For The Summer (H.S)

ch 1 I forgot that you existed

Stella's POV

May 2023

This is the first summer that I made the decision to drive to the beach house by myself. I had kept my car in a parking garage outside my apartment in New York City for the past few semesters. Everyone told me it was a waste of money considering it rarely saw the sunlight, but I didn't care. In this moment, it saved my ass from blurting out the news before I had time to practice my speech.

"I'm dropping out of school."

"I've failed every final this semester and I don't think I can handle facing my classmates."

My anxiety had increased ever since my advisor sat me down and told me my options - with me failing my courses and losing my scholarships, I had limited opportunities to get the important internships that were mandatory for my journalism degree.

I'm not sure if my anxiety was from that or from the knowledge that I'm so close to finishing something on my own for the first time.

Am I self sabotaging or will I finally admit something is wrong?

I turn down the familiar streets lined with fresh cut grass and street lamps that would call me home when I was younger.

I roll my windows down and allow the seaside wind to create goosebumps. The smell of the salty air and backyard barbeques cause my stomach to rumble slightly, reminding me that I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast this morning.

I knew Anne and my mom would be creating a wide selection of food - as they do the first night we're all together.

I pull into the long driveway and park behind a black car that I didn't recognize. The boys always end up having friends over at some point in the summer but I didn't expect them to already have company.

The laughter coming from behind the house tells me that the backyard party has started without me. I arrived later than they did, obviously, but it still hurts that they didn't feel the need to wait for me before diving in.

I gather my bags from the backseat and make my way to the opened front door.

At least the house was waiting for me.

I can hear dishes clanging in the kitchen before I even made it through the doorway. "Do you know when Stella will be here?" Anne's voice carries to where I stand, tone in her usual whimsical notion making everything sound like a song.

"She should be here any second," My mom answers while bending down below the cabinet to retrieve the blender. As she straightens back up she notices me standing there. "Speak of the devil, huh?"

I smile and drop the strap from my shoulder and practically run to my mom with open arms. I hadn't seen her since before Christmas and so much has happened since then - mostly things that I can't speak out loud.

Her hand rubs my back as she presses a kiss to my cheek, "Oh Stella, We missed you."

I scoff, "We? I don't think Dylan did." My brother and I were closer than most siblings but I blame that on being two years apart. We had different friend groups in school but we almost always combined them to do group outings.

"He definitely did," My mom says as I'm being whisked away by Anne who holds me tighter than usual. "Why don't you go say hi to the boys before you put your stuff away?"

"Uhm - I don't want to ruin their fun out there," I mumble while looking out the window over Anne's shoulder to see water splashing high above the window sill. "I can see them for dinner."