Mel: Mom! I don't want to go.
Mom: Mel, this is not a option.
Mel: This is my summer, and I want to stay home with my friends.
Mom: Who wouldn't want to go to Croatia? The beautiful Mediterranean Sea and to see you're family. This will be a summer you will not forget.


Well it was true... I mean I would get a beautiful tan, swim every single day and get to see my distant family. But still, it's not really what I want to do this summer. I want to be home, hangout with my best friends, stay in Louisiana and not have to hop planes and switch time zones. It really isn't fair, I don't want to go. It's the same place, same boats, same water. I just don't want to go to this year. This time I don't have a option. I am forced to switch time zones, suck it up and get through the summer.

Mel: Fine. I will go but I am not going to be happy about it.
Mom: You will be fine, I bought the tickets today and we leave in a week.


Well the week passes, and I am on a plane with my little brother, my mom and my dad. It really sucks, because I have to sit right next to my little brother and its not really fair. I have to sit next to my four year old brother for the next eight hours. Well finally, we are on the last plane and we will land in Dubrovnik, Croatia. I have to admit I am extremely happy to get off the plane. Just when I get excited, my grandpaw is, as usual, extremely late. Two hours pass, and he finally decides to show up. We load up the truck and I am ready for this two hour ride up and down the mountain. Just when I thought I was ready, my little brother gets sick. He throws up on me and I am absolutely, positively done with the world. When we finally arrive at our final destination I get out the car, slam the door shut, say hello to everybody and I go change into my swimsuit. There's nothing like jumping into the ice cold Mediterranean Sea. It cleanses you're body and you are refreshed.


With that said, I changed, walked down the village and jumped off the port. No one was there. It was really quiet, peaceful and I really started to miss my friends back at home. All the people here in Duba, Croatia are very snobby and it is so hard to make friends here. After all these thoughts running through my head, my mom screamed my name and called me in to eat supper.

I walk back up the village, put in my headphones, not paying attention to anything and all of a sudden run into him.

Mel: Oh my god! I'm so sorry.
Guy: it's okay.


From there I walked on. He was dreamy. He had tall, dark black hair, brown eyes and had the typical Croatian accent. Without thinking anything of it, I went in the house and ate supper.

Grandmaw: So I see you two met.
Mel: Who?
Grandmaw: The boy you just ran into.
Mel: I have no idea who he is.
Grandmaw: Nothing but trouble! Stay away from him Mel, he is Slovenian.


Just when I thought this day couldn't get any worse my Grandmaw tells me to stay away from the hottest guy in the village. I knew nothing was going to happen. He was too beautiful, it was just to good to be true. So, I decided to keep my mouth shut at the table and agree that I will stay away from him. This time change is totally throwing me off because in this village we are eight hours ahead in the world. I really wondered what all my friends were doing back home. Probably just waking up to get ready for the day.


Jimmy, was also on my mind. I don't even know where to begin with that entire situation. He tells me he loves me and the next day he dumps me for another girl. It is really upsetting. Then two days before I leave for the summer he wants me back. I didn't know how to respond so I just left it. I just have to enjoy being here in Duba because I did miss the sea and I can't wait to tan tomorrow. So, I decided to call it a night and go to bed.


I wake up the next day and it's twelve o'clock. The time change is really throwing me off. I decided to wake up in a better mood, change into my swim suit, throw a cover up on and walk down to the port. Of course all the girls in the village are staring at me. I can only imagine what they are saying, "the American rich girl is back for the summer." I just threw the thought out of my mind and started to lay out on the port. All of a sudden a huge shadow is hovering over me. The boy hopped on the port, jumped over me and did a back flip into the ice cold blue water.

Guy: Hey, come on, Jump in!
Mel: I don't think so...
Guy: That's not an option.


The boy climbed up the wall. He was the same boy I ran into last night. He was taller than me, and the complete opposite of Jimmy. Jimmy, of course was tall, had green eyes, shiny blonde hair and always made me laugh. This boy, he's darker, has slicked black hair and has big brown eyes. He seems clever and reassuring. I just keep thinking about what my Grandmaw said, "he's nothing but trouble Mel. Stay away from him." The thought entered mind just when the boy asked me, what my name was.

Guy: What is you're name?
Mel: My name is Melanie, but everybody calls me Mel. What's you're name?
Guy: My name is Thomas.
Mel: Cool.
Thomas: So, you ready to jump in?
Mel: We have been over this, I am not going swimming.
Thomas: Oh really?


Of course he was dripping wet and I really didn't want him to push me in, I thought to myself. Just then, I see a boat coming directly to the port. It looks like his family because they were all screaming his name.

Thomas: Well I have to go.
Mel: See, I didn't have to jump in after all.
Thomas: Yeah, you didn't jump in but tomorrow you will jump off the port with me
Mel: We will see.


