That night, at dinner, I was having Chicken Rice Soup. I fell asleep after that. The phone rang as Sharon picked up. She and Dad were talking.
"How's Mary Anne?" asked Dad.
"She came home from the hospital today. I'd let you talk to her, but she's sleeping," said Sharon.
"I understand. I can let her rest," said Dad.
Later, I got up to get orange juice.
"Your father called and asked how you were," said Sharon.
"I didn't even hear the phone," I said.
"He understood when I told you were sleeping," said Sharon. "We can wait until you're recovered before we leave."
"Okay," I said.
Two days later, the stitches got dissolved, which was painful, but I'm glad I'm fully recovered.
"I got alternate plans. We still can go on a trip, but we can more than one. We can do it for three weeks- one week in each state," said Sharon.
"I'll be fine before we go," I said.
"Your doctor wants you to take it slow," said Sharon. "After we leave Sea City, we'll go Portland, Maine, and Charlotte, South Carolina. We can drive all the way to South Carolina."
"Okay. Sounds like a good plan to me," I agreed.
"I got directions for the Pike's beach house," added Sharon showing it to us.
"The house is so beautiful. What I like about being at the house is that it's right on the beach," I said.
"We can pack tonight and leave sometime tomorrow morning," said Sharon.
"Fine by me," I said.
"Why don't we pack early to be all done?" asked Sharon.
"We could do that way as well," agreed my sister.
That's what we did. I called Kayla and Kaylee about those plans. They couldn't wait to go vacation with us. They were packing and would be over shortly. While I was packing, the phone started ringing as I came down to pick up.
"Hello," I said.
"Hi, sweetheart," said Dad.
"What are my bachelor girls up to?" asked Dad. "Are you still going away?"
"We are, but Sharon wanted to wait until I'm recovered before we leave," I said.
"Makes sense," said Dad.
"We'll be going to other two trips while I take it slow. We'll be in Maine and South Carolina. We're leaving sometime in the morning, so Sharon decided that we can pack early to be all set," I said.
"That's good," said Dad.
"I know," I smiled.
"You sound much better than before," said Dad.
"Yeah," I said. "The stitches already disappeared on their own."
"Good," said Dad.
"Thankfully," I said.
We talked for a bit until he decided to talk to Sharon for awhile.
Then, Kayla and Kaylee were over after I finished packing.
"Although we don't need to leave early, sleeping over here is a good idea, so we can leave from here with you guys," said Kayla.
"I know," I said. "This is going to be fun."
"Yeah," said Kayla.
This was Sharon's idea. They both liked that idea to make things easier."
"Sharon ordered pizza and will be coming soon," I said.
"Sounds good," said Kaylee.
The pizza came ten minutes later.
"Kayla, you and Kaylee can sleep in Mary Anne's room tonight," said Sharon.
"Good idea," said Kayla.
"Too bad we only have twin beds," I said.
We use twin beds for any sleepovers or if we have visitors like Grandma Verna.
We noticed that Kaylee had something else in mind. "I have an idea. Why don't the three of us sleep in the basement to have that kind of a sleepover?"
"Perfect!" exclaimed Kayla.
We laughed.
"Can we do it that way tonight, Sharon?" I asked.
"Of course since we won't be leaving until 9:30 am," said Sharon.
After dinner, we went up to get changed into our nightgowns and went in the basement leaving our suitcases in the living room.
"We can bring the clothes we would be wearing tomorrow in the basement," said Kayla.
"Smart," said Kaylee.
"I agree," I said.
At 10:00 pm, everyone went to bed, but all three of us were too excited to sleep.
"I can't wait. I'm way too excited to get to sleep," I said.
"I know," said Kayla.
We talked a bit longer until we both fell asleep an hour later.
The next day, at 7:30 am, Kayla, Kaylee, and I got up 15 minutes before anyone else got up because we were all excited to start the vacation. We were already dressed and ready by the time the other gals came down dressed themselves.
"You girls are already up?" asked Sharon.
I nodded and said, "We just couldn't wait to start the vacation. That's why we were already up and dressed."
"This is going to be exciting," said Kayla.
"I'll give you a tour," I said.
"Sounds good," said Kaylee.
