The past is always there - The summer I turned pretty(Unfinished)

Welcome to Cousins

I'm sitting in the passenger seat, looking out the window. It's either that, or looking at him, and I am not doing that. I don't want to do that.
I look at my phone. 6:48. Only 12 more minutes of this shit.

He stops the car by the bus stop. I can feel him looking at me. I still don't turn my head.
"Sweetie, can't you at least talk to me before you leave?"

"Oh, so NOW you want to talk to me?!" I burst out, turning my head towards him, facing him. "Did I finally get interesting after 16 years? And don't call me 'sweetie'. I'd prefer you didn't talk to me at all, actually."
I look at my phone again. 6:53. The bus will be here in about 5 minutes.

He pauses for a bit before he continues. "Lena, you know—"

"it's not Lena anymore," I say, as bitterly as I can. 6:56. The bus will be here very soon.

He tries again. "You know I'm just trying to bond with you, but you're just pushing me away."

"Well, I wonder why!" I say, sarcastically. 6:57. Finally, it's here. I can leave this fucking conversation.
"Just because you fucked my mom, doesn't mean I'm gonna call you "dad". So for fuck's sake. Give up the whole 'caring' act. Frankly, it's getting old." I open the car door and get out before he can answer. I am sick of it. Of him. Does he really think he can come into my life after 16 years, and act like he never left us? Act like this is all normal, and I am the bad guy for being mad?

I go inside the bus and sit down in the back. It's not a lot of people on the bus. I mean, it's June 1st. Everyone around here who were going on vacation already left last week.

I sit down and take out my phone.
I'm about to press the call button, when I remember I can't do that. Not anymore. I can't call her. I can't hear her voice ever again.
She's dead.
Mom is dead.

That's why I have to do this.
Am I nervous? Yes. I actually don't think I've ever been this nervous before. I mean, why shouldn't I be. I am literally going to spend the summer living in the same house as 6 people who I don't even know.

But I'm still going to do it. For Mom. Because I know that's she'd wanted me to. She'd wanted me to get to know them.

I put on some music and look out the window, just thinking. About stuff. About my life. About all that has happened. How my life went straight to hell in only 4 years.

***

We have been driving for almost 8 hours, when I finally see it.
A sign.
The sign.
Entering Cousins Beach.
Finally.
We're here.

The bus stops 5 minutes later. I stay seated until the bus is completely empty before I go off too. I put on my backpack and take my bag. It's not very heavy. I've learned to pack minimally throughout the past few years.

When I get off, there's two women standing, waiting. One is Asian, with black hair. She's wearing jeans and a white tank top. She looks like she's in her 40s.
The other woman has blond hair. She's probably white. She is wearing a cute white summer dress with blue flowers on it. She looks around the same age.
I guess those are the women John was talking about.
They look so... nice.
Sweet, kind of.

I walk over to them. I notice they're a couple inches taller than me. "Are you Everleigh?" the white woman asks, with a smile. I nod.

"I'm Susannah, and this is Laurel, Belly and Steven's mom." I turn to look at Laurel. She looks back at me and smiles.
So, they're half Asian. I wonder what they look like.
Do we look alike? I'm full white.