[COMPLETE]
When Hanna Haddad embarks on what's supposed to be another uneventful summer as a lifeguard on Cape Cod, a trip to the past comes as an unnerving surprise. The discovery of her estranged mother's journal opens up the world of tragedy and...
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November 3, 1992
11:42 p.m.
Today we have a new president.
Samantha, Benjamin, Nicolas, and I watched election night unfold on the old TV in the common room, huddled together on the small couch. Benjamin, being a political science major, morphed into a true politics-nut this election season. He updated us on the Bush and Clinton news every day at dinner, dragged poor Samantha to a rally in Boston with all his nerdy College Democrats friends, and even stuck sticky-note reminders to vote on the doors of all the rooms in our hall yesterday.
Watching overzealous journalists rave whenever a red state voted blue gave me a strong urge to punch someone (Benjamin), and I'm glad I had Nicolas next to me. He hates American politics as much as I have come to, and his facial expressions each time Benjamin let out a "YES!" at the TV over nothing remotely exciting had me clutching my sides.
At 9:50 p.m., the moment we had all been waiting for came, but so did a moment I had been waiting for.
When the journalist announced the new president of the United States, Nicolas grabbed my face and kissed me—hard. He wasn't the greatest with his mouth or the gentlest with his hands, but boy, did he kiss me like he meant it.
It's now been nearly two hours, and I can still feel his lips against mine and rough fingers on my cheeks.
Thanks, Bill Clinton.
November 24, 1992
7:32 p.m.
In a little over two months, Nicolas has gone from seat-stealing asshole to my boyfriend.
Quite the turnaround, I must say.
He asked me "the question" last night while eating dinner together. It came out of his mouth so casually, right as I went to shove a forkful of cheesecake into my own mouth. I made him wait a few seconds for an answer because all I could think about was Samantha.Ever since she witnessed our Clinton kiss, all she would do is ask when we're going to start dating. I'm talking at least three times a day, to the point I almost wanted to kill her, but that wouldn't look too good on my résumé unfortunately.
I'm almost convinced that she talked Nicolas into asking me to be his girlfriend, considering that stupid smile on her face when I told her before bed yesterday.
But I digress.
Nicolas gave me a long hug before we headed back home for Thanksgiving break today. Usually, I long for time away from college, but the moment I stepped into the house, I realized my ugly dorm room pales in comparison to spending a week with loud Arab relatives and their endless questions, which always centered around my single status.
