"Melissa, are you going to get up sometime today?" my dad asked, as I lay crawled up under the covers of my bed. "C'mon sleepy head, you don't want to sleep your weekend away."
Clinging to a dream that was quickly fading from my sleepy mind, I turned my head to the sound of his voice and opened my sleepy eyelids, "Yeah, I'm getting up," I squeaked softly.
"I'll believe it when I see it," he pressed on winking at me with that warm smile that detected my lie. As I twisted to regain comfort in my sheets, I heard the soft creaking of the wooden floor in the hallway as he departed.
He knows me too well I thought. I hugged my pillow one last time before raising my frizzy haired head off the pillow. I sat up and looked at the alarm clock on my bedside table; it read 10:36am. I hadn't been sleeping the day away, I thought rather annoyed. It isn't even 11:00 yet! For a brief moment I flirted with the idea of diving back under the puffy pink spread and staying there until at least noon, but then I was startled by a buzzing sound coming from my left.
My cell phone was slowly vibrating along my dresser top. I hopped onto my feet and reached for it. A miniature picture of my best friend Kristen's smiling face was displayed.
"Hey Kris," I squeaked in my morning voice.
"Hey, I called you an hour ago, you're still sleeping?" Kristen shouted over the receiver. The echoing music in the background made me think she was probably in her car.
"Yup," I replied in mid-yawn as I cleared some of my blonde hair from my eyes.
"Wake up girl! It's a beautiful day, do you want to go to the beach or what?"
I walked over to my bedroom window and reached for the little stick hanging to the left of the Venetian blinds in front of the panes. With a twist, the vertical plastic slats opened pouring golden sunlight into the room. I squinted immediately to let my eyes adjust to the brightened room. "Yeah, of course, I said I would."
"Well, I'm on my way to Rachel's, start getting ready, OK?" I knew she was probably upset that I overslept, but with all the rain that had fallen over the last week, I didn't expect today to be any different. After my eyes allowed me to open them further, I looked out the window. It appeared to be a beautiful summer day, and the warmth from the sunlight brightened my spirits immediately. The baby blue sky matched the small spaghetti strap top I was wearing, and I didn't notice a cloud in view. It was very refreshing to see the sun again. I just loved days like this.
"I'll be ready in 20 minutes," I said as I ended the call. She told me she'd pick me up at 11:00. I wondered if I should bother taking a shower. Since I was probably going to be sweaty and wet with salt water in only an hour or so, I figured it was pointless. I'd shower when I get back, before we go out tonight I thought. I opened my bottom dresser drawer and rummaged through various shirts for my bikini. I was very excited to finally get a beach day. The nonstop showers we'd had during the week had me thinking I'd never see the sun again.
My family moved to the Miami area two years prior because of a high-paying position my mother accepted with a popular cruise line that operates out of the area. At the time of our move, I was absolutely miserable. I hated having to leave my friends up north and give up the popularity I had achieved at my high school. I didn't see why I should have to change my life for my mother's career, and I resented her for that.
My mother and I had never gotten along too well. She always seemed so much more concerned with her career than with my brother and I. Maybe that's why I developed a closer bond with my dad, or maybe it was just his fatherly nature. He had always been there for me, and I turned to him whenever I found myself having problems. If I needed help with homework, it was Dad who helped me out. Whenever I had a problem with my personal life, I could always count on him for advice. I didn't ask for money often, I preferred being independent. However, if I ever needed some extra cash, he never hesitated to offer it. He often drove me and my friends around like a chauffeur for years when I was younger, and my friends all liked him too. He was the stability I needed in my childhood life, my rock, and I trusted him more than anyone.
When confronted with the news of moving away, he assured me it was for the best. My mother was the breadwinner of the family and he sacrificed his coaching job in New York for hers. A few months after relocating, he eventually landed another job at the local high school as a gym teacher. Before leaving, I explored other options to remain in New York. My brother Mike was already settled in a small apartment by then, and I begged him to let me stay with him until I got into college. Of course he didn't want any part of that idea. My parents wouldn't have allowed me to stay with him anyway, but even if they did, he wouldn't have had his little sister ruin the 'bachelor pad' he was spending most of his paycheck on. So I regretfully sulked my way down the interstate to our new address in sunny Florida.
The first few weeks I was a miserable bitch, complaining as often as possible, and mostly toward my mother. It wasn't easy on my father, having to be the buffer between us for a while, and I only regret my behavior because of how it affected him. I hated my mom for changing my life and stealing my friends from me. Each passing day my father tried to lift my spirits, and I could tell he was upset about the relocation too. He had a great job up north and friends of his own, but the optimist that he was, he saw the positives in the change, and he tried to explain those things to me.
