One spring morning in early April I was sprawled on my bed eating Cheetos and listening to a book I have read approximately eighteen times. My mom, who has no understanding of the word 'privacy', burst into my room, waving her phone around like it was on fire. " Take it! Take it!" She whisper-yelled, shoving the phone in my face. Wiping off Cheeto dust, I grabbed the phone and put it to my ear, a little hesitant considering that I had no idea who was on the other side.

     " Hello?"

     " Hey Abby, it's your Uncle Ward."

     " Um. Hi." I cringed at myself.

     " How well do you know Sarah, Abby?"

     Well, that was a bit forward. " To be honest Uncle Ward, I barely know her. I've only talked to her about three times in my entire sixteen years of living."

     It's true, in my mind, Sarah was just another 'distant relation'. I often forgot she was indeed my cousin by blood and the same age as me. At the family get-togethers that the Camerons actually attended, Sarah stayed off to the side, not speaking to anyone unless spoken to. She was stunningly beautiful. Maybe that's why I was always so afraid to confront her.

     " Sarah seemed to act like you two were good friends," I could hear the confusion in Uncle Ward's voice. " Listen, I guess I should get to the point. Sarah's been... struggling lately."

     " How so?" This conversation was getting weird.

     " Well, she lost her best friend a couple of years ago, not that I approved of her friend considering that she's a Pogue-."

     " Excuse me, what?" I wasn't following half of what he said.

     " You know, the Pogues, everyone who doesn't live on our half of the Island."

     " Um, ok continue."

      " Anyways, all Sarah's been hanging out with is her boyfriend, Topper, and his friends. I'm getting concerned about her Abby, she's becoming... wild, almost uncultured."

     " Uncle Ward, why are you telling me this?" I was getting impatient.

     " How do you feel about coming to Outer Banks for a while, maybe a month? You and Sarah could get to know each other, maybe she would stop going to all those parties and late-night rendezvous," Uncle Ward sounded almost desperate.

     " Listen... this is all a little much if I'm being honest. I barely know Sarah and now you want me to spend half the summer with her? I don't know-,"

     " Please, Abby? It would mean the world to me, I'll pay you back somehow I promise."

     " I don't want your money, Uncle Ward. Listen, I'll think about it and get back to you, how about that?"

     " That will work, but please take your time and consider it, thank you, Abigail." His voice was laced with something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

      We said our goodbyes, and I hung up. My room was silent for a bit. Mom was sitting on my bed from where she had stationed herself to hear the whole conversation. " Well?" She asked me.

     " Mom that was totally strange." Was all I could think of to say.

     " C'mon Abby, it's just for a month!"

     " So you want me to go too?"

     " I think it would be good for you, imagine, you could live on an Island for half the summer!"

     I looked at my mom skeptically but said again, " I'll think about it."

⎈⎈⎈⎈⎈

That's how I ended up dragging three suitcases, plus my carry-on through the Norfolk National Airport at 2 am. I scanned for Uncle Ward who was supposed to be picking me up. It didn't help that I barely remembered what he looked like.

" Abby!" I turned and spotted an older man racing toward me with open arms. I blinked a couple of times, then realized with relief who it was and hugged him warmly. " Sorry Sarah couldn't make it, she and Topper had a date planned."

" Oh, it's okay." Truthfully, I was relieved. That gave me some spare time to settle in and get somewhat used to my surroundings before I met the reason I came to Outer Banks.

It was an hour-and-a-half drive from the airport to the chain of islands located off the coast of North Carolina. I was exhausted from the travel and fell asleep almost as soon as I got into Uncle Ward's vehicle.

     The rest of the night went by in a daze. Somehow I ended up in a large, expensively furnished bedroom, in a large, expensive bed. I fell back asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow and sank deep into a dreamless slumber.

     I was rudely awoken by a pillow being thrown onto my face. Groaning sleepily, I pushed it off and squinted at my assailant. Sarah stood at the end of my bed with an angry expression on her face.

     I blinked sleepily and stared at her. Sarah's golden hair fell perfectly over her shoulders while simultaneously framing her perfect face. I couldn't help but compare us at that moment. My short-cropped black hair was always a wild disaster, and my face in the mornings was the opposite of perfection. " Sarah?" My voice cracked and I winced.

    "That's my name." Sarah rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

    " What are you doing in here?"

    " Well if I may ask, what are you doing here, in my house?"

    I was mortally confused. " What do you mean? Did Uncle Ward not tell you?"

