Last Summer.

“James?” My mothers voice called out as my foot barely touched the first step of a series that led to the confides of my bedroom.

“Yeah?” I called out. She called back, asking me to go into the kitchen where she was. I slowly walked across the halls cream carpet as I proceeded towards the kitchen, trying to keep hold of the calm spiritual feeling Ava had left me with.

“James,” my mum said when she saw me standing in the door way to the Kitchen, “Where did you get up today?” The smell of mince slowly simmering filled my nostrils, and the sound of the knife in my mothers hand colliding with the cutting board underneath the carrot she was cutting filled my ears.

“I was just with some friends.” I said, and she looked up from the carrot she was cutting, “What? You did say I could go off.”

“I know, but I meant to stay at the beach.” She said. She seemed to think I was in a gang, doings drugs, mugging old ladies and crashing the ballroom dancing class that was in the community centre on Wednesday nights or something since I dyed a part of my hair black, yet she knows I can barely swallow an aspirin.

“I did stay at the beach… well until you guys left.”

“Chris said you were with a girl” Mum said, a smile appearing on her face as she hid a knowing laugh.

“Yeah, Ava. She’s just moved here from London. Chris was playing with her little sister.” Me and Ava had gone to the rocks, which seemed to be the only quiet place in the whole of Southend-On-Sea. We spent majority of the time looking at the clouds, trying to work out what shapes they formed and what they resembled. We spoke about ourselves, but mostly the differences between Essex and London despite them being so close to each other. Then her mother called, so we took her sister back home.

When we were walking down one of the back lanes to where her house, we passed the skate park - which is shunned out of the way of the seeing public eye, so that it won’t attract any ‘rowdy youths’ from the local area, and so it wouldn’t ruin the ‘picturesque landscape.’ If its in use at all, its by local kids abusing the privacy of the place to have a sneaky cigarette or seven. Although, today, I did recognise a few people using the skate park for what it was intended for - Skateboarding. They spotted me, and called me over to join them and when I looked over at Ava, she had a knowing smile upon her face and a glint in her eye.

“Go on. Its fine, I know my way back from here. Thanks.” She said.

“You sure?” I asked her and she nodded.

“Yeah, I’m sure. Like I said, I can find my way back, and you look like you’re gonna get a hard on by those boards. Have fun, and see you around.” she said, and my bye to her was interrupted by Ashlee asking what a hard on was, and then Ava and I collapsing into a fit of laughter at her question.

“James,” My mum said, knocking me out of my daze, “Can you lay the table?”

“Oh sure.” I said quickly slipping out of my day dream and began on the chore requested of me. Barely ten minutes later, I was sat at the table with my parents and younger siblings who dived at their food like a lion would its prey as if they hadn’t had a decent meal in weeks. Once the excitement of my mother ‘legendary’ roast dinner wore off, my younger sister launched into a conversation about how she couldn’t wait to go to the new ‘mini theme park’ called “Adventure Island” that had recently opened up tomorrow with some of her friends, who seemed to follow me around whenever they came around to our house.

“James, you should take your girlfriend there.” My mum said, causing the rest of my family to instantly stop eating their food, and become interested in the conversation whilst I spluttered on the mouthful of mashed potato.

“She’s not my girlfriend!” I inaptly to the calm atmosphere around the table, causing my mother to burst out into a fit of giggles at my tone.

“Well Chris says different. And You seemed distracted when you mentioned her before. What’s her name, Ava?” She teased, as I tried to keep the blushing colour from rising to my cheeks. With my pale complexion, embarrassment shows easily and its one thing I try to avoid at all costs - especially in front of my family who seem to remember every little embarrassing thing.

“Yes, that’s her name, but it doesn’t mean she’s my girlfriend. Chris hung with her sister - does that mean they‘re dating?” I said, my last words being drowned out by Melissa and my 13 year old brother Nick singing ‘James and Ava sitting in a tree’ and then my dad launching into a speech about making sure I used protection to make sure she doesn’t get pregnant or catch an STD whilst spooning some of his food casually into his mouth.

