Southern Summer

Chapter Nine

I woke Friday morning with the sun beating down on me, making it too hot to sleep. When had I started sleeping in so late? I grabbed my phone off its charger and glanced at it. No new texts. Not even Miss Shelby to tell me all about her love life with Jason. Ugh. I hated them both for what they did. And the best part was, Shelby didn't even think she'd done anything wrong! Anger started to bubble inside me and I pushed it back down. They didn't deserve my feelings right now.

I took a shower and comed out my hair. I picked a pair of lightwash shorts and a pale pink tank top to wear, which showed off my newly coming tan. It seemed like being down here meant you would inevitably be tan. Also, I had caught myself say 'y'all' the other day. I was becoming one of them, I thought in agony.

"Bout time you woke up," Tilly called as I bounded down the stairs.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep last night, I guess," I said as I slid in to my seat at the table. I thought about telling her why, but I figured she wouldn't understand. I doubted best freinds really slept around with their best friend's crushes when she was in high school.

"How would you like to go to Jackson today?" Grandma asked, "We could do some shopping."

I frowned, "Where's Jackson?" I asked curiously. I hardly knew where anything was here.

"Oh it's just about half an hour away, they've got some nice little shops and things."

I nodded, not wanting to spend another day sitting around like the past two, "Yeah, that would be fun!" I agreed.

After breakfast we set off for Jackson in the Buick. After a minute of searching, I found a station I liked and sang along to the radio. Grandma kept glancing at me so I stopped singing and opted to look out the window.

"No, no darlin' don't stop," Tilly said.

I frowned at her in confusion.

"You have a nice voice. I supposed I used to too.. let's sing!"

I laughed. Singing with my grandma. I think I might have hit an all time low. "Do you even know this song?" I asked.

Grandma grinned and started singing, answering the question. I shrugged to myself, guessing there was no going back now. We sang together for the next few songs until we reached Jackson.

Tilly parked on main street near one of the shops. We explored inside; it sold mostly jewlery and a few odd trinkets here and there. I bought a pair of earrings and grandma bought a golden owl paperweight. Of all things, I thought with a laugh.

We went around to some other shops and I bought my first pair of high-waisted shorts, some sunglasses, and a hat. It was a white sun hat. I had never been one to wear hats, but I figured since no one knew me around here, they didn't have to know that. We stopped to eat at a burger joint about half-way through they shopping expidition. Grandma had fun flirting with the manager of the place, and the old fart loved every second of it. I just shook my head and laughed in disbelief, she really was something! Again I found myself wondering what had ever happened to my grandpa.

We went back home around three-thirty and I quickly went upstairs to try on my shorts again. Should I wear them tonight? I thought. None of the girls I had seen at the fair had been wearing high-waisted shorts, so I didn't know if it was really a thing here yet or not. I contemplated it for a good ten minutes before finally deciding to wear them. I used the excuse that if anyone asked, I could say it was a trend from Iowa. They would believe that, right?

I changed from my regular pink tank top to a blue one that was more cropped. The hem of it just barely brushed the waist of my shorts. I was blessed with a good hair day, I realized as I pulled it out of the braid I'd had it in earlier. My hair fell in waves, and I noticed that highlights had started to appear from the sun. I grinned in the mirror, thinking I looked pretty good for once. A few swipes of mascara later, I was done. I glanced at my phone to see a text from Aaron.