I laid out all afternoon and watched Thomas wake-board. He was brilliant. He was doing tricks, 360's, probably just showing off because he did it right in front of me. This has been my spot ever since I was four and I wasn't planning on moving now. I checked the clock and it was around five o'clock. I watched the beautiful sunset and went up to go eat supper. During supper my Grandmaw told me all the teens go up in the village and meet at the church. I thought to myself, "if she only knew what they say about me." Why would I want to hangout with a bunch of people that judge me when they don't even know me? She kept going on and on about it, so just to make her happy, I said, I would go. I have no intention to go to the church. I am going to take my iPod, listen to depressing music and think about Jimmy. So as I am walking out the door, Thomas is already sitting in my spot. I am very mad, because now I don't have a choice but to talk to him.

Mel: Hey, you're in my spot.
Thomas: But I was here first.
Mel: Please move, aren't you supposed to go to the church tonight?
Thomas: Yes, I am. I don't want to go. Would you like to walk to the beach with me tonight?
Mel: Tempting offer, but I don't plan on moving.
Thomas: Okay, well if you change you're mind I'll be at the church.
Mel: Thanks for the offer!


I mean I don't understand why he wants to go out with me tonight. It's a good thing he left. Hours pass and it's around one o'clock at night. I could hear the waves crashing into the wall, the stars were infinite and I was slightly dozing off. Just when I thought it was peaceful, Thomas is back in my life.

Thomas: Are you still here?
Mel: No I'm a ghost. Obviously I'm still here.
Thomas: Oh, well let me walk you home.
Mel: Thanks, that's a good idea.


I picked up my stuff and he was standing right beside me. I started to walk and he walked with me. I have to admit I did like him even though I barely knew him. He walked me all the way to my doorstep. Right when I was about to say Thank you, he pulls me in and kisses me. I didn't know what to do. It was really late. I was letting go, I didn't care about Jimmy anymore and it was awkwardly perfect. I told him goodnight and he said the same. I went in my room and was out of it. I turned off the lights and went to bed. I woke up the next day in a daze. I asked myself, "did I really just let that happen last night?" I felt stupid, it was just a spur of the moment kind of thing, I didn't really know what was going on. I decided that I am not letting that happen again, this is my summer. To think things over about Jimmy, and I don't want a stupid summer romance that will end during August.


So as I am getting up, I look through my window and there's Thomas. Walking down from the village heading to the port. I ran down the steps and beat him to the punch. I sat down in my spot first and put my headphones in pretending like i didn't see him. In that moment, he takes me by surprise and wraps his arms around me and kisses me again. It's like the world stopped, it was just me and Thomas and all my thoughts went out the window. He was nice, open and I felt safe with him. Just then he asks me a question.

Thomas: Would you like to go go walk on the beach with me tonight?

My mind was telling me no but my heart was telling me yes.

Mel: Yeah, sure I will go with you.


Just then he hops onto the port, takes my hand, pulls me up and we jump off the port together. It's about a ten foot drop and the water is ice cold. I still couldn't believe this was happening. My grandmaw would kill me because it's a dishonor to the family that I would be talking to a Slovenian when I am Croatian. Just like politics in a different country. I can't help that I like him it just happened like that. We jumped off the port a couple more times, he did front and back flips and I did my regular jumps. Half screaming and half trying to not act stupid in front of Thomas. Hours pass and it's nightfall. He asked me to meet him in the village so I decided to get ready. I walked up the village and I heard music. A sound of a guitar strumming but the music was in a different language. The song sounded good all the same.

Thomas: I see you found me. Are you ready?
Mel: It wasn't hard to find you and yes I am ready.


We walked down the village hand in hand. I haven't been to the Duba beach since least year so is was excited to go. We walked all the way down and we talked for hours. We skipped rocks, he told me about his school life in Slovenia and it never became a boring conversation. We sat down on the rocky beach and he put his arm around me and we searched for shooting stars. We saw about ten and made ten wishes. When our conversation died down he suddenly blurts out that he is leaving tomorrow.

Mel: You are leaving?
Thomas: Yes, I am leaving tomorrow. I do not want to leave but I have to go.
Mel: Oh, well I guess that is just life.


I have to admit I was upset. It was for the best, I thought to myself. He gets up, and pulls me up and we walk towards my house hand in hand. It's not like we are extremely close and just then he tells me something.

Thomas: You aren't like anybody else I have ever known. You are different, you don't need anybody, you are a free spirit and best of all, you do what you want. You are a amazing person and I really hope to see you next summer.
Mel: Thankyou. I hope to see you next summer too.


He walks me to my doorstep, pulls me in for a giant hug and kisses me on the cheek. It wasn't what I was expecting but it was perfect all the same. He whispered in my ear, I hope to see you next summer so I can push you into the water. I smiled and laughed and we said our final goodbyes. It was a perfect three days and I suddenly couldn't wait for next summer to come.