The rays from the sun beat down on Crystal's skin as she walked out of the airport doors. The she breathed in the hot humid air and let out a sigh of disbelief. This was just too good to be true.

Carly took it all in calmly and collectively. "Can you believe it Crys! We're here! We're actually here! In California! I can't wait to hit the beach! Can you? This is going to be the best vacation ever! Soon we'll be struttin' down that beach actin' all fly for the guys, our hair flying in the wind, the refreshing water splashing against our feet, heads turning our way, I can't wait! I can't wait! I can't wait! WHERE is my aunt? She's supposed to be here here by now. We need to get this vacation started! This is gonna be the best vacation of our lives-″

Crystal shoved the palm of her hand into Carly's mouth and laughed. "Caaaalm down girly. You're starting to scare people." And Crystal was right; people around them looked at her as if she was their savior for shutting up that girl. One wacky man lingering by the revolving doors even clapped.

"Carly!"

Crystal and her friend turned around searching until they eventually found the source of the sound.

"Aunt Becka!" Carly sprawled her arms wide open ready for a bear hug. Her aunt hugged her back and planted a quick peck on her cheek.

"This must be your friend!" her aunt said looking at Crystal with a grin spreading from ear to ear. She planted a kiss on Crystal's cheek as well, startling her a little causing her to take a step back.

"Sorry…" Carly laughed at Crystal's reaction. "My aunt gets a little overly excited when she meets people I know."

"Oh, I do not." Carly's aunt chuckled. "Come on girls! Let's hussle, we need get back to my house in time for lunch! I'm making grilled-cheese sandwiches! Then after, you must see the beach, they're stocked with cute surfers! This'll probably be the best vacation of your lives!"

Crystal followed Carly and her aunt to the car as her aunt kept rambling on about what a wonderful time they'd have. Aunt Becka was exactly like Carly. Big shocker.

Their car managed to escape the chaotic airport. As Carly sat beside her aunt, reminiscing the good 'ol days, Crystal sat in the back looking out the car window in complete awe. The streets, the beach, it all looked like another episode of Laguna Beach. The coast was stocked full of half-naked guys with skimpy-bikini-wearing girls beside them.

For some strange reason, Crystal had this guilty feeling inside of her, like this whole vacation was just so wrong for her. But then a little part of her loved it, and just wanted to get as much action here as she possibly could.

After about fifteen minutes or so, they finally reached the house.

"We're here!" Carly's aunt said as she backed up and attempted to make a crazy rear-end park next to the house. They jumbled out of the car and grabbed their luggage.

The expression on Crystal's face was priceless. She thought she was dreaming. This was her ultimate dream house! The abode was surrounded with a white picket fence, but there was this huge beach plopped right in front of it, making it not look so old-fashioned. What had kept her family from moving to this place like…ever!

"Well, we're this is it." Carly's aunt sighed as if she was living in a raggedy old apartment in the middle of a bustling city.

"This is it?" Crystal looked at Carly's aunt and scoffed in between her words. "This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!"

Aunt Becka laughed. "Yeah, but wait until you guy inside. It's like a tornado just whipped it's way into our house and out the back door."

She was right. The place was a mess. It even gave Crystal some second thoughts about staying there. She could tell Carly thought the same thing too with the disgusted expression on her face.

"It's, um, nice Aunt Becka." Carly said trying to sound pleased.

"Oh no it's not." her aunt replied. "Even I wouldn't live here if I had the choice to, and I know you two want to get out of here as fast as you can, but we promised you parents that we'd watch after you, and there's just no other place we could keep you."

Carly had a plan. I could tell because her frown on her face was slowly turning upside down into a mischievous smile. We're gonna be in trouble.

"I have the perfect plan!" Carly said giddily. "Why don't we stay at a nearby hotel? I mean, we wouldn't want to be a burden to you and Uncle Richie. Besides, you could come over anytime you want to and check up on us!"

Oh no she didn't. Crystal thought bad thoughts to herself, jumping to conclusions. If her parents found out they were staying at a hotel, occupied with millions of young people and no responsible adult supervising their every move, they'd totally kill her! Literally.

"Carly, are you out of your mind!" Crystal practically screamed at her friend. "You know how my parents are! And you know what they're gonna do to me if they ever find out!"

"Well what they don't know can't hurt them right?" Carly smiled evilly.

"Carly, I think she's right." Aunt Becka reasoned. "Usually, I'd give in, but after hearing what Crystal just said, I don't want to be the reason for her getting punished."

"Ugh, fine." Carly said picking up her stuff and marching up the steps of the house. Crystal felt bad about making her friend angry, but she knew she was right, and it was the safer choice.

It was getting late, and Crystal's friend was giving her the silent treatment for quite a while now. Dinner that night was the most awkward moments of her life. It was just her, Carly, and Carly's aunt. Her uncle had to work late, as he usually does. So she heard.

"Can you pass the salt please?" Crystal asked Carly, who was sitting across from the table.

"If we were at a hotel, we'd probably be ordering room service, asking for salt." Carly replied, sliding over the salt.

Strike that last statement about the silent treatment. If Carly wasn't giving her friend the silent treatment, she'd be talking to her, but only making her feel guilty about it.

Crystal rolled her eyes. This always happened once in a while. They'd just be like this for about a day or two, but the next day they'd be the best of friends again.

"I think I'm gonna go for a run." Crystal said, getting up. "Carly, you wanna come?"

"Nah, I'll just stay at home watching TV with no cable, unlike many hotels would provide." She answered with a slightly annoyed tone. "No offence Aunt Becka."

"None taken." Her aunt replied, picking up her finished plate and walking towards the kitchen.

"Alright, I'll be back in about thirty minutes then." Crystal replied. She stored her plate in the dishwasher and walked up the steps into the guest room.

"A run on the shore would do me good, especially when it's cool out at night." She said to herself as she rumbled through her suitcase looking for her track outfit. Crystal may be known as a "party pooper", or a "wet blanket", unlike her friend whom was the total opposite, but she had a love for sports. She was the star runner if her track team. She had to run at least a mile a day, or else she'd feel tired and lazy the rest of that day.

After changing into her clothes, she tied her hair up in a messy ponytail, this time leaving her side-swept bangs alone, instead of clipping them like she usually did. She went downstairs finding Carly lounging on the messy couch, flipping through channels. Crystal sighed, and walked out, closing the door quietly behind her.

As she walked out onto the beach, her shoes filling up with sand. This wasn't going to work. She immediately took off her tennis shoes and laid them near the house. She pulled off her socks and stuck them into the shoes. She'd run barefoot.

"Running barefoot, what a risktaker." She thought to herself. When would she ever do anything exciting in her life?

She shook the thought out of her mind as she ran along the beach, the water cooling her feet with each step she ran. She continued to go, running her troubles away.

A/N: I know there were no Summerland characters in this chapter, but I assure you they'll be there in all of the rest of the chapters! Keep reading and reviewing! Just a little message to those who haven't read my profile yet, I changed my penname to sweetiex3. It used to be xsweeetieex. Hopefully I'll keep this one from now on! Oh and again, reviews would be greatly appreciated.