Summer at Winnipesaukee Lake

Chapter One

The Sun shone our lake house emphasizing its beauty and that scene could only be ruined by my beloved sister. I'm standing in front of the grand main entrance as the early morning breeze reminds me of all the summers I had spent here.

"Are you coming in?"

I widened my mouth, showing a fine smile, unable to hide my happiness to see the woman that is spreading her arms wide ready to take me in a warm hug.

Valerie embraced me in a squeeze, resting her head on my arm as she got a welcoming smile on her wrinkled face. If I have to be honest, that familiar scent made some weird feelings run through my bones, this woman felt more like family than my real family sometimes. I feel like I came home. She finally decides that that's enough of cuddling, so she bent to grab my resting bags.

"No, no! I can carry my own bags."

She tilts her head with her lips parted slightly, "I swear to God that I don't recognize you Christopher. That school must have influenced you very well."

I simply shrug, knowing exactly where she was going with that statement. Sometimes I couldn't recognize myself either. That was a good thing when all considered.

She pushes the double french door and the instant smell of freshly washed floors hits my nose. Val was always keeping our summer house in a perfect order... constantly tidying after my sister. I used to have wild parties over the summers too... Sometimes I have a flash memory of certain moments from those parties, but these images are often blurry.

Deep inhale fills my lungs with air as I place the bags in the foyer and turn to face Valerie, "Everything is exactly like it was the last time I was here."

"Even this wrecked drawer?" She raises her brows playfully pointing at a wooden drawer placed against the wall. One drawer couldn't be open, and that was my fault. As a child I filled it out with pinecones and somehow it stuck. And as it was some expensive mumbo jumbo piece of furniture, they just left it like that to be pretty and to have one less usable drawer. Mom was talking about repairing it last summer, but I guess she had more important work to do.

"Don't remind me of that unfortunate event. Dad shouted at me for like a week." I chuckle.

"Yes", she shook her head with a cheerful laugh and went toward the kitchen "Would you like something to eat?"

"You know I can't say no to your food." I smile as I watch my childhood nanny disappear around the corner, leaving me to unpack in peace.

My eyes wander up the stairs where my room was. I took my bags and ran to the first floor. Long corridor leads me straight to my room, which was the last one in a row. Two years have passed since I slept here for the last time. It's weird to be here again, when all is considered. In the middle of the corridor, we arranged family photos. As I was passing by them, I noticed one from last Christmas. Dad is hugging mom around the shoulders, with a sided smile and a glass of champagne in the other hand. Mom has a perfectly made high bun, showing off her expensive jewelry set my dad bought her for that occasion. And in front of them is my sister, crown of their marriage. She just weirdly smiles, sitting on the royal look alike chair with her legs sided and her hands softly folded on her lap. If you take a good look at her eyes, you could notice how much she was trying to pull herself together. I sided my mouth as I analyzed the photo. It looked incomplete without me. Or at least I feel like that.

First thing that catches my attention when I step into my room is that stunning view of the lake. Tree is making a shade in front of the wide window, framing that relaxing sight in a perfect picture. I place my bag on the window bench underneath it and fish my charger out. The bed is calling me to lay down. My body fell on a cloud-like mattress, aching for a good sleep.

"I thought that I smelled mama's boy."

I roll my eyes annoyed with her voice as I lift my upper body just to see my sister's resting bitch face. "I heard from Cody that you are here. If I knew that before I came, believe me Sarah, we wouldn't have this conversation now."

She tilts her head trying to recreate sad puppy eyes, "You're not glad to see your little sister?"

"I thought two years of not speaking with you will give a hint. But I guess it didn't."

She purses her lips and leans on the doorway with crossed arms on her chest, "That wasn't only my fault, you know."

I really don't have the strength to keep talking about the past with her, so I just raise my brows and throw myself on bed again, "Please close the door and go to hell."

"Sooner or later you will realize that you and I are the same. We are both fucked up." Sarah bombards me with this sentence which makes me feel sick. She banged the door and a cold feeling went with her. Big exhale escapes from my lungs as I straighten up to unpack my bag.

