Chapter 1

I felt strangly excited waking up this early, even though it was too early to be anything but tired. I packed my bags last night, so I didn't have anything to do except to get myself ready. I threw on my clothes that were folded on my dresser, then stuffed my pajamas in one of my suitcases. I brushed through my hair to make sure I was presentable. I looked in the oval mirrior over the bureau. I was so white, not an once of tan on this ghost body. I hoped that would change this summer. My eyes were the same color brown as my hair, making them pop out. I sighed at the makeup-less face staring at me. So ordinary. It would have to do.
Tugging two of the three suitcases, I hurried down the stairs. I placed them next to the door than ran back up the stairs to my room to grab the last one.
I took a deep breath, and made myself calm down for a minute. I looked around my room, searching for anything i might have missed. Nope nothing. I was waiting for the feeling to hit. That I might actually miss this place this summer. Who was I kidding? I wouldnt miss it, and it wouldnt miss me.
I placed the suitcase with the others, then paced to the livingroom to sit with my mother. She seemed to realize my eagerness to leave already.
"We still have half an hour. Calm down", she told me. She was slightly irritated that i chose to spend the whole summer in South Carolina with my dad.
"I didnt say anything," I reminded her.
We left after what seemed like a never ending half hour. I knew my mother was just worried about me. And I tried to assure her that I would be just fine. If I felt bad about leaving at all, it would be beacuse I'm leaving her. But she has lots of friends she could spend time with. Although, in the house she would be alone, she wouldnt be lonely. I didn't have any real friends I would be missing either. I wasn't axactly with the 'in' crowed. I tend to keep to myself.
"You know, if you ever feel like coming home early, you can," she offered when I was in line for the metal detectors. Her eyes were desperate. I laughed and thanked her, giving her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"I'll miss you Mom. See you in August," I said as I walked through the metal box and grabbed my suitcases.
"Call!" she yelled after me.
"Promise!" I yelled back. Then I was on my way to the right terminal, with a huge smile on my face.
Waiting for the plane to take off was hard, but it was easier when we hit lift-off. Even so, I found myself getting more anxious toward the end of the ride. I continually stopped myself from tapping my feet on the floor or my fingers against the arm rest. The cause of all this anxiousness was my father. I missed him terribly. When he offered the summer staying with him and the job at his camping store, I agreed without a thought to it.
I sighed a breath of relief when the pilot came over the loud speaker, anouncing our arrival. I could feel the plane start to decend downward. My dad was supposed to meet me at the lugage pick-up, and i was nearly running there as soon as the doors opened.
I stood in the middle of the room on my tippy-toes, searching threw the crowed for the face that belonged to my father.
"Miss Charlotte Hayden." I turned around, startled. I smiled just as big as he did.
"Mr. Scott Hayden," I said, formally like he had. Then I ran into his arms and gave him a big squeeze. "Dad! I missed you so much!"
"Not as much as I'v missed you, Charlie." He squeezed me back and I laughed. I let myself free of his arms to grab my bags as they went around in the carousel.
"Here. Let me help you with those." He grabbed one of the bags and threw it over his shoulder. I wheeled the other two. "Hows Evelyn? She seeing anyone latly?"
"Moms great. And no she's not."
"You look great. Your hair got so long. How old are you know? Forty?" he teased.
"Seventeen," I answered.
"Wow. My little girl is growing up so quick," he smiled again. "And i wanted to thank you for helping me in the store this summer. We've been running low on employees. Of course, I promise to pay you much more than the others," he teased again, winking. We both laughed.
I wasn't paying attention to the direction he was pulling me in the parkinglot. It supprised me when we stopped in front of a little, glossy, black car.
"Is this yours?" I asked skepticly.
"You like it? It's fairly new."
"I like it. Alot. What happened to that old truck you had? And what kind of car is that anyway?" I was still so stunned.
"It was old, like you said. This here is a Mit Subishu Galant. I love it. Perfect size. But had I'd known how many huge bags you were bringing, I might've kept the truck," he chucked.
"Sorry," I apologized.
