The Clouds

Chapter 2

So here I am again on the wonderful weekend. I walk down the cement sidewalk to to the neighborhood coffee shop. I carry my blue purse with me. I don't usually drive my car. I like to walk or ride my bike. The gas cars and buses produce could ruin the planet, so I don't. Actually, most of the city doesn't drive cars. They walk a lot also.

I reach the coffee shop and walk inside. I stroll to the counter and order a medium hot chocolate. Yes. Not coffee or whatever. Hot chocolate. I don't like coffee. It's too bitter for my liking. I turn around to find a table and I see one of my best friends here. Eleanor.

"Hey, El!" I wave to her.

"Sum! How've you been?" She asks me.

"Oh you know. Same old same old. How about you?" I sit down in the seat across from her and politely smile at her.

"Me too. But good news!!! Guess what?" El exclaims

"Hmm... let me guess. A random guy came to youe door, punched you in the face, and then asked you to marry him? YOU SAID NO RIGHT!?!?" I joked.

"Haha! Nooo I got a job as a model at Hollister" She explains

"Oh my gosh! Seriously!?" I ask not believing.

"Yeah! It's sooo cool!" Eleanor replies.

I smile bigger and clap my hands to my excitement for her. "That is soo amazing! Congratulations El!"

"Thanks. I never thought I would get it." El confesses.

I chuckle a bit. "Really? I knew you would. You are so pretty that they would be crazy not to give you the job."

"Aww, thanks Sum."

"No prob. I wish I could get a job like that. I don't think I'm pretty enough..."

"Summer, you are beautiful. I'm sure you could do anything you want." She gentlely places her hand on my lower arm.

"Okay I guess."

"No problem. C'mon lets hit the beach. We can stop by my house and get some swim suits." Eleanor says getting up.

"Sounds great!"  I reply.

We stroll to her converable and sit down on the comfortable seats. We slip on our driving sunglasses or the sunglasses we choose to wear when driving. Actually, I like to wear sunglasses all the time. That way people can't notice me.

My style is much different than Eleanor's. I like to wear vintage dresses, high shorts,     high heels, and red lipstick. Whereas, she likes to wear jeans, natural lipgloss, and t-shirts. Sometimes I wonder how a girl like me became friends with a girl like her. I guess we are quite the same. We both like to joke around, but our exterior is extremely different. I guess opposites attract, right?

I wear my red heart shaped sunglasses while Eleanor wears her plain black ones. I glance over at her and smile. Sometimes I wish I was her, but I have to be myself sometimes too. I can't spend my life wishing I was something I know I will never be.

We stop at a red light. Red. What a color. How do you see the color red? There are so many ways to interpret that bright yet dark color. Pain, anger, frustration, love.

The light then turns green. Green. Another color. What ways can you see this one? Calmness, life, living.

So many ways to see each color...

Eleanor and I eventually reach her small, welcoming home. We go up to the door and step in. I embrace the comforting scent of her living room. I wait while she grabs the swim suits.

"I hope this one is okay." She says showing me a yellow and blue striped bikini. It was way better than my ugly tankini.

"It's perfect, El. Thanks."

"Oh no prob. C'mon, lets go before all the cute boys are gone." She exclaims.

Ahh... She is always thinking about boys. Weirdo. She can have any boy she wants, so I guess I can understand.

We again drive in the car with our hipster sunglasses on.....

Finally we reach our destination. It only took a half an hour, but we made it. We take our towels and head to find a good spot.

"Oh my goodness. Look at him." El points at a fairly tall boy with brown hair, kind eyes, an adorable smile.

"He is cute. You should go talk to him." I say.

"Oh no. I couldn't."

"C'mon, El. Don't act so insecure. You're perfect." She still has an unsure expression. "Okay. I will talk to that boy over there if you talk to him. Deal?"

Her unsure expression changes into a soft smile. "Alright. I'll do it."

"Yay!" I clap my hands in victory. I look over to the boy I pointed at. He has brown curly hair with dimples in his cheeks.

I look over at El with a nervous face. "Don't worry. You can do it. It'll only be a minute." She reassures. I smile and she starts to walk away.

I take a deep breath. Alright, this is it. I can do this.

Right?

Of course I can.

What am I talking about?

I can't.

Yes, I can.

What is wrong with me. I am having a silent war with myself.

I take one last deep breath before I walk over to the curly haired boy.