Simon loved the summers. In the summer he didn't have to go to school which meant he didn't have to be around the people who were rude to him. Sometimes he hung out with Tyler and Jacob but those two weren't the highlight of his summers, books were. Unending days of sitting around consuming every bound reading material in the house and in the local library was by far the most exciting part of the summer. And this summer was set to be even better with him having Esmoroth to work on and having Grace to hang out with meant that this would surely be the best summer ever.
The home phone rang and Simon picked it up recognizing the number. He remembered when she'd first come over Grace was shocked that they even had a home phone but it had quickly become useful as it meant that even on days where the two couldn't hang out they could still talk, a godsend for two children without phones of their own. Simon spoke into the receiver not even bothering to confirm who it was launching right into conversation.
"What's going on?" he asked as he took the phone with him and sat on the couch to settle in for what was sure to be a long conversation. Just as he'd known it was indeed Grace who began talking right away.
"I'm bored." she complained, something which made Simon laugh.
"You have the most stuff of anyone I've ever met." he responded jokingly. She groaned in response.
"I have no one to talk to and it's driving me crazy." she responded, still sounding bored. "I just want to leave for vacation already." she added. Simon felt his heart drop into his stomach as he realized that he'd never actually asked Grace what her plans for the summer were.
"You're going on vacation?" he asked nervously. Grace hummed in response before elaborating.
"My family goes on vacation every year over the summer." she said and Simon felt even worse. He'd never been on a family vacation and Grace went every year. He was stupid for thinking that Grace's life would be as boring as his in terms of summer. Why had he assumed that she'd want to spend her summer hanging out even if she wasn't leaving? Simon shook those thoughts from his head, Grace liked hanging out with him because they were friends and she would hang out with him when she got back from vacation.
"How long are you going to be gone for?" he asked, hoping that it would be a short excursion. Grace's answer made his heart drop again.
"The rest of June." she responded. Simon looked over at the calendar, June third. That was twenty seven whole days without being able to talk to or hang out with his best and practically only friend. How would he even survive?
"Oh." was all that Simon could manage to say. "When do you leave?" he asked, hoping that he might have even a little time before he'd have to say goodbye to Grace for the entire month.
"We're supposed to leave tomorrow but something happened and now my parents are really stressed so I don't know." he explained. Simon had a thought which he realized was very selfish but he still hoped for anyway. Silently Simon wished that whatever had happened would cause Grace to not go on vacation and they could just hang out for the rest of the summer. Simon mentally scolded himself for wishing misfortune on Grace's vacation just because he didn't want to be without her for a short time.
"Do you know what's happening?" he asked hoping that the event wasn't anything awful that he'd just mentally encouraged in a moment of weakness. Grace sighed over the phone wistfully.
"Well, every year we go on vacation with Elisha and her family," she began. Simon silently felt bitter. He had no reason to dislike Elisha, she seemed like a nice normal person. It was just that he knew Grace liked her more than she liked him. She was Grace's best friend and he was her second best friend and when you're a child those types of things are very important. The distinction between "good friend" and "best friend" was night and day. And if you were Simon who already had two friends who liked each other more than they liked him there was nothing more painful than knowing that someone was your best friend but you weren't there's. All of his stewing made Simon realize Grace had been talking and he hadn't heard any of it.
"I'm sorry, can you repeat what you said?" he responded and Grace did.
"I said, this year is her family reunion so they can't come and we've got extra tickets." She repeated. Simon let out a silent sigh of relief that nothing bad had happened to cause the sudden change of plans and then got an amazing idea which he blurted out before he could stop himself.
"Me and my mom should go with you on vacation!" He shouted before he could stop himself. He felt so stupid as the words left his mouth. He felt like he was forcing himself on Grace when it was obvious that she had plans and a life outside of him and didn't want to be around him all of the time. The line was silent for a while after that with the two of them sitting there. Simon thought that Grace was likely thinking of ways to tell him that she didn't want to be friends anymore. Finally she spoke.
