Across The Universe

The Last Summer

It was the last day of summer before senior year. Eliza and I were doing our usual thing, waking up before the sun set and driving to the cliff a little ways down the road to watch the sun rise. It was our 'end of summer ritual' as I liked to call it, or "Ariellas teenage cliche" as known by Eliza. She had a way of making every event, even the simplest one, special. We sat on the hood of her jeep, wrapped in blankets, watching our little town in California wake up.

"Look at that, it's so.. so peaceful" I whispered, breathing in the crisp mountain air. I looked over at Eliza, who was slumped over with her head in her knees, lightly snoring, "Eliza are you sleeping!" I shouted, quietly so I didn't disturb the tranquil setting.

"I'm meditating you idiot", she took a deep breath in and extended her arms, "I'm enjoying the moment". I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to the overlook. The wind blew my light brown wavy locks slightly, and I pulled a stray strand from my mouth,

"You know, after this year everything's going to change, I'll be going off to college you'll be on vacation" Eliza laughed,

"I'll be studying the culture and lifestyle of different civilizations!" she retorted.

"Civilizations in Madrid and Rome? I'm sure their culture is studied enough" I said, playfully pushed her. The playful banter subsided and it became silent, thoughts of us on seperate sides of the world entered my brain filling it with worry and wonder. Wonder, I wondered what would happen to us. I looked at Eliza, her curly black hair stayed flawless among the wind and her piercing blue eyes I was always jealous of found there way to me.

"You could always come with me?" the question arose again. Oh how many times this question has plagued me. I wish I could, I really did, but the need to focus on my studies was stronger then the need to travel.

"Eliza.." I trailed off "I wish I could live your life" I sighed, maintaining eye contact with the rising sun in front of me.

"Why in the world would you want that" Elizas head shook in disbelief.

I shrugged, "You've always been the popular one, you go to so many parties and have so many friends I wish I had half the fun you have, instead I sit home every night studying."

She stifled a laugh, "Ari you don't know the half of it, it just sucks ya'know? We've been 3 houses apart for 17 years you'd think we'd want to be seperated" Her eyebrow raised. My mind raced over the many memories we shared together like our numerous tea parties and the shows we put on for our parents and our time capsule. Oh, our time capsule, I'm sure she's long forgotten about that, it hasn't been touched in years. I decided to remind her of it, for fun.
"Liza do you remember how we had that box, our little time capsule, and we would write letters to eachother years from now in it" I turned to her. She smiled, laughing and nodding her head.

"Oh god, I think it's still in my closet yes I do-" "We should add to it". Eliza looked at me as if I were mental, she was never one for those mushy, in 10 years from now letters that you send to your future self, I'm 100% convinced there is utter nonsense written on all the letters, but a small smile crept onto her lips,

"What's there to add? a letter to ourselves in 10 years from now?" I shook my head,

"No no none of that, maybe like a personal letter, like a 'where do you see yourself in the future' type of thing. Her face contorted,

"That's stupid, but," she sighed, "if you really wanna do this, we should do something a little less dumb, like for eachother." she suggested. We sat in silence for another two minutes. The sun had already come up and we were due home any minute.

"What about we write eachother what we want the other to become. Like our hopes and dreams for eachother" Eliza stated, impressed with herself for thinking of the idea. I nodded

"I like it, I like it a lot actually," I looked at my phone, surprised it was 7:04.
"come on we should get home" I slid off the hood of the car, throwing the plush blanket that kept my body warm into the back seat and plopping down in the passengers side. Eliza started her car and we drove back home. That was our last time at the cliff.