I was enrolled in the school where my father would eventually work, although I never had him as an instructor. I took his advice and tried to keep my head up, and with my mother away often for work, the tension we had between us subsided. After a few weeks, my outlook improved. I made new friends and was quickly well known. Plus, I was relieved to be spared of those horrible frigid winters. I began to become myself again, and my parents were relieved when they saw my mood improving. I never officially apologized to my mother, but she could tell I had forgiven her. As for my father, I regretted making him suffer through all of my complaining, and he understood my initial unhappiness, and reassured me I'd like it here.
Within a month, I realized that I believed him. Shortly after enrolling in the new high school, I met Kristen. Kristen was also new to the school having relocated from Orlando. We shared most of our classes, and we bonded quickly. As the school term progressed we fell in with a group of girls in school and I re-established my popularity. Of all my new friends, Kristen and Rachel were the ones I spent the most time with. Midway through the year we discovered Kristen and I shared the same birthday, and Rachel's was only 2 weeks earlier. In our senior year, my father got together with their parents and threw us a combined party for our 18th. Now we just recently graduated, and Rachel is planning on attending college in Rhode Island after the summer. Kristen and I are planning on rooming together on campus.
I found the bikini near the back of the drawer. It was a purple and white wavy design on both pieces. The top consisted of two small cloth triangles connected with purple strings; the bottom had string ties on either side. I knew my mother would not approve of my choice of swimwear, she was very old-fashioned in some ways, and didn't like a girl showing much skin. All of the bathing suits of my childhood years were one piece, sometimes with a nylon skirt attached at the bottom; God, how I hated wearing those things. It wasn't until I was fourteen when I was allowed a two-piece halter-top, and even that revealed very little skin at my belly. Now that I was 18 I chose what I wanted to wear and it made me happy to have something that revealed as much as possible.
I lifted my pajama top over my head and flung it onto the bed. For a moment I paused by the large mirror over my dresser, examining my reflection. Despite my animosity for my mother, I was grateful for having her slim frame. In fact both of my parents were very athletic in their younger years, and my father's job insisted he stay in peak physical condition. I was pleased with my body, I stood 5 foot 6, and my straight blonde hair was shoulder length and it complimented my light skin. My breasts were not as full as Kristen's, but I was satisfied with my 34B cups. I squeezed them together for a moment, admiring their perkiness.
Standing topless in front of the mirror, I took my hairbrush out of the top drawer. With my arms up over my head pulling out some morning knots, I noticed a movement in the mirror. My dad walked into the room. When he saw me, my back was to him, but he saw me perfectly through the mirror. His eyes were drawn directly to my exposed breasts when he saw me, and then he quickly met my eyes before turning away. "Oh, I'm so sorry sweetie, I was just coming to check if you were up yet," he said quickly.
"I told you I was getting up Dad!" I shouted back bitterly, folding my arms over my breasts to cover myself. With out looking at me he apologized again, and told me that breakfast was almost ready. My dad was always making sure I had my breakfast, the most important meal of the day as he calls it. As I heard his footsteps retreating in the hallway, I continued brushing my hair. Even though I was a bit startled to have my father walk in on me nearly naked, I wasn't really upset with him. I have a habit of leaving my door open most of the time, and I was beginning to feel guilty for yelling at him. Honestly, I really didn't care that he saw me, and I only covered up as a natural reaction. I guess it's just how close I've become to him that makes me feel that way.
Knowing that he wouldn't return, I continued to get ready with the door open. After a few minutes I went downstairs wearing a small pair of denim shorts and my bikini top. My father was sitting in the kitchen watching a morning news program on the small TV in the corner. He averted his eyes for a moment and noticed my top, probably remembering me without it only moments earlier. He made an effort not to look at my chest again and he looked unusually uncomfortable. Eggs, sausage and toast sat waiting for me on the table, and I glanced at the clock above the sink. Kristen should be here in 5 minutes I thought. I sat at the table and poured some orange juice. "Melis, I'm sorry about before...I should have known..."
"It's OK Dad, don't worry about it, I'm sorry I yelled at you, you just surprised me," I said calmly, reassuring him I wasn't upset or embarrassed. He smiled at me more relaxed now, thankful I wasn't upset with him, and he asked me what I had planned for the day. I told him about my beach plans with the girls, and he agreed it was a great day for it. I had just started on my eggs when I heard Kristen honking several times outside. "That's Krissy, I gotta run!" I said wiping my mouth with the napkin.
