Chapter 1: Summer Plans
"Class! I know that the school year is winding down, but you still have finals; which you will not be able to pass with out this review! " Mr. Hartley yelled as the seniors of his European History class as they began to get off-task talking about their plans once they no longer had to waste seven hours a day in Redwood high, learning things they will forget the second the diploma is in their hand anyway.
"Three whole weeks sailing the Greek islands on my uncle's boat is going to be just the beginning of my kick-ass summer," Shannon squealed as we tried to put the rulers of Great Britain in order from the year 1545 to 1890.
"What's got you so jazzed about sailing with your uncle?" Jenna asked as she leaned over the table we had made with our desks to grab King Henry VIII.
"I'll admit, spending the first part of my summer with my pot-bellied uncle, who drinks beer with his toast in the morning, was not exactly what I had in mind, but then I thought Greece. Greece is filled tons fascinating history and culture."
"And tons of hot European boys!" I added just as the bell rang.
"Please finish the study guide! Finals are on Thursday!" Mr. Hartley said, sounding strained and angry at the same time. He claims he's only like that at the end of the year because of all the ciaos of finals and senior graduation, but he almost always sounds strained and angry. I think there is a good chance that he hates kids and is only in the teaching business for access to a refrigerator and a communal coffee pot.
"Guys! We only have three more days of walking through these halls as students!" Shannon reminisced.
"Remind me why that's a bad thing?" Jenna said while twirling the lock on her locker.
"Because in two days we aren't going to be kids anymore. We will be like…. adults!"
Jenna and I both laughed at Shannon's comment. "Come on genius, we are going to be late for practice," I said as I tossed a pom pom at her head, "I can't miss my last time as captain!"
"Whatever," she retorted, "What are you doing for your first summer of adulthood anyway, Lil?"
"Oh you know, just hanging out."
"With Jason?" Jenna giggled and Shannon joined in.
"No!" I said, throwing my other pom pom at her head this time. "Well maybe… I don't really know. He hasn't been talking to me much lately."
Jason is my boyfriend of two years. He is also the quarterback of the football team. How clichéd is my life? The captain of the cheerleading squad dating the star jock. But I was okay with that 'girl next door' stereotype because I really like him, and I think I might even love him… Ugh, I can't believe I just thought that! I mean I'm eighteen! I can't be in love, can I?
"Don't worry Lily, he is a great guy and I know things are going to work out for you two," Jenna comforted me.
"How can they? My boyfriend is leaving in two months to go to school half way across the country and I'm staying right here!" I had no plans to go to college. School had never really been my thing, unlike my mother. We have always been very different. It wasn't an issue before… No, I can't let myself think about that, about him.
Now my mother and I fight daily and the most resent topic of these arguments had been my education following high school.
She had left all her family in La Push, Washington to come to California to attend Stanford University. That is where she met my dad. They had known each other for about two minutes before they got married and another five before I came along.
Now my mom works all day, and at night she spends her time yelling at me about all types of things. I only have myself to blame for that though; it was my fault, I caused her to be like this. I guess I can thank her for my back bone though. These discussions, if you can even call them that, have taught me how to stand up for my self. For a long time I felt bad yelling back because I know how much it hurt my dad when my mother and I argued, we have been through so much already.
My dad has always been a very gentle soul. I don't really know how he fell for my mom, but, after eighteen years of marriage, they still dance in the kitchen after I go upstairs for bed, well they used to, before.
After practice was over, I began to head for my car. I guess you can't really call it a practice; it was more like a sob fest. All the seniors were making speeches and saying goodbye and I, as captain, announced the girl that would be taking my place next year.
"Bye Lily! We're going to miss you next year!" Monica, a junior on the squad, called to me from across the lot.
"Bye!" I called back. "I'm going to miss you too!" And I really was. I wasn't sure what I planned to do once high school was over. I really wished I didn't have to leave. It was so much easier to pretend I was normal here.
I got in my car and pulled out of the parking lot. On my way home I began thinking about what I should do when my summer ended. I really had no idea. I had Jason to think about, and my parents. I knew my mom wouldn't be happy with any other decision I could make besides a major in English lit and a dorm room to leave me at. And I had no idea what was going on with Jason. I don't think he felt the same way about me that I did about him.
