Summer of Experience

Chapter 1- Mr. Grumpy Beauty

*Chapter 1: Mr. Grumpy Beauty* 

        Whenever anyone ever thinks about love, the only thing they think about is the version that is portrayed in all the Hollywood movies and teen romance novels. It is supposed to be filled with cute and romantic moments, kind gestures, stolen kisses, shared secrets and more stolen kisses. There is supposed to be that magical moment of the first meeting and the continued evidence of fate within the lives of the lucky couple.

 If this was true, then obviously I am not on fate's radar. Or maybe my fate is to never meet anyone and grow up to be an old lady who spends her time in grocery stores looking through all the produce. I, Meredith Thompson, will never go though the stereotypical teenage romance. I am a 17 year old, about to become a senior in high school, and I have never had a boyfriend.

Why would this suddenly change now?

This summer was going to be just like all the others, uneventful and PG. Starring at myself in the mirror, there was nothing special that I could see in my reflection. I had a kind of long face, long lifeless blond hair, a wide nose, and dull blue eyes. I wasn't skinny like the normal teenage girl and I didn't put a lot of effort into how I looked. I was more of the blend into the background kind of girl.

 Maybe this is why guys never noticed me.

 It always made me wonder if there was someone really out there for me or if I was destined to be by myself for the rest of my long, boring life. I could probably rock the single life. I mean I've been good at it so far.

 Hopefully this summer would be filled with some kind of fun. Especially with leaving town and going to a small town in the middle of nowhere. This small community of Glover's Cove was composed of three things; good views, nosey people and no cell service. Sounds like a perfect place to spend my summer, note the sarcasm. Leave it to my parents to decide that for my vacation I get to be thrown into a community full of people I don't know and spend the entire time living with my overly excessive aunt along with my cousin and uncle. Talk about a good time.

Looking out the window at the city zooming passed me, I counted down the minutes until I would be forced to get out of the car and walk onto an airplane full of loud people, whining babies and overly friendly flight attendants.

The ride itself was pretty quite, even with both of my parents sitting in the front seats. You would think they'd be trying to get in as much conversation as possible before I leave for an entire summer but that fact doesn't seem to be bothering them. The parental love is just overflowing in this family, can't you tell?

All of a sudden my head was smacked into the seat in front of me. At first I thought I might have accidently said my comment out loud and my father had stopped on purpose. But then I quickly realized that we were in fact at the airport already.

I suddenly got nauseous.

No matter how boring life is here, I still don't want to leave for the whole summer. I could have found something to do. I mean nothing sounds better right now then isolating myself in my room and reading book after book about teenage love stories. Just because my life isn't a romance cliché doesn't mean I don't dream, hope and obsess over the possibility. The closest I have gotten to these moments is through the books, which is exactly why I read them in the first place. I had three stuffed into my carry on right now and another five in my suitcase.  But as my mother said, I can't really live my life through books. So here I am, diving into an unknown world for the summer. Woh hoh for me.

 " Honey, it's time for you to get out of the car" my mother's voice said breaking me out of my daydream.

 Looking up, I saw both my parents were looking at me expectantly. I quickly followed them out of the car and grabbed my bags. Now I won't bore you with the long details of my check in because honestly the boredom would probably cause you severe brain damage.