Summer Love by Myra Hope (phonics readers txt) 📕

This would be the summer Opal would remember for a long time……

I woke up to a phone call Saturday morning, June 25, 2011. My mom answered so I got out of bed as fast as a tired teenage girl can and got the other phone to listen. It was a old friend of the family calling to wish my mom a happy birthday. "How sweet" I thought "she remembered", but then she asked “So when you gonna come down to visit? Its been what 3 years? We miss ya’ll” My mom went into the living room with my dad and they decided that we could finally make it for vacation this year. Then all the memories came back to me.

The summer after 8th grade we went on our annual vacation from where we live in Washington to Oregon. The first full weekend of August was the little town's festival that we loved to attend and had been for as long as I could remember. But this year was special. This was the year I met Austin Evans, the grandson of the friends we stay with on vacation. I was out side with my mom when I first saw him. He was cleaning a fire truck that his grandpa drove. My mom caught me looking and watching him; she looked at me with a suspicious grin on her face and said “Why don’t you just go talk to him? He looks nice, I bet you could hang out with him instead of being bored over here all alone?” I took her advice with a “seriously?” look on my face and I walked over to him. We clicked so well, we had so much in common. I knew right from the start we were going to be really good friends. The weekend ended and we said our goodbyes.

A couple months later my dad lost his job and now works for some where that doesn’t pay so well so we don’t have a lot of money coming in. We haven’t gone on vacation during the summer for 3 years. I bet Austin had completely forgotten about me and everything that we did that weekend. When my mom hung up the phone I ran down stairs to the living room and asked my parents if we really are going on vacation this year and they both smiled and my dad said "Yes".
A couple weeks passed and I got a text message from a number I didn’t recognize, it said:

(503)542-7528: Hey Opal! This is Austin from Oregon, do u remember me? Is it true that u r coming this summer?

Me: Hello Austin! Of course I remember you how could I not? And yeah we are coming down there this summer I'm so excited!!

I gave him my number in a email like a year ago I can’t believe he still has it! But hey, I finally got his cell number, yes! So I saved it in my contacts.

Austin: that’s so totally cool, so how have u been?

Me: I’ve been pretty good, wbu?

Austin: I’ve been great! Never been better, finally moved out of the house lol remember that trailer in the back yard? I’m in that now haha my parents said I could go out and live in that instead of sharing a room with my bro.

Me: lmao that’s funny but awesome I wish I could do something like that. So have u changed at all or are u still the same little angel everyone thinks u r?

Austin: haha nope, I’ve changed so much. Everyone still thinks I’m an angel but I’m not by far lol I don’t do drugs or anything that’s just stupid but I drink with friends and stuff, I can drive now thank God! Don’t have to take that 2 hour bus ride to school.Wbu? Have you changed much? By your fb pic u sure look different.

Me: that’s cool, I don’t drink or anything lol but I have changed a lot, no more baggy boys clothes and I wear makeup now and actually dress and look like a girl lol and is looking different good?

Me: do u have a gf?

Austin: well maybe when you come up ill let you taste some lol and that’s cool. Change is good, but you really look I guess……more beautiful then before ☺ I think it’s the fact that girl clothes look good on you haha

Austin: yeah I’ve have my fair share of them since I met you. Lol

Me: you think I’m beautiful? Really? I’ve never been called that other then by the old people at my church and my parents lol how many gf is your fair share?

Austin: yeah *blushes* oh about 12 or 13 I think maybe less maybe more.

Me: 12 or 13!?! That’s insane! In 3 years?!? How long did they last? How many did u get away with?

Austin: I think the shortest was 3 days and the longest was 2 months. But I got away with most of them lol other than the one my friend set me up with I didn’t even want to kiss her let alone more lol I just went out with her because I felt bad. Lol

Me: jeez that’s crazy! I’ve only had 2 bf since I met you and one was last summer and that didn’t last long and the other just broke up with me and that was a 9 month relationship.

Austin: ooo that’s harsh… r u ok?

Me: yeah I’m kinda over it I still get sad ya know?

Austin: yeah well if u need someone to talk to im here for u sweetie :D

Omg! He called me sweetie! He thinks I’m beautiful! He must still like me! I’m so excited! Our conversation lasted really late that night. We just told stories, asked personal questions trying to see if we still had a lot in common, to find out we really didn’t anymore. He has changed so much. I don’t think that this vacation will be the same as when we met.

The morning of the day we leave for Oregon I get a text at 4am, from Austin saying:

Austin: Good morning sunshine! Just wanted to wish you good luck on your 8 hour ride here can’t wait to see you. Idk if u have already left or not and I know you can't text with out internet connection so u probably won't get this message until you go to Starbucks or something lol well have fun and take a bunch of cool pics for me :D


My dad had turned off the computer right after I received his text and we were already running late so I didn’t get the chance to reply. I felt bad but he will understand.
Eight long and boring hours later we arrive at his house. The town looks and feels the same as it always has. The warm breezes and the clean dirt smelling fresh air. I’m weird like that I like the smell of dirt. We saw Cammie, Austin’s grandma, she greeted us so warmly I felt like it was a home away from home. So we took out the tents we brought from the car and started setting them up. I was constantly looking around for Austin but I couldn’t see him anywhere.

Carla, I think noticed me looking and she came and whispered in my ear, “He’s in his room getting ready to see you”.

She winked at me and continued to help set up the tent. As I was helping put the poles together for the frame of the tent I heard the screen door of the house shut. I hadn’t heard that screech in what felt like ages. I turn around and there he is, wow he’s changed. The breeze blew his hair out of his eyes a little and they were the most gorgeous brown eyes I had ever seen. Normally I hate brown eyes because I have them but his were amazing. He strutted across the yard like he was floating on air. I got so nervous the closer he got to me and I looked down at my nails, one of my many nerves habits and when I looked up he was standing right in front me. So close I could smell his wonderful cologne, it's still the same stuff he used to wear. I thought to myself, "I wonder if he put it on special because he knows how observant I am and he knows I liked that smell?"’ He opened his arms and gestured for a hug so of course without even thinking I gave him one. He sure had grown a lot too, haha. He was at least a head taller then me if not more. He helped us finish setting up the tent.

“Want to go check out my ‘pad’? “ Austin said as he raised his hands making quotes.
“Sure” I said shyly.

I don’t know why I was so shy around him, I guess it just felt like I was meeting someone new, a guy that I know likes me and it was in a way, awkward. We walked behind his house to his trailer and as I could tell from the outside it was a piece. Not in very good shape but I guess he stays dry, haha. He opened the door and the smell of his cologne and teenage guy rolled out like a cloud. It wasn’t a great smell but the cologne covered the guy smell. I just step in a little bit because I didn’t want to make things awkward since he has a gf and it was his bed room. But there was a little TV to the right and the table was folded down into a couch looking thing. I’m assuming it is what he sat on to watch movies and play video games because there was a paper plate with what look to be like a 3 day old slice of half eaten pizza and a big bag of Cheetos. At the other end of the trailer was a narrow short hall way with a big queen sized bed with curtains hanging from the ceiling by paper clips and duct tape, how romantic, haha. The blankets were all in a wad with a little teddy bear in the corner partly under his pillow. I walked over and asked him what that was and he put his pillow over it and said, “Oh…uh…that’s my bros.”

“Right” I said. I knew it wasn’t but its ok, I’ll let him keep his pride.