Sequel: Palm Trees ›
Seashells
so who's this ***
June 25th, 2008
Confidence is key. Confidence, confidence, confidence.
That's what I had to keep telling myself the whole ferry ride to the island. The last month seemed to pass by so quickly. I remember when everyone was cramming for final exams, and suddenly they were just over. The parties were on and everyone was so relieved. I actually went to a few parties that year. I will admit that I did kiss this one guy, but that was kind of due to peer pressure. It's a long story.
"Again, Cass?" Austin said.
"What?"
"You can't sit still, can you? This is just like last year."
"Oh." It seemed like a replay of the year before. I couldn't help it; I was really nervous.
I promised to text Minh more often and tell her how things were going. I didn't want to end up telling her that the whole confidence thing wasn't working out. So I knew I had to do something. At least I could text her in case I ever needed any advice. I made a lot of new friends, also, so I expected to use my phone more this year than ever in previous years. I hoped none of you (as in my island friends) would mind.
As always, I was the last one to arrive. I knew I was supposed to meet you all behind the ice cream parlor. It was our place ever since Sim managed to kick out the older kids like two years ago. Although, it didn't really matter anymore, because we were the older kids now. A lot of Austin's friends didn't come to the island anymore, but he did because he wanted to.
"Cassidy!" I heard someone calling my name as soon as I turned around the corner of the building. The first person I saw was Matt, who happened to be running straight towards me. I flinched, sure that he was going to tackle me to the ground. Of course, he stopped right in front of me.
"Hey," I said, relaxing. He reached out and gave me a big hug.
"Hey Cass-Cass," another voice said. I immediately knew it was Sim. "Late, as usual."
"Not my fault," I said. Matt let go and I faced her, but there were no hugs. She wasn't the type (unless it was a full-on groping session with a guy). "What's up?"
She didn't get to answer because you came up and interrupted us. "Hey Cassidy."
"Hi," I said, and I smiled. So far, so good.
"Did you like my present?"
"Of course," I said, still smiling stupidly. "It's in my room back home. Thanks, by the way."
"That's great," you said, and you smiled back. "Now you're finally here."
"Yup."
"Tell her the plans for this summer," Matt said.
"It's going to be great," you said. "I think this will be the best summer yet. There's a lot to do, and-"
"Basically, we're going to fuck shit up," Matt said, cutting you off. "You in?"
"Of course," I said, although I wasn't really sure if I wanted to participate in anything Matt planned.
"Keep your phone on at all times," Sim said. "We might have a bit of late night... fun."
"Sneaking out," you said. "Not that anyone will actually care that much."
"Doesn't sound so different than last year," I said.
"Hey, Aden," your sister said, coming around the side of the building. "Mom needs you."
"Okay Emily, fine," you said, and then you went to follow her.
"Wait!" Matt said. "Give me your phone, I want to play that game."
"No," you said. "You're going to change all my contact names to body parts again."
"No, I won't, I promise!" he said. You sighed and threw him the phone. Luckily for you, he caught it.
"Aden got a phone?" I asked, walking over to Matt once you were gone.
"Yeah, like a few weeks ago," he said.
"Here, let me put my number in." I took the phone from his hands.
"No! You just messed up my game!"
"Sucks for you." I tried to get to your contacts, but I didn't know how to get out of the game so I pressed random buttons. It didn't work well. I decided to shut off the phone and turn it back on.
"Wow, you're lame," Matt said.
I didn't answer and waited for the phone to start up. Maybe I would leave a message for you to see when turned on your phone. It would be so much better than Matt's "my name is Aden and I like penis" message that was currently on your phone. The immature words went away and I tried to get to contacts, then did a double take at your background. It was a blonde girl with freckles and blue eyes. If I looked quickly, I could almost mistake it for myself.
"Who's this?" I asked Matt.
"Hannah," he answered easily. "She's Aden's girlfriend."
Confidence is key. Confidence, confidence, confidence.
That's what I had to keep telling myself the whole ferry ride to the island. The last month seemed to pass by so quickly. I remember when everyone was cramming for final exams, and suddenly they were just over. The parties were on and everyone was so relieved. I actually went to a few parties that year. I will admit that I did kiss this one guy, but that was kind of due to peer pressure. It's a long story.
"Again, Cass?" Austin said.
"What?"
"You can't sit still, can you? This is just like last year."
"Oh." It seemed like a replay of the year before. I couldn't help it; I was really nervous.
I promised to text Minh more often and tell her how things were going. I didn't want to end up telling her that the whole confidence thing wasn't working out. So I knew I had to do something. At least I could text her in case I ever needed any advice. I made a lot of new friends, also, so I expected to use my phone more this year than ever in previous years. I hoped none of you (as in my island friends) would mind.
As always, I was the last one to arrive. I knew I was supposed to meet you all behind the ice cream parlor. It was our place ever since Sim managed to kick out the older kids like two years ago. Although, it didn't really matter anymore, because we were the older kids now. A lot of Austin's friends didn't come to the island anymore, but he did because he wanted to.
"Cassidy!" I heard someone calling my name as soon as I turned around the corner of the building. The first person I saw was Matt, who happened to be running straight towards me. I flinched, sure that he was going to tackle me to the ground. Of course, he stopped right in front of me.
"Hey," I said, relaxing. He reached out and gave me a big hug.
"Hey Cass-Cass," another voice said. I immediately knew it was Sim. "Late, as usual."
"Not my fault," I said. Matt let go and I faced her, but there were no hugs. She wasn't the type (unless it was a full-on groping session with a guy). "What's up?"
She didn't get to answer because you came up and interrupted us. "Hey Cassidy."
"Hi," I said, and I smiled. So far, so good.
"Did you like my present?"
"Of course," I said, still smiling stupidly. "It's in my room back home. Thanks, by the way."
"That's great," you said, and you smiled back. "Now you're finally here."
"Yup."
"Tell her the plans for this summer," Matt said.
"It's going to be great," you said. "I think this will be the best summer yet. There's a lot to do, and-"
"Basically, we're going to fuck shit up," Matt said, cutting you off. "You in?"
"Of course," I said, although I wasn't really sure if I wanted to participate in anything Matt planned.
"Keep your phone on at all times," Sim said. "We might have a bit of late night... fun."
"Sneaking out," you said. "Not that anyone will actually care that much."
"Doesn't sound so different than last year," I said.
"Hey, Aden," your sister said, coming around the side of the building. "Mom needs you."
"Okay Emily, fine," you said, and then you went to follow her.
"Wait!" Matt said. "Give me your phone, I want to play that game."
"No," you said. "You're going to change all my contact names to body parts again."
"No, I won't, I promise!" he said. You sighed and threw him the phone. Luckily for you, he caught it.
"Aden got a phone?" I asked, walking over to Matt once you were gone.
"Yeah, like a few weeks ago," he said.
"Here, let me put my number in." I took the phone from his hands.
"No! You just messed up my game!"
"Sucks for you." I tried to get to your contacts, but I didn't know how to get out of the game so I pressed random buttons. It didn't work well. I decided to shut off the phone and turn it back on.
"Wow, you're lame," Matt said.
I didn't answer and waited for the phone to start up. Maybe I would leave a message for you to see when turned on your phone. It would be so much better than Matt's "my name is Aden and I like penis" message that was currently on your phone. The immature words went away and I tried to get to contacts, then did a double take at your background. It was a blonde girl with freckles and blue eyes. If I looked quickly, I could almost mistake it for myself.
"Who's this?" I asked Matt.
"Hannah," he answered easily. "She's Aden's girlfriend."