"Car wake up!" I heard a voice call out to me and then felt the force of a tiny body bouncing on me.

"Ugh Ender!" I groaned as he jumped on me.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" He yelled again.

"I'm up!" I said, sitting up in my bed. "Someone's energetic this morning."

"Yea and i'm hungry to!" He said, jumping again.

"Alright, alright." I said.

I moved to look like I was sliding out of bed but instead I flipped the blanket over Enders head, flipping him over and tickling him.

"No!" He squealed.

I giggled as he thrashed beneath me trying to get free of the blankets and picked him up in my arms. He moved around still squealing and I plopped him down on the bed. He rolled off onto the floor, landing on my blue fuzzy rug.

"Car!" He giggled and I laughed as his rosy cheeks appeared from the mass of blankets.

"Gotcha!" I winked at him. "Race you downstairs!" I yelled before bolting out of my room.

"Hey, no fair!" He called after me but wasted no time in chasing after me.

I beat him to the kitchen both of us laughing and out of breath.

"Cheater!" He stuck his tongue out at me.

"You're just jealous that I won." I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Whatever." He scoffed but gave me a cheeky grin.

As I walked to the fridge to pull out ingredients for pancakes I noticed the blue and gold invitation hanging on the refrigerator.

"Oh I completely forgot this was tonight!" I gasped as I pulled the paper from under the magnet.

"What is it?" Ender asked, grabbing a glass from the cupboard.

"The annual first week of season party for the businesses on the marina." I explained.

"Oh yea. Oops." He shrugged.

"Well we have to go and we need to bring a dish. I'll call Mrs. Riley down the dock and ask her what to bring."I sighed, placing down the invitation. "End, want to start breakfast for me?"

"Sure!" He chirped, heading to the fridge while I grabbed the telephone from the counter.

I dialed the number I had memorized a while ago.

The phone rang twice before a cheerful voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Riley? Hi, this is Carter from down the pier."

"Oh hello dear, how are you?" She asked.

"I'm fine, Mrs. Riley. I was wondering what I could bring to the party tonight?" I asked sweetly, my voice going up a few octaves.

"Oh just bring a casserole dear, it doesn't matter. I can't wait to see your lovely face tonight." She said, her grandmotherly tone soothing me.

"Of course, Mrs. Riley, see you then." I hung up the phone.

-

It was 5:00 in the evening.

I placed the cutting board on the cabinet as I listened to the television in the other room.
Ender was sunk into the couch watching a show on the television.

I turned around and reached into the refrigerator for some carrots. I washed them in the sink and then placed them on the cutting board. I was midway through the second carrot when I heard a knock at the door.

Ender jumped up from the couch and I gave him a confused look as I looked towards the door.

I took a step around the island in the kitchen and could see a familiar curly haired boy on the other side of the screen door.

I walked to the door and opened it, Ender jumping off the couch.

"Ashton!" He yelled running up to his new friend and high-fiving him.

"Hey mate. You forgot something in my car last night." Ashton said, handing Ender the cards.

"Oh yea! Thanks!" Ender said, clutching the cards to his chest.

"No problem." Ashton smiled at him before looking up at me. "Hey."

"Hey. Sorry, I forgot you were coming over." I gave him an apologetic smile.

"Nah it's cool." He smiled back.

"Would you like to come in?" I asked. "I mean, if you want."

"Sure. I dont have anywhere to be." Ashton smiled.

I stepped aside so that he could walk in. Ender, ran in front of Ashton, placing his hand on the back of the lounge and jumping over the top of it and plopping onto the cushions.

"Ender, no jumping on the furniture please." I chided him.

"Sorry." He said, returning his attention to his show.

I rolled my eyes and walked around the island to take my previous position at the cutting board.

Ashton took a seat at one of the bar stools on the opposite side of the island.

"Thanks for bringing back his cards." I said as I sliced into another carrot.

"Its no problem. So what are you making?" He asked, peeking over at the cutting board.

"A casserole. The annual first week of summer party for all of the shop owners is tonight so we have to bring a dish." I explained.

"How nice." He smiled.

"Yea, so how are you?" I asked.

