𝒹𝓇ℯ𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓃𝑔 ⁱⁿ 𝐣𝐮𝐥𝐲

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 :: 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲

Every summer, Eleanor spent three months at her family's beach house with her five closest friends: Nick, Matt, Chris, Nate, and Angel. They were more than friends—they were family. For Eleanor, it had always been just that: a tight-knit group of best friends, nothing more.

Sure, there were moments with Chris. Flirty comments exchanged, lingering glances... but that was just how they were. It was part of their dynamic, playful and harmless. At least, that's what they told themselves. Everyone else saw it, though—the way they looked at each other when they thought no one was watching.

Matt and Eleanor had their own awkward history. They'd dated for a week during freshman year, but it fizzled out almost as quickly as it began. Now, it was their unspoken rule: pretend it never happened. Still, Matt was fiercely protective of Eleanor—and of Angel, Eleanor's best friend. If Eleanor had her way, Matt and Angel would end up together. She'd been rooting for them for years.

Angel, short for Angelica, was the heart of the group. The nickname was fitting; she was always there when someone needed her, no matter what. Gentle and kind, she was the glue that kept everyone together—even when they didn't deserve it.

Nick was the brother Eleanor had always wanted, even though he wasn't actually her brother. Out of the three brothers in the group, she was closest to him. The two of them, along with Angel, were the instigators—the ones dragging everyone to late-night bonfires, wild parties, or spontaneous beach trips. A while back, Nick made Eleanor promise she'd never date—or worse, sleep with—one of his brothers. But deep down, Nick knew better. It was only a matter of time.

Then there was Nate, Eleanor's cousin. They'd been close their entire lives, practically inseparable. Whenever Nate needed a place to crash—whether it was to avoid his parents or recover from a late night out—he'd show up at Eleanor's house. Her parents never suspected anything; they just assumed he loved being there.

Every summer, the beach house was their sanctuary. But this year was different. With high school finally behind them, Eleanor's parents trusted her enough to let them stay at the house unsupervised for the entire summer. No parents, no rules—just three months of freedom.

This summer wasn't just going to be different.
It was going to change everything.