded and put away the clothes while my sister got ready. I brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and put on my dark green sweater. My sister was wearing light blue mom jeans she painted daisies on, a dark red cardigan over a white bra let.

    "You're wearing that in this weather?" I asked, slipping on my beat up converse. She smacked my head with her wallet before she slid it into her purse. I let out a quiet laugh and stood up. We ran out to her soft tan car with red crushed velvet seats.

    "Don't tell Auntie we snuck out for breakfast." My sister hissed at me as she backed out of the driveway. I zipped my lips and locked them with a non-existent key. I turned on the radio once my sister had pulled onto Ruddle Rd.

    I Wanna Dance With Somebody started playing on the road. My sister let out a happy gasp and turned up the volume. Ever since my sister went off to college it had been moments like these I would savor. The moments of belting Whitney Houston lyrics, running off Cousin Dan's dock into the Deschutes River, or 3 am snack runs at Walmart. The little things.

    Once we entered Matt's diner, soaking wet from having to park next door, we were immediately greeted with the smell of fresh bacon and...

    "Pancakes!" My sister and I said in unison, almost drooling. A young girl, about 23, ran over to us. She gave my sister a big hug and fist bumped me. She pushed a lock of curly blonde hair behind her ear and took us to a booth.

    "I've missed you so much Vinnie!!" My sister smiled at the young woman as we took our seats.

    "I'm so happy you got into MIT but I miss our late talks and long drives!" Vinnie pouted as she handed us our menus. "Can I get you guys something to drink?"