Girls in the Summertime

Dinner was amazing. Of course it would be. Olive Garden was my all-time favorite restaurant.

“I can’t believe my baby graduated high school,” my mom said for about the millionth time.

“Mom,” I groaned around a bite of garlic bread. My phone buzzed just as I was about to continue, and I checked it. It was a text from Allison:

Sleepover @ Blakes after dinner

“Who’s that?” mom asked, in my business as always.

“Allison. We’re having a sleepover at Blake’s,” I answered. “Is that okay with you?”

She smiled with tears in her eyes. “Of course.”

My phone buzzed again. I looked at it confusedly, not recognizing the number. I answered it, hoping to shed light on the mystery person.

“Hey, princess!” a male’s voice said happily.

“Dad?” I choked on the bread I had been nibbling on.

“Yeah, it’s me. I was just calling to say congratulations on graduating. I knew you could do it. I—”

I hung up.

“What did he want?” my mother asked gravely.

“Who gives a—” I caught myself. “Cat.”

Jessie looked at me doubtfully.



“Honey, I’m hooome!” I hollered into Blake’s mansion sized home.

“Lucy!”

Blake and Allison both came running at me, and tackled me to the ground.

“Yeah, yeah. I wubba woo, too,” I said, laughing.

“Come on, we’re watching The Vampire Diaries on DVD,” Blake said excitedly. “If you pretend that Stefan was a dork, then he’s kinda like Clumsy Chris.”

I felt my face go beat red. Blake and Allison took every chance they got to tease me about Chris, and I should’ve known that tonight would be no exception.

“Chris asked me out this weekend,” I said as they helped me carry my bags up to Blake’s room.

“What?” Allison shrieked.

“I know,” I said excitedly.

“I can’t believe that Lucy’s got a boyfriend,” Blake said, shaking her head.

“Actually…” I began. “I turned him down because we had already made plans to go to the beach, and he’s moving to Harvard next Thursday.”

“I cannot believe you!” Allison yelled at me.

“Clumsy Chris got into Harvard?” Blake asked.

“Well, I didn’t want to blow you guys off,” I directed toward Alli. Turning toward Blake, I said, “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“You could’ve invited him to come with us!” Alli said.

“I didn’t know he applied for Harvard is all,” Blake said, shrugging.

“I didn’t think about inviting him…” I said thoughtfully. “I better call him!”

I jumped up, and ran toward my makeup bag that I had thrown my cell phone into. I quickly dialed Chris’s number, and watched in annoyance as my friends pressed their ears against my phone.

“Hello, this is Chris Garrett,” he answered.

“Chris!” I said excitedly, giggling.

“Lucy?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Hey, I was wondering if maybe you’d want to come to the beach with us this weekend?”

“Sure,” he said. “I’d love to.”

“Great. I’ll see you then.”

“Goodbye.”

We hung up.

Then the girls and I were squealing at the top of our lungs until Blake’s brothers came barging in, thinking we were being strangled.

“Jesus, girls. What’s all the fuss about?” Patrick asked, annoyed with our girly freak-outs.

“Lucy’s got a boyfriend!” Blake squealed.

“Nah-uh! No sister of mine is having a boyfriend!” Ronnie said half-jokingly. Since Blake and I had been friends since forever, we were practically sisters.

“Too bad!” Allison said, grinning as we all started squealing in excitement again.

They walked out of the room, grumbling about how they’d never understand us.

“I have to pee,” I announced after we calmed down.

“Well, you know where the bathroom is,” Blake said, laughing at my bluntness.

I nodded, and ran toward the bathroom in the hallway, since Allison was changing in Blake’s personal bathroom. (Okay, I know that we’re all girls, but it’s just awkward seeing each other naked.) I opened the bathroom door, and there stood Patrick. Naked.

I ran, screaming at the top of my lungs, “The rapists tried to kill me! The rapists tried to kill me!” I repeated that about a dozen times before I finally reached Blake’s bedroom. Patrick had followed me, screaming about how awkward this was and about how I should start knocking.

“What is going on?” Blake demanded.

“So, I was going to use the bathroom in the hall, and when I opened the door, your brother was naked! And then he tried to kill me!” I said, throwing myself onto Blake’s lap.

She looked up at Patrick. “So, what really happened?”

“Basically that. Except for the part about me trying to kill her.” He glared playfully at me in his towel.

“Ahh!” Allison screamed, running back into the bathroom.

“Patrick! You’re scaring my friends!” Blake said, throwing random objects at her brother. “Get out and put some clothes on!”

“Alright, alright,” he said, running out.

“Is he gone?” Allison asked.

“Yes,” we answered.

She came out. “You can have the bathroom now, Luce.”

I nodded, and ran in there to do my business.