Polaroid Summer (I'm too lazy to update)

Chapter 1

I call it a vacation. Chris calls it a punishment. Mom calls it a nice way to meet Auntie Lou.

But in reality, my parents are dumping Chris and I at Auntie Lou's, just so they can celebrate their "special" 20th anniversary. Celebrating as in going to France for two month s while we live in some sort off place. So maybe its sort of like a punishment.

Now we're stuck with an aunt we've never even met and only seen a picture of for two whole months.

The car is hot and musty. Dad didn't come along to send us off because he had to check on the luggage to make sure they were all organized and packed.

Chris gets to sit in the front. Chris only gets to sit in the front because he's older. And there is also the fact that he always gets his way.

I'm stuck alone in the back of the car with a huge suitcase taking up most of the chair. My duffle is shoved underneath it on the ground. and everything I want is in that bag.

"Are we there, yet?" Chris groans.

"No, honey," Mom says calmly, "Almost, about 10 more minutes."

I can't believe Mom is that calm. Chris has been asking that for the past hour. If it had been me, I would've told him to shut up already and stop whining. It's pretty much the only thing he has been bothering to say to us anyways. Most of the time he is asleep. He doesn't care about the scenery outside. There isn't much to look in the first place though.

He tilts the chair back.

"God, Chris! You're crushing the luggage!" I snap.

Chris just ignores me and keeps leaning the chair back further. I swat him on the head and Mom gives me a stern look, as she drives.

"Keep your eyes on the road, Mom," I say. It might sound like a nice thing to do, to remind your mom to have good driving habits, but I was just telling her so she would avoid scold me for hitting Chris.

The place we drive by is vast and pretty much empty. I see trees in the distance, but for now, we're just driving past empty fields.

As we turn and drive through between the trees, I see a twinkling, blinding light in front of us. I squint, at it, leaning forward against my seat belt, trying to figure out what it is. Chris turns around in his chair to glare at me. I ignore him.

It's water.

Suddenly, the water disappears as Mom swerves the car around and parks it in front of a store. I lean forward, stretching my seatbelt to see the sign. It is huge and says: THE GENERAL STORE. Really? How old is this place?

She opens the car door and a cool wave fresh air wafts into the car. She tosses me the keys and says, "You're in charge."

I snatch them out of the air. I stick my tongue out at Chris, who responds by crossing his arms and grumbling something like immature or something. I don't care.

"You two stay in here," Mom says.

"Okay," I chime back sweetly.

Chris just grunts.

A bell on the door chimes as Mom enters. I sit back, and stare at the ratty ceiling of the car.

I stare at my reflection on the car window. There is a girl with shoulder blade length hair that is shaggy. My overly long bangs sitting on the edge of my face. It flops onto my right eye and I push it away.

I unbuckle my seatbelt and flop down on the luggage.

Five minutes is a lot longer than normal people think. Especially in a car. In a hot, musty, smelly car with nothing to do.