happier ⇒ the summer i turned pretty

ONE!

the warm summer air blew through the open car windows, right across avalon's face.

her and her mother, fiona, were on the way to their second home. the home they shared every summer with their dearest friends.

laurel and her two kids, isabel and steven, were also on their way to the summer home.

susannah and her sons, conrad and jeremiah, were waiting at the house for their friends to arrive.

laurel and her kids had already arrived twenty minutes before the mitch's.

fiona pulled her car into the driveway and parked next to laurel.

as soon as the car was parked, jeremiah, belly, and steven came running out the front door.

susannah and laurel motioned fiona to come inside the house to avoid the chaos of the teens reuniting.

they also wanted to get a head start on the alcohol.

"welcome back mitches!" jere yelled with his hands cupping his mouth. he quickly ran up to avalon and spun her around.

"i missed you avie. you look beautiful" he gently put her back down on the ground.

"thanks jere! but not as beautiful as belly." she smirked and gave her best friend a hug.

"belly you look absolutely gorgeous as usual." she continued hugging her and let out a sigh of relief. she was back with her best friend, her safe space.

avalon didn't really notice belly's glow up since last summer. she had always thought she was beautiful. she was still the same belly.

"okay okay it's my turn." steven pushed through his sister and jeremiah.

"hey avie" he pulled her into a hug and rested his hand on the back of her head.

"hey stevie" she joked. he hated being called stevie, unless avalon was calling him that. she didn't know that though. he never admitted it.

he rolled his eyes at her but couldn't hold in his smile. "you know i hate that nickname."

"oh you do? i had no idea."

they shared a laugh before she grabbed her suitcase and went into the house with the others.

"where's connie?" av asked subtly, trying to avoid them thinking there was any specific reason she was asking.

"he's in his room being antisocial." jere pointed up the stairs.

she knew he's not usually the antisocial type. there's been something different about him the past few months they've texted. he's been acting distant, and she didn't like it. she thought it had something to do with what happened between them last summer. deep down, she hoped it wasn't about that.

"oh, well i'll go fix that. i should say hi to him." she started making her way up the stairs.

"tell him to get his head out of his ass and come downstairs." jere shouted with a mouth full of doritos.

avalon gave a thumbs up and stood outside his door. she silently knocked two times.

"what do you want?" he sighed, not knowing who was at the door.

"wow, so that's how i'm being greeted." she peeked through the door and smiled at him.

he recognized that voice right away. "av?" he turned his head quickly and he stood up, returning a smile to her.