Summer's Golden Company

Chapter One

It was July. Every Canadian teenager was relishing this time between two hells: School and winter. Basil was on the ground staring absent mindedly at the stripes of golden sunlight streaming through his half-opened blinds. He had nothing to do and he was not complaining.

Suddenly there's a rap at the window, causing him to jolt up. Basil crawled over to it and pulled himself onto the window seat. He looked down to the street to see his friend of many years, Louise looking up at his window preparing to throw another pebble.

"Okay, cease fire!" he called down to her.

A grin appears on her freckled face as his head emerged from his window. She tossed the pebble back onto the ground. With a dramatic swing of her arm she presented the vehicle parked behind her.

"Dude! Behold, my new baby!". The vehicle in question was a van akin to the mystery machine. It was painted a warm orange and stood there triumphantly as if infused with its owner's spirit.

"No way!" Basil said, "That's the car you've been telling me about?"

"Yup," Louise said, patting the side of it "Bought it off Freddie's dad, pretty cheap 'cos we're cool like that". Basil told her he'd be right down and rushed down stairs. A few moments later he burst out the door, hopping to get his second sneaker on. He approached the van and excitedly opened the passenger door to peek inside.

"Chill, it may be like, 50 years old but its new and shiny to me". Basil scanned the interior.

"50," He said as he brushed a hand against the material of the seat "It's really nice for 50". Louise scurried around the front and climbed behind the wheel.

"I know, right? And hey check it out," she pointed her thumb behind her at the back "If we ever start that band there's plenty of room for my drum kit". Basil climbed in as well, flicking the obnoxious dice hanging from the mirror.

"Dude, you should totally ask Shelly to paint a mural on this thing," Basil said, wide eyed.

"Already did," She said, starting the engine.

They pulled away from the curb. Louise frowned at the afternoon sun in her eyes before pulling the shade down. Basil looked away, unable to even look forward without the sun reflecting off of his glasses, effectively blinding him. The sun cast a golden glow over everything. Families made their way down main street looking in the shop windows, making the most of this warm day.