Summer was our sanctuary. School was done for a few months. The days stretched long and golden, filled with endless possibilities. We would be together every single day whether we were playing at the park or doing something else.
We had a ritual for every summer. We would always go to the lake with my family and Ethan's family. We spent our days splashing each other in the water, diving for smooth stones, and building elaborate sandcastles that would inevitably be washed away by the tide.
In the evenings we would have a bonfire where we would all eat marshmallows and tells stories. The smell of wood smoke and roasting marshmallows still brings back the nostalgia of those summers to this day.
One summer, when we were around 10, we discovered a hidden cove on the other side of the lake. It was smaller, secluded, and felt like a secret paradise, ours and ours alone. We spent hours there, building a small raft out of fallen branches to transport us across the small stretch of water separating us from the rest of the world.
"This is our secret place, we can't tell anyone," Ethan said as he helped me onto the raft. "You can trust me," I said, glaring at him. I was offended. Of course I would keep it a secret.
"I know... it's just... we can't let Cole and Gavin know" he said quietly looking down. "Oh! Why not?" I said. I was confused. Why couldn't they know?
"They are too noisy and they would ruin our special place," he said with a pouty face. I laughed.
"You are so mean," I said, smirking. "But you are right."
We never talked about it, but our secret place became a metaphor for the intimacy of our friendship. The trust we shared was quiet, unshakable. In a way I thought he understood that our friendship was on another level than his friendship with Cole and Gavin.
During those summers, Clara, Ellie, Cole and Gavin were always there. We were all inseparable. Clara would always challenge Ethan at any sport to see which one was better, always with the same result.
ETHAN ALWAYS WINS.
She hated that but it would always make us laugh.
Ellie would sit on the side reading a book and just observing us, most of the time she would not participate. Cole would always goof around usually with Ethan. Gavin was always by Ethan's side supporting him, he was very loyal.
One particular evening during our bonfire, I was sitting next to Ethan roasting some marshmallows. I turned my head to look at him and he was doing the same to me.
Our eyes met and I felt that weird tingle again. It always felt like this whenever he was near me. It was becoming more frequent and I didn't know how to stop it.
"You are staring again," he said with a cheeky grin.
"So are you," I retorted I could feel my cheeks get red.
"Am I? I didn't notice," he said sarcastically.
"You are impossible," I said with a laugh.
He started to lightly tickle me which made me scream and laugh even more. He could always make me laugh no matter what happened. I secretly loved our banter. I didn't tell him that, of course that would ruin our dynamic.
Those summers were a bubble of perfection. A time that would eventually be shattered. It is sad to say that perfection does not last forever. I knew that change was coming. We all knew that our childhood was ending.