1) A Not-So-Exciting Summer

A Chapter by Kelly M.

"Hey, Mom, I'm home!" I shouted, dropping my school bag on the floor, and peeping my head in our small, homey kitchen. The usual dishes were placed on the table. I looked around the room again, wondering where she had gone.

"Mom?"

I shrugged my shoulders, and walked to my bedroom, flopping myself on my floral bed. I looked up at the ceiling, noticing the familiar hanging stars that my father had helped me tape to the wall when I was young. A tear came to my eye, just remembering. He had said this would let me be as close to God as possible.

I pushed the thought away. I didn't believe it. Jesus had always been part of my life when I was little, and I used to talk to Him often, as though he were my closest friend. Truth was, He had been. But not anymore. After my Dad had died, my soul had died with him. I wondered how God could be so loving and kind if He took away someone that meant so much to me-- to my mother. So, my faith had shriveled away. Sometimes, I looked up to the stars, wondering if He was still there, watching over me. But it didn't matter. Not anymore.

~*~

I pushed past aside as my Mom and I were seated at the table.

My Mom was an amazing cook, and I often found myself watching her, bent over baking with her dark hair falling about her face, and a soft smile on her lips. Dad had loved that about Mom. She was as beautiful and perfect as a picture, but she wasn't too stuck up to take on the messy job of cooking.

I remembered Mom's blue eyes sparkling when Dad was around. I found that, now, her eyes didn't take on the same shine. Life was complete when he was there. Now, there was a major piece missing.

I shook the thoughts away, and tried to put on a smile.

"How did everything go today?" I asked her as I bit into a muffin.

My mother was a piano teacher, and, besides that, she babysat. She was always working hard, trying to make a decent living for us both.

"Oh, the usual. Kyle Mason came for the first time in two weeks, and asked about you every two minutes."

I nearly choked on my water. Kyle Mason was my locker partner, and was constantly annoying me by asking me out, and telling me that I was "breaking his heart" by not even giving him a chance. I always tried to ignore him, but he never gave up, unfortunately.

"Oh, great," I muttered.

She smiled softly, knowing how much Kyle bothered me.

"Well, tomorrow I'm going to babysit the Lawsons'. They're such sweet children."

I nodded. They were lively children with big smiling faces. I had a feeling that there had never been a tear on their faces.

~*~

"Anne," my friend squealed into the phone, "what are you planning to do for the summer? School is up in a week, you know."

I laughed. Carol always brought out the happiness inside of me.

"I don't have any plans except probably help out my mom by finding a job. We're really falling back on our bills, you know."

"I told you I'd like to help."

"She doesn't like charity, and you know that."

"Well, if you ever need anything-- anything at all-- just call me."

I laughed again. "You know I will. So, where are you going on vacation?"

"California!" she squealed in delight. "We're going to see Josh there. It feels like he's been at college for ages."

I almost caught my breath. I had almost forgotten all about Carol's older brother, Joshua Haines, an amazing basketball player who had captured my heart many summers ago. But that was another story, and I really wasn't interested to be thinking about how he'd broken my heart.

Instead, I sighed. My summer didn't seem to be anything that I could look forward to. Carol was leaving, and I would go find a job. "Yay," I thought. "This will be one summer to remember." I hadn't known then that my sarcastic thoughts were actually soon to become quite true.

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