Sarah's sentence is ringing in my head like a broken record over and over again. I rub my face to get rid of tension. "I need a hot shower and then food." I comment for myself and go to the bath. Hot water relaxes my muscles as it falls down my body. Steam blurred glass , making a claustrophobic feeling in the shower.

My expectations from this summer are pretty low. And the fact of sharing a house with Sarah lowered those expectations even more. If I only knew she was here, I would never come. Mom told me that Sarah is in Ibiza and if someone asked me to predict if it was true or not, I would definitely say it was. Parties and Sarah always went in the same package. Me too, until two years ago when we fell apart in every single way.

After I finished in the bath, I threw some clothes on me and went to the dining room. All those home cooked meal sensations tickle my nose as it navigates me right to the table.

"How did you manage to prepare all of this so quickly?" My eyes wander over the full table.

Valerie chuckles and pulls a chair at the head of the table, "I'm a wizard Christopher. Now... sit and eat. You must be starving."

She isn't wrong. Back in the UK I was eating only once or sometimes twice a day and that was usually in a restaurant. No home cooked meals. I know that I could learn to make some simple dishes but I always bail on that idea. There was also an option to return to the family house, but in my head that isn't an actual choice.

Valerie places one more plate and orange juice next to it. This only means my sister is going to join me. She is constantly choking on that orange juice, if it's freshly made of course. I remembered her grimas when she tasted almost boiled juice that was laying on the sunny side of the table at the porch. Her nose wrinkled and she immediately spitted everything out. Since then, she only drinks freshly made, cold pressed juice.

Valerie notices my sour expression and she leans on the table to have a better look at my scowl. "You should try at least."

"What?" I furrow my brows.

"You know what. My heart aches when I see you two kids not speaking." She bites her inner cheek as her forehead wrinkles.

And my heart aches when I see Valerie so worried. I nod with a gentle smile on my face. At least I think that was a smile and not just a weird line hanging there.

Sarah finally descends from her room and takes a seat opposite of me. Only then I notice that her makeup is all over her face. I can't tell if she was crying or did she just fall asleep with her makeup on after the party last night. I would bet it was the second one. Valerie turns to see her and immediately puts her hands on hips to look more serious as she was doing when we were kids. "Sarah! Go wash your face right now!"

Sarah rolls her eyes but still gets up from her chair and goes to the toilet. After a few moments she is back with her clean skin. She adjusts her ash hair and scowls at me.

I just give her a look before I continue to drink my tea. After all these years we still feel obligated to listen to Val, like we are going to get in trouble or something. That thought took me back to our childhood, when we used to sit at the table like this, punching with our knives and forks onto the table waiting for the food.

"So, how's it in Europe?" She didn't raise her eyes from the food.

"You know, as usual. Last weekend I visited our grandfather in Bibury. He bought a house there. It's nice."

"Of course you did, golden boy." She made an angelic face expression.

"He mentioned you. He said, and I quote...Sarah never visits us. You should try to be nice to them. At least sometimes."

"Hold on." She points her fork toward me "I am nice to old people. Ask Mrs. Miller."

I raise my brows, questioning, "We both know you are nice to her because she lets you use her car."

"What else can I do? Dad says that I drive terribly and he won't buy me one." She rolls her eyes.

"You drove me once... and I can understand him completely."

"Hey! That was two years ago! I got a lot better now."

"We will see." I get a sided smile and continue to eat delicious french toast.

She furrows and just watches me.

"Eat. Maybe after that we will go for a ride." I don't know how I managed to say those words. Every muscle in my body hurts when I think of our toxic past, but I know that I was her only hope to stay on the right path. To stay under control.

She squealed and made an idiotic face, "Are you serious?"

"Relax. I just said maybe."

"I don't know why you are still mad at me. I asked for forgiveness too many times. It's not like it's all my fault, you know..." She pushes her plate away from her.

"You need to earn forgiveness. And you know exactly why I'm mad at you."

She exhales, "You know me Chris. Better than anyone."

"I know. That's why I said you need to earn my trust again." She crossed so many lines that day and pulled so many people to the bottom with her. I'm scared of forgiving her because that would mean I moved on and deep down I know I didn't.