I swear to god, they enjoy embarrassing me.

--

“Bye mum!” I said, grabbing a slice of toast off Chris’ plate before heading to the backdoor. The squeals of my sisters highly annoying friends calling my name soon faded after slamming the door behind me, and quickly walking down the lawn to the wall which lead to one of the back ways to the main town. Melissa’s friends would never learn - Their high pitch screaming can be heard a mile away, and gives me plenty time to escape. Glancing at the clock at my phone, I quickly came to the conclusion that none of my friends would be up at this hour - even if it was almost noon, and decided to head to the arcades along the piers instead of being molested by girls who aren’t even ten yet. Second day into the summer holidays, and I was already spending it alone.

Whilst walking along the sea front to the pier, I couldn’t see a person under a hundred anywhere. Okay, maybe under thirty but that wasn’t the point. I always knew that unless you were on the beach, Southend on Sea was basically God’s Waiting room with a crèche next door, with all the teenagers tucked up away as to not threaten God’s next visitors. I was surprised when I spotted Ava yesterday, and that the fact that she had moved to the area. Despite her negative attitude towards the place, and the constant denial that she will fit in here, I knew that once, or even before, school started - She was going to be the centre of attention.

When arriving at the arcade, I headed straight for the pacman machine, which was shoved in the back corner with other old games like space invaders, Tetris and a ‘Super Mario’ pinball machine that I could remember playing on when I was around Three years old. The first game I always play is pacman, despite its age, it’s a classic and always manages to get your blood pumping around, the adrenalin flowing through your veins. When I approached the machine, I saw a familiar head of blonde hair, a pair of faded black jeans that stood out as not a lot of people wore jeans around here, along with a bright red vest top that just covered her studded belt. The main thing I recognised though, was the denim bag slung over her shoulders with various badges placed upon it, all with band logos. A bag that had caught my eye the same way yesterday.

Ava.

“Hey, Ava!” she turned around, and a shocked smile appeared on her face when she saw it was me who called out her name.

“James! Weird to bump into you again,” Her tone was upbeat, and made smile, as she seemed happy to see me. “Come here often?” She asked me, as she turned back to the machine to finish her game.

“Sometimes,” I replied, leaning in closer to look at the screen, just as her last life was taken by the red ghost called Blinky.

“Ahh, better luck next time! Mind you, you’ll never beat me.” I said laughing as she stared at the screen.

“Oh, are you the James I just beat on the high score?” She asked me, and then laughed as I stared in awe at the screen. She had managed to beat my high-score on the game by just ten single points - the high score I had never come anywhere close again no matter how much I tried. “God, you need to get a life!” She said, laughing even harder at my face.

“I need to get a life? Excuse me Miss “I just moved here, but I’ve already got the high-score on pacman!” I said, laughing along with her, “But that win totally deserves an ice-cream. I’m buying.”

“Nah, I’ll buy. A ‘sorry for kicking your ass’ gift.” she said, “And what is it with ice-cream here? Is that all what you eat here? Because I could kill for a burger.”

“There’s a McDonalds up the road, if you wanna go there.” I suggested, and she nodded, and said that she’s so hungry she might end up ordering three meals just for herself. As we walked down the street, she kept on teasing me on her victory at the pacman game. Soon enough, there was the golden double-arch that is the McDonalds logo appeared over the horizon.

“Race you there!” I said, and began running down the pavement, which was unusually quiet for a Saturday morning. Ava soon caught up with me, and got into the lead after slowing me down by hitting me with her bag - which may have possibly been filled with bricks because it hurt. A lot. We both ran into an practically empty McDonalds, laughing like there was no tomorrow and received strange looks off the very few customers and the congregation of the workforce behind the counter. We stifled our laughter as we approached the counter, as obviously the people in there were not amused, or were just naturally glarey.

“I’d like a happy meal with extra happy.” Ava requested, trying not to expose her laughter, whilst mine erupted out and filled the whole room, gaining us even more fiercer glares.