oh summer break how i hate you

as a child
of course i always looked forward to summer break
but as i got older
a part of me started to dread this very freedom every kid loves
before the end of elementary school
i'd already lost two girls to this friendship killing monster called summer

first
was in the 2nd grade
my first "love"
the seemingly timeless school year
every recess we'd walk the playground
just talking
and that was a enough
she was the first girl i ever kissed outside the family
it was on the shoulder
a sneak attack from behind
on a dare
how simple it was to be boyfriend and girlfriend
but, summer unavoidable reared its ugly head
and being in second grade
not having cars, cell phones, or any other way to keep in touch
we went that whole 2 month stretch without seeing eachother
you change a lot over a summer at that age
we were never the same again
i remember hearing n'sync songs and certain lyrics reminding me of her..
damn i wore my heart on my sleeve even in adolescence

the next summer i remember breaking up a friendship
was 5th grade
this girl showed up seemingly out of nowhere
this relationship was not much different
we could only really be together at school
we spend every recess and lunch together though
talking
if i remember right she was the first girl i hugged
goodbye hugs i think
i remember one day she showed me her bra strap
leopard skin
for some reason she was excited about this
i didn't even know what was going on
i got my first mix tape that year
and it literally was a cassette tape
how many people can say they got one of those?
it's all mix cd's now..
but then summer
again.. summer
we may have been able to see eachother though
or at least talk
by 5th grade kids started to discover IM and such
but she moved away
i listened to that mix tap almost every day, remembering her

these were the causes of my early half-despising of summer break
summer tore apart other friendships as well, in junior high
but i can't blame these solely on summer
today, the girl from second grade may not even know i exist
she went to my high school
i hardly ever saw her though
i hope she quits smoking
i've still never seen the girl from 5th grade again
i wonder if i'd recognize her if i did..
also, i have no idea where that mix tape is
oh summer how i hate you