Rosalie has been my best friend since I can remember. Ever since I asked her if I could borrow her red crayon in kindergarten. Ever since, three years after our first encounter, she moved in next door. That had been our first summer together, making mud pies and searching for fairies at the back of Rosalie's vast backyard. Only now mud pies have been exchanged for something more toxic. And fairies mean very little to us now, its boys we're searching for. Now its a new summer. Maybe our last one, if we both go to different colleges. Only I don't think Rosalie wants to bother with college. She's wasting herself, but I don't want to start another argument, so I don't bring it up.
"Alice, can you go into the back and get a new box of straws, please?" Rosalie calls now.
We're stood behind the counter inside the tiny smoothie bar owned by Rosalie's uncle. He's away in Australia for the summer, visiting his brother. So Rosalie and I are in charge.
"Sure" I reply, disappearing through the open door that leads to the store room.
Its cool inside, and gloomy. There are so many boxes it takes me a while to check all the labels. Finally, I find the straws and deliver them to Rosalie. She smiles at me, and I rip back the cardboard, taking out the bundles of blue and pink striped straws.
"What time is the electrician coming?" I ask her.
"Not for another two hours" Rosalie pushes her long blond hair back behind her ears, and I feel a pang of jealously as I glance at her angels face. She always was, and always will be, the taller and the prettier one.
"I don't think I can last that long" I say, looking up at the broken air conditioner hanging dilapidated on the wall that is the exact colour of a sunset. Its our third day working here, and I've learnt my now not to wear much make up; it just slides off your face in this heat.
I go back to the other end of the counter, and check the fridge. We're running low, so I start to blend some fresh fruit. Whilst a bunch of berries and two bananas dance around the gleaming blades, I let my mind drift to tonight. We're going to a party, some guy from school who we don't even know. His parents are away, so he's invited everyone in school to come and trash his house. Only he doesn't know that bit yet. But I've been to parties like that many a time, and the outcome is never good.
"You better go and drop off Mrs Cullen's delivery" Rosalie says, looking up at the clock on the wall.
The smoothie shop also does deliveries, but not many people make them. But there's this one lady, the wife of the towns best doctor, who has been ordering the same batch of smoothies every week for two years now. I nod, and take the berry and banana concoction out of the blender. I watch the gloop pour smoothly into a tall glass jug, and place it on the third shelf on the fridge. Mrs Cullen's order is on the shelf above, and I carefully remove the three jugs before pouring their contents into paper cups.
"I'll pick us up some lunch on my way back" I tell Rosalie as I open the hatch at the end of the counter, holding a box filled with smoothies.
"Prawn sandwich and a diet Coke" Rosalie calls.
Of course. Ever since I've known her, that's what Rosalie has for her lunch. And I always have a huge bottle of water. I don't have an eating disorder or anything, I just don't eat a lot because I'm hardly ever hungy. This is the only thing about me that Rosalie has told me she is jealous of. She always holds up my stick thin arms and says that she wishes hers were like that. Rosalie doesn't need to be skinny; nobody looks past her face.
I knock the door open with my elbow and amble my way out of the shop, praying that I'm not about to trip over anything. Not that this is normally a problem; I'm extremely graceful. Since its a nice day, I take the bicyle to the Cullen house, which is all the way across town. In fact, I'm not even sure if its classed as being in town, since the sign that proclaims "Welcome To Spektorville!" is just before it.
Its a small town, and everyone knows each other. I loose count of how many people yell "Hi" and smile at me as I cycle my way across scorching hot pavements. This is probably the hottest summer I've ever been through. On TV, even the guy who announces the weather after the news has to dab his forehead as he talks.
I park my bike at the end of the path when I reach the Cullen house, and run up the porch steps up to the front door. I ring the bell and step back. Behind the frosted glass, a figure is wavering in and out of focus. Esme opens the door, greeting me with the usual kind smile. Her caramel coloured hair is glowing in the sunlight.
"Ah, my order. Thank you Alice" She says, reaching out for me to pass her the box.
"Hopefully it'll cool you down" I smile, giving her the box.
"Hopefully" She nods, putting the box down in the hall behind her and digging around in the pockets of her lilac sundress. She passes me a few ten dollar bills.
"See you next week" I say, turning around.
"Oh, Alice!" Esme calls before I reach the gate.
"Yes?" I look back at her.
"I have two nephews of mine coming to stay for the summer. You seem like a popular girl. I was hoping you could take them under your wing? Show them the ropes around here" Esme says.
"Of course I will" I smile.
"Thanks. Bye, bye then!" Esme disappears into her house and closes the door with a clink.
Two nephews, eh? Wait until I tell Rosalie.