|Not You|
Summer always meant a five hour drive and three months in Cousins. The six kids had grown up together, facing love, laughter, heartbreak, pain, and joy together. But this summer was different, with new feelings emerging, and an ever loomi...
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"I'm serious Willow, a deb ball."
"June, I am going to be so honest with you. I don't know what a deb ball is, or why this is a big deal."
"Think Deep South, coming of age, selling your daughter to the highest bidder. That is basically a deb ball."
"June, I don't think you are describing this the way you think you are describing it..." Willow spoke hesitantly over the phone.
"Okay fine, that may have sounded wrong, but that is the premise of this event. I don't understand why Susannah would think I would be REMOTELY interested in doing anything like this. It's insane," June huffed, rolling over on her bed, facing the ceiling with the phone pressed firmly to her face.
"It doesn't seem that bad, June. Shouldn't you just, I don't know, appease the dying woman?"
"Willow! I told you that in confidence that you would never bring it up! And she isn't dying, her cancer just came back, it's nothing another round of chemo can't fix," June said, sitting up straight in bed.
About a month ago, June had walked in on her mom on the phone with Susannah. She overheard them talking about cancer, and how it came back. While it wasn't a conversation that Stephanie wanted to have, it was one that she wasn't going to be able to avoid. But no one else knew, so June, unfortunately had to keep it to herself.
Aside from her best friend Willow, who was all the way back in New York. And while she was coming to visit for a week, she knew not to talk about it in mixed company. Meaning anyone else aside from June.
"I don't know June, it sounds like very little work to make the woman happy. Could be a cute memory for the both of you. And what's the harm. You get to wear pretty dresses, dance with a cute guy, and hopefully learn some manners..."
"You're a jerk, and I regret calling you," June shot back.
"No you don't. You love me to the moon and back, and you love every second of our conversations," Willow laughed.
"June! Mateo! Get moving! We are already late to dinner, I bet they started without us!" Stephanie called up the stairs.
June rolled over, looking at the clock to see that they were, in fact, twenty minutes late. They were having dinner at Susannah's tonight, a start of summer tradition between the three families.
"Wills, I gotta go. We are late for family dinner," June said.
"Ugh, you and your summer traditions," Willow huffed, "Hey can you slip one of the Fisher boys my number?"
"Willow!"
"What? If you aren't gonna make a move, I figured I should get a try at one of them," Willow laughed.
"You're the worst," June said, hanging up the phone and rolling off her bed.
Her feet landed firmly on the floor, as she propelled her body off the bed. Sure, she had had her fair share of crushes on the Fisher boys, particularly the older of the two, but she adored them too much to ever risk their bonds over a relationship.
