Stairways | A Surviving Summer FanFiction

Part 49 - Plans

Three days after the events at Stairway, you're discharged from the hospital with a partially healed wound and a warning to stay away from taxing physical activity for at least two weeks - so that's the end of your season.

When you get home, you don't know what you were expecting, but it wasn't the still silence hanging over the house. Marlon wasn't even there, which was a surprise, considering he's grounded.

While your mum forbade you from going out for the first few days, she didn't forbid people coming to see you, so a few hours after you arrive home you receive a visit from Summer, who enters your room with a wide smile and joking effortlessly as always. But you know she must be feeling at least a little bit vulnerable or perturbed about her sudden planned departure from Shorehaven.

"So, Ari told me you're leaving?" you say, once Summer's quietened down a little. Her face instantly turns sour.

"My mom's coming to get me next week." she muttered.

"I thought you wanted to go back to New York? Don't tell me you actually like it here now." you tease.

"I do want to go to New York. And I do want to get out of here, no offence," she paused. "But, maybe I can actually tolerate this place now, and I've made some pretty good friends here too. But listen, I said some awful things to Ari and Poppy and Bodhi about wanting to leave - I don't know how I can make it up to them."

You suddenly realise: that must have been why Ari seemed so mad at Summer that day he spoke to you in the hospital about her leaving. You need to speak to Ari. Soon.

"I'm sure they'll forgive you, Summer," you say. "Our lives are going to be so boring without you."

"I know, right? Who will you jump in after at Stairways now? Sorry about crashing that whole plan by the way."

"It's cool," you reply with a smile. "I was going to do it anyway."

"So, how was it? Don't tell me you want to do it again next year, because you do not need to put everyone through that again."

"Nah, I'm done now. I'm not sure I can say the same for Marlon though."

"What do you mean?"

"He's avoiding me. He didn't come to see me at the hospital, he wasn't here when I got home and I haven't seen him since."

Summer looks thoughtful for a second. "Isn't he grounded?"

"He should be. But he appears to have developed a taste for sneaking out of the house recently."

"And your mum hasn't caught him yet?" she asks, and you shrug. "But anyway, let's not talk about Marlon now. Are you surfing next week?"

"Nah, I'm not allowed." you reply - even if you were, you're not sure you could; you're bound to be a little bit rusty after not surfing for a few days, and before Stairway you haven't surfed in a real comp since Jackson Bay.

"Yeah, me neither," she jokes. "Anyway, Poppy told me to tell you that there's a party friday night, because its-"

"-Bodhi's birthday," you both say at the same time as you remember what the date is, and you groan. "Crap, I'm such a bad friend, I completely forgot."

"Don't worry, you've got two days to get her a gift. But please say you're mum's letting you come."

"I don't know, Summer. If I'm not being kept in this house because my mum's overprotective, it's because I'm grounded for surfing Stairway." you groan.

"Sneak out! C'mon, Y/n, it'll be fun. Didn't you sneak out to the party on the night I arrived?"

"Well, yeah," you try and think of some excuse, something that will deter Summer from probably dragging you out your window on friday night, but you can't think of anything - or maybe you don't want to think of anything. This party could be the perfect distraction from everything, a chance to have some fun for once.

"And hey, Marlon will be there for sure, so you can clear the air."

"Yes Summer, because a party would be the perfect place to do that," you run your hands over your face in frustration. "And Ari's going to be there."

You expect Summer to question you, ask why you're suddenly anxious about him being there, but you watch as her face goes blank and her hands fidget in her lap.

"Yeah, I suppose he will be." she says curtly.

You wonder if Ari has voiced his opinions about Summer's apparent negative impact on all your lives and his pleasure about her leaving to Summer herself. Maybe that's why she suddenly seems so nervous when you mention Ari.

"Wait, hang on. Forget about Ari a second, why would Marlon be there exactly? He's at Anchor Cove now. Why would any of them want him at the party?"

"Oh crap I forgot about that," Summer responds. "None of that really seems that important anymore after Stairway." she says, her tone softer.

"Yeah," you agree - you've barely thought about all that stuff; maybe this whole divide between the clubs is why Marlon wasn't at the hospital while Ari was there. Still, it doesn't give him an excuse to barely speak to you.

"Okay, well i'll meet you just down the road from your house friday night?" Summer confirms, and you nod, before realising the plan has hit a snag.

"Wait, how are you going to get out? And Ari? Aren't you both like, grounded for infinity?"

"Don't worry about that. We'll manage." She smiles wryly, and you know Friday night is going to be interesting. 

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A/N: Sorry about how this is kind of a filler chapter, next chapter should be much more interesting and I'm writing it right now so hopefully there won't be too long of a wait 😏 On another note, this book has reached 50K reads! Thank you so much this is a milestone i've never reached before so it means a lot :)

Phoebe x