"Lake Lure? Where on earth is that?" John Gates asked his father over his iPhone.

"North Carolina," Ben Gates replied. "No complaining, it's about time we had a vacation." John hung up the phone and chuckled, folding another t-shirt to pack on this last-minute summer trip. His dorm room at Washington and Lee University was gradually being emptied into one large Nike duffel bag after the sudden phone call from his father. According to the brief and sudden phone conversation, he and his whole family were headed south. Ben Gates had told his son that a well-known businessman, Tony Banks, was having some sort of conference or business meeting at his "lake mansion." He had invited Ben and some others to come with their families. John wasn't sure who Tony Banks was, but anyone with a lake mansion was fine with him.

John slung his overnight bag over his shoulder and walked out of the large brick building, the humidity in the air hitting him in the face. It was an exceptionally hot summer, the sun acting as a microscope to the human ants. John was relieved to have an opportunity for vacation, a break from the academic atmosphere of college. Of course, he thoroughly enjoyed it, taking in every bit of knowledge he could scoop up into his brain. But, during the summer, schoolwork seemed to drift further and further away from his focus and warm, sunny vacations came closer.

It was the summer of his freshman year of college and John couldn't believe that he was already going into his sophomore year. It seems like just yesterday that he was playing in the kiddie pool with his best friend, Andi Poole. Andi had gone off to college to study architecture history and engineering. John wasn't surprised, knowing that she was a complete math whiz and was completely obsessed with ancient structures like the pyramids. Even when her father insisted that it was all the work of aliens.

John always missed Andi when he was in college. They had been together since birth, nothing ever coming between them. In high school they had even experimented with being a couple in their upperclassmen years. But college was a strange thing. They couldn't see each other every day like they used too back in their high school days, and now, they didn't even have the time to make regular phone calls to one another. The lack of contact came between their more romantic relationship experimentations, and they soon became just friends once again. But it was a strange thing for them, knowing that they were missing out on each other's lives. Luckily, this wouldn't be for too much longer because Andi's family was going on this lake trip as well.

John eagerly hopped into his Jeep, beginning the drive back to Washington DC. He cranked up the air conditioning and turned the radio up even louder. It was all he could do not to violate the speed limit, his excitement taking a hold on him as he got closer by the mile. I'm going home and then on vacation, he thought. How could things get any better? John finally pulled into his driveway with a flourish, flooring the pedal up the familiar gravel path. The front door suddenly exploded as two blonde heads rushed at him. His twin sisters Martha and Madison tackled him with enormous welcome hugs and shrieking. Madison jokingly punched his arm.

"Dolley Madison Gates, quit beating up your big brother so he can hug his momma," an all-too-familiar voice called out. Abigail Gates stood on the steps of the front porch, wiping her flour-coated hands on a messy apron. The sight of his mother made John feel like he had never left home. He ran at her and hugged her, the smell of cookies clinging to her shirt.

"I baked some snacks for you guys, and don't worry, there are no almonds," Abigail laughed.

"Thanks, mom," John smiled. He walked into the living room, taking in the familiar scent of his home. His sentimental feelings were interrupted as footsteps entered the room.

"No hug for your dad?" Ben Gates asked innocently. John walked over to his dad, pondering if he should be the cool adult and do something like a handshake or whether he should give his dad a huge bear hug. John went with the latter and gave him a large embrace which his father returned happily.

"How's the college student?" Ben asked his son. John just smiled.

"Glad to be home," he sighed, giving his father another hug.

"Why don't you go upstairs and grab some nicer clothes," Ben suggested, "I think Banks will be throwing some sort event for some important people coming to his house."

"Which means us?" John questioned. Ben nodded in reply.

"Hurry though, we leave in a few minutes."

John ran up the stairs, skipping every other one along the way. He finally reached his room, seeing the familiar door adorned with some stickers. He twisted the doorknob to open the door but, to his surprise, it didn't budge. Instead came a voice from the inside.

"Do you have an appointment?" it firmly questioned. John's heart leapt and he suddenly let out a burst of laughter.

"I didn't think I needed one," he chuckled. A rustling noise came from the other side of the door and suddenly it gusted open.

"You thought wrong, John Gates," the voice said before John was attacked in a massive tackle hug and a flurry of brown hair.

"Andi! Andi, I can't breathe," John said as Andi Poole's arms constricted her best friend. She finally leapt off of him and John finally got a look at her.

Her face was flushed and her chest heaved with heavy breathing. An enormous smile was plastered onto her face which still had that slight spray of freckles. Her dark brown hair, slightly tangled by her surprise tackle, had gotten longer. The joyful and exhilarated look on her face reminded John of the days when they were still in school together, young and silly. She was wearing a powder-puff football t-shirt she still had from high school and some denim shorts, adding to her same-old-Andi appearance. But John knew that she had grown up plenty since then.

"You're…in my room," John laughed in happy disbelief.

"And you're finally here!" she answered joyfully. John raised his eyebrows. Finally?

"Have you been waiting on me?"

"Well, yeah! We're going on vacation aren't we?!" she said jumping up and down. John crashed the palm of his hand to his face. Of course! Riley's family was coming on the trip too. Tony Banks had invited several "colleagues" including both of their families. Almost reaffirming his realization, Andrew Poole, Andi's brother, walked into John's room.

"Come on, guys, we're ready to hit the road," he said, motioning to the window outside.

"I'll ride with John," Andi stated as she grabbed her travel bag and walking out. John smiled to himself as he looked outside. Both families were already driving off and there sat his Jeep, waiting for him to hop in and drive away with Andi. Thank God it's summer.