Graduation was perfect. I was so glad to get away from the hellhole called high school. I got in my silver Camary and started to drive home. Tonight I would be on my way to New Jersey for the summer. My mother had my bags by the door, she wasn't trying to be rude but I knew she wanted me out of the house. It wasn't right for me to be jealous of my parents relationship, it was kind of weird. I figured it should have made me happy my parents were so in love after 25 years of marriage. But it didn't. The shimmery diamond heart my father gave my mother as a gift did nothing but fill my eyes with hot water.
There wasn't a single guy out there-not one who would think to give me a gift like that because they loved me, liked me, or even felt attracted to me.
And there never had been.
My mother often called me her, "Surprise Child," and I thought of a nice way of saying unwanted. I wouldn't have minded it as much if her and dad hadn't spent the past few years talking about all of the great adventures they could have had if I hadn't come along.
"Your grandmother is expecting you later tonight?' My mother asked me calmly, putting a bag into my car, trying to speed up the process.
I just rolled my eyes and shut the trunk. "Yes, mum. I'll see you around September, alright?"
She nodded and gave me a final goodbye. I eased my car away from the curb, waved to my mother one last time, and drove down the street towards the freeway.
Three days had past since my graduation. Freedom belonged to me. I'd had a secret countdown hidden beneath my bed. Every night, since the first day of my freshman year, I'd climb into bed and snuggle under the covers after doing my homework and stick my hand between the mattress, searching for the blue and tan seashell notebook I had bought the last time I was at the beach.
And every night for the past three years, I'd uncap the same green pen I kept tucked into the journal and cross off the day with a small but very satisfied sigh.
One day closer.
One day closer, every day, for more than 1,400 days.
And finally, the day arrived bringing freedom and the promise of an amazing summer before college. \
My grandparents lived in New Jersey and I was finally on my way to spend the next three months hanging with them before I went off to college in Virginia. It might not sound exciting to a lot of people, but my parents owned a beautiful oceanfront house that just happened to be on the same block as the homes of my two favorite people, Emma and Louis, in the whole world.
I was ready for this. I was ready to spend my whole summer living the good life on the East Coast. At least, that's what I thought it'd be. How was I supposed to know that my plans for the perfect summer would go so... not as planned?
It never happened to me before and I had no reason to think it would now. My plans were perfect, always tailored to meet my exact expectation, and that's how it was.
The hindsight is 20-20 so I guess this isn't really my fault that I didn't know better.
The Jersey Shore is a lot different from Alabama, and I should have realized it.
I should have seen it coming.
I should have known you could never plan the perfect love.
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"Rosalie Sydney Smith!"
My grandmother, all four feet, eleven inches of her stood on the second story of her balcony, waving wildly to me as I brought my Camary to a rest on the curb.
Her hair, normally gray with white wisps but not an unusual and quite possibly never-before-seen-in-nature shade of fire red, was the first thing I noticed about her.
The second was the way her hair clashed violently with her turquoise-not to mention my favorite color-linen capri set and matching visor.
But all I could do was smile and shake my head. Grandma, for all her quirks, was still one of the funniest and most interesting people I knew.
I waved back, but she'd already disappeared, no doubt charging (as fast as a red headed 76 year old woman could) down the stairs, on her way to greet me. As I waited, I popped the trunk of my car and began lining my bags along the curb.
"There she is, there she is, there she is! There's is my grandbaby!" Grandma said while bursting out the front door. "Come here, come here! Give me some sugar! What are you waiting for?"
She wrapped me in a hug, even though her head only came up to my shoulders, before she stretched up onto her tiptoes to plant a wet coral-colored kiss on my cheek.
"Oh, Rosalie, I'm so relieved you're here! I was so worried about you making that long drive all by yourself!"
I hugged her back. "Me too, gram. I can't believe I'm here, finally!" I said fist pumping the air.
"Yes, yes, finally indeed! This house feels so big and empty without you around to fill it up with all your... weirdness." She sighed and I laughed. Her eyes rimmed in the vibrant blue sky, narrowed ever so slightly.
"I see your parents decided not to take the trip with you."
I'd been waiting for this. "They said they might come up for a week later in the summer."
We both knew that would never happen. My parents hadn't gotten along that great with Grandma and Poppy ever since mum and dad ended our family vacations to the short six years ago. They'd only started letting me come again when I was fifteen. While they acted like they were doing me some huge favor, I knew they didn't mind having the house to themselves while I ran free in New Jersey.
Grandma, however, had been horrified when our vacations stopped. She knew how happy Jersey made me. But more than anything, I think she took their decision personally, like it had everything to do with mum and dad keeping me away from her. She had never quite forgiven them for it, and to be totally honest, neither had I.
"Well," my grandmother said pursing her lips. "I'm sure you'll speak to them later and tell them they are both more than welcome here."
I nodded, but we both knew I wasn't going to pass the message along.
"Poppy's out on the boat catching dinner," she leaned down to pick up one of my bags. "Oof." Naturally, I expected her to pick up the heaviest bag, and she did. She set it back down with a thud.
"Maybe you ought to grab that one, Rosalie." I smiled to myself. You could tell her that she was seventy six and to take it easy but she never listened. In her mind, she was probably mid thirties.
"It doesn't look like the William's have made it down yet." Grandma said and I peered out the bedroom window, looking at Emma's house.
"Yeah I saw that. Emma said they should be here today, though. I cant wait to see them!"
Grandma smiled. "Your grandfather should be home in about an hour or so with some nice fish for dinner. How does that sound?"
"Sure whatever you want." I hesitated for a second. "Do you mind if I go for a walk on the beach?"
I knew grandma didn't want me to leave just yet but this was my summer and I want to go down to the beach. "Anything you want, Rosalie." My grandmother replied, though her pause was a second too long.
I smiled. "Ill be back for dinner."
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Eep! She meets Niall in the next chapter!! I'm so excited! Well anyway, vote/comment, do whatever you all do. I GOT AN 85 ON MY SCIENCE TEST!! WOOOOOHOOO
