“I’m bored!” we both said at the same time.
“There’s nothing to do in this town…” I said. It was the second week of summer vacation and my best friend, Julia and I were sitting by her pool tanning in our bathing suits. We’ve been bored out of our minds for the past three days and now we were trying to figure out how to spend the day.
“We could go to the beach” she suggested.
“We went there yesterday,”
“How about the movies…?”
“Nah, Cassie and I saw a movie on Wednesday,”
“Well… I’m hungry,”
“Me too, let’s go get ice cream,”
So we put on our jean shorts and tank tops over our swim suits and walked to Julia’s old, white, car that was fit for a man in his 60’s. Once she started her car, I scanned the radio for a good song to listen to. Once I heard our summer jam, I cranked the volume up. We both rolled down our windows, danced, and sang out of tune all the way to the ice cream shop.
When we got to the “Wholly Cow”, we got some dirty looks from the old people that are always out and about on the small town’s Main Street, enjoying some quality ice cream and antiques. But we didn’t care because we’re young and having fun. We also got some looks from a group of boys our age sitting nearby, but we didn’t care because, well, they were cute as h***. Inside the cattle-themed shop, we ordered our usual cones; chocolate for me, and Julia picked the flavor of the day that happened to be pop-rock flavored. I wrinkled my sunburned nose at her choice of unique ice cream, but she seemed to enjoy it.

Our boredom was not cured instantly with ice cream, though. Sitting on the hood of the car, we continued to brainstorm things to do today.

“I heard there’s a party at Aaron Perry’s house tonight, which might be cool…” I proposed.

“Yeah, that would be fun if you like to watch sweaty jocks and sl*tty girls get drunk,”

“Well of course, that’s like my favorite thing!” I said sarcastically.

Julia laughed, then said “Then it’s a maybe for now.”
It was then that I noticed that those attractive boys were still glancing at us. I mentioned it to Julia, and she said, “Oh man, they are pretty sexy… but I think I know one of them… oh, that’s Jake! He had a thing with Cassie last year… JAKE!” she shouted and waved him over. Jake walked over to us with his two other friends. I didn’t know Jake, but the shortest one I recognized from my Algebra class last year. I think his name was something like Mack or Max or something. Then I looked at the other guy, and my god, he was beautiful. I had never seen him before in my life, but I knew that I had to get to know this man.
“Hey Julia, what’s up?” Jake asked.
“Oh not much, just eating some ice cream with my friend Kate here. Who are your friends?”
He introduced the short one as Matt, then the gorgeous one as Jason who just moved here from the city.
After us all talking for awhile, we decided to hang out for the rest of the day and go to the beach. At the beach, we ran into Cassie who had a “thing” with Jake last year, but that thing obviously wasn’t gone, because they ran off to the dock to make out right away. With them gone, and Julia flirting the face off of Matt from algebra class, I was stuck with Jason. Well, “stuck” makes it sound like I didn’t enjoy it, but I really did a lot. It was pretty awkward sitting on the warm sand with the two love birds, so we went into the lake. Swimming around in the murky lake water, we got to know each other by playing the question game.
“What’s your favorite color?” he asked me.
“Purple. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?” I responded.
“Chocolate. What’s your favorite band?”
“The Beatles, of course!”
“Good choice, they’re definitely in my top five too.”
“What’s your favorite song by them?” I asked, expecting it to be “Let it be” or “Hey Jude” or another one of their popular songs.
“’In my Life’ off the ‘Rubber Soul’ album, side two. Have you ever heard it?”
I was in disbelief. I put my head under the water, then came up and said, “HAVE I EVER HEARD IT?? That’s only my favorite song ever! I have a vintage ‘Rubber Soul’ record framed in my bedroom!”
Jason’s jaw dropped when I said this. “No…. way….” he said, also in disbelief. Then we talked, and talked, and talked about The Beatles and music until we realized our skin was pruney, and the sun was setting.
We got out of the water, and everyone was getting dressed. Matt said that there was a free concert in the city and that it should be pretty cool. We all agreed to go because it was a Friday night in June and we had nothing else to do. So we all walked back to the Wholly Cow; Cassie and Jake hand in hand, and Matt and Julia still flirting like h***, then Jason and I talking about everything and anything. We all parted ways once we got there to shower the lake water and sand off of us. The girls went to Cassie’s house, and once we got there started “girl talk”-ing about the boys. Cassie and Jake were dating again, and Julia decided she’d make out with Matt by the end of the night.
“Kate and Jason seemed pretty chummy in the lake, eh?” Cassie said.
“He is so hot, Kate, and he obviously likes you. Go for it.” Julia half ordered.
“Oh, he does not like me,” I said. But I secretly hoped he did, because I really like him and I hope we also make out by the end of the night.
“I’m sure he does. Or he will once he sees how hot you look tonight.” Cassie said, with a makeup brush in hand, and Julia behind her with an eyelash curler. They then proceeded to cover me with bronzer and straighten my wavy hair. I looked pretty good in the end, I must admit, wearing one of Cassie’s strappy tank tops and my cut off shorts.

Once we were all looking cute, we met up with the boys at the Wholly Cow. Jake drove his van there, so we all hopped in there and were off to the concert. Jason and I sat in the back, and it was a little awkward at first. I couldn’t see his bright eyes in the darkness of the car, but I could smell his cologne. I also kept feeling his eyes on me so I got worried that I looked orange, or my top was too revealing. Then I felt him scoot closer to me, grab my hand, and whisper in my ear, “You’re so pretty.” I blushed like crazy, and then I managed to get out “Oh, thank you. You’re quite handsome yourself.” He laughed, and I laughed, then we started talking some more and the awkwardness was gone.

Before I knew it, we were in the city and outside the “Octopus House” where the concert was. We all got out of the van, and went into the hot, sweaty, loud venue. Jason grabbed my hand and led me to the front of the stage. I was a little uncomfortable, because there were so many “different” people there. A guy with huge gauges in his ears gave me the eye, and then a tall girl with fishnets on bumped into me, almost knocking me over. Once we were comfortable Jason stood behind me and held me while we danced. The band was actually really good, the perfect combination of electronic, acoustic and punk rock.

Then I heard the lyric, “But of all these friends and lovers there is no one compares with you” and realized the band was playing my favorite Beatles song. I turned around to look at Jason, and he was looking down at me, still holding on tight and swaying slightly to the music. We both start singing along, still looking into each other’s eyes. Then the song ended, and the band is done with their set and people are starting to leave. Then we’re almost alone on the dance floor.

I’m the first one to speak, “Wow. They were, uhm, really, really good.”

“Yeah, they were. I love that last song” He replies, with a smirk on his face and a sparkle in his eye.

“Me too…” I say, starting to feel a little nervous with the way he was looking down at me.

Then he leans down and kisses me, in the middle of this smelly, loud, and hot concert venue, on this perfect summer night. And in my life, no one has compared to him.