the beginning of everything

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jolene didn't like summer. it was too warm, too humid and too much time. two whole months of pure nothingness, nothing to do and nothing to distract her. usually the whatney's would stay home during summer, allowing jolene to bury herself in work. george whatney decided that this year would be different, this year the family was traveling to a little town in south of france.

in the commune of le chambon-sur-lignon stayed a very close friend of george's, named marc chalamet. the two went way back, both studying at the same college and then working together as they became adults. marc had invited george's family to spend summer with his wife and children.

jolene sat seated in a way too hot and humid car, driving through the remarkable land that is france. she sat with her seat pushed almost all the way back, her feet on the dashboard, while reading a book. her face laced with beads of sweat, and her large t-shirt rolled up over her stomach. her eyes quickly scanning the words as she read through the pages, her eyes being covered by a pair of brown sunglasses.

freckles littered her tan skin, piling up in a bunch at her nose. her eyesbrows feathered and bushy, seeing as her face had stayed bare for a long time. her face was flushed a light pink from the heat and her plump lips huffed out a breath of clammy air. her skinny fingers curled around the handle as she rolled down the window, allowing her arm to slip outside.

"how long is it til we're there pa?" a voice squeaked out from the backseat. jolene rolled her eyes, it being the hundredth time her younger brother had asked that question. her father glanced at his daughter, annoyance was basically reeking off of her. "actually we're here, see that house over there?", lucas, jolene's little brother, leaned in between the pair in the front seat to get a better look.

jolene slipped her hand back inside of the car and grabbed her brother's face, pushing him into the back seat with a viscous chuckle. "jo!" the boy whined, trying to gain his father's attention, only receiving a laugh from the whatney man. "lucas!" jolene imitated. the younger boy groaned, mumbling silent profanities that he knew he wasn't allowed to use.

the car eventually came to a halt, lucas already being halfway out of the car as it stopped. george stepped out of the beige truck pushing his sunglasses up on his head, placing his hands on his hips as he squinted his eyes. on the porch of the beautiful white house stood a tall man with graying hair and a shorter brunette woman beside him.

jolene made no effort to move out of the car as both her father and brother greeted the couple. her glasses where still hung low on her nose as she skeptically observed both the place and the people. a girl came wandering out of the house, she looked to be some years older than her. the girls dark hair swinging with her as she excitedly walked towards the new guests.

her attention didn't perk up before she laid her eyes on a teenage boy showing up in the door way. she watched as the curly haired boy shook hands with her father, a big smile covering his features. the boy bent down a little bit to meet her brothers height. lucas introduced himself to the boy, saying something that made the group laugh.

suddenly all eyes turned to the car, the car that currently held jolene. the girl was so used to the lack of attention, that with the amount she was receiving now made her want to sink so far down her seat that she wouldn't be visible anymore. she noticed her father holding up two fingers, pointing them to where they were standing.

the girl audibly groaned, wanting nothing more than to stay in the vehicle. she placed her book in her seat and opened the car door, the hot air hitting her like a slap in the face. she carefully stepped out of the car, as if the floor was made out of fire. her mind was determined to stay in the safety of the car, but her feet deemed otherwise and had already carried her halfway across the yard.