Page 92 of The Summer of Everything

It’s the first time Wes wanted to yell at her. He wanted to tap back into that rage that manifested at the law firm. But he didn’t. He nodded, walked out the door, and jogged. He wonders if Ella’s therapist would’ve said that was a healthier way of dealing with his problems. Ella would probably call him a coward.

Maybe he is.

Down the sun-gold beach, near the bonfire, someone strums an acoustic guitar. The flames are surrounded by a thin crowd of college kids and surfers. A girl with dreadlocks tunes up a violin. A guy with a gnarly ginger beard is already singing a mash-up of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and Evanescence’s “My Immortal.”

They’re a band of carefree loafers enjoying the last hits of summer.

It’s what Wes should be doing—soaking up every breath of August.

He watches the bonfire. A couple stands near the fire, hands twisted together. Wes blinks, then squints. He recognizes that freckle-faced girl with the wavy blonde hair.Anna. A pair of arms encircles her waist, pulling the kind of head-tipped-back laughter Wes can hear in his head just by observing her motions. Then a Black girl kisses her cheek.

Holy shit.

It’s Kyra. It’s Anna and Kyra, foreheads meeting before they kiss.

Holy.Shit.

Wes likes to believe he’s hella observant. But he’s missed this. When did it happen? How long? A sharp blade of guilt digs into his ribs. His entire summer’s been so preoccupied by drama and end-of-the-world crises and best friend crushing—add future dread and wedding planning—that he hasn’t truly paid attention to his friends.

As if sensing his stare, Anna peeks over her shoulder. Her mouth pops open. They’re caught.

But Wes shrugs as if it’s nothing. He’s no narc. If Anna or Kyra aren’t ready to announce their relationship to everyone else, he’s not going to force the issue. He nods once at her. She grins back. Then she twists in Kyra’s direction, and Wes turns his eyes away as if they were never there.

He falls back in the sand, staring at the ash-gray clouds hanging low in the sky. “Good for them,” he says to no one. At least someone in his life is having success with their crush. When Anna’s ready, Wes will have to ask her if she used a list or just… did it.

A cool breeze blows sand across his face as Wes reaches for his phone. He opens the notes app. Then, he highlights one list:Ways To Score a Date With Your Best Friend!!!The delete button stares him down.

Just get it over with, his brain screams. Before Wes’s thumb can end his misery, a text bubble pops up on his screen.

From: Mom

#5amwritersclub! I’m on a roll. See you soon. I hope everything’s okay. <3<3<3

Received 8:10 p.m.

Wes beams at the screen. He doesn’t reply since he knows his mom’s in a groove and probably won’t want the interruption, but he sets a reminder to FaceTime her before bed. When he closes out his messages, the list is still there, highlighted and ready to ascend into the cloud’s graveyard.

He inhales deeply, his thumb finally pressing delete. Then he drops his phone in the sand before he tries to recover the list from the Recently Deleted option.

It’s done. And all Wes can think about is the last sentence from Savannah’s text:

I hope everything’s okay.

Chapter Twenty-One

“Okay, kids… who’s ready fora story with Anna the Banana?”

Wes has to give Anna full credit: She’s owning this moment. He can’t get over the foam banana costume she’s wearing—they all agreed to dress up for their portion of the day’s event—but the pack of little ones surrounding her on the gray carpet are mesmerized. That could also be attributed to the juice boxes and bags of mini pretzels Nico handed out earlier.

On the edge of the story time circle, parents stand with their phones out, videoing everything as Anna cracks openWhere the Wild Things Are.

“How am I going to follow this?” Zay stage-whispers from behind the front counter. “She’s killing it already.”

Wes is confident in Zay’s book choice:Hair Love. They can barely keep that book stocked on the shelf. And Zay’s dressed as one of The Incredibles, so bonus kudos for recognizing kids’ love of Pixar. Of course, Wes is cosplaying as Green Lantern. He’s banking on underappreciated-hero admiration when he closes out the day with Jason Reynolds’sGhost.

“They’re gonna love you,” Nico insists, arm tossed around Zay’s taut shoulders. “You’re very likable.”

“True that.”

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