Summer At The Store

Need a Job

It was the first truly hot day of the year. Long gone were the heavy jackets of January and February and the hoodies and jean jackets of March & April. May was more than halfway over and it was beginning to feel like summer was on the horizon.

Lara Jean adjusted her white t shirt under a flowery spaghetti strap sundress in the school bathroom. She ran her fingers through her hair and nodded. This was her favorite time of year, mostly because she could start wearing all the dresses she kept locked up all winter. She exited the room trying to find her best friend, Chris.

For the past few months, Chris has been the only one who she felt comfortable around. She was used to not having a ton of friends. LJ grew up with only one or two. But that all changed when she started dating Peter. She suddenly had a real friend group, the kind that you could pick out in the cafeteria, the kind that spent their Friday nights holding court in the corner booth at the diner. But that all changed when she made the choice.

When she had chosen John instead of Peter, her entire friend group had chosen his side. She wasn't surprised. She was the one who broke his heart. Chris, the only one who was her friend beforehand, was the only one who stuck by her side.

After reconnecting with John Ambrose McClaren while volunteering at the nursing home and always doubting Peter's relationship with his ex-girlfriend Gen, Peter & Lara Jean decided to break up. Lara Jean had basically run into John Ambrose's arms. Peter had spent the last 2 months nursing a broken heart.

"Hey, LJ!" Chris smiled widely at her friend in the hallway.

"Hi. How are you still wearing that that? It's like 80 degrees out."

"Out of habit." She pulled on her jacket. "Are you going to be joining us in the cafeteria today?"

"Um, do you think he'd mind. Last time was kinda... you know." She bit her lip questioning if invading Peter's sacred space would make things worse.

"I think you both will be fine." She rolled her eyes. "Last night, Trevor told me he's back to normal. Well as normal as he can be."

"Sure then." She took her friends arm and walked through the cafeteria. She had been eating lunch in the library since the breakup. She decided reading and escaping to a fantasy world was better than feeling sick to her stomach anytime their eyes met from across the room. She followed behind her friend who flung her arms around her boyfriend, Trevor.

"Hey Chrissy." He leaned into her. "And Lara Jean is here too." He smiled. "How have you been? I haven't seen you in the caf for...a while."

"Just been busy." She smiled back and clasped her hands together trying to not be awkward. "How'd your presentation in History go? I thought it was really good."

"Got a B. I think Mr. Everett just hates me." He shrugged. "Are you eating with us?"

"If that's okay with you." Her voice hung in the moment. She was preparing herself to slide away if there was any hesitation in his voice.

"Of course. We missed you LJ." He smiled and motioned to the table. Her eyes searched for him, he hadn't arrived yet. She quickly took a seat next to Lucas, she knew he would be a buffer if shit were to hit the fan.

"Not slumming it in the library anymore?" Lucas, her one-time middle school crush, joked.

"Ms. Plummer will have to forgive me for ditching our weekly book debates." She leaned into him. She began to relax. Her shoulders dropped. Her hands didn't feel clammy. Her heart rate went back to a normal speed. She settled and listened into the spirited conversation Chris and Gabe were having about the best candy bar. This wasn't so bad. She thought.