summertime magic.

chapter 1: where am i going?

"Crap where's my other shoe" I mumbled out loud as I went on a frenzy searching my mom's closet for the other pair. It's never surprising finding my shoes in there, seeing as we wear the same size.

"Mom" I yelled. "Have you seen the other black sneaker shoe, you know the one I wear like all the time?"

"Check with your sister, I haven't seen it." Oh right, my sister and I wear the same size too. Great.

"Tiff have you seen my oth --" I couldn't even finish the sentence as she just came up to me and gave the other shoe, staying on her phone the whole time. Completely obsessed with YouTube that one.

"Thanks" I said as I continued my frenzy.

See, I'm suppose to be picking up my friend and carpooling over to this church summer program thing. Basically we spend 5 weeks doing something for Jesus? It's bad I know, I raised money for this thing and I still couldn't tell you all that we'll be doing. Any who of course I left packing to the very last minute and it literally just dawned on me that I'd be away from home for a month.

TEXT:

Natalie:

"Hey are you on your way soon?"

Crap, Nat's already texting me of my whereabouts. Can't lie, I'm happy to be going with a familiar face. We've never been super close but from the times we've chatted in the hallways in passing our conversations have always been humorous.

TEXT REPLY:

Me:

"Yes, sorry, I kinda left packing pretty last minute but leaving in 5!" I texted the lie frantically.

Not sure why I agreed, or offered really to carpool to our meeting location knowing I would be late. Too late to ponder on the what if's since this is definitely not my first roady with making dumb decisions.

"Hey Mom I'm leaving, I'm running late!"

"Okay Mom," her endearing name for my sister and I. "Give me a hug and make sure you text me the information of where you're staying. I shouldn't have to keep asking you for this, communication is key."

"Yes Mom I'll text when I get there, I gotta go!".

TEXT:

Me:

"Hey Nat I'm outside, ready when you are."

I quickly tried to straighten up my old beat up 2001 and Saturn. I keep her relatively clean but first impressions are key, and seeing as the outside of my car isn't a Rolls, I try to maintain what I can.

I can see Natalie spot my hard to miss bright red car. I hopped out to help her with her bags and make sure she doesn't notice the duct that's connecting a piece of my bumper to the body of the car.

"Hey Natalie!" I greeted a bit too overenthusiastically. We made eye contact easily as we're the same short height. Not to mention how amused her eyes looked by my frantic enthusiasm to meet her by my trunk.

"Wow you got out of the car real quick there Thalia, you good?" She asked as she placed her bags in the trunk.

"Oh yea, of course!" I smiled warily as I angled to hide the tape while I shut the trunk.

"Just excited to go spend 5 weeks away from my phone and giving to the community"

Okay in my defense, I honestly was pretty pumped to spend my time away from the socials. But something about the way Natalie said her question made me nervous. Almost with a coy challenge that I didn't know how to say my answer properly.

"Mind if I take aux? Rumor has it you're really into the alternative r&b scene and I've become really secure in my love for Pop music as a Black woman."

I looked over my shoulder at her shoulder length box braids and the sun hitting her deep brown skin. She looked daring, as if ready to defend her stance had I objected.

"Natalie, I have no uhm, judgment toward your love for uh Meghan Trainor." I don't loathe pop, but good lord is there better music; especially my r&b tunes! She dialed up the speakers to something that kept saying there's "no tears left to cry"...it wasn't terrible.

On that note, we descended into what ended up being the longest summer of my life.