"I'm good." He smiled at me.

"How did the guys enjoy the party?" I smirked.

"I don't know. I'll ask them when they wake up. They're so hungover." He chuckled at the last bit.

"I bet. There's a reason I don't like parties like that." I chuckled along with him.

"Really?" He asked. "Cause I see you as the total party girl." He smirked.

"Ha." I stuck out my tongue.

"Hey Ashton, wanna see my room?" Ender asked from the couch.

"Sure mate, if that's alright with your sister." Ashton looked to me.

"Yea that's fine." I nodded.

"Sweet!" Ender jumped up and Ashton followed him to the stairs.

I continued on making my casserole, placing it in the oven and setting a time for twenty minutes. I cleaned up the kitchen while listening to Ashton and Ender talking upstairs.

A few minutes later they came down.

"I can't believe you have all those comics."
Ashton said astounded.

"My dad used to collect them." Ender told him.

"That's so cool." Ashton said and I smiled at the pair.

"Hey Ender, I'm going to go change real quick." I said. "Watch the oven for me?" I jogged up the steps and into my room, shutting the white wooden door behind me. I opened my closet and picked out a navy blue top with spaghetti straps to go with my white shorts. I braided my hair back so that it draped over my shoulder.

After this I went back down stairs.

The timer had four minutes left.

"End you need to change too." I nodded to him and he groaned before dragging himself off the couch and moping up to his room. Ashton chuckled.

"Nice shirt." Ashton smiled.

"Thanks. I think it's one of the two shirts I own that aren't tees." I laughed.

He joined in. "That's quite a dilemma."

The timer dinged behind me and I grabbed the oven mitts, carefully taking the hot pan out of the oven and setting in on the stove.

"I'm ready." Ender said, stomping down the stairs. He wore cargo shorts and a blue polo.

"Very handsome." I smiled.

"Shut up." He grumbled at me.

"Well, I don't want to overstay my welcome." Ashton said from his seat at the island.

"Oh not at all." I smiled. "Actually, how would you like to go to a party with us tonight?"

-

"Are you sure i'm allowed to go?" Ashton asked for the millionth time as we walked to Mrs. Riley's house.

"I promise you they won't mind." I assured him again.

Ender walked ahead of us, playing with his action figures that he begged to take with him.

I saw the light ahead from the Riley's house.
Their house was a small, wooden home. It looked like a brown shack on the outside but on the inside looked like a log cabin.

We arrived at the door and I could hear the voices inside.

Ender knocked for me, since my hands were full from carrying the casserole dish.

"Welcome, welcome." Came the voice of Mrs. Riley as she opened the door.

Her short grey hair was curled and pinned back behind her ears. She wore a navy blue dress with a burgundy apron on top. He wrinkled skin was tanned and touched up slightly with makeup.

"Hello Mrs. Riley." I smiled at the dear old woman.

"My my, Ms. Carter Chase don't you look lovely. You grow more beautiful each time I see you." She smiled, her rosy cheeks rising. "And Ender, dear sweet boy, so handsome you are." She pinched his cheeks.

Ender smiled but looked extremely uncomfortable, using my elbow I nudged his shoulder.

"Ah, and who might this be?" Mrs. Riley said, looking at Ashton.

"I'm Ashton Irwin, pleased to meet you." He said politely, extending his hand to shake hers.

"Oh, are you Carter's boyfriend?" She asked, smiling widely.

"No, he's a friend of Enders, we invited him along if you don't mind." I explained.

"Ah, well of course. Come on in all of you." She hurried us into the house.

We walked into the small living room that was crowded with people.

I stood by the door watching Ender go walk around the house saying hello to everyone.

Ashton stood next to me.

"So these are all the families that own the shops?" He asked.

"Yea. Mrs. Riley and her family own the Harbor's restaurant. They've owned it since the town first started. And over there, thats Mr. Davidson, he owns the jet ski rental shop." I pointed to a middle aged man with salt and pepper hair. "That's Mrs. Blackwell, she owns the gift shop." I pointed to a blonde woman in her fifties who tried to dress like the was 30.

I kept pointing out the different shop owners.

