The Summer Of Jack

Summer Of Jack -- Chapter One

Sunshine boy.  His smile lit up my mind, reminding me of all the good times we had spent together.  Weren’t all of my good times with him?  Out in the sun, on the dock, the dark, shady forest between our cottages, this summer had gone by in a breeze.  I could still feel it; the cool, moist ground beneath my bare feet, early morning fog, and the warm lake water.  I envisioned pine trees swinging in the breeze, the roar of a wave from the thousands of poplar trees, and the growl of diesel boats.  It didn’t seem at all over.  Outside, the sun shone bright and the kids played on the road, all oblivious to the one cold fact; he was gone.


The sun was setting, earlier than it had in those long, blissful summer months before.  Already, the leaves were changing colour and frost appeared overnight, a warning for me that shorts and a t-shirt were going quickly out of season.

School had started.  For me, it was just another thing that shouldn’t be happening.  My life was changed; why wasn’t anything else?  I refused to change, coming to school in shorts and a t-shirt, remembering the days when the sun shone brightly on the lake, and the woods were the only cool place to hide.  To any other person, I was just another one of those kids who couldn’t forget the summer.  To me, I couldn’t get over this summer.

Everything had started out so simply, I hadn’t been ready.  Buying a cottage last winter, around this time, seemed like such a normal thing to do.  Once the repairs were done we moved up there, in the first few weeks of the summer break.  Most people were already there – friendships pre-formed and as hard a rock, I spent my first few days alone.

That was fine by me.  I took care of my little sister, Ava, as we played on the lakeshore.  I read through my stack of science-fiction, devouring lakeside monsters and futuristic worlds.  Ava spent her time making sand castles, even if my parents were worried the lake was too polluted for her to swim in.

“We’re up here the middle of nowhere Mom,” I reminded her when she said that Ava could catch AIDS from the sand.  “No one is here but us.”  It was true.  I hadn’t seen many other kids, besides the ones on the other side of the lake.  They waved once, but the lake was still cold and too deep for anyone to comfortably swim across. 

By the fifth day of my month-long stay at the cottage, I was ready for some exploring.  I think about the moment often, wondering if I would take it back if I could.  If I had the chance to change what I had done, would I not do it?

Would I take back the best summer of my life, to protect myself from the pain right now?

No.  I knew the answer, deep and unchanging in my heart.  Even if nothing good happened to me for the rest of my life, I would be set forever, living of the moments of that summer.

The summer of Jack.


That's what I've written for my love story - which I'm worried will not work out, but who cares if it doesn't?

For me, reading it is a bit painful.  So sappy :|  So I'm worry for the unedited portions.

Anyways, this weekend I'm going to be busy with my Science so I don't fall behind.  I got my midterm, and these were my marks:

English:  91%
Extended French: 81%
Math: 86%
Science: 93%

Total Average: 87.5%

So, not half bad, right?  Actually, that's pretty amazing.  For non-nerds.  And luckily, I'm not a nerd, so it IS amazing!  I do totally deserve all those marks though - I've put a lot of effort... they're not really that much of a surprise :)

But anyways, see you on the flipside of the weekend.  I read a book!

S a r a h

P.S. oh, and optional, you-don't-need-to-read-about-this-part-of-my-life.... this really nice kid is dating a slut.  That's what me and my friends have been talking about all week.  Poor him, you know?  Or not so poor, as they do scary things :|

P.P.S. my word of the week:  GAH!