We did manage to fit the bags in, despite his teasing. Only two fit in the trunk, so we squezed the biggest in the back seat.
"When do I start work?" I asked, curious. We were in the car by now, with an oldies station in the background.
"Well, I suspect that you need a day or two to unload those bags. Literally," he grinned, eyeing the back seat. "No, but seriously," he continued. "Whenever you want to start, thats fine. Theres no rush. Why? You in a hurry to get started?"
"Nah. But, just so you know, im going to make you take me to the beach sometime this week. Even if it means kidnapping you from work," I joked and he laughed. "I miss alot about this place," I continued. The beach was one of the most I've missed. Although I live in Florida, I'm not even close to the beach. It took a good two to three hours to get there. But here only a short half hour drive was all it took.
When I was younger, he used to take me there about everyday after lunch. Sometimes we went swimming in the ocean, and other times we walked up and down the beach, letting the sand burry our feet. The lighthouse there had the most amazing view, and the sunset was the ending of a perfect day. And while watching the sun set over the water, orange and pink lighting up the sky, I remember thinking nothing could ever get more beautiful.
"Ah, you know I havn't really been there since the last time you were here. Sometimes, when im with Fred on his boat, we past there, but thats all." He looked at me with his blue eyes, and a dark curl dangled in front of one. "I agree to take you. No kidnappage needed." I laughed.

In another twenty-five minutes, we were pulling into his driveway. We parked next to a blue car. He had two cars? Guess that buisness of his was doing well.
I stared at the big yellow house, while Scott turned off the ignition. It was beautiful, and the white wrap-around porch gave it a nice touch. It was to big for a lone man, like Scott, more like a house for a growing family. His grandparents left it to him in the hopes of just that. But that never happend because when I was five my parents divorce. He didn't have the heart to sell it.
Scott broke my concentration when he opened the door. I got out and went for the bag in the seat, while Scott gathered the other two from the trunk.
"You have two cars?" I asked him as he made his way over toward me, rolling to big bags behind him.
"No, I have one. And so do you." I'm sure my jaw was on the dirt driveway by the way it fell open as soon as I was sure I heard what I thought I heard. He chuckled at my shocked expression. He held out the keys. I didnt move. "Supprise!" he laughed his care-free laugh. "I was talking to your mother before, and she mentioned that you were always stealing her to go out. I didnt think you would've liked it much if I had to drive you everywhere. With that new job of yours, I'm sure you'll be making friends and going places." He smiled again. I looked at the little, blue, perfect car again.
"Wow, I can't believe you did this, Dad! Thank you so much. I love it! " I hugged him again.
"No big deal. I just thought you would need one this summer. Let's talk about your new car inside, please. This sun is killing me." He wiped his forhead with the back of his hand. I could feel myself began to sweat a little, also.
He led the way to the front door, then through the hallway to the stairs. As we lugged the bags up the stairs, Scott huffed sarcastcally.
"What do you have in here? Bricks?" he chuckled.
"No. Your just getting old, Dad."
"Ha. Ha," he aswered back. I smiled to myself. We finally made it to the top, and he opened the first door to the right. "This ones yours," he said, dropping the bags on the dark hardwood floor. I looked around the yellow room. It was bigger than my room at home, and it even had a queen sized bed. The bed was placed on the west wall, with the white dressers sitting across from it next to the closet door. The curtains blew slightly from the opened windows. This room had always been my favorite when I visited.
"Why dont you start to unpack? I'll be downstairs, I need to call someone real quick."
"Okay, thanks agian, Dad." He smiled, then disappeared down the stairs.
I went to the windows to admire my new car. My mouth fell open again. But not at the car. A cute, okay, very cute, guy was running. His shirt was off and had an Ipod in one of his tan hands. His blonde hair glowed from the light shining off of it. He passed the house, then the next, until I watched him disappear around the corner.
I sat at the end of the bed, tring to get that too beautiful face and perfect body out of my head. I sighed, laying back and spreading my arms out. Maybe I could take up a sport while I'm here, I thought. Maybe running.