The Summer Before (JJ Maybank)

Prologue

Hi, my name is Joyce Tessa Cameron, but you can call me Joy. I was born in the outer banks of North Carolina, and lived there for most of my life. Now I'm sure you're wondering why in the world I would move from "The Outer Banks, Paradise on Earth" to the small town of Crestmont, California. Well get comfortable, because it's a long story.

I guess I should introduce you to my family first.

My mother, Tessa Rayn Jordan (Cameron when she got married, but I imagined she's changed it back), left us when I was three. "Such a beautiful name for a beautiful person" is what my father would tell me. He always talked about how nice and wonderful she was, but if that were true then why did she leave. She left us when my brother was six, me and my sister were three, and my baby sister was a newborn. Once my baby sister was born she drove home with us, packed her bags, and walked out the door. I haven't seen her since. After she left my dad took down all the pictures with her in them and put them somewhere we couldn't find, so I have no clue what she even looked like. People ask me if I miss her, but how can I miss someone I never knew.

Next is my dad, Ward Charles Cameron, he's a big shot developer, "lord of the island" I guess. He actually grew up on the cut, which is the home of the working class who make a living washing yachts, running charters, stuff like that, and he busted his ass to get us to where we were.

Now we have my brother, Rafe Dylan Cameron, he's three years older than me, so I always looked up to him. My brother and I were always close, and he taught me a lot of what I know now, when we were little my dad wasn't around a lot, and when he was, he was really busy so we never saw him much, but Rafe would always play with me and say I was his favorite twin. Some people say he's a dick, and they're not wrong, but he's always been nice to me. When I was in ninth grade and Rafe was a junior he started to get into drugs, cocaine mostly. My sophomore year I also started using, which got me in a lot of trouble at school, which resulted in the school letting me know that I would have to return next year as a sophomore. I was a thirteen year old when I was in ninth grade because my sister and I were "so advanced" that they had us skip fourth grade. So even though I had gotten held back, I would still be the same age as everyone else, but I wouldn't get to be in the same grade as my sister.

That brings me to my twin sister, Sarah Elizabeth Cameron, I'm older than her by twelve minutes, and we are identical twins. My father always had us wear the same clothes and go everywhere together, it's like we were the same person, so I decided to become a different person. That's the reason I started using, and sleeping around, I was tired of living in her shadow and I was tired of everyone thinking that I was the same as "Little Miss Perfect". Don't get me wrong, I love my sister, and we hang out together all the time, I just wanted to be my own person.

Then we have, my younger sister, Louisa May Cameron, but everyone calls her Wheezie, she and I aren't close, mostly because she's annoying as fuck, but also because she tends to spend more time with Sarah, whereas I spend more time with Rafe.

Last is my step mother, she's not really family but I'll add her anyway, Rose Marie Cameron, she married my dad when I was thirteen. She's just there I guess, definitely not a "mother figure" as my dad called her, but she's not awful I guess. I think she's mostly in it for the money, and I doubt she'll last, just like the other women my dad has gotten married to since mom.

Well now that I've introduced you to my whole family, I guess I should tell you how I ended up here, in Crestmont, California.

Well it all started the summer before I moved to Crestmont,

the summer before my second sophomore year,

the summer that changed my life forever.