My stomach turns. Izzy’s a local, a grade above us, and though she didn’t go to Blue Honeybee, she was always around. Very into music and films and, the last summer I was here, Luke. I bite my lip, suddenly anxious and uncomfortable. I would turn and walk away, but that would just invite questions I don’t want to answer.
“Today!” she says, brushing her pink hair out of her eyes. “I wanted to surprise you.” She tousles the top of his head with a manicured hand, even though she’s barely able to reach. “You’ve let your hair get long. But you’re wearing the shirt I sent.” She smirks, tugging on the hem of the T-shirt featuring an anime character I hadn’t known Luke even liked.
Luke laughs and gestures at Izzy’s hair. “I like the pink.”
“Better than the blue from last summer, right?”
“Will it bleed off any less?” Luke teases.
She lightly shoves him. “I ruinedonehoodie.”
“My white vintage Pats hoodie,” he reminds her, though he doesn’t actually seem mad.
They’re flirting, I realize like an idiot. Something is clearly going on here that I’ve missed. More than just what I know from two years ago. When Maddy said Luke didn’t do serious, maybe she left Izzy out because she didn’t want to hurt me.
“Sorry,” Izzy says, turning away from Luke to face me. “We’re being rude.”
“Oh, this is my old friend Sera. We’re neighbors. You’ve probably met,” Luke says.
“The heart girl!” It’s apparently now my turn for a hug. “Of course. Glad to see you’re back this summer.”
I clear my throat and find my footing. “Me too,” I say. “Should be a fun summer.” I force a smile.
“There’s nothing quite like the summer before college. You’ll see.” She slides her arm around Luke’s waist, and I feel a lump growing in my throat. “But there’s also nothing quite like coming home either. Can you believe I actually missed Northport?”
“When you had all of Cleveland at your feet?” Luke jokes.
“Did you know it’slandlocked?” Izzy shivers. “Not an ocean for a thousand miles. I felt more myself as soon as I could see the Atlantic.”
I nod like I know what she’s talking about, but I don’t have anything to add. There’s a lake in Ohio, right? A Great Lake? Isn’t that enough water for her? I pinch my lips together in what I hope is a sympathetic grin.
“That’s why I can’t imagine leaving,” Luke says, and it’s my turn to look at him funny. When we were little, all our dreams involved going to see the far corners of the world, getting lucky enough to fly into space for real.
“It’s nice to know you’ll be here.” Izzy plants a kiss on Luke’s cheek.
The ground beneath me tilts like the earth is trying to fling me off. I take a deep breath and stare intently at the head of the guy in front of us. But my eyes keep trailing back to where Luke and Izzy are glued to each other.
Thankfully the line moves forward quickly as a huge group of younger teens move away with their snacks, and I wrench my gaze away from Luke’s hand on Izzy’s hip, embarrassed. Iorder all the food and pay, remembering to ask Izzy if she wants anything, and Luke takes two of the trays while I grab the last one. I’m quiet on the way back to the truck, letting Izzy fill the air around us with updates meant for Luke and Luke only. The moment from before sits heavy in my chest, so many things unsaid but understood.We’re just friends. We’re just friends.I repeat it to myself.
As we make it back to Luke’s truck, I’m delighted to see Jackson there. He’s chatting with Luke’s friends about the Red Sox, but he jumps up to help with the tray of food and drinks.
“Thanks,” I say as we hand everything off. “Glad you could make it.”
“I love the drive-in,” he says with a grin. “Couldn’t miss it.” He climbs back into the bed of the pickup truck, then turns and takes my hand, helping me up.
Abbi wiggles her eyebrows at me and helps make space for the two of us to sit on the end next to her and Cam. Jackson’s arm ends up resting on my leg. He smells like some sort of spicy cologne, and it’s nice to have the warmth of him next to me as the night continues to cool off. He’s seen the movie before too, so he doesn’t mind when I end up saying some of the lines quietly to myself before the characters do.
I glance behind me quickly and see Izzy curled up to Luke’s side. She’s watching the screen, rapt, so I guess she gets points for not hating it. Luke looks at me, then at Jackson. I see a flash of something unreadable in his eyes. I turn away, leaning more into Jackson, and though heat tingles across my neck like Luke is staring, I don’t look back.
Chapter Eight
Sera
On Friday I go straight to Maddy’s parents’ diner after camp is over. The place is packed, so I take a spinning seat at the far end of the counter and wave to Maddy to let her know I’m there.
“No rush,” I say, pulling out my notebook to work on my ideas for the fellowship application. I have to submit three cohesive pieces and write an essay. I’ve been toying with finally doing some self-portraits and writing about my heart, since it is the thing I know best. I send Iris a text to ask how Paris is, and she sends back a few photos of the view out her window. There’s a cobbled courtyard covered in potted plants and a teal Vespa leaning against a vine-covered wall. She asks how the first week of camp was and if I’ve decided on a theme for my application yet. I send a thumbs-up on both and tell her I’m working on it today. It’s not ready for her critique yet.
Maddy comes over with a milkshake and a plate covered with an upside-down takeout container and leans on thecounter, sighing dramatically. She looks exhausted, and I feel a twinge of guilt for how hard she’s always working. Her glasses are smudged, her hair frizzed. She’s been here all day, and I know she’s dying to leave. There’s a group of younger teens in the corner booth who are counting out their change before they order, reminding me of us, of simpler times. Five years feels like such a long time ago. I hope no matter where I am in the next five years, I’m still coming down to Northport for at least part of the summer. And I hope that Maddy has her own bakery business and isn’t tied to the diner.