"Simon, that is...the greatest idea ever!" She practically squealed into the phone. "I've got to tell my parents it's going to be so awesome!" She said. Simon could hear footsteps rushing off as the phone was dropped and Grace went to go find her parents. Simon felt his heart pound in his ears at the idea of spending an entire vacation with Grace. He didn't even know what people were supposed to do on vacation but he knew it would be much more fun than sitting around missing her for the entire vacation. If her parents actually agreed to this and his mother actually agreed to this Simon might have pulled off the most amazing scheme in all of childhood history. After all, there was no way to go on a whole vacation with someone and not come out the other side best friends. Grace rushed back and updated Simon on what was occurring.
"My mom said that it was a good idea, and my dad said he'd call your mom!"she said excitedly. "If this actually happens it would be so awesome!" She said. Sure enough in the other room he could hear his mother picking up a phone call. Simon couldn't believe that this was actually possibly happening. He and Grace talked a little while longer before his mother told him to get off of the phone and he did as he was told.
"Simon, the Monroe's have graciously invited us to join them on vacation. We'd be going out of the state and I know that you've never been that far or on a plane but, would you want to do that?" She asked. Simon nodded vigorously, after all, she'd just asked him if he wanted to go on his first vacation alongside his best friend in the entire world for a month. His mother smiled.
"Okay, I'll tell them. We'll probably leave in a week or so, so get ready." She told him. Simon saluted her as if she was a general giving an order, something which made his mother laugh and ruffle his hair. He ran off trying to figure out what to pack before realizing that he didn't even know where they were going. He ran back down to ask his mother.
"Mom, how do I pack if I don't know where we're going?" He asked her. His mother looked up from her book to address him.
"We're going to Florida." She said. Simon stared at her slack jawed and opened his mouth to say something before being corrected. "We're not going to Disneyworld." She said and Simon closed his mouth, his comment having been rejected before he could even attempt to make it. He went back to packing and hoped that the Florida weather meant that he'd actually be allowed to wear sockless sandals around the place rather than being forced to wear his mother's favorite practical footwear around the state of Florida.
The next week was absolute torture for Simon. Him and Grace talked everyday about how awesome going on vacation together would be and how much fun it would be to hang out together and how they'd take tons of pictures. Simon of course still didn't know exactly where they were going in Florida other than "Not Disneyworld" but he was excited nonetheless. He was sure that hanging out with Grace could make even the most boring situations fun.
The day that his mother had woken him up early in the morning to go to the airport he hadn't even been asleep when she entered his room. He'd been far too excited and nervous. Archduke Franz Ferdinand had been dropped off at his grandmother's house and while he felt bad that the dog wouldn't be joining them he promised him that he'd bring him back treats. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, being a dog, didn't understand and kept trying to lick him. After that they were off to the airport. Upon arrival they met up with the Monroe's and he was shocked by Grace's appearance.
"Wow, you look tired." He said and it was true. He'd seen Grace tired before she went to sleep before and this was nothing like that. She struggled to keep her eyes open as she propped herself up on her suitcase. She did the best approximation of an eye roll that she could manage before responding.
"I slept two hours last night before these two," she glared at her parents who smiled back at her. "Woke me up." she said. Simon nodded as Grace let out a yawn. "Oh well, at least I'll get to sleep on the flight. And the roller coasters will wake me up." She added happily. Simon was surprised by this. He saw the Monroe's as more of a beach house family than a theme park family. In addition he'd never been on a roller coaster and was just slightly terrified of the idea. He could already feel his stomach getting sick just thinking about it. Apparently that showed on his face as Grace made a comment. "You don't look amazing yourself by the way."
"I've never been on a roller coaster before." He said. Grace looked sympathetic and then excited.
"Oh I'm forcing you to ride everything in the park." She replied slyly. Simon shook his head.
