Summer of 19-You-And-Me

Chapter 1: Hello, Australia

It was finally here: summer vacation. As if that wasn't exciting enough, my mom is sending me to Australia for the summer to live with my aunt. I haven't seen her since she moved five years ago, when I was eleven. Now I'm fifteen, turning sixteen in July. Mom called this an early birthday present; I called this epic.

I was ready to get out of my small town in California. Everyone thinks California is exciting - except the people who actually live there. Sure, it's got its perks. Sometimes, if you go to LA, you can see some celebrities out, but it's not nearly as many as you expect. I haven't actually met any. I was twenty feet away from Josh Hutcherson, and he smiled at me, but I couldn't find the nerve to go up to him and say anything.

This is why I was so excited to go to Australia. I was going to leave myself behind for this summer and live with no reservations. I would never see these people again after this summer; why should I care what they thought about me? As I rode the plane for three years - at least it seemed to take that long - I contemplated my plan of attack for this summer. I had already talked to Aunt Leanne, and she promised that we would go shopping the second I landed. I knew I would later regret this decision, but I wanted to get it over with as soon as possible so that I could get to the beach sooner.

The sooner I'm on the beach, the sooner I'll start seeing hot guys. As I shuffled through the airport, this was all I could think about. For months, I had been Googling Australia every chance I had. Although my main focus was boys, some of the landscaping caught my eye. The beaches portrayed in the pictures made me want to cry. The sand looked so beautiful and welcoming, as if it was just waiting for my feet to upset it. The clear blue water looked peaceful, as if I could float on it forever.

I walked through the tunnel, already looking for my aunt. Before I was completely out, I saw a large sign above the crowd that read "I'm over here, E!" I shook my head at the sign; I should've expected my aunt to be over the top about my arrival.

She and I had always been close before she left. I loved going over to her house, mainly because she let me eat cookies for breakfast.

As I approached my eccentric aunt, I yelled her name. Her head snapped in my direction, eyes locking directly on mine. I grinned before running into her open arms. We both dropped everything we were holding in order to cling to each other. My legs wrapped around her waist, and she held me close.

After relishing in our little moment, I allowed her to drop me to the ground. "Look at you! You've become even more beautiful than I ever imagined possible."

"I'm just glad you missed me with braces. That was a dark time."

"I had glasses, braces, and a bowl haircut for three and a half years. I know about dark times." I laughed at my aunt while we both gathered the things we had dropped. "Are you ready to shop until you drop?"

"I'm ready to drop now."

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun! Promise."

Let's just say that Aunt Leanne's idea of fun was light years away from mine.