Behind the Pages of LOCAL GIRLS

LOCAL GIRLS begins with a skunk. A dead one. And there's a reason for that.

Whenever I smell skunk it reminds me of summer. Growing up in Connecticut there were plenty of skunks. In fact, I was sprayed by one. One night during the summer I was running around to the back of my boyfriend's house and startled a garbage-hunting skunk rattling around in some garbage cans.

I scared the skunk. The skunk sprayed me. I smelled like skunk. Badly.

When I got home later that night I removed my skunk-smelling clothes and put them out on the porch (knowing my mom would kill me if I put them in the house). The next morning when I woke up she said, "I think a skunk died under the porch." I had to tell her that it wasn't a skunk. It was me.

I love the smell of skunk because it reminds me of summer. And that's why LOCAL GIRLS begins with Kendra smelling a skunk and loving the smell as well. Kinda gross, maybe. Something that will always remind me of warm nights and hanging out with friends, absolutely.

Enter the Island Summer series contest and win a t-shirt. Read below to learn how.