How it all works out

chapter 1

My name is Rachel Harrison, I am a senior in high school and I’m seventeen. This is the story of the year where everything... changed.

Its Memorial Day weekend and I’m on my way down the shore like usual. My family had always had a house (trailer) there and we would stay there on weekends until school let out and we could stay longer. I know what you're thinking Oh eww trailer trash; this is going to be boring. But just hear me out okay? Yes, the campground was typical scary movie material, the kind where everyone usually gets dragged off into the woods surrounding the shabby place but no, the people in it were just normal. All of the kids including me would always do fun things together and spend lazy days at the pool or crazy nights on the boardwalk, the people always made the smallest things interesting.

There was Shane, my little brothers friend who I thought was cute but was way too young for me.

Jason, he was my first boyfriend. But mind you, I was only ten. Now he just smoked and drank all the time. Not really my crowd.

Kait, I had known her forever and she was the closest thing I had to a girl friend down there.

Jake, oh Jake, we had dated when I was twelve but only for like two weeks, back then dating just meant you did things together, like go over to the neighbors farm to look at animals. At any rate, we were now inseparable best friends. Who am I kidding? I have had a crush on him my whole life. We almost became an item last summer but he chickened out and didn’t have the guts to ask. So we decided to just be friends. And friends we would be....

Bailey, she was on the outskirts of the crowd, she didn’t come around much

little Barry, a tall stocky boy who we all called "little Barry" due to the other Barry that was older than him but we all know that introducing him as little Barry would cause a few laughs so we always did. He was the kind of kid who would always make sure the joke was on himself, an outright clown. Loyal as a German Sheppard.

zak, my little brother, he's awesome. that is all

then there were all the kids who would hang around with us and join in on the fun.

I was very excited to get to the campground; I was convinced this summer was going to be different, over the long winter I had gotten up the guts to make myself get over Jake. it was hard some days, I would text him in vain, knowing he never answers any of my texts. why I still did it? hope. I always pictured that him seeing my name on his phone and a text from me would brighten his day. BUT after having attended a retreat and realizing I wanted more in life than that, I firmly decided to get over him once and for all, it was easy now but as we neared the campground, I began to feel jumpy.

I would check my reflection a million times, scan the radio for a song I even vaguely liked, clean my nails, anything to keep my mind off of what was awaiting me. the grandest test of my newfound strength and resolution. why is it that I’m so nervous if I’m so convinced that I’m over him? because I was afraid of him.

Jake Bronson. let’s just say imagine the biggest charmer and player you know combine them and times him by three. theres Jake. he had tan skin and dark hair, slightly deep set eyes, a preppy nose and a sweet smile. he wasn’t particularly tall. actually he was particularly short. he was barely taller than me. I do not like short guys or anything there’s just something about him.

he has that irresistible wounded feature aka the bad boy side, the one that wouldn’t let you get too close. and me being me, always dreamed of making him a one girl man the only one that could change him into something wonderful. Possibility of that happening? let’s just say the odds weren’t exactly in my favor.

and that’s what I loved, the uncertainty of it all.

my mom makes a left onto our road and I know we are only about three minutes away. I felt the strangest mix of dread and excitement as I pondered how I would greet Jake, "oh hey guys!" I hear my mom yell, her head half-way out her window

"hey Mrs. Harrison" answered back Jake and Jason as they rode their bikes alongside our van which had almost come to a halt, no matter, there’s not usually that much traffic on this road anyway.

I put on a brave face and snap my head at him giving him a flighty look that I felt portrayed the message I wished of "I don’t care anymore" and he just stared at me the whole time, as if dumbstruck. I wasn’t looking at him but I could see him well enough out of the corner of my eye "hey Jason" I said with a smile, quickly glancing at Jake and I nodded at him. a measly gesture.

"mom there’s a car behind us, we got to go" I said trying to speed through the awkwardness.

"bye boys!" my mom shouted as we drove away

mothers... anyway so after we unpack everything, I set out to find my friends, I go straight to jakes. him and Jason are sitting on his deck "hey guys" I say nonchalantly

"RACHEL!" Jason says happily as he comes over to hug me

"hey" says Jake as he hugs me, he put his arms right where my hourglass figure curved in and rested his forehead on my shoulder the left corner of it barely brushing my neck.

it felt so right, how could it be wrong? I felt his arms tighten and his scent, the scent of an athlete decked out in good smelling stuff but not too overwhelming rushed into my nostrils, how familiar that scent was. I felt comforted and secure but also like I had just wasted a whole lot of determination. no, I’m going to let go right... NOW. phew, good.

there’s a lake at the back of the campground and if you ask me, it is the most beautiful feature of the whole place. it has fish in it and turtles, all kinds of wildlife and it is the one place where I felt the touch of my creator the strongest.

anyway so we were just goofing off and fishing when zak Shane and little Barry join us; we decide to go back into the woods and find a cool place to build a fort.

we all branch out and I’m closest to Shane and of course Jake. as I’m looking at one tree, it quivers tight in front of my eyes as if it had a glitch. what the? did I really just see that? I reach out my hand to touch it and am surprised when there is no substance to it. it’s just a projection. "Shane! Jake! guys! come here!" all six of us just stand there, completely freaked out. what was that? how did it look so real? we all just stood there.

little Barry started doing lame karate moves on the projected tree when it happens. we all are flying through mid air. but where are we? I’m trying to get my bearings. I look up and see a hole surrounded by dirt; we just fell from the ground into this whole other world. No. no way. not possible. I wonder if this is another Narnia dream I thought to myself.

"Thud" we land on a great spread of the softest, sweetest smelling grass, it was unlike anything I had ever experienced, the air had a crisp feel to it, not a stale smell that the air at home had. this place was the embodiment of spring. my eyes were filled with beautiful things left and right, fruit trees bulging with the plumpest juiciest gems of oranges apples peaches nectarines, bushes with berries of all sorts. the sky was even more clear than I could have imagined, something about this places ethereal beauty made me fearful to speak per chance I might ruin it..... then it hit me what just happened..... what was I going to do?!