For BrendaDaaeDestler and XCloudy_SkyeX 's 13th Monthly Contest

Every summer for as long as I could remember, we took the trip. My grandparents owned a beach house in Corolla, North Carolina that they shared with the whole family. It was the same every year. We all climbed in the car that was stuffed to the brim with our luggage, snacks, and activities for the car so we wouldn't be bored. Dad always drove most of the way, until he couldn't handle the road rage anymore, and then my mom would take over. My little brother, Theo, would always do his best to annoy me the entire 14-hour drive. I survived by reading. These summer trips forced me to be a bookworm, as there wasn't much else to do.

After hours of travel, the boring summer would begin. My brother wasted the entire summer by playing Fortnite in the bedroom he used, my mother and my aunt always went to some outdoor strip mall, looking for souvenirs and knickknacks they didn't need, and my father and my uncle would sit on the couch all summer and watch reruns of old football games that were as old as I was. It seemed as if my entire family lacked appreciation for the beauty that was the Outer Banks. I often found myself reading a book on the beach, or wandering around, trying to find some wild horses to marvel at. They were so majestic! Horses of all sorts of colors and sizes ran the stretch of the shoreline, untouched by man and free to go wherever they pleased. I never ceased to be fascinated by them.

This summer would be similar, but not the same since my cousins were bringing friends. I figured they'd ignore me and I'd ignore them, and I'd live blissfully ignorant of whatever schemes they were up to. I had a stack of books packed, several I had reread every year. My favorite series to reread over the summer was always Percy Jackson. Something about being so close to the water always drew me to those books. I didn't care that they were meant for young children; I still enjoyed them.

A few days after we arrived at the beach, I was lounging on the sand by the water, intently reading my book. I was very much at peace in that moment. I heard the distant sound of wild mustangs neighing and running freely. I heard the ever-growing sound of juvenile laughter coming from all around me. And then I heard the familiar sound of my cousin's voice as he lead his friends out to where I was. I reluctantly closed my book and sighed as Zach and his posse approached me.

"Whatcha doin Annie?" He asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Enjoying my life," I retorted. Zach laughed.

"It really looks like it!" He began, sarcastically, "Who would want to waste away a summer reading?"

I rolled my eyes. In times like these it was best not to retaliate.

"What do you want?" I asked as I began to lose my patience.

"Do you want to explore with us?" Zach asked. The impish look on his face was really beginning to concern me. However, I didn't really have anything else to do.

I stood up, staggering a little as I found my balance. I grabbed my book and turned to face my cousin.

"So, are you going to introduce me to your friends or...?" I asked, trailing off as I made eye contact with the most gorgeous pair of blue eyes I had ever seen. The face attached to the pretty eyes smiled and winked at me as Zach began speaking.

"Oh! I suppose I have yet to do that. The redhead is Adam, Mitchell is the one who has the gorgeous hair, and Mr. Hearthrob over there is Oliver!"

I skeptically analyzed Zach's friends. They seemed like they might be fun. I smiled ever-so-slightly. This might turn out to be a good summer after all.

A few hours later, I found myself laughing at some joke Mitchell said. I was quickly able to identify the characters of these boys. Adam was the quiet, nerdy type, Mitchell was loud and boisterous, and Oliver was kind and genuine. I found myself drawn to the sea-blue eyes that reminded me of my favorite character of my favorite series. Whenever he made eye contact with me, I felt my heart beat faster and my stomach flutter.

As the sun began to kiss the horizon line, we walked along the beach where the water meets the sand, our shoes in hand. Oliver and I lagged behind the group a bit, unintentionally on my part.

"It's really beautiful here," he remarked. I nodded in agreement.

"The beauty of Corolla is the only reason I even remotely enjoy coming here," I replied, smiling as the waves crashed against our feet. Several peaceful moments passed before words passed between us again.

"I know we just met, and this might be really forward of me, but would you like to walk with me another evening? This is just such a peaceful moment, and I want to experience it again," Oliver blurted, blushing as he realized he spoke. I glanced at him and smiled.

"Sure."

Every evening after for the rest of the summer, we walked along the beach. We would talk and laugh and connect on a real level. I had never before enjoyed a summer quite as much as I enjoyed this summer. Some nights we would walk along the boardwalk and get ice cream or something. I spent all my time with the boys; occasionally Zach's twin sister Holly would join us. We always explored the beach and searched for places wild horses might be.

One day, towards the end of the summer, Oliver and I found such a place.

We were walking hand-in-hand, bantering about who knows what at this point, when suddenly I stopped walking. I held Oliver back and excitedly pointed at a band of wild mustangs playing in the water and sunbathing on the beach. He smiled at my juvenile enthusiasm. He squeezed my hand as we sat down on the beach and watched the horses. After awhile, I turned my gaze to see that Oliver had been watching me. I blushed and looked down at our hands. When I met his gaze again, I smiled at him, my stomach exploding with butterflies.

"Thanks for making this summer amazing," I told him earnestly. He smiled and shook his head a bit.

"No, thank you. I'm so glad I accepted Zach's invitation; I almost didn't come. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have met the best person in the world. You're amazing Annie, don't ever forget that," he murmured.

And then, with the gorgeous sunset and the sound of horses playing in the background, Oliver kissed me for the first time. It was just as magical as I dreamed it would be. I was so grateful that my family took these trips every year. If we hadn't, I wouldn't have met the eventual love of my life. ~

Word count: 1170 (sorry it's a bit longer than I intended; I got carried away)

Thank you so much for reading this entry! It didn't turn out exactly how I wanted it, but I'm satisfied with it. If you're a nerd like I am and enjoy character descriptions, read below. If not, then feel free to skip this next part.

Characters: Annie Benson, Julie Benson (mom), Shawn Benson (dad), Theo Benson (bro), Ellie James (aunt, Julie's biological sister), Derek James (uncle), Zach James (cousin), Holly James (cousin twins), Oliver Walker (lover), Adam Henderson (friend), Mitchell Vaughn (friend)

Character Descriptions:
Annie: dirty blonde hair, grey blue eyes, freckles dusted across nose, fair complexion, 5'4, 18 yrs
Julie: dirty blonde hair, brown eyes, fair complexion, 5'3, 44 yrs
Shawn: dark brown hair, grey blue eyes, caramel complexion, 6', 46 yrs
Theo: dark brown hair, brown eyes, caramel complexion, 5'10, 16 yrs
Ellie: golden blonde hair, blue eyes, fair complexion, 5'5, 49 yrs
Derek: brown hair, midnight brown eyes, warm ivory complexion, 6'2, 52 yrs
Zach: brown hair, blue eyes, warm ivory complexion, 6'1, 20 yrs
Holly: brown hair, blue eyes, warm ivory complexion, 5'6, 20 yrs
Oliver: black hair, sea blue eyes, sunkissed complexion, 6', 19 yrs (if Percy Jackson had sea-blue eyes)
Adam: red hair, green eyes, freckles everywhere, porcelain complexion, 5'11, 20 yrs
Mitchell: black hair, dark brown eyes, chocolate complexion, 6'4, 20 yrs