I had a bittersweet feeling getting off the bus after football camp.
I had gone every summer since I was ten and heading into my senior year, this was the last year I was attending. I'd miss everyone at the camp, but just like every year, I couldn't wait to get off the bus, antsy to see just one person.
"Nate!!!"
I heard her voice before I could see her, but a moment later, I saw that familiar smile, standing out in the crowd. She split between a few people and ran over to me. I dropped my bag and picked her up, wrapping my arms around her waist, twirling her around.
"I missed you, Flower."
"Ughhh, missed you more! You never get to leave again, okay?"
"Deal."
I smirked as I set her back down, before looking around, noticing my parents weren't there.
"Soooo, it's just you?"
She wiggled her eyebrows as she held up her furry purple keychain.
"Yup. You ready?"
✨
As Sunny drove the forty minutes back to my house, we talked about our summers and our upcoming final year in high school.
"Dude... we're gonna be seniors in like... Three days. Can you believe it?"
"Finally."
She looked over at me with a smirk on her face.
"King O'Connell ready to reign over his kingdom?"
I shook my head and shrugged it off, knowing that the school was expecting another championship, a level of pressure I had no problem committing to.
"Come on, what about you? Tell me about the album."
Sunny bit her lip while glancing at me nervously tapping on her steering wheel.
"I don't know. I mean-- yeah, it's finished and I really dig it, I just..."
She let out a big sigh and shrugged in defeat.
"What, Flower? What is it?"
"I'm afraid to shop the album. I mean... What if it's no good? I've held onto my songs for this long and if someone told me they were crap...I don't know what I'd do."
I smiled and reached over, gently gripping her thigh, giving her an encouraging squeeze.
"You don't have to worry about that ever happening, Sun. Your songs are anything but crap."
✨
We finally pulled up to my house, and as I leaned against Sunny's window, I slung my football across my shoulder.
"You coming to my 'Welcome Back/End of Summer' party tomorrow night?
She rolled her eyes and sighed before looking back at me with a huge sarcastic smile on her face.
"Hard pass."
I slumped a little, lacing my fingers together as I began to beg.
"Come on, Flower... please? It's our senior year. You can't avoid him forever."
She scoffed and looked past me towards my house before shaking her head and facing forward once again.
"Wanna bet?"
🖤
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