Summer Forever

18.

I woke up with swollen eyelids, my dried tears sealing them shut. I groaned, rubbing at the tender skin with a wince, and squinting through the brightness of my room.

Immediately, the events of last night hit me. My failed midterm, Everett at his party... I wanted to go right back to sleep and pretend none of that had ever happened.

Except, there was a knocking at my bedroom door, and I realised why I'd woken up in the first place.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to drown out the banging. I had a killer headache, and the noise wasn't helping whatsoever. Dehydration, probably. I must have cried a litre worth of water last night.

I felt like an idiot. I was never really one for crying, but when I was driven to tears, it became difficult to stop.

The banging continued, and I slapped my hands against my eyes, silently begging for whoever it was to leave me alone.

"Isla?" It was River's voice shouting as he knocked against the door. "Can you open the door? You've been in there all day. Are you alright?"

I frowned. All day? What time was it? I turned, looking for my phone where I normally left it, charging beside my bed. My hand met empty sheets and my eyes swept across the floor as I remembered that I'd flung it across the room in frustration last night.

With a huff of annoyance, I forced myself out of my bed and searched the carpet for my phone, finding it in the corner of the room. I turned it on, realising my phone was about to die. I had dozens of missed calls and unread messages from Everett, Sky and River.

I glanced at the time—almost two in the afternoon. I had missed my class. My stomach growled and I realised I hadn't eaten since lunch time yesterday. I'd missed dinner, crying in my room until night, and then missed breakfast when I didn't set an alarm this morning. I had been so exhausted from crying all evening that I'd slept right through the morning.

Worse, I had dozens of missed texts and calls from Everett, all the way from the time I'd hung up on him. I groaned, turning the phone off and leaning back against the wall. What was I supposed to say to him now? I probably ruined his entire night. And for what? A stupid midterm?

"Isla?" River repeated. I could hear him sigh through the door. "Can you just open the door, please? I heard you get up. I know you're in there. I'm kind of sick of knocking on this door."

I opened my mouth before shutting it again. I didn't feel like talking. I definitely didn't want him to see me like this. I knew my eyes were red and swollen, and I could imagine what a mess my hair was.

I might have fooled Everett over a video call but avoiding River's questions when I looked like this would be borderline impossible.

"Isla." His voice was full of complaint now. He banged against the door again, his knocks becoming lazy and slow. "You'd better open the door, or I'm going to start charging you rent."

I snorted. He could threaten me all he wanted but underneath that evil exterior, he secretly loved me.

"Isla," he whinged again. I pursed my lips. No matter how much he complained, I wasn't in the mood for talking. All I wanted was to be left alone to sulk in my bed. "Alright, that's it. I'm going to call Everett and make him drag you out of there."

That got my attention.

I bolted up, pulling the door open. "Please don't call him."

River's eyes widened as they flickered from my face to my hair, to my clothes, then the room behind me. His brow creased in a deep frown.

"What the hell, Isla?"

I ignored him. "I don't want Everett to worry. Please don't call him."

"I won't. I wasn't going to. I just wanted you to open the door," he said, shaking his head. "What happened? Are you okay?"