Summer Lovin'.

Olivia sat on her bedroom floor, suitcase in front of her, and clothes strewn out across the room. She had always hated packing, and this was no exception. Cobra Starship’s newest CD was playing from her iHome, Gabe’s voice serenading her as she groaned in frustration. She reached for her cell phone, calling the first person on her speed dial.

“Livy!” Brendon answered cheerfully.

“Hey Brenny,” she replied, pressing the phone between her ear and her shoulder while holding up a gray and white striped tank top, deliberating whether or not to bring it. “Wanna come over and help me pack?”

“If you come back to my place and help me after.”

“Deal.”

“See you in a minute,” Brendon said.

“You bet.” They hung up without a goodbye. Olivia threw the tank top in her bag.

She was deciding on a pair of pastel green skinny jean when Brendon walked in the door. “Oh God, they should put caution tape around your room.”

Olivia laughed, feeling the mood lighten already. She patted the ground next to her after removing a pair of gladiator sandals from the spot. Brendon sat next to her, plucking the jeans out of her hands. “You are so bringing these,” he said as he folded them. “They look really good with that gray and white tank top you have.”

“I just packed that, actually,” Olivia replied. “And since when did you become my personal stylist?”

“Since you always ask me for fashion advice.” Olivia smirked; she had consulted Brendon on outfit choices on many occasions.

Their routine of plucking a piece of clothing off the floor, debating about it, then either discarding it or putting it in Olivia’s suitcase lasted for about a half hour before it turned into a clothes-war.

Brendon and Olivia collapsed onto the purple shag rug, out of breath. Their sides were sore from laughing. Olivia had a necklace stuck around her head at an odd angle and a tank top hitched around her ankle; Brendon had a bra resting on his shoulder and a sock in the collar of his T shirt. Olivia inhaled deeply, trying to push the memory of lying next to Brendon and out of breath from last summer into the back of her mind.

“I think we’re done here,” Brendon said, glancing at Olivia’s full suitcase. She nodded in agreement. “My turn!”

[ * ]

On Thursday morning, Olivia awoke early with knots of excitement bubbling in her belly. She double-checked the bag she and Brendon had put together yesterday, and added a few last minute items. Everyone would be here for breakfast in an hour, and they would leave for their first destination: Los Angeles. Olivia quickly changed into zebra striped Soffe shorts and a black tank top, dressing comfortably for the long day of driving ahead of her. After her usual routine of black eyeliner, mascara, and shimmer Chapstick, she rushed down the stairs, taking them two at a time.

[ * ]

Olivia stood in front of the stove, prodding at the eggs in the orange pan with a spatula when Lola and Jon arrived, Brendon appearing shortly after.

“Are you making pancakes too?” Brendon asked, standing on his toes to make himself high enough to sit on the counter.

“There are Eggo waffles in the toaster,” Olivia replied, scooping the eggs onto a plate. “And there are biscuits in the oven.”

Spencer ran through the doorway, shouting “YES!” and holding out the ‘s’ for an obnoxiously long time.

“Hey, Spence, do you have the car?” Jon asked.

“It’s at my house. I figured we could all walk over later to get it,” Spencer replied, raiding Olivia’s refrigerator before coming out triumphantly with a carton of orange juice.

“Do you know if Ryan and Krystal are coming soon?” Lola questioned as she opened the cabinet to take out seven glasses.

“The princess is probably still packing her zillion outfits and a bag of makeup so huge I could fit in it,” Brendon said.

“Wouldn’t surprise me.” Olivia rolled her blue eyes. “Why did Ryan have to invite her?”

“He knows we all hate her,” Jon added.

“He even admitted to me that she was annoying as hell,” Spencer said nonchalantly.

The group sighed loudly together, continuing the breakfast preparation.

Once the egg, bacon, biscuits, orange juice, waffles, syrup, and fruit salad were on the table, Ryan and Krystal finally decided to show up.

“They totally just fucked,” Brendon whispered to Olivia, who covered up a laugh and tried not to give them a look of disgust.

During breakfast, the only talk was that of destinations. Where they would go, places they would see, things they wanted to visit. There was excitement radiating from everyone sitting at the table.

“Let’s go see the car!” Brendon said when dishes were cleaned and stomachs were full.

[ * ]

“Erm, you see, I…” Spencer started, trying to think of something to say to save himself.

“An old orange minivan,” Jon said, shaking his head in disbelief.

“You suck, Spence,” Brendon said.

“Sorry! I couldn’t get anything else,” Spencer snapped.

Olivia just burst out laughing. “Is it just me or is this really hilarious?”

Soon everyone joined in on the laughter. It was pretty funny: six teenagers, one orange minivan, and a road trip.

“Krys, do you really need all this stuff?” Ryan asked warily as they began loading their bags into the trunk, his hand massaging the back of his neck.

“Um, yes,” she replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I have to look pretty, you know.”

“I think you look gorgeous all the time,” Ryan tried.

“I know, but not everyone thinks that way too. So this is all necessary.” Brendon hid a snicker.

“You do realize that there are six other peoples’ bags we have to fit in the car too, right?”

“They can move their shit.”

“Krys, this trip doesn’t revolve around you.” Ryan immediately regretted saying this when he saw Krystal’s eyes burning with rage.

“Ryan, you’re such an asshole! You’re supposed to care about me, not your stupid friends! When you said we were going to spend this summer together, I thought you meant just us, but clearly I was wrong. You care about them way more than me!” Everyone watched in anticipation of a breakup, or Krystal deciding angrily that she wouldn’t be coming after all.

“Baby, I never said that,” he pleaded.

“But it’s what you meant!”

“No, it’s not. Listen,” Ryan placed his fingers on her forearm to soothe her.

“Don’t touch me!” she shrieked. He pulled back immediately.

“Krys, I promise we’ll get alone time on this trip, and I’ll let you have whatever you want. I’ll make them consider what you want to do for once. I’ll tell them to include you more, okay?”

It was pathetic how easily she was consoled. “Okay,” she said with a small smile.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Ry,” Krystal said, now ecstatic, and threw herself at him.

As they kissed passionately, the others loaded up the van around them. Spencer gave them a dirty look while trying to avoid touching them.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Jon said, ‘accidentally’ bumping into them as he situated Lola’s bag in the trunk.

Krystal glared at him. “I call back with Ryan,” she declared. No one was stupid enough to argue.

Finally, the trunk was closed and everyone had piled into the car. Jon was driving first with Lola sitting next to him, Brendon, Olivia, and Spencer were sitting in the row behind them, and Ryan and Krystal were in the back. After pulling out of the driveway, the car’s inhabitants cheered eagerly.

The road trip had begun.