If only all summers could be this perfect

I: Ivey

Summer. You can ask pretty much any Senior what they're looking forward to and they’ll tell you summer. But for me summer is what I dread most. Summer is my downfall. I, unlike most other highschool students, hate the summer, but not for the reason people think. I hate it because my best friend Liz  died two-years ago in a car crash. I was in the car. We were both being stupid and she had just gotten her license and we thought let's go to a party. Later on in the night we had gotten into a fight because I didn’t want to go home but my parents were calling to get me home. I was sitting in the backseat and she was driving.She was speeding because i was throwing up. The next thing I knew was that I was waking up in a hospital room a week later. My mom broke the news to me. We hit a telephone pull.  

“Ivey Quinn Harper!” my mom yelled from downstairs.

 “What!”

 “Don't ‘what’ me your ass down here.” I grunted getting up and going downstairs. “What mom” I said looking at my feet. 

“Go pack a bag you're going with your cousin Luna for the summer.” Luna is my chill but chatty 21 year old cousin. Well technically she's not my cousin. She's my moms best friend's kid. Did I want to go? No. No I didn’t but I wasn’t arguing with my mom about this. So I turned around and walked to my room.

 “She’s picking you up in the morning and you're staying for a while so pack properly, not your way.”  I rolled my eyes and kept on walking upstairs. Packing took forever. It was a lot of running between the attic, the basement, the bathroom and my room.It felt like it took forever. But sure enough the stress that everyone hates was over. When my parents came upstairs they seemed shocked to notice that I was fully packed and that I packed “properly.” 

That night I could not close my eyes. It was the first time I was going back to Southport since the accident. It’s a small town with a population of only around 4,000 people. Located on the coast of North Carolina. There isn’t much to do as far as I remember. I sat there tossing and turning practically all night. Everytime i’d close my eyes the slightest noise would wake me back up. 

“Ivey!” my mom yelled once again from the bottom of the stairs. I got up and grunted rolling over to check the time. It was only 6. I walked downstairs to figure out what she wanted. “What” I said still groggy.

“Luna will be here soon, go get ready” I rolled my eyes and walked away. “Your father will be up in a few to say good-bye.” I really didn’t want to go. Don’t get me wrong, I'm cool Luna. But I don’t know anyone. 

I got ready in under five minutes so I could get more sleep. I ended up passing out quickly. But just as quickly I was woken up. It was time for me to say good-bye. I mean in one way this could be a good thing. I could take advantage of this and find myself again. Or it could be the complete opposite and it could be the worst thing of my life. I could lose myself farther. “Ivey, get your ass down here.” After my thoughts were ever so rudely interrupted I got up and walked downstairs. My mom, and dad were sitting at the end of the stairs. They stood there like after all these years they were proud and supporting parents. But they weren't, they hurt me. Hurt me more than I could ever put into words. I wasn't the girl that had a 4.0 gpa I wasn’t the girl who behaved herself. I wasn’t. I was the girl with parental issues. I was the girl that knew one wanted to be around. 

Instead of acknowledging them, he gave them a simple half smile and walked away. They walked not too far behind me to the car. “Hey Kiddo,” Luna said when she saw me. It had been years since I last saw her in person. She was still the thin blond I remembered from when I was sixteen. But she wasn’t the same. I gave her a half smile and put my bags in the trunk. When I walked by her she put me in an awkward half huge and whispered “There's a blunt in the center console for the road.”