"Carter, let's eat." Ender walked up to me.

"Alright." I said and Ashton followed us to the kitchen.

I greeted people as we walked by.

Once we made our way to the kitchen, I grabbed a plate that was stacked on the counter. The food was set up around the counter in the kitchen so people could take what they please.

I started to get food, Ender going in front of me and Ashton following behind me, each loading up their own plates with food.

After we got out of line we went to find a seat at a table. I sat in between Ashton and Ender.

We began eating and watching as the people chatted around us.

"Everyone is so nice here." Ashton commented.

"Yea. It really is a lovely town. I couldn't imagine living anywhere else." I said before taking bite of my potatoes.

"I wish i could've grown up in a small town, it seems more friendly. Everyone knows your name." He said longingly.

"Where did you grow up Ashton?" I asked.

"Sydney. Not directly in the city but in the suburbs." He said frowning a little bit.

"Ah." I nodded.

"Have you ever been to the city before?" He asked, setting down his fork.

"No. I've never left the town." I sighed.

"Wow." His eyes widened.

"Yea." I sighed.

"So how long has it just been you and Ender?" He asked watching my face to make sure it was okay to ask.

"About five years now." I said after thinking for a moment.

"So you were thirteen? Wow...thats..." He trailed off.

"Insane? A lot of responsibility for a thirteen year old? Yea." I let out a breathy laugh.

"I'm sorry, its just hard to imagine. I mean, you must of had to grow up so fast." He shot a glance at Ender.

"Yea. I went from thirteen to thirty in a day." I tried to laugh.

"Well you did a fine job. Ender's a great kid." Ashton smiled at me trying to ease the tension.
I looked back at Ender playing with his action figures on the table.

"Yea he is pretty great isn't he?" I smiled back at Ashton.

"I'm going to get dessert!" Ender piped up, grabbing his plate and walking back to the kitchen.

"Want some dessert?" I asked Ashton, looking at him over my shoulder.

"Pshh duh!" Ashton said with a mock expression.

"Come on then Mr." I laughed and we both stood up walking to the kitchen.

As I got my dessert I didn't hear Ashton behind me. I turned to look and saw him chatting with Mr. Davidson.

I could see Ashton laughing at something Mr.Davidson said. Ashton looked entirely engrossed in the conversation. Ashton said something and Mr. Davidson laughed.

I looked back at Ender and he was watching the exchange too. Ender gave me a grin and then went back to getting his dessert.

I took one more glance back at Ashton and Mr.Davidson and smiled before getting my dessert as well.

-

The docks were dark except for the few lamp lights on the outside of the stores. I could hear the water beneath the wooden planks that which we walked on. Our footsteps echoed through the quiet night.

"So I saw you talking with Mr.Davidson at the party." I said, breaking the silence as we walked.

"Yea. He's a nice man. Very interesting as well." Ashton said.

"He's always been really friendly to us." I nodded.

"Yea, he told me about how your grandfather started the tradition of having the party and the end of the first week of the season." Ashton looked towards me.

"Yea." I breathed. "He and my grandmother held the first party and its been happening ever since."

"I think thats really cool." He gave me that toothy grin. "Thanks for inviting me along, I actually had a great time."

"I think you made tonight actually bearable." I laughed and he laughed along with me.

We arrived at the front door of our house. I slid the key from my back pocket and I unlocked the door, walking inside and Ashton followed.

"Car I missed my show tonight." Ender whined, flopping down onto couch.

"Ender it's late. You can watch it tomorrow." I tried to reason with him.

"Please Car?" He begged.

"Ugh fine." I sighed.

"Yes!" He pumped his fist in the air.

"Would you like to watch t.v?" I asked ashton, giving him a shrug.

"Sure. What are we watching?" He smiled, taking a seat on the couch next to Ender.

"Marvel." Ender answered grabbing the remote and going to find his show.

"Oh sweet." Ashton said as he made himself comfortable on the couch.

I took a seat next to Ender and snuggled into the cushions as the show began. I yawned and blinked a few times, trying not to fall asleep.

Ender leaned over, resting his head on my lap as we all watched the characters on the screen.