last summer

seven

"Sweet tea in the summer, cross my heart won't tell no other"
- seven by Taylor Swift

Sweet tea.

I loved sweet tea with a passion because I only had it when I was in my Charleston home, with my summer boys.

I drank too much sweet tea in Charleston. Everyone did.

Because my abuelo Froy, he was basically a professional sweet tea maker. His recipe had been in the works of being perfected for years and years.

He always tells us the story of how he met my grandmother when she was laid out on the beach, drinking a sweet tea and even if I didn't originally come from South Carolina, there was something so authentic about a homemade South Carolina sweet tea.

After we all got back from the beach that afternoon we all had decided to go and get sand in my papas well cared for, ingrown, super big and super fancy saltwater pool.

Sonny was across the pool, sitting on the edge and Luce sat beside him. "What's that behind you?" and be pointed his finger and Niccolo turned around. Will had ran up behind Niccolo full speed and jumped on his back, pushing them both into the pool and sending water flying everywhere.

Josh was to the side of the pool by himself and I made an effort to swim over to him, holding his arm and he didn't act too interested to see me at all and I'd start to think why are you here?

They decided to play the stupid game chicken and per usual, Sonny picked teams.

He stood at the edge of the pool, his hand over his chin, tapping it with his finger. "Hmmm" he drew out, looking at everyone as they swam around. Niccolo and Will were to the side, Josh was with me and Luce had sat at the steps, Steph was close by her but not close by her.

Sonny said "It seems we have a problem here." and he started to point us all up, pointing at us one by one. "Now that our dear friend Avery has gone, we have an uneven number."

Will raised his hand "I can sit out-"

"No, William Reyes, put your hand down."

His eyes widened and his hand went down. Sonny spun around and looked out at the beach. "HEY!" he cupped his hands around his mouth like a microphone and we all shared worried glances.

"HEY YOU!"

I climbed up on the edge and watched the pretty girl point at herself. "ME?" she called back and Sonny waved her over, nodding his head frantically.

Luce swam over to me. "Who is that?" she asked, holding her nicely pink manicured nails over her chest and I shook my head. "No Idea, Luce.".

"You know who I think that is?" Sonny turned around, answering her question.

Will pulled himself up on the edge of the pool and Sonny clapped a hand over his back, crossing his arms proudly.

"Who?" Nico was suddenly in the conversation and he'd sat himself down on the other side of the shallow end.

"I think," Sonny raised up a finger. "That's Taffy freeman."