Eleanor Hayes was suddenly awakened by the sound of car doors opening. Her lungs were instantly filled with thick, salty air. She pried open her heavy eyelids and looked at her mother who was turned around in the seat in front of her.
"Hey, we're here Eleanor. Up up up!" Her mother, Maya, informed her. Eleanor stretched her body, which was sore from the hours she has just spent asleep in the car. She looked around at the car that was filled to the brim with suitcases and bags. She gently shook her younger sister, Emily's, foot to wake her up.
"Wake up Em!" Eleanor said as she grabbed a few suitcases and brought them into the beach house they were parked in front of.
It had been nine months since she'd been here again, and they were the longest nine months of her life. The school year had dragged on for what seemed like ages. But, she was finally here again. Her little, white beach house in the small town of Haden, North Carolina. The place she has spent her summer's growing up and the place she planned on moving one day.
She set the bags she grabbed down on the kitchen floor and went back to get more. Once the whole car was unpacked she stepped into her small room. Her nose was filled with the smell of old paper mixed with the salty smell from the ocean.
Her small yellow room had 3 walls covered in book shelves. The fourth wall was a huge window that over looked the ocean only a couple hundred feet from her house. She collapsed face-first onto her white bedspread and breathed in the smell of her bed. An overwhelming wave of content washed over her and a huge smile had planted itself onto her face.
Her relaxation was interrupted by a quiet rapping on her door.
"Hey Bells," her dad said opening her door. Eleanor had many nicknames including, but not limited to: Ella, Ellie, Elle and Belle.
Her dad set down 2 large suitcases in front of Eleanor's bed.
"Get dressed and we'll all head over to the Roth's in about an hour" Her father informed her as he left and closed the door behind him. Eleanor's face instant lit up at this news. The Roth's lived in Haden year-round. Her father grew up with Mr. Roth and Eleanor had known them her whole life. She had grown up with their children Ben and Jessica. And ever since she shared a secret kiss with Ben last summer she just couldn't wait to see him again.
Eleanor quickly jumped out of bed and unpacked a few things. She plugged in her flat iron and set it on her dresser. She danced over to her suitcase and pulled out a pink sundress. She slipped out of her clothes and slid the dress on. She admired herself in her full length mirrored and flattened the dress out with her hands. It was simple and sleeveless. It brought out the green in her eyes and she loved it.
She skipped over to the flat iron and quickly slid it through her shoulder-length blonde hair. She stepped in front of the mirror and critiqued her appearance one last time.
"I'm seeing Ben!" She grinned to herself. After the kiss last year she and Ben had talked to each other almost everyday. She even had a whiteboard in her room that she was using to count down the days until she would next see him. Her whole body felt electric with excitement.
She stepped out of her room and planned on waiting in the kitchen until her family was ready to go. But, after 10 minutes of sitting there she couldn't take it anymore.
"I'm going to the Roth's now!" She called up the stairs where her parents' and Emily's rooms were. "I'll see you guys when you get there!" She waited until she heard their muffled replies of consent to leave. She left out the back door and walked down the beach until she reached the Roth's which was about 4 houses down from hers. She walked up to their big patio where everyone was at.
"Ellie?" A familiar voiced called to her on her way up to the patio. She turned and saw two boys about her age walking up to her from the beach. She recognized the taller, blonde boy as Sam; another boy she had spent her summers with growing up.
"Sam!" Ellie shrieked, running up to him and hugging him tight.
"I thought you guys weren't coming up until next week?" Sam asked. "You look so different... But I can't figure out why." He said holding her an arms length away and looking her up and down scrutinizingly.
"New dress?" She asked, spinning in a circle.
"I was thinking more the almost vampire-like pale skin." He said teasingly.
"Ohio'll do that to a girl." She stated. "Oh! And who's this?" She asked, looking at the brown haired boy standing next to Sam.
"I'm Caleb." He smiled at her, stepping forward and shaking her hand. "And why have I not seen you around, beautiful?"
"I might be asking you the same thing." She said, blushing furiously. "I'm Eleanor Hayes. I've come here every summer since I was a baby."
"Caleb's a friend of mine. He came up last week and is spending the summer here with us." Sam informed her.
"So what are your plans for tonight, gorgeous?" Caleb asked her, winking.
"I'm kind of seeing someone already, sorry." She replied matter-of-factly.
"Do you mean Ben? I heard what you guys did last summer!" Sam smiled. "But, listen, Elle-"
"Ellie!" Another voice called behind Eleanor. She turned around and saw Ben walked towards her.
"Ben!" She ran towards him and jumped in his arms, hugging him tightly. She placed her face in the crook of his neck and inhaled his smell. He smelled just like summer. A mixture of salt and a little bit of something else. She pulled her head away to look at him. "Oh, I've missed you so much!"
"Oh, I've missed you too Ells!" He smiled at her, holding his face only inches from hers. Eleanor leaned her head in to kiss him, but Ben quickly turned his head away.
"My parents are watching us from the patio." He explained. "They don't know about us yet!!"
Eleanor pouted and Ben set her back down on her feet.
"Let's go inside." Ben said, taking her hand and pulling her up to the patio. As soon as everyone spotted her they all had to come up and say hi. She sweetly greeted everyone and gave them an update on how her year has been: how she had finally gotten a car, and what colleges she was looking into going to. After what seemed like ages the adults finally let her go so she could go inside with Ben.
When they got into the house Ben suddenly stopped a few feet ahead of her and stared at her seriously.
"What?" She asked shyly.
"I just can't believe you're finally here right now." He grinned and walked towards her. He put his hands on her cheeks, pulled her face towards his and kissed her. It almost made her cry how perfect it felt to kiss him after so many months. She put her hands into his hair and kisses him back. He pulled away after a few more seconds and placed another quick kiss on her forehead. "Let's go upstairs." He grabbed her hand again and pulled her up the stairs where his room was.
