This Summer

Sample of this summer

Chapter 1

I vow that this will be the best summer vacation ever! All seventy glorious days of what's left of it, will be absolutely remarkable. I solemnly vow not to embarrass myself or over think things, just do-do-do! I will not start my senior year as the weirdo-soccer girl anymore. Bring on the summer baby and a whole new me!

My life is officially O-V-E-R, over!

Okay, maybe I'm being a little over dramatic but hear me out. I finally decided to take my driving test. I postponed it for a few months. Prom, finals, soccer, basically super busy. Oh, and don't get me started about this other girl in my class. She took her test, passed it, and said it was the worst thing she'd ever done. I guess her parents decided a license meant she was now a taxi service. I don't know. That also may or may not be the reason I held off on taking the test until the summer of my senior year. I finally took the darn thing today!

Everything was fine. Really, it was going great. I did the whole driving through the cones, passed the maneuverability part, and all I had left was driving back to the testing office. Again, everything was fine. I maintained the speed limit. Stayed in my line. Merged correctly. Did everything correct until some Jackass cut me off while I was turning. Then I might've done what my father does. Which was get super close, blare my horn, flip the driver off and cursed a whole lot of things.

Apparently, this is frowned upon. In fact, some might call it a spout of "Road Rage" and I guess it's people like me that don't need a license. Ever! That's what my driving test instructor said. Word to the wise, don't copy your parents' driving habits. If you do, you might end up in the same anger management class as me for "Road Rage", this summer is going to suck!

***

"Tristen!" My mom yells. I run down the steps and into the living room. Nothing is on fire. However, it's seven-thirty in the morning. Why is my mom yelling for me at seven-thirty in the morning on summer break? Something has to be on fire. I don't smell anything burning though. There are no clouds of smoke. What the hell?

"I have a job for you."

"Ha. It's too early for jokes. Can I go back to bed?"

"I'm being perfectly serious, young lady. And you can walk to it. It's only two blocks, down the road. 412 Acorn Ave."

I stare at the woman who resembles my mom but surly can't be her. Yes, she has the long light brown hair that curls at the tips. Perfectly straight teeth. Hazel eyes, and a dimple in her chin. But there is just no possible way this is her. First off, my mom would never get me a job during summer break. Unless there's like some apocalypse happening that I'm unaware of. In that case, people would do crazy things like get their only seventeen year old child, a job in the neighborhood.

"Ugh, what is it? Do I have to walk someone's dog because I'm sorry me and picking up dog poop is so not happening!"

"It's not walking dogs. You're going to be babysitting the Brady's. You remember Andrew and Jackson."

I stare at her like she grew an extra head. This can not be happening. First I have to attend these classes during the evening by the way, with these very angry sort of people and NOW I'm going to be babysitting the kids who are related to my all time crush? When I say all time I mean it too. I've been head over heels in love with Xavier Davis for eight flipping years. It all started over a caramel apple on Halloween. That's beside the point though, I can't babysit those kids. Xavier lives literally two houses away from the Brady's. The only reason I know this at all is because my dropped the Brady's off one time and they pointed out the window and said, "Look Xavier is home."