Smooth Sailing

June 5, 2018

June 5, 2018

On the bus home from the last day of my sophomore year of high school, I clutched my yearbook in my hands, anxious about what the summer had in store. I had spoken to Véro a handful of times over the last several days, but I had never worked up the nerve to ask her to be my crew for the regatta. Today was the registration deadline, and I was beginning to fear that I wouldn't be able to enter.

"Hey Sylvie, will you sign my yearbook?" Eden asked from the seat across the aisle.

"Sure," I said. "Will you sign mine?"

"Are you kidding?" Eden said. "Of course I will." The two of us traded notebooks, and I wrote her a rather long message filled with inside jokes. Eden did the same for me, and as the bus drove down the twisted road that led to the north side of Clearwater Lake, I passed Eden's yearbook back to her.

A few minutes later, the bus arrived at our stop, and I climbed off the bus. At last, summer was here, and Eden and I were free. As I walked to my house, Brooke asked me to sign her yearbook. Despite my resentment of the fact that Eden had agreed to crew for her, I said yes, and while I wrote a message telling her to have a great summer, Brooke wrote her name in huge, cursive letters on the cover of my yearbook. I didn't care - Brooke and I were friends, and now I could always remember her.

When I got to my house, I quickly unpacked my backpack, making sure to save some of my homework so that I could use it for Eden's annual end of the year bonfire. I placed my yearbook and the other things that I wanted to keep on my desk, and then I went out to the living room. Everett, who had been home for a little while, was already busy playing video games, but since neither of our parents were home, I told Everett that I was going sailing.

"I don't care," Everett responded. "Just let me play."

I rolled my eyes - my little brother could be such a jerk sometimes. I went back into my room and changed into a bright yellow Clearwater Lake Yacht Club T-shirt and a pair of athletic shorts and then headed into the garage to pick up some of the things that I needed to go sailing. Once I was ready, I walked towards the pier, but I stopped when I saw Véro sleeping on her hammock. As I walked by, Véro bolted up and starting shouting at me in French.

"Véro, what's going on?" I asked, unsure of what I had done to make her so angry.

"I'm sorry, Sylvie," Véro said as she adjusted her glasses. "You woke me up."

"Sorry about that," I said. "I wasn't trying to wake you up."

"I'm sure," Véro said, rolling her eyes.

"I'll let you get back to sleep," I said as I kept walking towards the pier.

"No," Véro said. "Stay here."

"Why?" I asked, turning around to face Véro again.

"I like talking to you," Véro said. "Also, I won't sleep again after you woke me up like that."

"I'm sorry, Véro!" I exclaimed, and it was true. All I wanted at that moment was to please the gorgeous purple-haired girl on the hammock in front of me.

"It's okay," Véro said. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm going to go sailing," I said, smiling. Sailing always put me in a good mood, and this was no exception.

"That's cool," Véro said as she lay down on the hammock again.

"Véro, I've been meaning to ask you something," I said.

"What is it?" Véro asked.

"There's a regatta coming up..." I said.

"I don't sail," Véro interrupted.