About Time - a summer novel

FOUR

Seeing you again just like every summer of the last decade felt better than it normally did. I've missed everythig about you. Your hair, the way it flies around in the wind, the way your skin glows in the sunlight and the way your eyes sparkle when you see me. The way you hug me, like you do now and the unique way you smell "Oh my god Ett. It's so unbelievably good to see you again" are the first real words you say to me after the enthusiastic scream of my name and the squeal when we fell into each others arms after the long time we've spent apart. "Agree SO much- i've missed you a lot" i told her, getting her muffled response of "I've even missed you two lots" in my ear when she pulled me in another hug. "When did you arrive? is Fen here already?" i started our first in real life conversation since almost a full year "Oh, just about an hour ago, and I think Fen's gonna arrive here soon too- we're finally together again ! Oh, i am so happy !" 

Chattering and laughing we headed to my family's vacation house that my great-grandfather had bought years back. It had the number thirteen- Lee's familys was number 11 and Fen's was 10, making all of us almost or direct neighbours. Lee helped me carry my stuff inside the grand white wooden mansion whichs paint had started to flake off already. I'm guessing that sooner rather than later dad will make it his duty to fix that up over the summer.

 It was a large house with an even bigger backyard that was surrounded by a tall hedge and blooming, bright green trees of different kinds. When the time was right and the fruit trees were hung with lots of cherries you are able to pick those just having to reach out of the organic shaped pool with your hand. A little stone path led to the porch with the terrace canopy that surrounds the front part of the house and the tall white entrance door. Just like all the window frames of the house, the doors frame was painted in a marine blue, just adding on to the beach atmosphere. 

We went up the creaking stairs with the with carvings embelished railing to the room I alsways stay in. Once again, as every year i go in here for the first time again, the beauty of the place. 

The walls are all completely covered in light blue paint, and different than on the outside of the house, the rustic floor planks in here are a lot darker. In front of the two to the south-west looking windows are floor long, sheer white curtains and an armchair and dark wood table. A colorful patternd rug is laying in front of the canopy bed that also is surrounded by white curtains. On the north-ish side of the room is the door we're standing in right now, and a vintage looking wardrobe and mirror with a frame made out of driftwood from the beach and decorated with shells. 

My mom and I had made it a few summers back, and its been hanging in here ever since, right next to my bookshelves and picture collection that just keeps growing every summer. 

There are two more doors in my room. 

One leads to my small balcony with the fancy looking metal railing. It has three chairs on it. They have names carved in them, and i bet you can already guess which ones.

The one on the left is rose colored and has 'Fen' engraved, the middle one, dark green, is Lee's chair and the cornflower blue one on the right wears my name. Etta. 

They are standing in the order of our houses and each painted in our favorite colors. They also had also been a project from three summers back, and one of our favorite places to sit. It was a great place to watch the sun sink into the water in the evenings and share a bottle of stolen or bought and ice-cooled liquor or freshly home made smoothies. It was one of the actually many perfectly peaceful places around here. 

Just like the room behind the other door. A small door this time but she led upstairs to a quite big room. When first getting into our summer rooms and my siblings and I each declaring our own, Dylan had been jealous of this cool hiding spot and so had Lizzy when she was old enough to see it. I get that. It is a pretty cool addition to my normal room, and thats why I'm so glad to have it. 

As I said- there is another room. It is like an attic but my besties and I built it into something great. A window across the room on the opposite side of the door lets sunlight into the hexagon shaped place and an old, soft feeling but now dusty sofa stands to it's right.

 I walk over to a little fridge and plug it into the outlet to turn it on. Lee, right next to me turns on the fairy lights that go along the ceiling of the room. "Oh, those still work- thats good" she stated. "Surprising honestly, I thought we'd had to get new batteries this time, but good thing i guess. And the fridge is fine too" I add. "Everything else looks good and untouched as well- do you have the drinks over here already ?". She nodds. My look sweeps across the room again. Lee goes to get the drinks that we restock our fridge with from year to year. The first evening we always drink in here and just catch up with each others lives. It's like a tradition.

The different looking pillows are still laying on the couch just like when I left them here. Oh the things that went down in this little place. Parties, make-outs, first kisses- laughing and fighting, crying and screaming. Last year even a for us three first round of getting high together. Just the kind of usual stuff stupid teenage girls do from time to time.

Over the time of being here in summer, our parents didn't care as long as nothing too bad happened, but so far we had always gotten away with just a few scratches, bruises or a semi- bad hangover in the worst cases. The parents went out as a grown up family group, as six people or just the women or men as trios. Often times, we were home alone or up and outside the whole night.

 Those were some of the best times.