"That's fine, my clothes are normal and yours are expensive so when I vomit I'll aim for you." He replied jokingly. Grace feigned indignation.
"You're so gross." She replied though she was still smiling. After a long and arduous trip through boarding which Simon thought was the most awful experience of his life and sitting while waiting for their numbers to be called which Simon thought was the most boring experience of his life they were able to get on the plane. Grace offered him some gum before they took off, which she'd said was to pop his ears. Simon had no idea what that meant but he was in no rush to find out and took the gum eagerly.
Grace told him later on the flight that riding through the air fills your ears with liquid and it would make them hurt unless you popped them. The idea made his stomach hurt. Simon thought that being on a plane would have made him more nervous but in actuality he was so enamored with the sight of the clouds and the feeling of being in the air that he barely even noticed. It was amazing and Simon felt like the trip was worth it for that experience alone.
By the time they'd landed they still had to get back through the new airport, and collect their baggage, and take a car ride down to where they'd be staying. Simon was both surprised and not surprised to see that the Monroe's did in fact have a beach house.
"I thought we were going to a theme park." Simon said. Grace explained.
"We never go on the first day, the first day is for unwinding and picking rooms." And with that Grace dashed off to call dibs on a bedroom and Simon ran right after her to also pick a room.
"No running," Simon's mother had started to say before being waved off by Grace's mother.
"Don't bother, they never listen anyway." She replied and Simon's mother laughed and nodded. Grace and Simon found a room with bunk beds and both begged their parents to let them share it.
"If we let you two share a room you have to promise to go to sleep and not stay up all night." Mr Monroe said seriously. Grace nodded at this and made a promise.
"I swear we'll be quiet and asleep." She said as Simon stood nearby giving his best sad face to his own mother. Grace's father let out a sigh.
"Fine." He said. Both Grace and Simon jumped up and down excitedly with Simon calling dibs on the top bunk. The two spent the day exploring the house and digging up the board games that had been left there. That and raiding the fridge anytime either of them suggested that they might be hungry. For the most part their parents left them to their own devices, the adults much preferring to sleep, silently read, or sit in the sun on the deck. This was fine with both of them as the chaos they caused was much more fun when they were left alone. However eventually by the end of the day they'd been forced to retire to their rooms.
The two sat now playing war against each other with cards they'd found in the drawer. It reminded Simon of a memory that made him a bit sad. Grace had proven that she could be trusted with him displaying emotions and not mocking him for it so he took a risk and said aloud what he was thinking.
"I wish my dad was here," he said quietly. Grace halted before putting down her card likely caught off guard by the mention. It made sense, Simon did his best not to bring up his father, it made him too sad. Grace spoke to him now.
"Is your dad-" Simon knew what she was going to say and cut her off.
"He's not dead." Simon said that seriously. He hated that question because it reminded him that the answer could change, that the answer might have already changed and Simon wouldn't know for weeks. "He's fighting in the war." Grace looked shocked at this comment.
"Wait, we're at war? For how long? And with who?" she asked. Simon did his best to answer her questions.
"We've been at war for a long time but I don't know with who." he responded. Grace's expression softened.
"Do you miss your dad a lot?" she asked. Simon nodded.
"I miss him all the time. I wish he hadn't left. Does that make me selfish?" he asked. Grace adamantly shook her head.
"You're not selfish for not wanting your dad to leave." she responded. Simon smiled at the reassurance and then frowned remembering that he was still selfish because he'd been happy Elisha couldn't come.
"I'm selfish for being glad that your best friend couldn't come because I wanted to spend time with you." he muttered. Grace looked at him confused for a moment and then shook her head.
"Can I tell you a secret Simon? When Elisha told me I was a little happy too because I didn't want to spend a whole month without my best friend." Simon felt absolutely shocked by this revelation.
"I'm your best friend?" Grace nodded at this. Simon had absolutely no idea how or why he was lucky enough to have a friend like Grace but he didn't want to question it in case this was all a dream. "You're my best friend too."