The Golden Hour - More Added in Purple on 7/9! :)

When I started the summer, I had one rule that I swore I would follow:

Don't fall in love.

It's pretty simple for most, but a bit of a challenge for me. You see, every summer I travel to my cousin's beach house is Florida, and every summer, I fall in love. It's hard because I live in New York, and long distance relationships never work out. I don't want to go back to school with a broken heart, so I'm banning myself from boys. I thought I could do it.
I'm pretty stupid.

"Hey, everyone!" I chirped, running up the driveway. Cody and Erin opened the front door and hugged me.
Erin exclaimed, "Hi! Kelly and Melanie are at camp right now, but they will be so excited that you're here. I'll go get my mom."
Erin is sixteen, and even though she (and the rest of the family) are a bit nerdy, they're nice. She has long, red hair (she dyed it that way) and very pale skin, but pretty eyes. Her eyes are bright green and a bit brown on the outside. She's really freckled and gets sunburnt easily, so she usually stays under an umbrella when we go to the beach.
Cody is pretty cool. He used to be nerdy like Erin, but two summers ago something changed. His hair is sandy blonde like his sisters, but unlike the rest of the family, he has tan skin and he's much taller than me. He's fourteen, a year younger than me, but you would never know.
Aunt Brianna came outside and hugged me for a long time. "You got so tall!" It was something she said every year. But I'm short and haven't grown that much. My mom always said the same thing to our cousins. Then my mom and Aunt Brianna would talk.
Erin grabbed my wrist. "We just finished getting your room ready. You can bring your suitcase up!" She's so cute because she's really cheerful all the time; the complete opposite of Cody. He's always sulking around. "Oh, and then we can go to the beach. So don't put your bathing suit away!"
I walked up the stairs of the house, passing all the pictures of marine animals and surfboards on the wall. The house is really cool. It's strange, but the bathrooms are the best part. It's decorated the most. Even the toilet is beach-related. It's a great change from my simple life at home. The furniture is classic and basic. "We need simplicity in our crazy family. At least we know our home is normal," my mom says.

I pushed my sunglasses up on my face but still had to squint as I looked out over the ocean. It's really beautiful at this time of day. The water looks like crystals, and the sand is pale, almost white. I wish I could stay there and watch, because getting too close would ruin the beauty. It was the perfect time of day, too. The sun cats a kind of golden glow over everyone, and it's amazing.
I am forced to stop thinking when a large fly lands on my arm, one of those that suck your blood. I took my water bottle and splashed all the water onto it. It flew away quickly, disgusted. I pouted while I watched it, then heard Cody behind me. He was laughing.
"Cailey, it's just a fly. Get over it." Cody was putting sunscreen on his face. "Head's up." He threw the bottle at me, and I opened the cap to get some out.
I laughed. "Sorry. I just get a little freaked. You don't see many of those in the city."
He sat down on the towel. "I want to visit the city so bad. It sounds so much better than this place."
"It looks perfect, but it's not. So many bad people, and sometimes I don't even feel safe," I sighed. Then a boy caught my eye. He was just getting out of the ocean, and and few other boys surrounded him, but none of them made me stop to stare. He had midnight black hair that clung to his head. It was a bit messy, but still looked perfect.
I forced myself to look away. I can't think about boys. This is a romance free vacation. But how am I going to do this if I'm smitten with a guy on the first day?
"Are you staring at Cameron Duncan? I don't know why girls like him so much," Erin said, scaring me.
I raised an eyebrow at her. "We like him 'cause he's hot!" I glanced back over at him.
"I thought you weren't going to stare at boys for three months this time," Cody said, elbowing me.
Erin nodded. "Fine. Let's go swim." I started running into the ocean, trying to rid my brain of thoughts about Cameron. But he's hot. And right now he's shirtless.
It hasn't even been one day and I broke my rule.