"How was your breakfast, kids?" Valerie examines our faces and narrows her eyes when she notices that we just stared at each other like we had a staring contest. "Okay. Get up and both of you go to town! And I don't want to see either of you until you talk about your issues. Do you understand?"

I shift my gaze to Val whose face is slightly red. She is mad. Properly mad.

"Do you understand?" She repeats, raising her brows.

"Yes!" We both say it at the same time and exchange looks.

"Good! Now..both of you move. I need to clean. Sarah... you have a hole instead of your mouth I can swear to God." Valerie cursed as she picked up bread crumbs from the floor.

We have to listen to Valerie. She deserved that, so we have to try to work out our issues even though I can't see how we can do that.

We get outside where Peter is mowing the front lawn with a wicker hat on his head and cigarette between lips. He is a simple man that wanted a normal life with his family in Hanover. But life had other plans for him. It was a sad day when we heard about Rosemary's cancer. Peter had to find a second job just to try to pay medical bills. My father found one more job for him to work on the property. Of course the job position was made up just for my dad to have a reason to pay him more because Peter was always a proud man and would never accept charity.

"Christopher!"

I waved.

"Did you get taller in these five years since I was gone?" Peter has a joking smile on his generous face.

"I don't know...did I?" I stand next to him patting his head.

"You little bastard! I have known you since you were this little!" He showed with his hands a small length. "You and Cody were impossible! And now... Time flies, my boy."

But today won't fly that fast. I shift my gaze at my sister who is popping gum balloons.

"How's Rosemary?"

"She's fighting, you know. I had to come back here with her. At least I can see her every day now." Peter says rushly through an exhale. "We were so tired of constantly going back and forth."

"Say hello to her. I will visit soon."

"I will." He places his hand on my shoulder, "Is there anything I can do for you two?"

"Don't you accidentally know where my car keys are? They aren't in the drawer in the hall."

He nods and takes keys from his pocket, "Cody left them earlier. Would you like me to call my lazy son to drive you somewhere?"

"No. We have a driving lesson now. Thank you, Peter." I pat him on the shoulder.

"Alright, come on!" Sarah insists as she pulls my shirt toward the garage.

"You are unbelievable."

I open the car's door and show her to get in. She happily jumped and placed herself on the driver's seat and I can swear that she pulled her lipstick out of the purse almost at the same second.

"Are we pretty enough to go now?"

Rolling her eyes she put a stick in drive, "Are you ready big brother?"

"Don't call me that." I make a disgusted grimace. "Okay, now slowly pass next to that pillar on your left. And I repeat, SLOWLY."

She elbowed me in my rib, "Relax. I told you I'm better now."

Big exhale escapes from my lungs. She was always lucky for being a girl in moments like this.

"So where are we going?"

I shrug, "Hell if I know. Just look at the..." My head bumped at the roof as Sarah ran over a big branch on the road. "...road. Please, pullover there. Next to the open market." I point my finger to the colorful sight in front of us, not that far from our house.

"Great... I drove for the whole three minutes."

"Don't complain and park the car."

Sarah sticks her tongue out as she tries to concentrate. Bumping sound was heard from the front. I switched my gaze from the open market to my idiotic sister.

She just shrugged, "I know I moved enough from the road when I bump a little. It's all good."

"You have parking sensors you know..."

"Well, Mrs. Miller's car doesn't have parking sensors... so I learnt this way."

She popped out of the car leaving me in disbelief. I did this to myself. I wanted to do this for Val and try.

I left the car and Sarah locked it.

"Catch." She throws car keys in my direction. "So, where now?"

I point with my nose to the open market. "Let's go to pick up some fresh fruit."

"Really grandpa? We are going to buy some fruits and veggies?" She mocks me as she follows like an annoying child.

"Yes Sarah, I thought maybe to pick up some peaches and go to the lake?" I give her a quick look over my shoulder.

"Now that plan I like." She murmurs for herself. "As long as we don't hang out at our beach."