They never been there, so that's why they're excited, too. At 9:00 am, once everyone was ready early, we packed up our car, locked the house, and left for Sea City. I grabbed the beach house's directions before Sharon would forget to do so like she normally does. I was in the back seat with Kayla and Kaylee. We had breakfast at the diner before we hit the highway.
"Mr. Pike goes to a realty store for the keys on the way to the beach house," I said.
"Okay," said Sharon.
We got there in two hours and I showed her to the realty store. I went inside with Sharon telling them we had permission to rent to the Pike's Beach House. We got the keys and got to the house in no time.
"Wow," said Kayla.
"That's a nice house," said Sharon.
"The Pike's been renting it for nine years," I told her.
We got the suitcases and went in.
The Willis girls decided to share a room with me where I stayed with Stacey twice.
"This is a nice room," said Kaylee
"The Pikes has a cot for one of you girls can use," I said.
"Sounds good," said Kayla.
"This is going to be so much fun," said Kaylee.
She's great for that. I remembered where the cot was, so Kaylee and I went to get it and she helped me move it in that room.
"Why don't we settle in, put our bathing suits on, and go down the beach? When the Pikes come here, there is only one rule they need to follow: no one is allowed to go in the water before 9:00 am and after 5:00 pm because those are the hours that the lifeguards are on duty," I told the Willis girls and Sharon since Dawn already knew.
"Okay," said Sharon.
"Makes sense to keep them safe," said Kaylee.
I changed into my bathing suit. My skin is very sensitive to the sun. When I first came here, I was red like a lobster. I got a visor and a bottle of sunblock. I'll put it on before we head down when the rest are all set. They were ready in a minute or two later. That was when I put some everywhere on my body in case I get sunburned again. I put my visor and sunglasses on.
"Let's get our towels and head down to the beach," said Dawn.
"Sounds good," said Kayla.
That's what we did. On the beach, I was on the towel laying there with Kayla and Kaylee when I heard someone calling my name.
"Mary Anne!" a voice exclaimed excitedly.
I didn't know were the voice was coming until I looked up and noticed it was a friend of mine, Alex. I've known since my first trip here.
"Hi, Alex," I said waving to him.
He came to sit with me and said, "How are you?"
"Fine. How about you?" I asked.
"Same here," replied Alex.
He lives in Laweranceville, New Jersey. He's usually here as a mother's helper, too, with his cousin, Tobey, who was Stacey's the ex-boyfriend.
"I'm here with my family this time. The Pikes gave us permission to borrow their summer house," I said.
"That's neat. How long are you here for?" asked Alex.
"Just for a week," I answered.
"My family and I are here, too. No younger ones this time to give us a break, but Tobey's here," said Alex as he turned to his cousin. "Tobey! Did you see who's here?"
"Hi, Mary Anne," said Tobey as he sat with me, too.
"Who's your family here?" asked Alex.
"That's Dawn's mother, Sharon," I said since the boys already met Dawn when entire BSC members and I came here with the Pikes.
"How about your dad? I'm dying to meet him," said Alex.
"He's away on a business trip in Cleveland, Ohio for a month," I told him.
"Bummer. I was hoping I would meet him," said Alex.
"Maybe you will next time," I said. "Oh, before I forgot, I got my two friends with me."
"Hi,, I'm Alex, girls," said Alex.
"Hi, I'm Kayla," said Kayla.
"And, I'm Kaylee," said Kaylee.
"Am I seeing double?" asked Alex.
"They're twins," I said.
"Wow," said Alex.
"It means double trouble?" asked Tobey.
We laughed since we knew he was just kidding.
"I met him while Stacey and I were mother's helpers for the Pikes," I said.
"Cool," said the girls.
"Stacey knew them from New York, which is how we met and hit it off," I told the boys.
That was when Dawn came as Tobey blew a whistle at her.
"Hi, Alex, nice to see you again. What was Tobey whistled at?" asked Dawn.
"You. That's who," replied Tobey.
"They're not the mother's helpers this year," I said.
"Nice," said Dawn.
"The best part is that we're here all summer long," said Tobey.
"Swell," I said.
"Maybe we can hang out while you're here if it's okay with your stepmother," said Alex.
"I don't think it would be an issue," I said. "It would be a good time to relax."
I told them about what happened while I was helping the Willis girls.
"At least you're okay now," said Alex.
"I know," I said.