I Pinky Promise...

Chapter 1

           Nine years later and my mom still somehow got a bargain on our old house. Yeah, that’s right as we role though the streets in the downtown area of where I spent my childhood. The sun shining, as we cruise down the streets passing all too familiar shops, I look up and see a sunbaked sign reading, Sally’s Scoop. That’s the place where Ty and I went every Friday after school. It was the weekend start off ritual.

            Finally we pull into the little community where our white wood porch-wrapped house stood on the beach with the waves ebbing and flowing in the backyard. It was perfect. I look over two houses, trying to remember my best friend running stark naked through the lawn all those years ago, when a guy comes out. A hot guy. Funny, I know Ty never moved, but I also didn’t remember him having an older brother. I mean that’s why we were how we were; we’ve always just had each other. Those thoughts fly out of my brain as my mother parks in the little driveway leading into our garage.

            “It’s good to be back, I’ve missed this place,” my mother says to my with a warm smile with the sunny light from outside reflecting in her jade colored eyes that matched mine.

            “It sure is,” I reply with a weaker smile looking down as my distressed pale cloud washed skinnie jeans. Funny, I remember leaving this same place with an identical pair. This time though, I was wearing a cropped eggshell crochet sweater and a pair of grey Hollister Co. flip flops. I sling my crossbody purse over my shoulder, put on my gold aviator shades, and step out of the front seat. Steeping out of the car and walking around to the back I glance two houses over and still see the attractive mystery guy. I wonder what happened to Ty; I guess I’ll find out tomorrow at school. I haul my duffel bag filled with the essentials for tomorrow, because the rest of our stuff isn’t coming until later in the week, and start walking towards the house. I step through the threshold, and all the old memories come flooding back. When Tyler and I tried to make a birthday cake for my mom’s birthday when we were five, us running naked through the living room covered in sand from long days at the beach, being bathed in the same tub together with soap-beards.

            My mothers called from the kitchen, snapping me back to reality, “Hun, remember the Penders? Tyler?”

              Lying I reply with, “Sort of, why do you ask?” when really how could I forget. We promised each other to wait for one another even if it was for forever; we gave each other our hearts. I look down to see the circle hammered-metal long necklace with my name gracefully scrawled across it, the same necklace Ty gave me all those years ago. I wonder how much he has change.

            Again my mother interrupts my thoughts, “Well I reconnected with them, told them we were back in town, and they invited us over for dinner tonight.”

            There were so many things I was thinking to say, but instead I just said, “Do I have to change?” The good part about having a young mother is that she has amazing style, and the ability to share clothing.

            “No, you look fine, sweety. I guess just freshen up some.”

            “Thanks, Mom. Call me when we have to leave,” with that I head upstairs to my old bedroom. I step through the entryway to my room and take a deep breath. The familiar aroma of salt water fills my sense of smell. I look over to the wall facing the ocean, which wasn’t much a wall of drywall, but of glass. I unpack the little clothing and everything I had and start to get ready. I wash my face, redo my makeup, and touch up my hair.

Soon enough I hear, “It’s time to go hun,” through the intercom system. I take one last look at myself in the floor length mirror and head downstairs.