Spring

For the months after my birthday I would sit in my small room in my apartment and stare at the wall daydreaming that maybe John and I held a future. Maybe not marriage or kids, but a future, a long term relationship. I would do this because I had no one else to talk too. My mom, Maggie was either locked in her room, or gone. Eric was to young to understand any of this, and I was supposed to be his role model. Then there was Susan. Susan hadn't known about us until she found us making out in John's pool. That was a fun night, and that look on Susan's face was priceless, but she says the look on our faces were better. She was probably right.

The next few months went by like a blur. I rejoined the track team for another year of torture. I always found running fun, whether it was running away from your fears, worries, or just running in general. I ran the 400m dash, and I did long jump and triple jump. They were all events I needed to work on, but my coaches were persistent that I would do well in these. So I just went along with them, plus John said I looked sexy in the uniform. By the end of the season I had broken the school's long and triple jump records, but I couldn't have beaten the school's 400m dash record. I just improved my PR in that. I received my awards in front of the whole school, it was great, except for the fact I was on crutches. I had sprained my ankle at the sectional meet, during triple jump. I couldn't believe it, I had always been so careful to make sure I jumped in the middle of the run way, I must have been staring at John. Because when I landed the second part of the jump, I heard a snap, and fell into the sand pit, pain shooting up and down my leg.

John had ran right over, seeing that I had not gotten up right away. He had such a worried look on his face, and he kept telling me that I was going to be alright. He wanted me to go to the hospital, but there were so many events left that I couldn't leave. I needed to see my team mates complete their events as well, so I decided to stay with a bag of ice taped around my swollen ankle. At the end of the night, John and I sat in the back of the bus, and talked. We talked about the small things. We talked about the future, and how long we would last. I think that night was our realization that this relationship might be for real. That we just aren't supposed to be boyfriend and girlfriend, maybe someday we will be husband and wife. I didn't really hear the rest of what he had said, I was busy thinking about now. That we were happy, and that nothing could ruin it.

As school came to a close we decided to make out in the girls locker room after I cleaned out my track locker. It was almost seven, and we had thought everyone had left. So we started making out on a bench. It was fun, until we heard a thud, from the shower stalls. Now there was no water on or anything, so I told John to hide, and I went to investigate. I fixed my shirt as I walked towards the showers and I heard two people laughing. I pulled back the shower curtain and there was Susan, and a guy! I was shocked, and the look on Susan! It was priceless, even more priceless when she found us making out. I yelled for John and then he looked at the guy. It was one of his friends Mark Greene. So we just went back to what we were doing, and then all four of us left together to go out to dinner. The restaurant was nice, not fancy, but definitely not like the diner we had eaten at last weekend.

After dinner, we all walked over to the park. It was only an EL ride from all of our houses, so we decided to look up at the stars. As we sat there I watched the clouds. They looked so pretty with the moonlight highlighting the edges of them. As I looked, I saw out of the corner of my eye a shooting star, and I wished on it. The wish was not simple, but something I had always wanted. That life would be normal even if it was for just one day. I sat back up, and pulled out a cigarette from my backpack. I lit it, and began to exhale the smoke as I watched the moon get covered up by the clouds. Susan and Mark were talking, and I could hear the crickets chirping, this had to be another one of those perfect cigarettes. John had been begging me to kick the habit now for atleast a month, but I couldn't.

This was my only escape, the damn box of cigarettes that I had in my underwear drawer. It was like a small bit of heaven, it made me relax. I couldn't help it, my life was in a total mess besides my friends. If it wasn't for them, I would have definitely had committing suicide on the top of my list for things to do over the summer. As I smushed out the cigarette I looked down at my cell phone, 11:30pm. It was a school night, and if Maggie was home she would have my head. I waved at everyone as I walked towards the EL. John had decided to stay and walk home with Susan. They lived close to each other, I think a block or so away.

On the last day of school, John had decided to throw a huge party on the beach. It was awesome, some of our teachers even showed up to get in on the action. Between the music, and the sounds of the waves lapping the beach, it was deafening. We danced all night, grinding mostly, and by twelve we were all just about tuckered out. As the party died down, John and I had decided to take a small walk. I looked over at him, as we walked, and he cleared his throat. "Abby, these last five months have been absolutely amazing…" I cut him off, "John if you are going to break up with me just say it." I interjected. John had a surprised look in his eyes, "Actually, my parents and I are going to Hawaii, and I wanted to know if you wanted to come with." John said. "Oh," I said, I was a bit embarrassed. "I would like that." I said smiling. John nodded, "Abby you look so beautiful in the moonlight." He whispered, and before I knew it we were on the sand making out. It was long, and our bodies were covered in sand. We would have kept going until the flash light had been shone upon us. As we looked up we couldn't believe who was holding it, Maggie.

I wiped the sand off of me, and looked at John. I had to leave. He nodded, and I walked over to my mom. Lucky for me it was dark outside, because my cheeks were probably as red as roses. The whole car ride home I got yelled at. My mom telling me how she had not raised a little slut who goes making out with every person that she meets. I tried to tell her that John and I had been going out for five months now, but she either didn't hear me or didn't care. As the yelling wore down, I could tell that what I had said finally sunk in. Then she asked me why I hadn't told her. I just remained silent, and stared at the road ahead. I took a deep breathe, and told her that she was never home, and I didn't think that she would have cared. I told her about Hawaii, and how I wanted to go. I had just bought a great new swimsuit, and that everything was working out. My mom just shook her head, and pulled into the apartment complex's parking lot. Great way to start summer vacation, I thought.