Summer Shorts - Anthology

New Summer by marreola18

New Summer by marreola18

I dipped my feet into the pool, the pool water feeling cool against my toes.

The pool party had been my friend's idea.

"You can invite Derek. And if he shows up, you'll see him shirtless," she squealed during one of our long phone conversations. That was back when Fiona was visiting family in Florida. The two weeks she was gone felt like an eternity, but she was back just in time for my birthday.

Derek, however, had not shown up.

"Maybe he's running late?"

I decided not to respond. Instead, I continued to move my feet back and forth in the water.

"Maybe an emergency came up? Maybe his car broke down? Maybe he forgot it was today?"

I knew Fiona was trying to make me feel better, but instead, I felt worse. "Why does this happen to me every summer?" I asked in a hushed tone.

"What do you mean?"

I pulled my feet out of the pool and placed my knees against my chest, "Every summer, I'm infatuated with another guy and every summer nothing happens. Last year I had a crush on the lifeguard, remember? I never got the courage to even ask him his name. And before that, Alex."

"Alex was such a jerk," Fiona interjected.

"And now Derek."

"My point is, what if this summer we focus on something besides boys?"

Fiona pouted, "Focus on what?"

I pulled the slip of paper from my back pocket and placed it between us, "I found a bucket list I made my freshman year. I have done some of the things on here, but the majority of it, I haven't. What if this summer, we focus on ourselves."

Fiona was silent for a moment.

"I've always wanted to be in a band," she chimed, warming to the idea.

"What about traveling?" I added, "Or writing a novel, or..."

"Or skinny dipping," Fiona added giggling.

"Can we make it official?"

Fiona nodded her head solemnly.

"No more boys this summer," she thundered, "This summer will be dedicated solely to ourselves and our friendship."

"We need something to seal the deal," I interjected.

Fiona pushed me into the pool, before jumping in herself, "We are bathed in baptismal waters. These waters represent a new beginning. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

I splurted out water before blurting out an Amen.

"Want to cover one of the items on your bucket list now?" Fiona asked, pointing at number thirteen.

"That's just silly," I remarked, suddenly embarrassed.

"Come on; you have her phone number."

I didn't understand why I included that on the list, but there it is. Number 13: mend the relationship with my mother.

My parents divorced after my father found out about my mother's infidelity my eighth-grade year and I have blamed my mother for the divorce ever since. Our relationship was never the same. I told her some hurtful things and treated her horribly, something that I came to regret.

I dialed the number on my phone, my hands shaking.

"Hello." The voice on the other line was familiar, and yet it seemed foreign.

"Hey, mom. I just wanted to tell you that I love you and that I'm sorry for all the hurtful things I've said." I hung up after that.

"Why did you do that?"

I shrugged, "Some conversations are better in person." Fiona nodded solemnly.

"And now what?" I asked.

"Now, we swim in the baptismal waters to cleanse ourselves."

I giggled, "No, seriously."

"Now we just wait and see. This summer is bound to be interesting."

***