The Last Summer

Juliet

I was very proud of Cara. I knew public speaking wasn't exactly her forte. But non the less she did well. I'm pulled out of my thoughts by a vibration in my sweater pocket. I pull out my phone and see Amanda has sent a group text to confirm the time and place of lunch tomorrow.

I love Amanda, I really do, but her timing could not be worse. I just got back home and was going to get ready for bed. However Cara's probably asleep by now and everyone at the sleepover is most likely still awake. I check the time and groan. Yep, Cara's asleep at 1 a.m. and the rest of the Group is either out like a light or too busy playing card games to think about sleep at the moment. Knowing Amanda's family, or at least the many stories she's told us that could border on those of horror movies, probably only half of them are left. And that's just a guess.

I spend her a text confirming the time and place and groan as I pull off my shoes. I spent the night with my mom. I had originally planned to spend it with my dad and brother as well, but my dad was visiting my brother at college and neither could get up in time for graduation. I wasn't too upset, but my mom and I did have a fun time. I love spending time with her, but getting back this early in the morning was a slight draw back.

I groan as I stretch and slowly change into my pajamas and get into bed. My last thought before falling asleep is, Thank goodness I have a summer with friends.

^^^^

I wake up to the house phone ringing and one of my mom's favorite TV shows playing. I stretch and sit up, rubbing my eyes. Slowly I get out of bed and go into the kitchen.

"Morning sleepy head." My mom says with a laugh in her voice.

"What time is it?" I ask sitting at the counter.

"Almost twelve thirty." she says and that wakes me up.

"What? Oh shoot." I say rushing to the microwave and checking the time. "No." I groan.

"Going to have any breakfast?" My mom asks as I run down the hall and back to my room.

"Can't." I shout back. "I'm supposed to met the Group for lunch in twenty minutes."

"Well then you better hurry." she calls back. "Is someone picking you up?"

"Cara said she would but I'll find out after I take a shower." I yell as I send a quick text to Cara and grab a towel from the hall closet.

"Alright."

^^^^

Turns out Cara couldn't pick me up and I had to borrow my mom's car. Thank goodness she had the day off from work.

When I show up only Heather and Amanda are there. I sit next to them and sigh, resting my head on the table.

"You okay?" Amanda asks.

"Slept in too late." I say taking my head off the table. "Sorry if I interrupted something important."

"Don't worry about it." Heather says. "Amanda was just giving me advice on moving on from this place."

"Don't we all want to do that?" I sigh once more. "Where's everyone else?"

"Well you left after Cara, at least i'm guessing that's what happened, and she's not here yet. So she probably got lost or stopped for gas." Amanda says playing with a lock of her dark brown hair. "As for the others..."

"Probably all coming around the same time." Heather says taking a sip of her water. "Also how could Cara get lost. It's not like Mimi's is impossible to find."

I nod and tuck a lock of my hair behind my ear. Mimi's Cafe was just a sort while away from my house in Folsom, but as far as I knew Cara and the rest of the group had heard of it. Or at least seen it from when we went to Macaroni Grill across the street for dinner before prom.

"Well I'm not 100% sure she's actually been here, much less heard of it." Amanda shruggs.

Then Ruby and Lucy come in laughing. Thank goodness for Amanda's foresight of reserving a table for us.