The Summer That Changed Everything

How It All Started.......

It was the night before summer began. Well.......... actually summer started a couple days ago, after school let out. But for my family summer doesn't start until we get there. To Chalhouses Beach. To our white 3 story beach house. Every summer my family and Johanna's family got together and rented a beach house. A tradition. It was the event of the year that we all loved and at the same time dreaded. Johanna and my mom are tight. They have always been, since they were babies till... now. Same goes for Tom, Johanna's husband and my dad. In fact the four of them were childhood friends. It's amazing how they all ended up marrying one another. Their wedding took place the day after my birthday. At the beach. In that same old beach house. Thus, the tradition gave birth. Every summer since that day the four got together and rented out the house. For the entire summer. It's wierd how everything they did, coincidentally happened on the same day. Tom and dad got a promotion on the same day as the manager to their companies. Mom and Dad bought a house the same day Johanna and Tom bought one.Mom and Johanna even gave birth to their first children on the same day.They were born on the same day, in the same hospital. Whenever Christie and Michelle ask who's older, mom and Johanna claim they don't remember. But, I know. It's Christie. I overheard Johanna saying it to mom one night.

The phrase 'Opposites Attract' really sum up the relationship between Mom and Johanna. Mom is the sensible one. She is the responsible person who everyone trusts. But Mom is uptight. Very strict. The only times when she's relaxed are these summers. With Johanna. Johanna is the exact opposite of mom. Whereas my mom spent all of high school studying hard to get good grades. Johanna had the ultimate high school experience. Partying all night, skipping school. Johanna was crazy and sometimes had the wackiest thoughts but, it was lovable. Jason once told me that Johanna would never have any sense. Considering the thought of having 8 children. I mean who does that?? After Michelle Mom decided to play safe and have only one more child. Typical sensible mom.  Johanna either loved being pregnant 8 times or just wanted more children than she could handle. God knows what goes on inside her head. But even so, Johanna was kind and gentle and fun to be around. She cracked jokes and laughed a lot. She also knew exactly what to say at the right times. When I got my period when I was 13, I didn't tell mom. I told Johanna. Whereas mom would end up making it embarrassing for me, Johanna made me feel better about getting it. 

I sigh and gaze out my window. It was 12:00 a.m. and I couldn't sleep. I was so excited. I was turning seventeen soon and I could finally hang out with the rest of them. Every summer everyone would have a buddy. Michelle- Christie, Mom-Johanna, Dad-Tom, then all the other boys. I was the odd one out. Sometimes they let me hang with them but only for small things. Like baking muffins or watching Titanic or a horror film. The boys constantly played pranks on me. And it was fun........................ for a while. Life there was just so boring. I wanted to do something extraordinary. Like maybe go down into the woods and explore. Or go night finshing. Once a summer Christie, Michelle and the boys would all camp outside. They only did this once every summer because they took days planning and preparing the whole camping trip. Since it took a lot of work they didn't do it often. I always wanted to go but everyone always said NO! It wasn't fair. It was only because they thought I was too young but, Jason was the same age as me. Just 7 months older but that doesn't matter. He got to do whatever he wanted. Jason was terrible. I still remember all those mean pranks he played on me. In every picture with him, I was either crying or my lips were stretched into an o and my eyes wide with surprise. There was this one picture though with an arm across the other's shoulder and 5-year old Jason and I were grinning, wet and in our bathing suits. I loved that picture. It reminded me of the fake Jason. The Jason I recreated in my head. Jason had played one too many pranks on me but, one had gone too far. I remembered that day very clearly. I was 14 and it was the day we were leaving to go back home. We decided to have a toast to an amazing summer so, we went down to the pier and got ice cream cones for everyone. I got what I always got. A large sundae with a vanilla and chocolate combo, chocolate chips, hot fudge, marshmallows, twix bars and extra extra whipped cream on a chocolate covered waffle cone with rainbow sprinkles.