Ahhh. It's summer.

I sat at the desk and smiled as I begun to scribble the first few words upon a piece of looseleaf paper.

Dear Bethie, it read.
I'm doing grea--

My slow scrawlings were interrupted by a knock at the door. I sighed. "Come in!" I stuffed the started letter into a desk drawer in record time before the door opened and the visitor entered. Kirsten shuffled in, her sprained leg bothering her (A few days previous, Kirsten had injured her leg from a fall on the stairs. She had been hurrying upstairs to stop Kit from shoving all the Pixy Stix in her mouth that she could yet AGAIN, when the fall had occured).

"Kirsten! Whats up?" I sprung to my feet.

"Erm, yeah, you appear to have a visitor waiting downstai-" Kirsten's announcement trailed off as my friend Bridget walked through the threshold and smiled ear-to-ear.

Kirsten shook her head, "Well, I guess she's not downstairs anymore.."

I laughed.
"Take it easy, Kirsten." I said quickly before becoming entangled in a famous Bridget hug. Kirsten edged her way out of the room and back to the Kitchen. I focused my attention on Bridget. She was happy and healthy. Her honey-caramel layers framed a glowing face, tanned by the rays of the sun. I noticed that her eyes looked a whole lot like the color of a ripe blueberry in summertime.

"Did you get my text?" Bridget asked eagerly.

I hit my palm against my forehead. "Ah, no! I left it at Peter's this morning."

Bridget winked and nudged my shoulder. "At Peter's, eh? Eh?" She had a naughty look in her eyes.

"SHUT UP!" I slapped her shoulder playfully.

"Anyways" Bridget continued, "We want to go to the local water park. All of us. Y'know, the gang. So you better come with us, missy!" She laughed. "Peter, my man, Violet, Penny.." Bridget listed off a bunch of names that sounded familiar. "Let's go!"

"Uhh.." I glanced back at my desk. I felt the presence of the unfinished letter to Bethie, waiting in the righthand desk drawer for me to presume writing. But the water park was calling to me in the back of my mind. It was a hot, sticky day, I thought. The water park would cool me down. My bedside window was propped open with a painted rock. It was summer. I could go where I wanted. It wasn't as if I couldn't finish the letter when I got home, right?

I gave Bridget a smile. "Sure! Let's get going, Bridgie! Better not keep them waiting."

Bridget drew me into another hug. "Yaaaaay! I knew you would!"
I stuffed my striped bikini into the Aeropostale bag I was borrowing from Julia, along with my sunglasses, sunscreen, a few bucks, and my iPod.

As Bridget and I bustled out the door, I relaxed my tense shoulders and thought,

Ahhh. It's summer.

-Sonali