I Hate This

The beach is wonderful. Even if it's really hot. But I can swim in the sea and take lots of showers. And in the evening it's nice and cool. There are so many people, and I get along with everyone. I have the best time. I go to the pizzeria "La scaletta" all the time because they're all my friends. They're kind to me and I'm happy when I'm with them. Then there's Diego and Filippo, who are gorgeous, and Carlo, who's really nice. I don't even sit at the table much anymore—I sit on the wall next to the kitchen so I can chat with everyone. My friend Sara came to visit and I was so happy because I love being with her. The two of us go out in the evening for pizza. Then we talk, we walk around, and we even play paddleball in the water. I brought my computer but I don't feel like studying at all. Maybe I'll do something in a few days, but now that vacation just started I'm not doing anything, and I don't want to think about school. After dinner some evenings there's music and I love that—I dance. Then I go around saying hello to the people I know who work in the shops and bars. I sit down with them and talk. I don't ever want to go home to bed because the evenings here are too good to leave. The bad thing is that my grandmother isn't well and Dad had to take her to the hospital so she can get better. And he's not here at the beach with me because he has to be with her in Rome. When he does come, he's only here for a little while and then he has to leave again. I really don't like this at all. I'm angry. Because I don't want my grandmother to be sick and I don't want Dad in Rome while I'm at the beach. So I tell everyone that this isn't right. The good news is that this year I haven't run into the neighbors' dog yet. Last year the dog jumped on me the first day of vacation. I was terrified. I didn't even want to go to the beach alone anymore. I still haven't seen the dog this year, but when I get close to the house I'm careful and I watch to make sure he doesn't come running up and jump on me. I say the dog needs to be tied up because he scares me so much.