Looking at her alarm clock, Summer groaned when she saw the time; too early to get up, yet too late to try to acquire any more sleep. Her dreams were becoming more vivid and realistic. Something would have to be done to stop that!
"No time like the present." Summer mumbled as she flung the blankets off her and stumbled to her feet. Reaching into her draw, she pulled some rosemary and sage. Tying them in a bundle, Summer lit the herbs and walked around her room as she smudged the bad energy. Satisfied with her efforts, she opened her window and turning to face her room spoke in a clear voice. "I cleanse the room. Demons be gone from here." Once the words had left her mouth, Summer flicked her wrist and threw the remaining herbs out onto the grass below and slammed the window shut.
Task only half done, Summer returned to her draw and retrieved more rosemary to place in the four corners of her room. The last twig she placed under her pillow, then gathered her frankincense candle and placed it on the bedside table to light before she slept tonight.
Happy with her work, Summer glanced at her clock once more. Pleased to see a fair amount of time had passed, she decided to put on her school uniform. Walking into the bathroom, Summer took a moment to gaze in the mirror. Her long blonde hair was a mass of curls which flowed halfway down her back. There were bags under her blue eyes which pushed her cheeks out a little more than usual. Her lips like the rest of her were full. Summer wouldn't call herself fat, but she was curvy and damn proud of those curves! Women who had no curves should be handed a plate of food!
Summer's house was nothing extravagant , it was just like every other house in the neighbourhood; two story, 4 bedroom, modest dwelling. The only thing remarkable about the house was Summer's intensive herb garden out the back. With the help of her Aunt Helen, Summer had acquired and grown almost every herb there was to grow. The whole back yard was a garden which had been converted into rows and rows of beds for her herbs to grown in, and what space wasn't being taken up with her precious herbs was filled with vegetables. The front yard was a little more conventional, and was designed to stick out a little less from her neighbours, but everything in it was edible. Summer loved her garden, it was her pride and joy. Keeping it thriving was easy for someone with her green thumb, one of the few things she knew for a fact was inherited from her mother.
Walking into the kitchen, Summer stoped at the sight which greeted her. Standing in a pink frilly apron was her father. Being a blond, tall masculine six foot three, made the apron on him a comical image as he was hovering over the stove making pancakes.
"What are you doing?" Summer questioned.
"A father can't make his daughter breakfast?" He said turning to face Summer.
Crossing arms and tapping her foot she demanded, "Who is she?"
"Why does there have to be a 'she' just because I am cooking you breakfast?"
Summer raised an eyebrow in response.
Sighing her father turned back to the stove. "She, is Samantha, and I'll be spending a bit of time with her."
"Time with her, as in?"
"I won't bring her over here, no."
Summer let out the breath she had been holding in. Ever since her mother had died four years ago, her father had been dating a lot of women, thankfully though he never brought them home to meet her. Well not anymore. The first time he started dating after her mother's death, Summer's father had brought her home, not wanting to leave Summer unattended. Thankfully it hadn't taken long to realise what a mistake that was.
"Come eat." Her father ordered, dragging Summer back to the present.
Summer wanted to turn her nose up at the offering, but didn't have the heart to say no after her dad had put in the effort. "Just one, please I have an early start."
"Are you in trouble again?"
"No! My biology teacher said I could hand in my assignment early and he'll go over it and tell me what needs improving before I had it in with the class."
Her father only grunted in response as he set a full plate in front of Summer.
"Don't you trust me George?"
"I've asked you not to call me that. And do you blame me for not trusting that response?"
Summer ignored the question by shoving a fork full of pancake in her mouth.
Dumping her empty plate in the sink, Summer thrust her hair into a ponytail unconcerned if she looked good or not. Grabbing her bag, she headed for the door and out the gate, making sure to pillage a few plants before heading towards the bus stop. No one will be on the early bus, she thought with a happy smile. Summer really wasn't in the mood to be sociable and she didn't need some random gnawing her ear off with mindless chatter. What she really wanted was to find out why her dream had left marks. Aunt Helen would probably know, Summer was sure, but the idea of breaching the subject with her would be disastrous. Aunt Helen was the sister of Summer's mother, whom had promised on her death bed she would care for Summer as if she were her own. Unfortunately said promise had make Aunt Helen extremely over protective. When there was no danger around, Aunt Helen was the cool big sister Summer never had. She did however, have a tendency to over react. If some rapist was realised from jail two states over, Aunt Helen would become unbearable in her desire to wrap Summer up in cotton wool and hide her away from the big bad world. No, asking Aunt Helen was definitely off the table. Perhaps the internet could help solve this puzzle.
Summer sat in the sun listening to music waving at the occasional person who called out in greeting as they passed. She was waiting for the bell to ring, well, really for her best friend, but Fraya wouldn't make an appearance until the bell sounded. Summer envied Fraya's free spirit. Hearing the familiar roar of a motorbike, Summer smiled as she plucked the headphones from her ears and put her MP3 player into her bag. Standing as the bike pulled up, Summer waited for Fraya to climb off the back.
"Hey girl. What up?" Fraya beamed at her as she peeled off her helmet. Summer and Fraya looked the same, except where Summer had blonde hair and blue eyes, Fraya had brown. The Brunette was also subtle where the Blonde didn't see the point, if it is a spade, why call it a shovel?
"Hey Fraya. Fenris." Summer nodded to Fraya's older brother.
"Summer." Fenris said as he lifted the visor on his helmet. "Shouldn't you be in class?" The twinkle in his eyes betraying the joke.
"Shouldn't you be at work?" Summer shot back.
"I'll get there when I get there." Fenris had just finished his degree and had been sought after by all the top companies, or so she had heard.
"Stop harassing my friend, Fen!" Fraya demanded throwing her helmet at her older brother, who easily caught it and stowed it away in the storage compartment at the back.
"See you later Summer, Aya." His words seemed to hold an underlining threat.
Watching the bike round the corner, Summer couldn't help but let out a little sigh.
"It's a good thing I know you're drooling over the bike and not my brother!"
"Eww, way to wreck the moment Aya. Now I'm going to be thinking about Fen instead of that beautiful Ducati he was on!"
"It's a nice bike." Fraya conceded. "You should ride it."
"He wouldn't let me drive it and there is no way I'm jumping on if he's behind the wheel!"