That last part was silent almost like a whisper, but I heard it and I feel the same. Our private beach evokes only the worst memories, full of anger and pain. So we got used to avoiding it as much as we can. I, for example, have avoided it for two years. Great way of dealing with our problems.

The open market is identical as it always was. Counter to counter, a bunch of people bumping at each other as they pass. I take a big inhale as I feel that sweet scent. When I was little this was my favorite place to come with Valerie. She would buy me all kinds of fruits and would give me a few bucks to buy myself a plastic toy or a bouncing ball.

I chuckle as I realize that that old machine is standing right there on the pavement. I search for a coin and put it in.

"Just pull this handle over here." Old lady showed me.

"I remember this. I used to buy one ball every week." When I pulled the handle a small, white ball with colorful spots fell into the bowl underneath the handle.

"Ah, here you are Chris." She offered me a coin. "Buy one more cause you need a pair." Sarah crosses her arms as she whispers next to me.

I give her a look praying that the old lady can't hear her. Her punishment was waiting for her around the corner when I pulled her slightly to the other side.

"Ouch! Easy..." She cried.

I ignored her and moved to the fruit counter, "What would you like?"

Sarah sides her lips as her eyes wander over colorful fruits. "Maybe...strawberries and peaches?"

"Okay, then give us strawberries and peaches." Man behind the counter measures everything and gives me bags. "Let's go to the lake now." I move my head toward the car.

"And what about champagne?" She raises her brow in a quizzical expression.

I shake my head with narrowed eyes, "What about champagne?"

She exhaled like she had it enough, "We need champagne." Her eyes really tried to convince me that she has a point. And usually I would do whatever she wants, but now it's different.

I just blinked at her. Making statements like this was so much like the old Sarah that I remember. And now I question myself if I should go back to the house and take my shit and find some hotel to stay for a summer break. That would crash Valeria... and mom.

"Hello? Chris?"

I shake my head and show her to follow me, "You won't drink today."

She exhales and goes to stand next to the driver's doors.

"What are you doing?" I say, trying to compress my chuckle.

"Waiting for bloody car keys..."

"Okay then."

Keys were flying right to her hands, I swear, but she managed to miss them. I press my lips together in disbelief and jump in the car, wordless.

Road to the lake is like how it used to feel before. We opened our windows with chill music on the radio, cruising down the road underneath the treetops. Few years ago we would drive like this with open windows, only caring to have a good time. It's a shame that we managed to ruin all of that. Somehow we ruin everything.

As we arrive I step out of the car and stretch, feeling like it's finally summer. I put our bags with fruits on the floor where we are going to sit and took a moment to appreciate this beautiful scenery.

Sun is fondling my skin as treetops are creating dancing shadows over the lake. "This is paradise."

"Here..." Sarah found some blanket in the car's trunk. I help her to place it on the ground, at least I don't have to sit on dirt.

She is quiet. Just watching at the lake without blinking. I wonder if she has been here since the last time? Mom told me that she was avoiding the lake and... everyone who was there that day. But still, it's summer and there are a lot of parties at the lake.

"You look like you're comfortable." Sarah said while scratching her skin. "And I'm here, being eaten alive!"

"That's just a mosquito."

My resting arm is playing with the water as I am laying on my stomach. Everything is pulling me to jump right in and stay the whole day until the sunset.

"So...about my driving skills?" Sarah tilts her head so she could see if my answer is honest.

I pursed my lips, letting her wait for my judgment. "It's okay I guess."

She grinned. After she realized how stupid she looks, she asks "Wanna take a swim?"

I shake my head as I roll onto my back, "I don't have other clothes and neither do you. And you can't drive my car in wet clothes. So..sorry."

She rolled her eyes, "Buzz killer."

"You wanted to drive."  I rest my forearm over my eyes as a Sun protection. My skin is burning, spreading warmth throughout my body. I try to concentrate on the boat sounds behind me, that's calming me down. Yesterday, if someone told me that I would be at the lake again with Sarah I would say they are mad! It's weird for me to be here on so many levels. She is just as quiet as I am and that's Sarah... who is never quiet. I'm sure she is thinking about everything as I am. But Valerie's plan of talking about our issue isn't going as planned.

"Chris? I wanted to ask you something..." She bit her lip as if she had second thoughts.

"Ask."

"Do you remember our last conversation two years ago?" She stares at the lake.

Of course I remember. I can replay the whole conversation at once. I remembered every single detail.

"Do you?" She insists.

"Yes." I swallow hard. This was the one thing I was trying to avoid, but we have to try to communicate.

"Do you remember when you said that I'm dead to you from that moment?" She switched her gaze to my face waiting for the truth like for a death sentence.

"Yes."

"Did you mean it?" She asks quickly.

Did I mean it? At that moment definitely. And that anger I felt lasted for some time. I couldn't stand her. I couldn't be in the same room as her. But... Do I feel that now? Do I truly hate her? I guess not. She's my sister and always will be. But I'm not very fond of her at the moment.

I open one eye and look at her, "No. You just annoy me."

She smiled, processing everything. "When you say annoy, do you mean..."

Loud siren sound comes behind us, "HELP!" Guy yelled before he smashed his car into the three.

I am on my feet almost at the same second.

"Chris!" Sarah screams as she runs behind me.

His head is resting on his hands on the wheel. As much as I can see he isn't hurt, only his brow is bleeding. There will be a few stitches.

He moves his head and immediately furrows, massaging his neck. Looks so disoriented,  I'm not sure if he should be moving.

Guy slowly opens the door and takes a look at me like I should know what to do now.

"Hey..." I crunched next to him. "My sister called an ambulance."

He nods before he turns himself to take off the seating belt. Thank God he had it on.

He gets out of the car and stands next to me, resting his palms on his knees. "I can't believe that happened."

I watch his sweaty face and the car back and forth. "Did you fall asleep or...?"

"No, no... my brakes broke." He shook his head as he saw the front of the car "I couldn't stop."

"The ambulance is on their way." Sarah says as she approaches. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

She hands him a water bottle, "Take a sip. Not too much."

He instead splashed his face with water, washing the blood from his eye by constantly blinking. "I'm good." He panted, "I'm good."

"Do you want to call someone or...?" Sarah offers him her phone.

"No." He moves to the other side of the car and examines the damage.

"Well... it looks like the ambulance arrived so we will talk to them and then leave you in their hands." I say.

He makes an 'O' mouth shape and walks to me, "I'm Kyle by the way." He holds his hand out.

"Christopher and this is my sister, Sarah."

"I'm sorry for not introducing myself earlier but I'm... still speechless I guess."

"No, no it's fine."

"Can you give me your number so the three of us go for a drink sometime?"

"Give me your phone to write it down." Sarah spread her palm toward him. She quickly wrote it on the phone. "There you go. Feel free to call us."

Kyle smiles at her and waves before he goes to the paramedic that was approaching.

I take one last look at his blue Ford Focus and just shrug. One more awful thing that happened on the lake.

We decide to go home as we are overwhelmed with everything that happened.

"You drive." Sarah smiles at me. She must have been scared now when she saw the accident. I have to force her to drive now more than ever. She actually got better since the last time she drove me. The only thing she needs now is practice. But, I will leave that for another day.

I have to move the seat to make room for my legs. I look at Sarah and she is focused on her nails. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah... I'm just thinking... Maybe I should drive though. I have no reason to be scared, you are with me."

I tilt my head forward to see her face and she looks different. Maybe even vulnerable. "Here, have a seat." I jump out of the car and wait for her to switch places.

While she was getting ready, in front of us appeared a bunch of people who were trying to see the place of the accident.

"Come on people, move!" Her yelling doesn't scare anyone from the street, which makes her even angrier.

The laughter in my throat gets silent before it disappears completely. My eyes followed a certain brunette swaying her hips.

Sarah punched me in the shoulder making my gaze shift to her bored face. "What are you looking at? You look like you have seen a ghost."

In some way, we could define it like that. I swallow hard before my mouth can speak. "Please drive." That comes out like a begging which made her frown a little.

"Drive!" I repeat with more of an ordering tone.

"Fine! Oh God..." she widened her eyes with slight irritation.

A/N
Do you like the dynamic between Christopher and Sarah?