The four of us did our best to disregard the fact that my aunt was crashing our vacation. We went in the water, played volleyball with strangers in the hotel pool, watched the dancing airplanes with banners in the sky, and even witnessed an argument between two hypocrites. We wanted to do everything possible before my aunt arrived, so when she barks at us to do things, we don’t miss out on our vacation. I could smell the ocean air and taste the little bits of salt and sand and the coconut water I drank from Trader Joes just a few minutes ago. 

The sun was like a sauna and each wave was a waterslide. It propels you until it spits you out onto the sand, and you have to work to get to the beginning of the wave again.

“Okay, do you want to take pictures by the sand dunes?” Cozette propounded as she walked up to Livvy and I, who were giggling in the water about recent events. We took some deep breaths and glanced at each other before looking at Cozette. Of course Livvy would say yes because we aren’t doing anything special here in the water. 

“Sure.” Livvy shrugged, shivering as she started climbing out of the  ocean’s cold grasp. I followed, admiring Cozette’s maturity in contrast to ours. She was already just about to become a sophomore in high school, while Livvy and I didn’t even start 8th grade.

“Okay, let Livvy and I dry off first.” I added. “You can Brookley go ahead, and we’ll meet you there.”

Cozette nodded and went to pick up Brookley on her way to the sand dunes. I looked at Livvy, and we giggled again before making our way back up to grab our sandy towels that were already damp from using it previously…

We were on our way back from the pictures we took. Personally, I was not too pleased with the pictures we took with our phones, but I was patient and propped up a little place for me to sit. In one of the pictures, a group of people just walked in front of the camera, even though they could have just walked behind it. Too bad, because that would have been my favorite picture (which isn’t saying a lot since all the photos were terrible). However, it’s not like we could have just told them to move, we have to accept it.

“Livvy, this is a good background, step here!” Brookley pointed to a place right next to the wooden path. I turned around, edging closer to everyone else. While doing so, I stepped on that gorgeous old wood, and felt something. Lifting up my foot, I saw 6 inch long splinters sticking out of the bottom of my foot. My first instinct was to laugh.

“Guys, look!” I pointed my foot to everyone, and they all gasped in horror. If I had seen these splinters on someone else’s foot, I would have too. These pieces of wood were about half a centimeter thick! There were so many that my foot looked like a dart board.

“Audrey, pull those out!” Cozette had her hand clamped over her mouth, but I could tell under was a slight smile.

“How did that even happen?” Livvy laughed, stepping closer to get a better look.

“I don’t know.” I picked at each piece of wood I could see, but sand was stuck to my foot so I couldn’t tell if I had smaller splinters in my foot. I set my foot down and shrugged. “It’s not that bad, though. One time I got a fish hook stuck in my foot, and when I pulled it out a connected one got stuck in my thumb!” Everyone looked mortified, but I laughed it off. Neither experiences hurt too much. I honestly didn’t feel the splinters.

“Too bad of COVID or else we could have gone walking around town.” Brookley sighed. “COVID just waltzed into our lives and we’re forced to accept it. I don’t know what I’ll do for school! I can’t sit on a computer all day…” Brookley’s thoughts were interrupted.

“Hey Cozette, Livvy, Brookley and Audrey!” We all turned around at the sound of that familiar voice. It was my mean aunt, who’s the disagreeable person who ever lived. She’s the type of person who would get an award for being the meanest, but gets it revoked since she finds a way to offend someone or purposely ruin their image. It’s a bit odd because she acts super nice in front of others, but when you’re alone she would grab you by the hands and yell at you for doing something she doesn’t like. You must be wondering why we invited them on our vacation if she’s that mean, but we didn’t. She found out we were going on vacation, and next thing we knew, she booked the same hotel at the same time. We could have told her not to come, but if she chooses to come that’s her decision. Not ours.

Ignoring her was what I could have done, but instead I smiled and went to hug her and said hello and she asked me to come carry stuff for her. The ocean went shhhhh times and times again, taunting me to go into its sparkly waves.

I wanted to go.

“Where are your parents?” She asked, taking the single thing her daughter was carrying and handing it to Brookley. I was exasperated, yet knowledgeable. I ignored the action and shifted away.

“Mom, I just want to go in the water.” Rachel put her hand on her mom’s arm. 

“Okay honey, go do that.” My aunt smiled and nodded. She then turned to us. “Audrey, go in the water with Rachel.” She tugged me by the arm and made me step away. I looked back at my friends. They had those “don’t go” faces but they knew nobody could do anything about it. In my heart I did know one thing, however. At least I wasn’t with Olivia. Olivia is a stuck-up 10 year old who is quite the master at sabotaging people and pretending she wants what’s best for you, while Rachel acts like an 8 year old who loves Michael Jackson, and she’s 16.

“C’mon Audwey! Let go in the water. Yaaaaay.” She laughed while holding my hand and slapping it. And I followed her, forcing myself to laugh so I don’t hurt her feelings. “Do you like my bathing suit Audwey?” She asked, her frilly bathing suit was actually nice, and I actually loved it.

“Yeah! It’s really nice. where did you get it?” I asked, smiling.

“Oh it’s my mom’s old suit. I think I look pretty good in it.” She replied, looking down at her suit and up at me.

“It’s really pretty! I wish my suit was as nice as yours.” I smiled, happy for her to finally get something she desperately wants. Her mom favors her sister because Olivia is a normal kid, but I think Rachel has the kindest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. Olivia is just like her mother. I do have to thank Olivia, however. She taught me a great lesson, one which I desperately needed which is to never trust people with your things. I never let anyone use my phone or be in my room without me watching. Why? Because you’ll eat yourself up when an “accident happens”