Summer and May

Chapter Nineteen: Summer

I woke up to May sitting at the edge of my bed, two cups of Starbucks coffees in hand.

"You splurged for me," I said groggily, fully peeling off my sleep mask.

She jumped with excitement when I sat up, tapping her toes on my rug. "Of course I did. Now, tell me everything."

I covered my face, feeling foolishly girly for waking up in a giddy mood about a boy.

"Don't be coy!" She smacked me with a pillow. "Spill!"

She handed me a butterscotch latte with oat milk, while she sipped on nearly black coffee. Ew. I fully adjusted myself, leaning against my plush headboard.

"He's quite the gentleman. We had dinner at Wiseman's. We walked around town and I showed him the high school, the Whippy Dip, our old softball stadium."

"Kiss?"

"On the cheek. Kept it classy."

"Proud of you. Did he pay?"

"Of course."

"Anything else to note?"

I rolled my eyes. "That I need to be talked off a ledge before he takes me out again tonight."

Her eyes grew double in size. "Two dates?! ... And what ledge?"

In the best words I could muster, I tried explaining to May the chaos ensuing in my mind. How I wanted to like Jeremy, but I didn't, because college was just around the corner. How I was scared to fall for someone again. How I felt pressure to start over, even though I desperately wanted to. I needed to erase Will from my mind, and that battle was far from over. Like only May could, she understood everything. She said exactly the right things, and didn't make me feel stupid for anything I said. She was so good at being sisterly, and even motherly at times. I don't know how she does it.

"Well, I used the tips you gave me. I asked him questions. He mostly likes talking about fishing, hunting, and other things I kind of hate... but we really clicked." May seemed satisfied with that. "I'm just really doubting myself all of a sudden. I don't know what I'm getting myself into."

She turned towards me, then collapsed on her back. "Who says you have to decide that right now? It's still June. You leave in August."

"We leave in August." I corrected her. She's been talking like this lately, like Brown is my destiny and not hers. No matter how many times I try to tell her that she deserves to be there, I can't tell if she believes it or not.

Her lips rubbed together like she was contemplating saying something she might regret. "I still haven't heard back, Sum. I just don't know if this dream of ours is--"

"Fuck the waitlist. My best friend is joining me at Brown, just like we planned almost a decade ago. No exceptions. Okay?"

She waited a moment before nodding.

May stayed with me until the time Jeremy picked me up. It was a real quandary trying to figure out what to wear, since I had no clue what we were doing. Since Jeremy told me it was something surrounded what he liked to do, I figured I'd have to be willing to get my hands dirty. I wasn't good at that, but in my delicate state, I worried I might be convinced to do just about anything to make him smile.

May picked out jean shorts and a tank top, then a cardigan in case I get cold. It was perhaps the most casual outfit I'd worn all summer, but May was good at these kinds of things. She was so feminine without the makeup, the hair tools, the sparkles... She just was.

She even stayed for dinner and hung out with Luke and the Golden Twins while I was away. I got several text updates from her; that Noah was being flirty, that Luke had convinced our dad to do a shot with them, and that Brooks may be joining. I wonder if she invited them, or if Luke did.