Summer Away

Chapter Two

To my utter delight I finished ahead of Isabella at State. I'm better than her. I've been trying for four years. She doesn't try nearly as hard. And the best part is that she won't even be on the team next year. We're graduating. I'm finally done dealing with her.

"Hey, Levi." I sit next to him on the couch. Today's the day of the end-of-school party, so I'm wearing jean shorts and a summery white tank top. "Maddie said we could stay at her beach house for the summer. Want to?"

"Where is it?"

"One of those cape cod style houses. Somewhere near Martha's Vineyard, I think."

Levi shrugs. I know he misses our parents as much as I do. This first summer without them is more difficult than I could have imagined. "Yeah, sure. I need to get out of here." He pauses, "Ready to go, LeeLee?"

I nod.

-

Levi's friend's party is at a fairly large old style house. By the time we get there cars are already filling the driveway, the yard, and the street. I wouldn't be surprised if the police were called for some sort of disturbance later.

Levi loops his elbow through mine and practically pulls me to the already open front door. He knows I don't want to be here, but he still wanted me to come. 

Levi grabs a beer from somewhere then drags me to where Ethan is hanging out. Ethan hangs out with the crowd that works at our local water-park hotel. Most of them don't have any extracurriculars, but a few, including Ethan, play football. I know who everyone is the group is and they know me, we just don't really hang out. That's what happens when you go to a school with six hundred people.

Levi makes some small talk with them, then he leaves me there. All alone with a group I don't even know. All because he thinks I need to get out more. I would prefer to be at home reading or watching a movie at one of my friend's houses.

I slowly move away from Ethan's group. They aren't my type of people. I don't like the loud, obnoxious type. I'm pretty sure that's the majority of people who live in the vacation town. But Levi will have fun. He'll like the parties. And we can get away from our childhood home and all the reminders of our parents.

Sometimes it feels like our parents died during that divorce. I mean, I haven't really seen them since the courtroom hearing. The only reminders of their not-deadness are the mortgage payments and monthly allowance checks. The checks that we have to use for food, gas, utilities, clothes, and anything else. Sometimes I wonder if they even wanted kids. When we were little they were present enough, but as their marriage deteriorated so did their relationships with us. They'd scream for hours. I'd go into Levi's room and we'd sit together until their throats were sore. Then Dad stopped coming home, only stopping by once a month or so. Then the visits got less frequent. Mom moved out west and left us with a credit card. Then they finally filed for divorce. Levi and I went to the custody hearings. I don't know why they had them. No one wanted custody. Dad gave mom sole custody. Levi and I started getting child support checks. 

Sometimes when I walk into Levi's room I remember those screaming matches. When I walk by the front door I remember Dad coming home after being gone for weeks. In the kitchen I remember my mother crying before storming out. Then I remember Mom pacing in front of the coffee table, on a call with a real estate agent, and finalizing the deal for her California house. I remember Dad coming back after months to pack the last of his things. I remember it all every time I see the house.

I startle as someone puts a hand on my shoulder. I'm lost. I really am.

"Hey, Aleena, what's going on up there?"