Do You Remember Summer '09

One

Pinning up the last couple of polaroids onto my wall, I step back and stare at my handy work,  admiring my photos, art, fairy lights that consume my white walls. It was the last day of the countdown to summer 09, and I couldn't wait. I had been waiting for so long as this semester had gone on long enough. Staring at my reflection, I scrunch my face at my long vibrant red hair. It had always bothered me, along with my freckles that covered my nose.

I twist my rings around my fingers and pull at the hem of my colourful patchwork cardigan that I paired with blue flare jeans. A lot of people aren't very fond of my style and think I somtimes dress like a grandpa but I like it and I think that's all that matters.

Picking up my bag off the floor of my room I swing it over my shoulder. It hits my back with a thump as I kick a few shirts that are lying on the floor of my room out of the way before exiting and heading down the stairs.

"Hello, Goodbye" I say rushing past the kitchen that was crowded with people I call my relations. There's 6 of us in total. The house is usually kayos in the mornings, that's why I like to get up a little earlier and eat breakfast by myself before everyone else comes barreling down the stairs.

Firstly we have my mum and dad. Pretty standard parents if u ask me, usually pretty chill and don't give me to much to worry about. 

Then my older sister Diana who is all sorts of annoying. Only nice when she wants something from me. She got the same freckles and tan skin as me but her hair turns slightly more brown in winter.

Thirdly we have me, Noelle. I kinda like being the middle child. I inherited the bright strawberry blonde hair the same as my mothers. I'm more the shy creative type. Painting, drawing, photography, you name it.

Then we have thing one and thing two. My younger, identical twin brothers. Tyler and Toby. They are the definition of annoying, always getting into all sorts of trouble. They've been caught four times this year taking each other's tests. God knows how many other times they've done it and haven't been caught. I have to give it to them though, they're pretty smart. They have fights once in a while but they always go back to their same charismatic selves shortly after. They sometimes make me wish I had a twin, a lifelong best friend. 

Anyway.

My sister is a senior and in her last year of highschool. She's leaving next year to go to college to study something to do with filming or editing. My brothers are freshmen this year and it's honestly been kind of fun having them at the same school, though I would never admit that to them.

Don't get me wrong, I love my family, but I also love my peace and quiet once in a while.

"Hey" my mother explains, snapping her fingers as I rush past, skidding on the tiled floor as I go. "Breakfast" she smiles warmly, pointing at the pancakes on the counter. 

"I already ate" I say as I shove on my doc martens.

"Anything on after school?" my dad says as he bites into a pancake.

"Probably hanging out with her boyfriend" Toby replies, wiggling his eyebrows as Tyler backs him up with a giggle, his mouth full of pancake. "You know I don't have a boyfriend" I say, rolling my eyes.

"Yea I'm going to Olivias after school, is that cool?"

"Yes just be home before 11" my dad replies, focusing back into his pancakes.

"Ok see you tonight" I say, picking up my bag, making sure to hit Toby in the head with it as he walks by before swiftly running out the door, giggling as I go.

Olivia beeps the horn of her car as I walk down the path towards her. "You don't have to honk every morning" I say, opening the door and getting in the front seat.

"Where's the fun in that?" She replies as she speeds off down the road towards Gigi's house. 

Olive and Gigi have been my best friends since as long as I can remember.

One of my earliest memories is playing princes and princesses with them in kindergarten. Our moms are friends and Gigi has a brother similar age to my brothers and Olivia has an older sister who is best friends with my sister. I always thought our families fit together perfectly in a weird way. Olivia (But everyone calls her Olive) is a year older so she's already got her own licence. She is the responsible mum of the group. She's so fun and charismatic and is always down for good time. Her style is mini skirts, floral dresses, pink fluffy handbags etc. I think it suits her really well. Gigi is is a lot more, how do I put it, 'doesn't give a f**k' type of person. And we love her for it. She doesn't really care what people think and I admire her very highly for that. She's more into plaid skirts, chokers, graphic tops and bold makeup. I also think it suits her really well.

I often think about how my friends would describe me. I wear oversized high-waisted jeans, plaid, usually whatever I can find in the thrift store that month. I try to dress up old clothes or DIY them to make them look fashionable. I've painted a lot of designs into old jeans so my wardrobe is quite colourful now. Creative, I think that's how they would describe my style.

"Yay, who's ready for the last day of school" Gigi happily yells as she piles in the back seat, breaking my chain of thought. "I smile back and her "I'm just ready for it to be over"

"Yea same to be honest"

***

We arrive at school and all get out of that car. We make our way inside the entrance of Las Angeles high-school for the last time as Juniors. We say goodbye as we all go our separate ways to our lockers. I sigh as I walk down the long hallway crowded with people as they shove left and right. I am definitely not going to miss this place in the next two and a half months. I need to get away. Clear my head.

***

I slam my book shut as the bell rings for lunch. Speeding through the hallway towards the lunch room, I clutch the straps of my bag so it doesn't hit my back as I run. I sit down at our usual table and they both greet me with smiles.

"Okay so"

"Olive, we've been through this one hundred times already"

"I know I know, But we've been planning this trip since we were 10. I don't want to miss the flight or something stupid like that because your to busy deciding wether to bring your pink hairbrush or your green hairbrush" She turns,  angling her insult at Gigi. 

"Hey" Gigi smiles. "I'm not usually that unorganised, that was one time."

I think back to the time we were trying to leave on a road trip to California for the weekend and Gigi made us two hours late because she hadn't finished packing.

A smile fondly at my friends as they laugh and argue at the same time.

"Okay Okay, Olive, one last time"

"Right so, Noelle, i'll pick you up around 9:00 and Gigi, you at 9:05"

Gigi and I both exchange glaces and bust into laughter at our control freak of a friend.

"Hey come on pay attention" Olive snaps but we can tell she didn't mean it as she follows it with a smile.

"Our flight out of LA leaves at 10 but we have to be there early to check in our bags...

My mind zones out as Olive goes over the plan of action again but I seem to have heard it so many times that I have it memorised. We've been planning to go on this trip literally since we were ten. We used to sit on the floor of my room, a big world map spread out on the ground and we would circle all the places we wanted to go. We also used to make big long lists of what we wanted to do in the places that we went. We decided when we were fourteen that Greece was the place we wanted to go. We tried to make it happen the year before but our parents said we weren't not old enough to go to a whole nother country on our own yet. They said that we could go on our last summer break in high school and, well, that was now. Our parents had surprised us this past christmas when they bought us flights and we all broke down from excitement.

"Right, everyone got it"

"Yep" Gigi replies as the bell rings for the end of lunch.

"Eee" olive squeals as she gets up from our table and claps her hands enthusiastically.

Gigi and I both laugh as we get up from the table and wave goodbye as we head off to maths.