    " Tell me what?" Sarah raised an eyebrow.

    " Uhhhh, that I'm staying here for a month."

    Sarah's face took on a look of sheer horror. I considered making a run for it, but decided against it, due to her blocking my only escape route. "DDDAAAAAADDDDDDDDDD" Sarah screamed, rushing out my bedroom door.

    I heard her pound down the stairs, followed by a flurry of loud voices and exclamations. I could make out Uncle Ward speaking in short rapid sentences followed by Sarah throwing around some choice words. In between all that was Aunt Rose, well technically my step-aunt, trying to calm everyone down.

    Finally, I heard Sarah come pounding back up the stairs again. I expected her to go to her own room and leave me alone in her fury, but to my annoyance, my bedroom door was once again flung open. Sarah marched in, grabbed a pillow off a nearby sofa, and flung it at my face.

    It bounced off harmlessly, and I glared at her. " What is your problem?" I asked.

   
"You're asking me that question? What's your problem? You're the one who agreed to come here because apparently, I'm becoming 'uncivilized' and 'wild', and somehow you're supposed to tame me down?" Sarah's face was becoming increasingly red, and mine was becoming increasingly invisible as I slowly crept under the covers.

" For your information, I didn't want to come in the first place," My voice was muffled by the blankets.

" But you still came. Care to explain that?"

I pulled the blankets off my head and looked her straight in the eye. " Listen. The only reason I'm here is to spend at least one month of my summer doing something other than hanging out in my family's stuffy apartment building. I don't even know you, I hardly know anyone on this Island, do you really think I came for you? In your dreams."

Sarah was silent for a minute. Then the slightest bit of a grin appeared on her face, though it vanished almost as soon as it appeared. " Fine. If you stay out of my way, I'll stay out of yours, deal?"

" Deal." We shook on it. Sarah left my room and I was left to my thoughts. The interaction went by so quickly that it left me whirling.

  The morning went by with an acceptable amount of normality. Breakfast was a bit silent and awkward, but the food was good. We ate a spread of waffles with all the toppings you could think of. I may have added a bit too much whipped topping, considering the looks I got as I happily piled it on. Oh well, let them be their stingy selves, Im going t enjoy my food as much as physically possible while here in Outer Banks.

" Do you guys have a bike I could borrow?" I asked, once my waffle was tucked away and my stomach was full.

" Sarah has multiple bikes, were you thinking of going for a ride along the beach?" Rose asked kindly.

" No, I'm thinking of exploring a little, you know just to get a gist of the Island and all," I responded.

" Oh..." I could tell she didn't approve but I didn't care much.

" Just as long as you don't go into Pogue territory." Uncle Ward said, wiping his mouth off with a napkin.

" Okay, sounds good!" I slid back from the table, " where are your bikes, Sarah?"

" In the garage." She almost growled.

" Care to show me where the garage is?" I shot back.

Sarah stood with a huff and walked me down several hallways to a door. She pushed it open and we stepped into a spacious Garage. Uncle Ward's jeep was in here, along with a newer Lexus that I supposed belonged to Rose. Sarah seemed to be looking around confusedly. " I wonder where Rafe went, his bike is gone."

I didn't think much of her words. But then we rounded the jeep and my eyes locked on a shiny black motorcycle. " Here it is," Sarah said, dismissively waving her hand at the motorcycle and going to walk away.

" Wait... this is yours? This is your definition of a bike?"

" Yes, what else would we call it?"

I ignore her question and circle it, taking it in with complete awe and growing excitement. " Holy mother of Moses." I breathed.

Sarah laughed at my expression, " I hardly ride it, I'm not big into that type of thing."

I jumped on the bike and turned it on, revving the engine. Its powerful sound filled the garage. My excitement grew and a smile appeared on my face.

" You have experience I see," Sarah observed me with an unreadable expression.

" I got my permit just two weeks ago, I was thinking of renting one here but now..." I trail off and grin.

" But now you can borrow all your rich cousin's fancy toys." She finishes for me.

" Exactly."

Sarah groaned but picked up a helmet and handed it to me. " Just don't kill yourself."

" I'm not making any promises," I replied while strapping the helmet securely on my head and lowering the visor.

Sarah opened the garage doors for me and I revved the engine again, a huge smile on my face masked by the helmet. I turned to take one last glance at Sarah before I left and she kindly flipped me off. I returned the gesture and rode down the lane, the tires kicking up pebbles as I went.