It wasn't until I was parked in my drive way that I noticed Jason's car sitting on the curb. He was leaning against the hood of his truck.
Oh boy, here it comes, I thought. I knew that whatever he was going to say wasn't going to be good.
"Hey!" I said as I closed my door.
"Hey," he looked down at the pom poms that I held in my right hand. "Did you have practice today? The season is over, what are you practicing for?" he asked skeptically.
"We're girls; we need to say goodbye!" I laughed.
"Oh," he paused for a moment, "Can we talk?"
"What about?" I said knowing exactly what he wanted to talk about.
He took a deep breath, "Ok so here's the thing, I really love spending time with you, but when I leave I don't really know how we are going to work anymore. So I was thinking that maybe it would be best if we didn't drag this on any longer. I mean why spend our summers in a relationship that isn't going anywhere, right?"
I thought I was ready for what he was going to say, but I was completely wrong. I mean who is ever ready to get their heart broken? "Oh, yeah I guess you're right," I managed to choke out.
"I'm really sorry," he said as he looked down at the grass below his feet.
"No, no. It better this way," I lied.
"So I'll see you around." He leaned down to hug me.
I automatically wrapped my arms around him, trying to hold him there. He broke my grip as I said, "Okay."
He walked around his car and opened the door. He paused before he got in, "Bye, Lily."
"Bye, Jason." I stood there watching his car pull away from my house, and then down the street and around the corner. When it started to get dark out I decided I should probably go inside. I knew that this was coming, but that didn't make it hurt any less.
I walked inside and went strait up to my room. I didn't really want to deal with my parents.
I didn't want to sulk so I tried to distract my self. I pulled out my textbook to study, god knows I needed to.
"Lillian Elizabeth Mitchell!"
My head shot up. I looked down to see my history book with a little bit of drool on it. I must have fallen asleep. It took me a minute to realize what exactly it was that had woken me up. My mom had yelled my name, and she sounded mad.
I stood up and walked down stairs. I found my mom clutching a piece of paper so hard that her knuckles were beginning to turn white.
"What is this?" She held the paper out to me. I took it from her and looked at the insignia that was on the top.
Crap! I thought. It was a letter from Washington State. I had completely forgotten that I had told my mom that I had enrolled there. I continued to read the letter.
Dear Miss Mitchell,
We are sorry to hear that you have decided to withdraw from the incoming freshman class attending Washington State University this fall.
I didn't have to read any further to know what had upset my mom. I stood there, having nothing to say.
"Well?" My mom shot the word at me like a bullet.
"Well what? I don't have anything to say."
"How about, 'I'm sorry Mom. This must be a mistake because I do plan to attend Washington State in the fall.'"
"I'm not going to lie to you, Mom." Honesty was worth a shot.
"Then change the truth, Lily!" She yelled at me, "You are going to go to college! That is the truth!"
"I'm not going to do that!" I yelled back.
"I'm not letting you throw your life away too!" I winced when she said that, knowing that she meant it very literally. She paused for a minute, noticing my reaction, "Just go to your room."
I walked up to my room and closed the door. Now I was free to break down. My mother's words rang in my ears. "I'm not letting you throw your life away too!" I had already ruined someone else's life.
About an hour later, there was a knock on my door.
"What?" I said into the pillow that I held to my face, not making any move for the knob.
"Lily, we need to talk and would be easier if we didn't have to do it through the door," My dad's voice came from the other side.
I stood up and went to open the door. I stood there staring at my father while he stared back.
"Ok, so your mother and I have been talking," he finally broke the silence, "And we have come to the conclusion that if you aren't going to go to WSU then we are sending you to live with your cousin Sam in La Push."
"What?" Was all I could manage to say.
"Lil, this could be a really great experience for you. Get away from your past here. Plus you used to love it up there when you were a little girl."
"Dad, things are different now. I'm different now."
"You are still you. And besides, it was either move to La Push or join the National Guard. Your mother was pulling for the second one," he chuckled, trying to lighten my mood.
"Yeah. Maybe I would go and never come back."
"Oh come on. You know your mother loves you," he said, rubbing my shoulder.
"I'm not so sure anymore. After last year…" I trailed off.
My father didn't respond, probably because there was nothing to say. He just kissed my forehead and said, "You leave on Tuesday."