The Summer to Remember

Bar Harbor, Maine

Pre-Note: So you know how I told you guys I would be sort of incorporating my personal life into this story? Wellll this chapter totally relates to that, because I actually visit this place every year :D Like, I visit a smaller town right next to here for a few weeks every summer (I'm actually leaving two weeks from yesterday) and visit here every year ^.^ It's such a cool place omfg. 

Anthony:

I'd never been to Maine, probably because it was literally all the way across the country, but I've always kind of wanted to. I've heard things about that place; things like miracles happen there and the air is cleaner and everything just had something special about it. It was probably all a load of bull crap, but I was still really excited when we finally arrived after nine long hours.

We left super early this morning, like, four a.m. early, so we got there around one. Our hotel was this really cool place right on the water, and was a really nice hotel, too. We settled in and made a lunch from our stockpile (we had spent way too much money on eating out already), and then hit the town.

The main attraction of the town was this one street right next to our hotel. It was just this super long street lined with hundreds of tourist shops and ice cream places and restaurants.

Ian and I both weren't huge on tourist shops, and we knew we shouldn't spend much money for a while anyways, so we instead just went to this one ice cream shop that I'd read on the way here was famous for lobster ice cream. Like, ice cream with fucking lobster pieces in it. As disgusting as it sounded, espesically since I hated seafood, we decided we had to try it. I mean, it isn't every day you're offered lobster flavored ice cream.

So, we got in line for this place called Ben and Bill's Chocolate Emporium, and I couldn't help but fall in love with the little shop. It smelled absolutely delectable, and was perfectly air-conditioned, which I had longed for the second we left the car. There were like, a billion flavors of ice cream, and my mouth watered at all of them. After tasting the lobster, I might have to come back and get something else.

When it was our turn to order, the woman working behind the counter smiled at us, and I could tell it was a genuinely real smile, like she was happy to be working. It was the same smile that was plastered on almost everyone's face here. Something really did feel special about this place.

"Hi, what can I get for you today?" she asked happily, her pearly white teeth lighting up the whole shop.

"Well, I think we're gonna try the lobster," Ian said, laughing a little.

She smiled even wider than before. "Awesome, you'll love it. I promise." Her eyes shifted over to me. "You want one too? I would just offer you each a sample, but you really need more than a spoonful to get the whole experience."

I shook my head. "Just one. I'll just try a little of his."

"Alright." She spun around and grabbed a little white styrafoam cup, and then began to fill it with ice cream. It was hard to see from that far away, but when she brought it closer, I almost puked just looking at it. It really just looked like vanilla ice cream with chunks of raw lobster mashed into it.

Ian paid and the lady told us again how good it was, and then we left the shop and walked down the street to this hill overlooking the ocean. We sat down in the grass, which, for the record, seemed to be a lot greener than normal grass, and Ian laughed.

"Alright, let's try this shit," he said, handing me a plastic spoon.

I frowned a little and hesitantly took it. "I can't believe I'm really about to do this."

"You have to try it." He dug his spoon into it and scooped out a big chunk of pinkish lobster flesh and vanilla ice cream, and I gagged at it.

"God, I fucking hate lobster," I muttered, and then scooped my spoon into a place that looked mostly lobster-free.

"No, you gotta get a bite with lobster on it!" he argued, snatching my spoon from me. He dug it deeper into the ice cream disaster and pulled out a bite almost identical to his.

"You're joking." I shook my head at it and turned away.

"Come on, it's one bite. It won't kill you."

"Yes it will."

"Anthony."

I took a deep breath and turned back to him, frowning. "If I puke, it's your fault."

He smiled victoriously as I grabbed the spoon and wrinkled my face in disgust, and I swear, the lobster moved. Like it was still alive.

"Alright, cheers," he said, holding his bite over by mine.

I took a deep breath and clinked mine against his, then shut my eyes and shoved it in my mouth before I changed my mind.

The ice cream wasn't vanilla flavored. It was butter. It was fucking butter flavored ice cream with chunks of dead, rubbery lobster in it. It may have just been the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted. 

I instanty grabbed a napkin I had snatched from the shop and spit it back into it, feeling like a cat hacking up a hairball. I squinted my eyes shut and sput out every last drop, shaking my head. It was disgusting. I would be surprised if even people who liked seafood could stand that.

Ian's laughter filled the air next to me, and after the taste was mostly out of my mouth, I turned to him and glared.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad!" he said in between laughs. "I actually kinda like it."

"Yeah, that's because you like seafood, you jackass," I argued feeling extremely nauseous.

"Well, now you can say you've tried it," he said, scooping another bite.

I just shook my head and turned my attention towards the ocean in front of us. The water was perfectly blue, and big white ships lined the port in front of us. I took a deep breath, and smiled a little. There really was something different about this place. The air smelled crisper, the sky was clearer, and everyone just seemed happier. No, I didn't believe the place was magic or anything, but definitely something was different, and I loved it. It was probably my favorite place we'd been so far.

"Is it just me, or does everyone seem really happy here?" I asked, still staring off at the water.

"I dunno," Ian replied. "Sorta, yeah. Maybe they're all robots and this is the beginning of one of those horror movies. Like a Hotel California type of thing."

I laughed a little, shaking my head. There really was something different about it, though. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

A/N: So yeah! Yes, losbeter ice cream actually does exist. I've tried it. Annnnd I agree with Anthony .__. I love seafood but that was just eww. But seriously, I know I say this every time, but I swear on my life, next part gets really super duper intense. And I'm actually sorta proud of every chapter I've written after, so I guess it starts getting good after this :D Wow I talk too much okay. See ya latah c: