That North Carolina Summer

Salty Air

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North Carolina

I step off the bus and look around as it closes its doors and rumbles off down the road. Breathing in the salty air, I know I'll never get tired of it, loving the feel of the salt and humidity on my skin. I've lived in North Carolina my entire life and will most likely stay for the rest of it.

My phone beeps, showing me the remaining directions to my summer home. Pulling my suitcases behind me, I begin the four minute walk.

I glance at all the cute, colorful beach houses and let my thoughts wander to my childhood. When I was a kid, we would rent a beach house for a month with all of my extended family. My cousins and I used to make bets on the color house we'd get each year.

I'm lost in thought when my phone signals that I have arrived. I look up at the cluster of buildings in front of me. They're a teal blue, ocean color and I count six cabins in total, each with either three or four stories. Balconies wrap around each floor, and I notice so many staircases I'm reminded of Hogwarts.

All of the buildings form sort of a half circle/square, and there's a big lawn in the middle with some picnic tables off to the right where a group of people are gathered. Under the biggest building on the left, I see surfboards lined up. A lot of them. I feel a smile creep on my face, feeling excitement bubble up inside me for the first time. 

Welcome to Salt and Light I think to myself. The place where they'll fix me.

I turn around and look between two of the houses in front of the camp, and see a small stretch of sand, and then the ocean. I let the smile take over my face. Living in Raleigh means it's a few hours drive to the beach. It'll be nice to be right on it for the summer, even though I hate the reason I'm here.

Turning back around, I head over to the group of people, seeing a big "Check In" sign. I approach one of the many Red Shirt people that I assume is in charge. He smiles at me as I reach him.

"Hi! Welcome to Salt and Light! What's the name?"

"Aspen Hart." I say with a small smile back. He glances down and shuffles through a stack of papers. He pulls out a small stack with my name on top.

"Here you are! You're in the 18 year old age group and... looks like you're in cabin B, on the fourth floor. Your room number is 15." He turns and points me to the top of one of the cabins and I thank him as I gather my bags and papers. I make it to the stairs and stumble up the first few steps before realizing I won't make it up on my own. Right as I have the thought, I feel someone behind me and I spin around, nearly losing my balance. The person reaches out and steadies me. He laughs and sticks out a hand, and I feel my face reddening.

"Well hey, I'm Jeremy." He says with a smile. I shake his hand and tell him my name. "Nice to meet you Aspen! Can I help you carry anything?" We laugh and I let him grab one of my suitcases and my backpack.

"You sure you want to? I'm on the fourth floor." He laughs and nods, saying his room is on the fourth floor too, in Cabin D.

Once up the stairs, I push open the cabin door and sigh as I survey the room, noticing four sets of bunk beds against the walls.