Page 117 of The Summer of Everything

“Can we hurry up and order? I can’t be out too late,” Zay says, repeatedly flipping his menu. “My moms have been on me about studying. I’m taking this summer course—”

Everyone groans. Zay graduated high school early. He started UCLA in the winter and is living his nerdish-musicology wet dreams by taking two summer classes. He’s on a mission to finish college before he’s twenty-two. Wes supports it.

In fact, he’s behind all their decisions since Once Upon a Page closed.

Cooper’s living his best life as a soon-to-be high school senior. He’s up at least two hundred thousand social media followers thanks to a certain Savannah Kirk giving him a follow and commenting on all his Bookstagram posts. There’s no blue checkmark next to his name yet, but Wes is betting on @coopsarrow being verified before the year’s over.

Kyra quit Brews and Views. “Can’t make a living when two competing coffeehouses are on the same block,” she texted him a few months ago. “Who the hell does that? Fuck the Tea Leaf and Coffee Cup House.” She has one more semester in the fall before graduation. In the meantime, she rakes in loads of cash as an online gamer. She’s also moved in with Anna, who’s a bank manager.

Huh. Wes didn’t think she’d really pull it off.

“Yeah, whatever,” Ella says to Zay. “Be a nerd. I have a date tonight, anyway.”

Wes sputters. “Adate-date?”

Ella rolls her eyes. “Here we go again.”

Yup. Here we go again.

Since he’s left UCLA, Wes no longer gets daily updates on Ella’s social life over sandwiches at Fat Sal’s. But before Wes can interrogate her, their waiter arrives with a tray of waters and a sour expression.

Constantine sighs. “Do you all need a mo’ to figure out what you’re having or what?”

“Artichoke or spinach?” Cooper asks the table.

“I’m thinking bacon,” Zay says. “Bacon’s life.”

“Babe, veggie or Hawaiian?” Kyra says to Anna as they huddle over a menu.

“So.” Constantine digs the heel of his hand into his eye socket the same way Wes’s dad does when he’s getting a stress headache. “Can we not give me hell tonight? I have plans afterward.”

“Hey.” Ella wriggles in her seat, back arched, her cheek resting against her knuckles. “Can you give us a sec? Five minutes, tops. I promise it’ll be worth it.”

And then, she winks. Constantine’s a new shade of red. Wes’s eyes widen, mouth falling open, but Constantine says, “Sure,” and then spins around and walks off.

“No. Shit.”

Ella pinches Wes’s thigh hard under the table. He yelps, nearly knocking over all the waters.

“Ella Graham, are you kidding me?” he almost shouts.

“Shut. Up.” Ella’s eyes are soft; her lips are pulled into a sweet, self-conscious smile. It’s peak Pining Wes Hudson. His brain can’t digest it. But Wes decides not to grill her.

She deserves this moment with no judgment.

Wes turns to Nico, who wiggles his eyebrows knowingly. Nico never misses anything. Well, except that One Thing. Wes kisses him. They see each other every other weekend, but Wes has missed him. He looks incredible in an all-black tux with a rose-colored bow tie. His hair’s slicked back with a single curl falling across his forehead, à la his prom look.

Wes also kisses Nico just because he can, as a boyfriend.

It’s become Wes’s favorite word.Boyfriend. He’s made a list of ways to say it in other languages.

“How’s the job?” Nico asks quietly.

“Ugh.”

After an entire year and probably too much debt amassed, Wes is taking a gap year from UCLA. It wasn’t that he failed. He just wasn’t ready. Both his parents assured him that was okay. Leo did too.

Wes has moved back into the loft. He has a summer job working at his dad’s Santa Monica restaurant. Waiter. Busboy. Assisting in the kitchen. Whatever Calvin needs. It’s at least earning him gas money—Leo gave him his old car in exchange for promising to help plan Leeann’s baby shower when the time comes—and an opportunity to think.

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