Chapter 2

I sat down outside at the table on the deck and sat down, but then got up quickly because I forgot a fork. When I went inside, I nearly trampled Kelly and Melanie.
"Hey!" I said, pulling them in for a group hug.
Kelly was the first to talk. "Hi, Cailey! We missed you so much!"
Although Kelly and Melanie are twins, they don't look alike at all. Kelly has bright red hair and lots of freckles on her pale skin, but Melanie has a clear face and dirty blonde hair.
"Hi! We were just at camp. It's so much fun!" Melanie exclaimed, looking up at me. I'm a mixture of both the girls. I have Kelly's freckles, but Melanie's hair. I'm not as pale as them (fortunately) but I am kind of short. Definitely taller than the twins, though.
"Did you eat yet?" I asked them. They shook their heads eagerly, saying yes. "Okay, I'm just going to get a fork. You can meet me outside."
I took a plastic fork from the cabinet and grabbed my Seventeen magazine on the way out. I set it down on the table, only to find Erin glaring at me.
"Can you please put that magazine back in the house?" she asked. "Or at least just not read it for a day?"
I moaned. "Why? It's my favorite, and I haven't read it yet."
"You have the whole summer to read it. Magazines like that are for superficial girls that only care about how they look and who they date." Oh, Erin. She can be kind of annoying sometimes- no, most of the time. I don't understand how she's older than me but she doesn't care about how she looks, and she's not into boys at all. Maybe it's how we live. Maybe the people in her town are ugly. Except for Cameron. Or maybe it's just because of how I live, or where I go to school. In New York, going to school is only to socialize and flirt.
"Fine, I'll read it when you're not around," I teased, closing it. But I was staring at the cover, wanting to open it so bad.
Erin put her hand on the table. "You promised there won't be any boyfriends this summer. I really would be mad if you broke that promise." We sat in silence until Cody, Kelly, and Melanie came out, everyone holding a plate full of food.
"I thought you already ate," I said, curiously.
Cody took his seat next to me. "Shh," he whispered. "They're growing girls." I chuckled.
"You sound like my mom," I told him.
Erin hasn't looked at me since she told me to stop reading the magazine and I think Cody noticed. We all seemed kind of awkward while we were eating.
"I'm going to put some music on," I chirped, grabbing speakers from my bag. I put on my Party Playlist, and the first song that came on was Bad Romance by Lady Gaga.
Erin groaned. "Ew, I can't believe you like this music. What happened to The Beatles?"
"We don't live in the cave times, Erin. Have you ever gone to the party? Have you ever listened to the radio?"
Cody snickered. "She doesn't get invited anywhere."
Erin slapped him on the arm. "You're hilarious. I have many friends. Cody shouldn't be talking."
"Fine, Erin." I changed to the playlist I had just for her. I made it last year. Beatles, Elvis, and some other people I don't know were on it. "Listen to whatever you want." I took a hot dog, my bag, and magazine, and went inside.
I sat down on the couch and slowly ate my hot dog. Suddenly I felt two hands. One rested on my right shoulder and another on my left. I looked to my right and saw Cody, glaring over my head to the person that hovered over me on my left, Erin. She looked down, avoiding Cody's eyes, and then moved her eyes so she was looking at me.
"Hey." I spit the word out quickly, as if it were a curse.
Erin looked at me with a sympathetic gaze. "Listen, I'm really sorry about what I did or said." I opened up my magazine again and read the first page. "And you can read every magazine you want and listen to the music you love. I know we're completely different people and I'm old fashioned and horrible, but forgive me."
Cody half-smiled. "Yeah. It's a really stupid fight."
I reached up and hugged both of them. "It's cool."
"Good!" Erin smiled. "Here's your iPod. Tonight we can listen to the songs on it. And you can listen to some of my music. And I'll even read one of your idiotic magazines."
I heard someone's stomach growl. "Let's eat!" Cody yelled. I smiled.

