A Summer to Remember

Chapter One

Summer. Six letters, two syllables, and one universal meaning. Summer had always been my favorite season. I was constantly happy from the solstice to the equinox. Summer here on the island was always, in a perfect word: normal. The school year ended at it's normal time, the tourists arrived at their normal time, the week long festival celebrating the fishing industry came at it's normal time, then the tourists left at their normal time, and school started at it's normal time. That was the normal summer.

I woke up early on the morning of the solstice. The alarm clock was buzzing. "Austin, get up," I moaned groggily. He didn't stir. The pile of blankets that housed him was still. I grabbed my pillow and threw it across the room, apparently quite hard because I heard a grunt from Austin. "Wake up, A. We're going to miss sunrise," I told him already grabbing my clothes for the day and pulling them on.

"Calm down Mare," he told me, finally getting himself up and pulling on his clothes. In the kitchen I grabbed us each a banana before heading out to the front stoop. The front of my house faced east. Every summer solstice since I was five Austin and I would sit outside on the front stoop and watch the sunrise. My dad had started the tradition. He had told me one year that we were going to have a solstice celebration, and that I could invite one friend to sleepover and watch the sunrise. I had instantly picked Austin. He was my best friend, he always had been. So each June 21st since, Austin and I would sit out here with my dad, and watch the sun come up over the horizon. Six years ago, when I was ten my dad passed away in January after two years of battling cancer.

Austin didn't stop coming. He still slept over each June 20th to wake up with me the next morning to watch the sunrise. That first solstice after Dad passed away was rough. The second the sun started to rise above the horizon I started to cry. I sobbed. I couldn't control myself. Austin had pulled me into a one armed hug and I cried on his shoulder soaking his shirt in my tears.

Today we sat out there eating our bananas in silence, waiting for the sun to peek up from the horizon. "So, Mare. What do you wanna do today?" Austin asked.

"Fish," I responded.

"You always want to fish, don't you want to do something special? Something not normal," he said, Austin didn't really enjoy normal. He always wanted to jump outside his comfort zone. I on the other hand was quite comfortable inside my bubble.

"What do you mean, something not normal?" I asked.

"I mean, every summer is the same here Mare. Why don't we do something not normal, something that we'll remember," he told me.

"What do you suggest A?"

"Well, to start out; no fishing today. Instead, let's go to Lobster Cove." I raised one eyebrow at his suggestion. From Lobster Cove you had a marvelous view of an old shipwreck. Our one room schoolhouse went there every year to have a picnic day. Austin hated going on that day trip every year.

"You hate Lobster Cove," I responded.

"That's not true. I hate that picnic day trip, not the actual cove. Come on Mare, you're my best friend, you should know these things," he said, nudging me with is elbow. I rolled my eyes at him and we fell into silence once again. My eyes focused on the horizon. The sun was just starting to come up, the pink sky was fading away and it was soon replaced by a blue, that mirrored the ocean. "So what's for solstice breakfast?" Austin asked. I shook my head and laughed. Food was always on Austin's mind.

"Chocolate chip pancakes like always," I replied.

"Let's mix it up, how about we make waffles instead."

"Fine," I grumbled before lifting myself up from the stoop and walking inside. Mom and Grace still weren't up. They always slept late. Austin immediately went to the fridge and took out a pack of bacon. Bacon. Austin's favorite thing in the world, other than peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

"This will wake them up in no time," he said smiling as he put the pan of bacon in the oven. By the time the waffles and bacon were ready Mom and Grace had woken up and taken places at the kitchen table. As Austin put the plate of bacon in the middle of the table my sister just smiled.

"Austin! Bacon's my favorite!" Grace exclaimed.

"I know. I made it special just for you. See, I made it just the way you like it; extra crispy," Austin replied, in a brotherly way. Austin was an only child. He had always thought of my little sister as his little sister too, and she thought of him as a big brother.

"Mom, can Austin come over and make breakfast more often?" Grace asked my mother who was sitting with a smile spread across her face.

"I don't know, that's something for your sister to decide." Mom answered, letting her smile soak into her face.

"Meredith?" Grace asked in a pleading voice.

"I don't know Gracie, I might get sick of him," I answered, a smile playing on my lips. Austin turned away from the table and smiled at me; we both knew that wasn't true. I heard Grace grumble something under her breath before I went and joined them at the table, a plate of hot waffles in my hand.

"Don't you usually make chocolate chip pancakes on the solstice?" Mom asked.

"Yeah, but Austin wanted to mix it up," I answered grabbing myself some waffles and starting to eat. The next few minutes passed in silence, everyone was too busy eating to say anything. Mom finally piped up,

"So what are everyone's plans today?" She asked looking directly at Grace. She figured my answer would be 'fishing' as usual. Grace noticed the two blue eyes staring at her though and answered first,

"I'm going to Lillian's."

"Austin and I are going to Lobster Cove," I piped up. Mom stared at me for a second before answering,

"No fishing today?"

"Nope," Austin started to answer, "we're stepping out of the normal cycle." Mom nodded her head.

"I see. That's good, sometimes Meredith gets too comfortable in her comfort zone."

"Mom! I'm right here!" I yelled across the table.

"I know," She replied simply before putting her attention once again on her waffles. The table fell silent once more.