Seaglass Promises in the Midnight Sky

Setting Sun

The end of summer came in waves. In shades of orange and red. Like a sunset. It felt years away every morning and seconds from coming to pass every night.

Belly was still upset, refusing to talk to Lorraine and fighting with Taylor. She had not been happy to hear that her brother was dating the other girl and spent most of the remaining time hanging out with Jeremiah.

Lorraine didn't think any of it would be solved anytime soon, but she was still hoping it would be better eventually.

She tried not to think about it too much, lest it spoil her last few days at Cousins, her last few days with Conrad actually in front of her. She wasn't sure what long-distance would be like, if they would be able to manage it.

There were a lot of things she was trying not to think about. Taylor made it easier, always having something for them to do. The other girl was determined to spend every last second having fun. Lorraine thought it might be because they were all leaving her soon and she was scared. Taylor always got brighter when she was afraid.

First it would be Conrad going off to college, then Steven and Lorraine. She hoped that Taylor and Belly would make up in her absence but both girls were stubborn.

It would be harder, so much harder, but Lorraine was determined to hold onto them. Taylor and Conrad, even Steven. She wasn't ready to let go yet.

They spent a day trying every flavor of ice cream at the shop in town.

They went to the carnival at the pier. And the beach right next to it.

They filled their time with laughter and joy. By the end of the day, they were too exhausted to think so the darkness didn't seem so scary and the future felt like a friend. And time moved. It ran.

They spent the last day on the beach. Taylor wakes Lorraine up before the sunrise, barely giving her time to grab an orange before dragging her to the sand and waves.

"Was this necessary? It's like three in the morning, I'm so fucking tired Tay." Lorraine complains half-heartedly. She would waste away getting only a few hours of sleep every day if Taylor wanted.

Taylor attempts to splash water at her, only managing to get her legs. Lorraine's still going to share her orange with the other girl, still gonna give her the bigger half and ignore her protests.

They watch the sun rise into the sky in comforting silence. Sometimes Lorraine thinks they've been friends for so long they're gonna run out of words to say. She isn't worried about it though, their friendship has always been more than words.

Conrad and Steven join them a while after the sun has risen, disturbing the peace from the moment their feet hit the sand but nobody's mad.

They spend hours talking, the four of them, about anything and everything that comes to mind. 

Conrad and Taylor coerce Lorraine and Steven to build their best sandcastles since they never participated in the contest.

Conrad drags Lorraine into the ocean and she's smiling when she tastes the saltwater.

Taylor buries Steven in the sand. Lorraine and Conrad make him into a mermaid.

And the hours slip by. And none of them are ready to say goodbye. They will. They'll have to. But not yet. Not yet. And still this whole day, this whole week feels like a goodbye.

"So, did Cousins live up to the hype?" Steven asks after a particularly childish game of tag that left them all sprawled out on the sand.

The sun is setting now. Lorraine struggles to bury the ache in her heart at the thought. Less than a day left.

She reaches her hand out to Conrad, who holds it with a smile.

"Yeah. It did." She tells the moon, rising in the sky. The stars will follow soon, once they know it's safe to come out of hiding.

"It really really did." She whispers to the stars.