Chapter 3

The next day, I was greeted at three in the morning by Brianna and the kids. It was dark outside and the only light I was getting was from the alarm clock on my bedside table. "Mmmm," I murmured. "Let me sleep."
"Honey, we would, but we have a busy day planned! And you have to see the sunrise here. It's absolutely amazing. Pack a bag while we wait. I already packed food and drink, so just bring something to occupy yourself. It will be fun!" She led the kids out of the room, but Erin hung back to tell me something.
She put her hand on the table next to me and smiled. "I'm sorry about her. Just pretend you're having fun." Then she followed them out.
I pulled on some of my casual clothes- an old blue t-shirt and a pair of shorts- and took the bag I brought to dinner yesterday. I walked outside to grab my towel that I left there to dry, just incase we were going to the beach or pool after. I noticed a flash of tan skin and black hair that turned around and went inside while I was there. Once I was back inside, I whispered to Erin.
"Is your neighbor..." I rached my brain to remember the boy's name. "Cameron Daly?"
Erin rolled her eyes. "Duncan. Cameron Duncan. Yes, he's our neighbor, unfortunately. You were lucky last night, but usually, there's a huge party going on over there. We can never get any sleep! Girls screaming, boys chanting for another boy to chug... I think you know what goes on."
I wasn't listening anymore. "Girls?"
She snorted. "Yes. Girls. He's popular. Girls like him. But not you. You banned boys."
I shook my head. "Of course. But does he have a girlfriend?"
"I'm not sure. I don't talk to him. But don't worry about it; you're not going to date Cameron Duncan. Okay?"
"Uh, yeah." Which means no.
Brianna and the twins interrupted us. "Come on!" Melanie yelled. "We're gonna miss the sunrise!"
I picked up my bag and slipped my sandals onto my feet. "Sorry, Mel. Let's go."
We all packed into the car and drove away. It was still dark.
I walked out of the car and noticed where we were. I saw the beach below us. Only about three people were running on the sand there. The waves crashed against the shore violently, yet peacefully.
"We have about a half hour until the sun comes up. I'll be sitting over there if you need me." Brianna unfolded a chair and plopped down.
I took out a bottle of nail polish and shook it up and down, then put a base coat onto my toes.
I heard footsteps from behind me. They were speeding, one after the other. I looked around, not moving my toes, and saw black hair and tan skin. The figure was wearing only shorts.
"Hey, Cody!" he called. His voice was low and seemed honest and happy.
Cameron Duncan. Cameron Duncan. Cameron. Cameron. Cameron.
Cody looked up, but seemed bored. "Hey," he mumbled. "Have you met Cailey yet?" The sun was just starting to rise, but it was still hard to see. I think Cody winked at me. He ran his hand through his blonde hair.
Cameron looked over at me. "No, I haven't." He extended his hand. "Hi, Cailey. I'm Cameron Duncan."
I took his hand and shook it. My heart leaped. "Hey. What are you doing here?"
"Just jogging. I come here every morning." There was a short silence. "How long are you staying here?"
I sat up straighter. "I leave on the last day of August."
He smiled. "So you're staying for a while. Great. I don't know if you are aware, but I have a start of the summer party on the first Saturday of summer, and I wanted to know if you can come."
I looked over at Erin. Angry vibes were radiating from her. "Sure! I would love to go to your party. Can I bring anyone?"
He looked around at who was with me. "Um, sure. You can bring Cody."
Erin frowned. Cameron looked over at her for a split second, then looked back at me. "I have to go. Bye, Cailey!" He waved to the twins as he jogged away.
I took my nail polish and moved closer to Erin. "I'm sorry," I said. She didn't respond. I turned to face the sky and watched the sun slowly rise.
Once we were finished, I stood up and extended my arm. "Erin, we need to talk... again." She didn't take my hand. She didn't even glance my way. She had her arms wrapped around her knees and was looking straight ahead.
Finally, she snapped, "What's there to talk about?"
"Just come with me."
People say I have... anger issues, so that was hard for me to say without exploding. I bit my lip and clenched my hands into fists. "Please."
She finally sat up. "Okay." She still wasn't looking at me while we walked down to the beach. "But I really don't know what you want to talk about. You don't need to apologize."
"Erin," I said, trying to sound confident. "Why do you care if I'm going to the party? Is it because you aren't going? Is it because you like Cameron?"
She stopped walking suddenly and sat down on the sand. "No, I don't want to go to one of those crazy parties. But I do... I used to like Cameron, until I realized how stupid that was. I try not to get my hopes up, you know? Unlike some people, I don't set myself up for failure."
"Is that what you think I'm doing?" I asked, the volume of my voice raising with every word.
She rolled her eyes. "It's what you do every year! You make this promise and then you break it when the first hot guy looks your way! And somehow, you always become his girlfriend his days, and you're happy and do everything together and forget about me-"
I interrupted her. "You're jealous of my boyfriends?"
"I don't want a boyfriend. No, I'm not jealous. It's just that I hate the end of the summer, how you are always so upset. I think you're more upset about your breakup then you are about leaving me. I just... want some time with you. I guess I am jealous, but I'm really just trying to help you," she took some sand in her hand and I watched it fall through her fingers. "I hate being the third wheel."
"I'll ask Cameron to let you go to the party," I offered, my voice trailing off.
She threw a rock to the ocean. "That's not what I want! I just want to wait and live my life and enjoy the summer with you and Cody and the twins... just our two families. But if you really can't resist the urge to hook up with some stranger, go ahead. I'm... okay with it." She didn't sound very okay.
I smiled. "Thanks."
Erin twirled some of her hair around her finger. "Just watch out. Those parties can get wild really quickly. I would know."
I tried to hide my laughter. "How would you know?"
She seemed offended. "I've been to one! Cameron threw a party after you went home last year and Cody and I went. I can't even say what happened. I just wish I could forget it."
I smirked. "I've been to parties before. I think I can handle it. And I'll have Cody."
"I don't think so. He's younger than you. Shouldn't you protect him?" Erin was kind of annoying sometimes. Why is she so protective?
I finally gave in, even though I didn't mean it. "Totally. I'll watch out for him as if he was my brother. Yeah. Yup."
I think Erin could tell it was a lie. "Can I ask you for a favor?" she asked, half-smiling. She looked suspicious.
"Uh, sure. I guess," I replied.
"Give me a makeover. I want to be... cool," she said, then bit her lip and blushed.
I grinned. "So you are jealous of me!" I stood up, proud. She stood up, too, and we started walking again.
She blushed some more. "Yeah," she whispered. "Don't tell Cody, though."
I laughed. "I won't. Promise. As soon as we go home, you can come into my room and I'll give you a makeover." I was about to start jumping up and down. "It will be so fun!"
She giggled. "Just don't make me regret asking you to do this," she teased.

