Summer Love

Chapter 1

I grumbled as I rolled out of bed. I was dreading the week ahead. This was supposed to be the best summer of my life. My friends and I were supposed to go to my best friend, May’s beach house, but that plan was quickly demolished when my mom made plans without even consulting me. My mom had this pen pal in Ireland, and from the looks of it she sounded really nice. She made plans for me to spend the entire summer at her house in Ireland. She said “it would be an amazing experience” which I’m sure it would, but spending two months and a half in a house with a family I don’t really know in a country I’ve never been, doesn’t sound all too grand for me. I’ve lived in California my whole life. I haven’t even been out of America.

Since I’m only 17, I still live with my mother. My dad is who-knows-where. He left my mom when he heard she was having me. My phone quickly snaps my mind back into reality. I pick it up to see May was calling.

“CHRISTIE.” She screams into my ear. My full name was Crystal, but May came up with the nick name when we were six and has called me that ever since.

“What.” I wince pulling the phone away from my ear.

“Did you just wake up?” She asked waiting for my reply.

“Yeah, kinda.”

“Christie, it’s two in the afternoon.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I’m a teenager. I can’t help it that I stay up till four in the morning scrolling on tumblr.

“It’s the day after school has ended and you’ve already gotten into your bad sleeping habits.” I could hear the disapproving shakes of her head over the phone. “Anyway, so have you gotten out of that trip to Ireland yet?”

“No, and I’m not going to. As much as I don’t want to go, I can’t get my way out of it. My mom has already bought my plane ticket.”

“But Christie.” Her voice quickly turned from playful to upset. May is very sensitive, so anything that comes remotely upsetting to her, she becomes really depressed.

“I’m sorry May. There is always next summer, and I’m leaving in a week so we still have lots of time to hang out.” I say sweetly.

“A week isn’t that much time.” She sniffs.

“Well, I guess we have to start now. Come over after I take a shower?”

“Okay.” Her tone sounded a little bit better and she hops off the phone. I quickly hop into the shower, letting the hot water run over my body. I got out of the shower and blow dried my long, brown hair. I admired the tips that wear newly dyed blonde. It was actually a dare to get my tips dyed, but I actually ended up loving the way it came out. I comb through the wavy hair and brush the bangs that sweep to the right over my forehead. I straighten my hair as I hear a knock on the door. I open up to May strutting over to my kitchen. “Movie day?” She asks with a smirk. I nodded in approval. She grabbed the snacks while I chose movies from the large selection. I turn The Notebook on while May popped the popcorn. Sprawled all over the table were the essentials. Pretzels, candy, soda, etc. One thing was missing.

“Pizza!” We both scream at the same time as the realization hit the both of us.  We spent the entire day lounged around eating nothing but junk. My mom gets off of work and joins us on the couch.

“I wish I could lie around all day and eat tons of shit and not gain a thing.” My mom sighs. May and I exchange glances and burst into laughter.

“You seriously think we can eat what we want with ease? Please mom, we live off of salads and sit ups.” She nods her head in understanding.

“Well you two have fun. I’m going upstairs.” She takes the last pieces of pizza and walks up the stairs. 

“So are you excited about going to Ireland?”  May asks. It seems she’s lightened on the subject about me leaving, because she knows there is no way I could stay here.

“The more I think about it, yes. What sucks is it’s going to be cold and my tan will probably fade away.” I frown. Living in San Diego, where it’s basically 75 degrees every day of the year, everyone has nice tans.

“You’re gonna have some work to do when you get back.” She giggles.

“Yeah, not only that but the time zone is going to be a bitch considering my sleeping schedule is fucked already.” We both laugh knowing every bit of that is true. 

“Oh my gosh. So you’re going to be in a foreign country without your mom surrounded by hot boys with Irish accents.”

“Pretty much.” I laugh with a slight mock of an expression on my face.

“Take me with youuuuu!” She screams tackling me on the couch.

“Ow you little shit get off me!” I laugh pushing her to the other end of the couch. “I wish I could.” I trailed off. I was terrified. I was going to be out of the country, which I’ve never done before, with people I don’t know. I don’t even have my mom coming with me.

“Oh, Crystal you’ll be alright. You’ll have a blast. Doesn’t Jenny’s pen pal have a son?”

“Two actually. One is 19 the other is 23.” I say.

“Oh so one is relatively close to your age.”

“Eh, I guess.”

“Have you seen what they look like?”

“Nope. All I know is that her name is Maura and her sons are Niall and Greg.”

“Niall. That sounds so foreign.”

I give her a blank look. “Maybe because it is.”

“Oh. Right.” She laughs. “Mean Girls next?” She asks getting up from the couch already knowing my answer.

“Hell yes.” I say grabbing the bag of skittles. 

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Hi guys so this is my first story. I'll post more depending on if you like the start so far. Let me know how you feel about this story and if i should continue :) - Rachel xx