Page 25 of The Summer of Everything

Stop. Focus.

Since opening the bookstore this morning, Wes has been doing what he excels at—perfecting a list. If Wes is being completely unbiased, it’s one of his best yet. And though BuzzFeed, Reddit, Queerty, and a few other websites all highly recommendnotcrushing on a best friend, Wes has compiled a bunch of ideas from the personal stories he’s read online. His tenacity knows very few limits.

Ways to Scorea Date with Your Best Friend!!!

1. Take your crush to a lowkey coffee shop for heart-shaped latte art and sweet pastries and chill music! Avoid all Starbucks!

2. Go to an early showing of the latest romance movie so you have an excuse to invite your crush to dinner after!

3. Adopt a rescue puppy, pack a picnic, and get your crush out to a park for a swoon-worthy day of dog walking and sandwiches!

4. Cook your crush’s favorite meal; you can always land a potential partner through their stomach!

Wes wrinkles his nose at the last two ideas. They’re not the greatest. One, puppies are his kryptonite. He’d probably be too engrossed in those wide, hopeful eyes to remember Nico was around. Also, he lacks the fortitude to ditch the pup afterward. Two, Wes would most likely burn down the loft trying to recreate one of Mrs. Alvarez’s awesome recipes before Nico arrived. That might not go down too well with his dad. Calvin would probably keep the puppy and put Wes in a kennel.

5. Use the beach to write a love note in the sand! Big, dramatic confessions always win!

6. Every geek’s dream—dress up and go on a Cosplay Date!

Last Halloween, as a bookstore promotion, Wes and Nico dressed up as Kid Flash and Beast Boy. Wes, not thinking any of this through, agreed to be Beast Boy. Six showers later, he still couldn’t get green paint from behind his ears and in places that didn’t actually require him wearing the paint. His dedication to authenticity needs parental restrictions.

They strolled around in costume all day, handing out bite-sized candies to children and discount coupons to adults. He doesn’t know if it helped sales at all, but it was fun. It also didn’t hurt to admire Nico in a skintight red-and-yellow costume for eight hours.

Afterward, they walked Ocean Avenue together. Around them, masked heroes and monsters and one too many sexy animal costumes crowded the streets. Wes bought them frozen lemonades. They ate churros, leaning over the pier, watching the way neon lights reflected like stained glass windows against the ocean’s dark surface.

It wasn’t a date, but it was like one. Almost.

Wes wants to get rid of the “almost.” He wants the full thing. He wants it to happen for a reason other than a holiday or a rare occasion.

“Dude!”

Wes nearly thumps his head into a shelf when Cooper flops down next to him on the carpet. A few feet away, someone squeaks like a mouse. Wes blinks at them. How didn’t he notice anyone else in his comic book fortress? It’s the teen from his first Monday back. Their blond bangs cut sharply over green eyes. When their mouth pops open for a “sorry” that’s so soft Wes’s not sure it’s even vocalized, he notices a small gap between their front teeth.

“Have you read this?” Cooper asks, shaking a paperback in front of Wes’s face.

Risking possible brain damage from being assaulted by the book, Wes leans closer for a better look. He’s never readThe Dark Prince, but he’s a fan of the cover art. To be fair, Wes loves all his mom’s book covers. They’re done by the same person: a quiet, humble woman in Texas who never does anything in the same artistic style twice. She goes from almost anime-like drawings to real-life portraits.

“No,” Wes finally says, dropping his eyes to his phone.

“Wesley of the Hudsons, future heir to the Savannah Kirk throne, protector of the—”

Wes has gradually been adapting to Cooper’s randomness. He’s funny, too. But two days ago, Wes spotted Cooper smoking up with Anna behind the bookstore, so maybe his humor is herbally influenced.

“How haven’t you read this?”

“Uh.” Wes still hasn’t found the right way to break it to Cooper that Savannah Kirk’s books aren’t as mind-blowing as he thinks. “No time?”

Cooper leans back, eyes wide as if he’s affronted. “But this section,” Cooper opens the book and carefully turns the pages. He taps his index finger on a paragraph. “Elisabeth’s connection with her friends is so real. They protect each other at all costs. It’s the best.”

Armed with his phone, Cooper snaps photos and records one of those time-loop videos before adding filters and captions and hashtags. “I’m bookstagramming this part. Hashtag bookworm homies. Hashtag SME…”

“SME?”

“Santa Monica Escapades,” Cooper says proudly. “Gotta know the hashtags that bring the followers.”

Oh. Right.Wes only knows the bare minimum ones in the comic book fandoms.

“Tagging you too,” Cooper adds.

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