Lead & Follow

Step 1, Swing

In-Between: 1/5
Summer 1 | Step 1. Swing 🎶

[A/N: These are little glimpses into the five summers before Part 2.]

It's your first summer after things have changed, and Cove is no longer your next door neighbor. Still, you keep your bedroom window unlocked- just in case.

Your sister is off to college, your friends are off doing their own thing, and Cove lives five minutes away. Though it's still relatively close, it takes adjusting to. Everything does.

To fill your time whilst you take another Summer to continue your career options, you begin working full time at the downtown boutique your Ma manages.

The discount on cute clothing is nice, but the sundresses make you think of Baxter.

One day, a week or so into the Summer, Cove swings into your room through the window.

"I knew this would happen," you sigh, curled up under the blankets after a long night at work.

"You know, it was a lot easier to duck inside when I was, like, fourteen," Cove remarks with a wry smile.

His time away from high school has done him good, and he's hit another growth spurt. He seems to be gaining muscle, though you're not sure where he finds the time. Most of his free time is swallowed up by working full-time for his father or taking online classes for the local community college.

"And yet here you are," you observe, more than a little amused.

"Here I am," he echoes, and his tone is oddly affectionate. He stumbles inside your bedroom and takes a seat at the edge of your bed.

"Fess up already," you decree as you eye him carefully. "You don't just live across the way now; why'd you come here?"

He sighs and looks up at the ceiling; one of his hands rubs at the scar along his arm absent-mindedly.

"I know Miranda and Terri are busy this summer, but that doesn't mean you have to hold up in your room for the whole season," he begins hesitantly, and he turns to look over your disheveled form.

Your hair is a mess, your eyeliner is smeared, and you're balled up inside your favorite hoodie like a startled turtle.

You're cute, but you make him worry.

"I'm not hiding out or anything," you dismiss flatly. "Things are just different this year; there's, like, nothing to do."

Your tone doesn't betray much of your true emotions, but Cove bets that, if he leaned in just a bit, the moonlight streaking through your window would reveal your puffy, red-rimmed eyes.

You've been crying over Baxter again.

He steels himself; it's no surprise to him, but his best friend is damn stubborn.

"What if I had a plan?" he questions with a chipper tone, and one of his hands reaches forward, tentatively, to run along your [h/c] locks.

You swat at his hand and roll away from him. With your back to him, you grumble, " Not the pretzel thing again! The competition's too stiff."

Cove grins broadly at your assumption, "This has nothing to do with the pretzel stand-or your lack of confidence in our potential as business partners."

You don't face him fully, but you shift your head towards him a bit. "So, what is it then?"

"I was planning on taking off from work for the week to visit my mom," he reveals with a nervous timbre. "Would you want to come with?"

You bolt upright. "To Kyra's place in Nevada, really?"

His expression morphs into something more victorious, "Yeah, of course. You in?"

You're excited by the prospect, but you don't want to come off as too eager. "W-Well, I'd have to ask off too. My mom-"

"Already taken care of," he interjects with a shrug.

"What do you mean?" you blink owlishly at him. "Did you...already talk to Ma about it?"

"Yep," he beams at you. "I already broached the subject with both our parents-though only for, you know, work reasons. We're too grown up for them to tell us no otherwise."

"Says the boy who still sneaks into my room instead of using the door like a sane person," you snort.

"Hey!" he scoffs playfully, "I seem to recall a certain neighbor of mine saying she would miss the window visits!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Cove Holden," you refute, though you flush at being caught red-handed by his astute recollection.

"So why was the window unlocked?" he counters, and he raises a curly, seafoam eyebrow at you.

"M-Maybe I was gonna sneak out," you huff as you nudge him. "Ever think of that?"

"Doubtful," he replies with a roll of his eyes. "Last time you tried that-the only time you tried that, you got busted immediately."

The two of you fall into good-natured banter, bickering in your room in the middle of the night. As much as Cove feigns annoyance at your silly quips, secretly he's delighted.

There's an earnest, beautiful smile on your face as you fuss at him. It's a sight that's grown rarer after Baxter left and took your heart with it...but moments like this give your best friend hope.

You've been broken, but you can heal.

"So, on a serious note," Cove clears his throat after your back-and-forth has run its course. "What do you say about the road trip?"

You spare him a dubious expression, "I say, if we're going to make it there...we'll need more than a couple of juice boxes and a crayon map this time."

Cove pulls you into a bone-crushing hug, and thinks, 'Mission accomplished.'