Page 1 of Summer, in Between
Summer,
in Between
HOLLY CARDAMONE
1
HOW much can one singularNew Year’s Day sucketh?Let me count the ways.
First up, I couldn’t be more of a loser loner if I tried.I have no friends for the whole entire summer.Here I am, stuck in this tiny little town on the edge of nowhere with no one to hang out with.
Number two?Let’s not forget the beach,mybeach, my happy place will be filled with grandmas, Neanderthal surfers and kids with noses dripping like sandy snot candles.
And for the biggest suckage scenario of all?I’ve planned to get a head start on the most important year of my life.Year Twelve.The big one.It’s taken forever to get here, but now it’s finally happening.It’stheyear, hurtling towards me like all those shrieking little kids out of control on their Christmas boogie boards.Year Twelve.It’s massive, yeah?So, imagine myabsolutedelight when my beloved parents tell me on day one of the shiny new year, that instead of peace and quiet, or as much as you can have with two brothers, Dad’s renovating our house, to make – wait for it – a home within our home for Nonna.My grandmother will be moving in.Here.Where I live.All while I’m trying to get my act together to smash Year Twelve.I explain these three points as if I’m in a debating competition, but my parents just keep shuffling paper around on the dining table.
‘You heard what the principal said,’ I say.‘I get one shot.If I work hard and focus, the whole wide world will open for me.If I don’t, I’ll be stuck in this crappy little town for the rest of my crappy little life.’Well, okay, she didn’t say that last part, but I can read between the lines.
What if I stare at my books long enough?They’ll materialise into the best university, the best career and then the best life?Yeah, right.Talk about feeling doomed.
I slump in my seat, sighing, not that my parents even pretend to notice.There’s six weeks until school starts and I’m already behind.We’re supposed to read all the textbooks over summer, and the English novels until they’re reprinted into our brains.Well, that’ll be hard when the delivery only had half my books, and the bookstore is closed for two freakin’ weeks!How ironic.I wasn’t happy that I’d be a loner all summer without my friends.I’d accepted it with the consolation of getting stuck into my textbooks, yet half of them didn’t land because of some kind of delivery debacle, and they wouldn’t send another delivery driver to a place that barely shows on a map until after the silly season.I have almost nothing to distract me from Em being on the other side of the world and Sal up North with her girlfriend.My best friend JB is working, so there’s no chance of seeing him until school goes back either.And now add to that a soundtrack of a power saw and a nail gun.
‘What the actual, Dad?Do you really not get how big this is?’
Dad barely looks up from the plans strewn across the table.
‘Calm down, cowgirl,’ he says.‘You’ll be all right, you’ll hardly notice.’
‘Calm down?Are you for real?You’re turning our house into a construction site.I need to work out what to put down for uni selections.Do you even know how many decisions I have to make?’
‘Here, I’ll make one for you.’Mum hands me her credit card.‘Go get me a roll of foil.Get Matty from the beach while you’re at it, please.’
‘Happy New Year to me,’ I mutter.‘So nice that you don’t even care that I’m having a mini-freakout.’I grab an apple from the bench.
‘The walk will help.Off you go.’
‘Can’t Tommy go?’I say, biting into my apple.‘It’s so hot.’
