Dear California Summer

Long Nights' Drive

I've been on the road for an hour. I'm so bored. And alone. I'm starting to get tired but I don't want to stop till I'm in California. But, I won't be in California for another 9 hours. I am starting to get a little bored. I have my GPS pulled up on my phone, but I want to listen to my music. I turn on the radio and switch through the stations until I find something I like. I turn the volume up and keep driving. I have about 7 more hours before I get to where I'm going. That's not that long. I think I can handle this.

~5 hours into the drive.~

I'm getting closer. Halfway there. I've been thinking a lot about seeing my dad again. I don't know what I'm gonna say to him. I mean it's been two years. I really don't see why he wants us to come stay with him. He didn't want to stay with us. I'm still really mad. Clearly.

Ding ding ding

I look at my fuel gauge and see that I need gas. I turn into the lane to the off ramp. I drive for a few minutes before I find a gas station. I pull in and park at the gas pump. I get out and walk inside to pay. I'm kinda hungry. I look around and decide to get some snacks and coffee. I'm gonna need it. I go to the checkout counter and put my stuff on it. I get my money out.

"$30 on pump 6, please." I say to the boy behind the counter. He looks about 18-19. Cute smile. Brown eyes that match his hair.

"$40.36 is your total." He says after scanning everything. I hand him two 20s and a 5. He takes it and hands me my change. I take it and grab my bags and go out to my car. I put the bags in the passenger seat and go to the pump. I grab to nozzle and put it in my gas tank. I push the button and start pumping my gas. It takes a few minutes and I start getting impatient. I just want to go already. The meter finally stops moving. I take the nozzle out, after letting it drip really quickly, and put it back on the pump. I turn around and open my door to get into my car. I jump into the car and close the door. I put on my seat belt and start my GPS back up. I turn my keys in the ignition and pull out of the gas station. I get back on the highway and keep going. I pull a coffee out of the bag on my passenger seat. I open it and take a drink. It's actually really good. It's one of those Starbucks cappuccino things. I've never tried them before but I figured, hell why not? I'm glad I got it though cause it's really good.

~7 hours into the drive.~

I'm bored. This is a very boring drive. I kinda thought this was gonna be more fun but it's really not. I don't know what to do to entertain myself. I can't play a game because I'm the only one in the car. I've been listening to music this whole time. I need something to do!! Oh. My. God. I'm bored! I kinda wanna just get there already.

~8 and a half hours into the drive.~

I'm still bored. But, the good news is, the drive is almost over. I'm almost there. Just a hour and a half left. I've had the radio on all night. The stations are getting all weird from me driving through different areas. So, I have to keep changing the station. It's kinda getting annoying. I have never been this bored before. I am hating this. A lot. Oh well. I was the one who wanted to drive to California instead of taking the plane. But, at least I'll have my car. That's a plus. I'm in California now. I have been for an hour.

~9 and a half hours into the drive.~

I have a half hour until I get to my dad's house. I am pretty nervous. California is pretty. It's cool here. My dad lives in Malibu. He has a beach house. It's supposed to be really big. When he left us, He moved here and got a job in a recording studio or something like that. I don't know. I didn't care enough to pay attention when my mom was telling me all about his new life. The one he left us to start. Yeah, why would I care about that? I've been trying to think of what I'm gonna say when I see him. So many things have come to mind. Most of them are not so nice. Some are questions. Some are me missing him. He's my dad. I was always a daddy's girl. Me and him did everything together. He is the reason I love music. I wrote my first song with him when I was 6. It was a really lame song about the colors of the rainbow. It was for school. My class was doing a play and I wrote the song for it. With him. He helped me write my first real song too. I was 12. Two years before he left. I had my first "heartbreak". This boy I was "dating" in the 7th grade, broke up with me. I was really upset. So, my dad brought me our "special song book". It was a song book that he bought for me and him a long time ago just in case I ever wanted to start writing for real. I still have it. And use it. I brought it with me. I also brought my guitar. I figured I might need them. I guess I'm more like my dad than I care to admit. I always have been. My mom tells me that all the time. "You are just like your father, ya know, Carter." I really am though. I try as hard as I can to act like I'm not but we all have to face the truth at some point, don't we? I'm almost to his house. I see the ocean already. It looks beautiful.

I pull into his driveway and turn off my car. I don't move. I just sit in my car. I don't know what to do. It's been two years since I've seen him. I always thought I was just angry with him for what he did. But, I guess, the truth is I was sad, hurt, mad, confused. I don't know what I'm going to say to him. I guess he heard me pull in because he met me at my car. I open my door and climb out. I don't look at him or say a single word. I just unpack my car. I have to so that I'll have room for Ethan and Sarah. I open my back hatch. I pull out my suitcases and close it. I go to the back door and get my backpack and everything else in my car. I now have all my stuff sitting in his driveway and I'm still not saying a word to him. I haven't even turned to look at him yet. He hasn't said anything but he walks over to my suitcases and grabs the handles of the two biggest ones and takes them inside. I don't follow him. I finish getting my stuff from my front seat. He comes back out and gets the rest of my bags. Well everything except my backpack, bag, and stuff from the gas station. Which is pretty much all gone.

"Come inside. I'll show you your room." He says as he turns to walk back inside. I stand there a second and then follow him inside.