It started in summer

Part 1

I always knew there was a difference between being normal and being me. There's the normal's that spend their entire teenage life worrying about clothes, makeup and their perfectly underweight bodies. And then there's me; I would prefer to spend every hour of every day sleeping or burying my head in a good book, playing computer games or staring up at the beautiful stars. My name is Skyler Applewood and I'm sixteen years old, and I live in the sunny capital of the world England.

We were on yet another miserable family holiday in Devon, sat under the hideous pine green canvas of the family tent while the rain poured and the sound of the neighbour's baby crying pierced the awkward silence. I looked over at my family from my amazing astronomy magazine, my mother was happily reading another cheesy romance novel and my father was happily flicking through a gardening magazine and commenting on how he needed to 'prune his rose bush' and 'pot his bulbs' when we got back. And that just left my older sister, Julia, who is eighteen and is perceived by everyone to be an angle sent by heaven, but trust me this was far from the truth, she is the spawn of Satan with her burning glares and bitter insults. She laid there in the middle of the tent floor whining and complaining about how unfair it is that all her friends are in sunny foreign countries getting tan lines while she's stuck in this hell hole, and to be honest I somewhat agreed.

My mother looked up from her book "Why don't you two go down to the pool for a swim?" she suggested as she stared out at the miserable weather. My sister groaned "I guess there's nothing better to do" and staggered to her feet. I glared at my mother "Nah-ah no way it's not happening!" I slammed my arms across my chest and shook my head violently causing my hair to entirely cover my face. "Oh yeah I forgot you can't wet without melting" mumbled Julia, "Take that back you witch!" I growled, "Make me, WHORE!" she spat. I sprang out of my chair and flew at my sister. "FOR GOD SAKE GROW UP!!" bellowed my father as he glanced up from his magazine. We looked at one another and quietly released each other's hair, then slowly picked up our swimming bags and crept towards the door. I silently snuck back around the tent door snatching my black umbrella from the floor which just so happened to match my black hoody, black skinny jeans and my black combat boots with a little fluffy lip on the top and the grey laces dragging in the mud.

Once we reached the pool after the awkward walk up the horrible steep hill that we have the misfortune of camping at the bottom of, we went to the changing rooms to put on our swim suits. After fighting with my tight black swim suit with the traumatically low front and open back I finally managed to slip into it and reluctantly exited the cubical with my towel around my shoulders and my hands clutching it tightly over my body. Of course Ju was stood there admiring herself in the mirror, wearing a skimpy red bikini which showed off her stupidly perfect figure that her brainless boyfriend seems love so much. She looked up and burst out laughing "You know you have to take that dumb choker off right" my moon choker is the most valuable thing I own, that is in personal value, I've always adored space, it's so beautiful with all the planets and galaxies and to think that there could be living things out there is truly amazing, ugh I just love it so much. Sorry back to the pool, I slowly took off my choker hoping that by some miracle a life guard or someone would come round the corner and tell me I could keep it on. I put it, safely, into the locker with my phone and clothes and locked it, tying the key around my ankle and returning to where my sister stood unsurprisingly still looking at herself.

Ju turned around and crossed her arms crossed looking me up and down. "What are you looking at" I grumbled looking down at my feet, she sighed and uncrossed her arms "Come on just..." she reached her hands out towards my towel and I ducked out the way "Don't" I yelped and grasped at the towel as she pulled it off me. "Now look in the mirror" Ju pushed me in front of the mirror and I opened my eyes slowly and looked at my hideous figure and grimacing, I looked up at Ju laughing as she ran off towards the pool. After she had gone I looked at the ogre in front of me and turned side on to the mirror, I breathed in as much as I could which actually surprisingly made me look thin. I had this strange feeling that I'd never felt before kind of like happiness. I briefly closed my eyes and that's when I heard his voice for the first time "Don't hold your breath too long you'll pass out" I don't think I've ever jumped so high in my life, I grabbed my towel and wrapped it round me as I blushed at the sound of his giggle. He was at least six inches taller than me, with messy brown hair and bright amber eyes. He smiled softly and leaned closer to me whispering "You know... your perfect without breathing in" I moved backwards and walked straight into the wall making him laugh even more "I'll see you around" he said before walking away waving. I sunk down against the wall feeling completely lost, what just happened? I had the strangest feeling ever; this warm fuzzy feeling inside me was like nothing I had felt for years, it felt good.