:3 Ooh, I like it so far. This seems like it's going to be a fun story!

Thanks! (:

*cough* I added more. And changed the title.

OMG. *-* That boy's hair sounds so nommy.

Thanks. (: He is nommy.

Lawl, nommy. xD

Yeah, I wanna read more, too!

Yes, nommy. In History, we talked about a guy named Omnom. xD

Thanks! (:

More please. Now.

*Does sign language for now*

Hehe, thanks. I'll add more. (:

*blinks* Hot guy with black hair.

*blinks again* Hot guy with black hair.

HOTGUYWITHBLACKHAIR.

ILOVEHOTGUYSWITHBLACKHAIR
THATSWHYHE'SINTHESTORY
xD

Dude, IKR? HOTGUYWITHBLACKHAIR.

I have a feeling Amanda's not referring to anonymous dark-haired hotties here. XD *cough*Fang*cough*

xD I was thinking about Taylor Lautner. But yeah.

Taylor Lautner works, too. :O (AND L!)

xD Hot guys with black hair... *sighs*

shadowsowner888 wrote:I have a feeling Amanda's not referring to anonymous dark-haired hotties here. XD *cough*Fang*cough*

....


...Dude, I did not even think of him until you brought him up. xD

That's a good thing, though. I'm trying to cut down on obsession.


A lot of hot guys have black hair. Or dark brown curly hair... <3

Hmm, would this be Kevin, then?

The guy I like has red hair... Just throwing that out there
But anyway, more please?

shadowsowner888 wrote:Hmm, would this be Kevin, then?

No, actually. The guy I liked a few years ago had dark brown curly hair, and I based a character off that look.

Ooooh la la. xD

THATGUYSOUNDSSOHAWT! Pleaseee write more? xD

PugsRock wrote:Ooooh la la. xD

Yes, very. xD

xD I'll write more. (: Thanks!