The Summer Everything Changed

This was it. This was my summer. Nobody was going to get in my way from a hot summer fling and tons of fun. Late nights with boys, drunken dancing and full on partying. Shopping my ass off until I couldn't walk anymore. Nobody was going to ruin that for me. I wouldn't let them.

I stuffed my last bikini into my overly stuffed suitcase. I realized that I probably shouldn't have brought so much because I was planning on shopping, but I guess I could just buy a new bag or sneak some stuff into my friends bags.

I sighed. It wasn't a sad sigh though. Definitely not. I was too happy to sigh sadly. It was a wistful sigh. A daydreamer's sigh as my mother would say. I was dreaming about this summer and how perfect it would be.

I have been off from school for a couple days and tomorrow I would be leaving for California with a couple of my girlfriends for the rest of the summer. Our parents pitched in together and rented a beach house by the ocean for a grad present. I was no longer a high school girl, I was a college girl. I smiled at the thought and got up to drag my bags downstairs by the door for the morning.

Myself and three of my other friends, Olivia, Jessica and Clara, would drive down to our beach house as quickly as possible to start partying immediately. I know you're probably thinking that our parents are crazy for willingly letting their children go to a different city to party the summer away. The thing is were weren't kids anymore. At least my friends weren't, technically I was a kid still, but I will turn 18 in a week so what's a couple days, right?

"Do you have everything, Jai?" I heard my mother call from the room beside me.

"I think so!" I answered as she poked her head into the doorway of the hall. She smiled and even from a few feet away I could see her eyes tearing up. 

"My baby's all grown up," she cried, rushing over to me.

"Mom, please don't cry. You know that when you start crying you make me cry," I pleaded. My mother started sobbing and soon we were holding each other, crying together. 

After several minutes, we pulled ourselves together and pulled apart.

"Oh sweetie, I'm so proud of you," she said, using her thumb to wipe the tears from my face. I smiled. I liked when she said things like that because I always thought I was a disappointment after my perfect brother. He got accepted into Harvard a couple years back and was now training to be a surgeon. I was just the daughter with mediocre grades and a need to spend all my parent's money.

"Thanks mom," I grinned, pulling her in for another hug. "I was raised well, I guess," I joked into her shoulder. I felt her shoulders shake as she laughed. We pulled away once again and I turned around to place the shoes I was going to wear tomorrow by my luggage. 

"I'm going to miss you, Jaidyn," my mother said from behind me. I smiled again and told her I would miss her too. Which was true, I would. 

Just then the door opened and my brother stepped wearing dress pants and a dress shirt. A kind of fancy casual outfit, if that made any sense at all. He looked so much like our father it was unsettling. Come to think of it, I looked exactly like my mother so maybe that's what he thought when he saw me. 

"Jake!" I screamed, jumping into his arms. He chuckled and picked me up to spin me around.

"Hey Firefly." That was the nickname he gave to me when we were younger. I used to always be fascinated by the fireflies in our backyard and one day he just decided to call me that. It has stuck ever since. 

"How's college?" I asked. His eyes lit up and I wondered why because they never did that before when I mentioned school. Not that he hated it, but he just never truly loved it. Which meant that there was a girl.

"Great," he said. I smirked and asked him the question I knew he would be squeamish to answer. 

"Who's the girl?" I asked. Jake looked startled that I had figured it out.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said, flatly. I raised my eyebrows as if to say "You have got to be kidding me, right?". He sighed and pulled me aside.

"Her name's Laura and she's perfect. I think she's the one, Jai." His eyes got all day-dreamy again and I couldn't help, but smile. My brother was in love.

"Awwh look at JakeyWakey. All grown up," I cooed, ruffling his hair. He scowled. I ran away from him before he could mess up my hair. It was great to have him back.

***

That night my brother and I curled up on the couch to eat popcorn and watch a Disney movie. It was a tradition we started when he first came back from college 5 years ago when he was 19 and I was 14. Tonight we watched Frozen which was my favourite Disney movie by far and I had seen it about a bazillion times. 

By the end of the movie I was so sleepy that Jake had to carry me upstairs. He set me down on my bed, kissed my forehead and got up to walk to the door. 

"Sweet dreams, Firefly," he whispered before turning the light off and shutting the door. 

***

Hello Readers!

I hope you liked it! There's a lovely photo of Jaidyn on the side who is played by the wonderful Annasophia Robb.

Remember to comment and vote!

xx

Beautiful-mindd