It's been so long since I've been here, driving up this winding road flanked by large lawns separated by perfectly-trimmed hedges, that I forgot how much that this place looks like a movie set, or at least a place where movie stars would live. It's the kind of place that feels incredibly imposing, even if the air of familiarity that fills me with every sight I see comforts me to some level of extent. Even with the memories in the back of my head, it's impossible for me to quite grasp the magnitude of it all.
After all, those memories were from so long ago. It's been ages since I've seen Hanna.
It's not even like this is where she lives most of the time, either. It's not that this place hosts a time-share that her family has with other families; my destination is her family's beach house through and through, and it can easily pass for any other one of these incredible quasi-mansions. Learning that someone from my elementary school could possibly have a house like this, let alone a close friend, was absolutely spellbinding to me as a kid, and even as an adult now, it's incredible to think about.
It was even more incredible when, at the end of second grade, she invited me over for the first time.
Back then, though, Hanna and I were completely inseparable. I don't know how we met, exactly, or started talking back in first grade, but somehow, it clicked immediately, and before I knew it, we were inseparable, and these invitations were just an additional proof of that. It'd just be me, my family, and her family at this resort of a household, and we'd do it every July until high school came about.
But now that I'm able to be here again, I couldn't wait until the near-customary Saturday morning to be here. I had to come a day in advance, just to be able to indulge in these memories once more. The only difference is that now I'm driving down these roads in my own car; my parents will be coming tomorrow, and I'm not sure they know that I wanted to come a day in advance.
Whatever. I'll see them tomorrow, or even later today if nobody else shows up. I doubt anyone will; everyone else is probably so adherent to the schedule, but my patience has gotten the best of me unlike anything else. I need to come here and see the sights; wind blowing through a palm tree or two, the vast ocean peeking from behind some of the houses, the luxury that radiates throughout the entire place.
"Your destination is on the right."
I heed my phone's word and turn into Hanna's driveway as far as I can, and I park right next to the garage. I take a deep breath, and I get out of my car.
Even though the sun isn't high in the sky, daring to dip behind the house, the summer heat beats down on me. I bring a hand to my forehead, using it like a visor before I step into the villa's shadow.
I take a good look at the villa, and even now it's just as big as I remembered it being as a kid, where I learned that Hanna's mom worked real estate and her father worked in law. It has to be at least three floors tall, and is definitely big enough to host at least twelve families at the same time. It's the kind of mansion that someone would buy just to flex that they could own a building that big, and even if her family were to live in it daily, I bet there would still be rooms that they wouldn't even know existed. It's the kind of house that could only exist by the beach, and even then, the walls are a pristine wood grain, as if untouched by the humidity that's already starting to make me sweat. It's a display of all sorts of power, and it feels unreal that I've been here yearly.
I hope there's no security camera thinking that I'm a risk. There's no way that those things would recognize me, especially not after how long it's been.
Eight years? Has it really been that long? I know that we stopped going for four years because Hanna had that thing with some high school sport. It really bummed me out to learn that I couldn't go during that time, but if Hanna weren't there, there really wasn't much of a point for me going. I certainly wasn't going here to listen to adults talking about whatever adults talk about.
At that point, I had her phone number, though, so we'd text each other, and whenever it came to be time where we would be at the beach house, we'd spend two weeks complaining about how unfair it was that we couldn't see each other, and we'd make promises that once we graduated from high school, we'd see each other at the beach house.
And in a cruel twist of fate, once Hanna's schedule opened up in college, mine shut down. I started taking internships, and those immediately started filling my summer schedule. None of them were ever kind enough to give me time off. Two weeks is a lot of time when it comes to making sure your boss' cup of coffee isn't empty, apparently, but I wasn't going to sacrifice my resumé with a firing, no matter how bullshit I felt it was.
I actually feel like I have to thank my employer for giving me time off, because I'm going to make sure every second of these two weeks won't be going to waste. I'm making up for eight years of lost time here, at this resort of a house.
A light blue compact car drives into the driveway, and my gaze immediately turns from the house to the car. It sluggishly rolls into the driveway and parks right next to my car. It's a bit too close to my car for comfort, but it's not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon.
And I'm definitely not going anywhere once the driver's side door opens, and a toned woman with a brown bob cut steps out of the car wearing a green cropped tank top and athletic shorts. I can tell that devious glint in those light brown eyes from a mile away, even if it had been so long.
"Hey, you!"
Her twang is impossible not to recognize. It's unmistakably her.
"Hey, Hanna!"
She steps out of her car and closes the door before opening her arms.
"Get over here!"
I oblige. I practically run over to her and scoop her up in my arms. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I pull her in, and I feel her arms looping around my neck, pulling me in even tighter. "It's so good to see you!"
"Yeah, after how long?" Hanna loosens the hug a bit so I can see her tilt her head, almost mockingly.
"It's not my fault that I keep getting internships," I chide right back at her.
She smiles and pulls away, leaning back on her car. "Didn't you say that you were planning on being here tomorrow?"
I pivot on my heel and lean back on her car right next to her. "Yeah, but you know, I was just so excited that I needed to see this place for myself again. There's so many memories here."
"Yeah, no kidding," Hanna retorts, tilting her head up, as if looking at something on the roof. "It really feels like we were here yesterday."
"Except you were taller back then." She used to be; it's honestly pretty weird having to tilt my head down to look her in the eye.
Hanna scoffs, rolling her eyes. "Enjoying the weather up there?"
"Not really," I reply. "It's hot as hell. You got a key or something?"
Hanna pats her purse, slung over her right shoulder. "What makes you think I wouldn't?"
