Chapter 1

My father has given up all hope in me. He’s decided to send me away to live with my creepy, wild, eccentric grandparents. The joy. And to top the sundae off with a juicy red cherry–they live in California! No, no, no, Southern California. I would have said “...to be exact,” yet I don’t know what stereotypical surfer-prep town they live in, in Southern Cal.

Good God! I didn’t just say Southern Cal, did I?

You see. This tells me how much my father loves me. He can’t stand me that much so as to send me away, far away I might add, to live with his weirdo parents. I mean, HELLO! There is a three hour time difference, and New York and California are how far apart? And it’s not like the dude’s doing me any favor, no. He sends me right after school ended...THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER VACATION!!! This is the time when I’m out of his sight, almost out of his life. Summer vacation is when I stay out past midnight and hang out with my friends. Summer vacation is when I head out to parties in Brooklyn with my friends. Summer vacation is freedom! Oh yeah, big favor dad.

No Freedom.

Oh and not to mention that my dad doesn’t even like his parents. I mean, okay, they did give birth to him and they did nurture him and blah blah blah, but he doesn’t talk to them anymore. He doesn’t send them “Get Well” cards when their sick. He doesn’t even call them up once and a while to even see if their alive. I mean, this man is so distant from his own parents that he sometimes uses the excuse that they’re dead to pick up chicks. “Oh my life is full of misery…” blah blah blah. Yeah right.

When I arrive there on Friday, my uncle, Todd came to pick me up and drive me to my grandparents’ house. Yeah, I have an Uncle Todd...go figure. Anyway, he picked me up at the airport and drove me to my grandparents’ house in Los Angeles. Wow...Los Angeles. I didn’t know my grandparents were that cool. I mean, just look at their offspring...my uptight father, who always as a boot up his ass about something and my uncle Todd, who’s not much of a conversationalist. I know my father also has a younger sister living here in LA, yet I haven’t met her. The only information I know is that her name is Taylor and she my father’s younger sister.

Anyway, we finally arrived at my grandparents’ beach house. Yes, I did not stutter...beach house. Now I was starting to think that my father was adopted. I mean, he can’t possibly come from the same gene pool as these people. Their beach house was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen! It had this whole Hawaiian feel to it. There were those light stick-things outlining the pathway to the front door, little statues of weird looking figures scattered in the front yard, and lots of bushes and trees. When I approached the front door, I saw this huge totem pole. Wow...my grandparents are definitely from a different world.

“Mom. Dad. We’re home!” Uncle Todd yelled, as we entered the Hawaiian Hut.

The interior of the house was just as stunning as the exterior. The walls were made of wood yet looked like bamboo. Wait. It might have been bamboo. Anyway, Todd led me into the living room, which I loved. The color scheme of the room was blue and green. There was sort of a marina feel to it. The walls were painted a greenish-blue color–not aqua, yet not viridian either. The coach was blue and the two beanbag chairs at either end of the room were green. There was a glass café table in the center of the room, and a bamboo looking wall unit, which held the TV and the stereo. On one side of the room there was a door way which led to the kitchen. Hanging above the doorway was one of those bamboo curtains, yet this one was spray painted blue and green, with a hint of purple. This was definitely my kind of room.

“Mom! Dad!” Uncle Todd yelled again.

“Oh, John! She’s here!! Leave that alone for now! Come!” My grandmother’s voice came from a room beyond.

“Okay! My god, woman!” Came my grandfather’s voice.

Two seconds later, they both appeared in front of my eyes.

“Oh dear,” my grandmother said to my grandfather. “She’s grown so big. And so beautiful too.”

“Yes, yes.” My grandfather said. “Yet, she’s so pale. She needs sun!”

“Now John, you know how it is over there.” My grandmother started. “They actually have seasons.”

“Well, I still don’t understand why our crackpot o’fool of a son went out and moved over there. What do they call it? England?”

“New England, John, New England.” My grandmother corrected him.

Wow...I found this to be really funny. I mean, there’s me, standing there listening to them talking about me as if I wasn’t even in their presence. It was wonderful.

“Uh-um.” I cleared my throat.

“Oh dear!” My grandmother said, pulling me close to her, giving me a hug. “It’s so wonderful to see you!”

“Humph.” My grandfather said.

“John! Isn’t wonderful to see our little Jenny?” My grandmother asked my grandfather.

“Hum?” My grandfather said. “Ah, yes. Yes it is.”

“Um, it’s Jesse grandma.” I said.

“Yes and it’s Sara to you!” My grandmother said.

My grandfather took a seat on the coach. My grandmother motioned me to sit as well.

“So Jenny how was your flight?” My grandmother asked.

“It’s Jesse, grandma.”

“Right, right.” She said, completely oblivious to what I had just said. “So how was your flight?”

“Oh, it was okay. A bit long, but okay.”

“That’s good.” She said. “Dear, where’s your luggage?”

“Oh, I think Uncle Todd took it upstairs with him.” I told her. Honestly, I didn’t know where my luggage ran off to.

“Oh, well we’ll just have to tell him to bring them right back down.” My grandmother said.

What? Was she kicking me out already?

“Why?” I asked, as politely as I could.

“Because, your room is not upstairs.” She started. “It’s right down the hall. Toward the back of the house.”

Wow. My grandparents gave me the room that was “toward the back of the house.” Does that sound unloved or what? I’m like a freaking dog. Oh yeah, Charlie! My doggie house is right out back! You know, where no one can see me. Yeah, and when it floods, I get cold and wet. But it’s okay, why? Well that’s simple. My grandmother, who thinks my name is Jenny, by the way, loves me so much. I feel so loved. So I guess sleeping in my little doggie house right out back is okay. As a matter of fact, it’s one hellava party!

“Oh.” Was all that I had managed to let out.

“So, Jenny dear. Are you–” My grandmother started.

“IT’S JESSE! For crying out loud, woman. Don’t you listen–don’t you hear well? The girl said her name was Jesse, not Jenny.” Wow. I didn’t know my grandfather was that feisty.

“Oh, well yes...right. Sorry Jen–Jesse dear.” My grandmother apologized. “So, um, Jesse, are you hungry dear?”

“Um...no, not really.” I told her.

“Well, okay.” She said.

The three of us sat in silence for quite awhile.

“Oh, for heavens sake! What kind of lady’s name is Jesse?” My grandmother asked.

“Oh, gee. I don’t know.” My grandfather said. “What kind of lady’s names are Aaron, Riley, and Cameron?”