my lovely summer, emma myers √

t e n

charlie walked up to the familiar house, a nervous excitement fluttering in her stomach. in one hand, she held a small cooler packed with two ice cream cup that she got while visiting isla and her parents at their ice cream shop.

charlie pursed her lips, opening her phone and texting emma to look out the window. she smiled before looking up to emma's bedroom window. emma locked slightly confused before charlie smiled and held up the cooler in her hand.

they settled on the front steps of emma's house, the air filled with the sounds of distant laughter and the occasional bark of a dog. charlie handed emma one of the ice cream cup, their fingers brushing slightly. "your favourite,"

charlie hadn't noticed but, emma had straight face on as she took the ice cream with a small mumble of a thank you.

"sorry i didn't tell you i was coming. thought it would be a nice way to spend the evening." charlie sent a smile to emma who still looked down on her ice cream, taking small bites as she avoided charlie's eyes.

after a while, charlie spoke up again, "are you okay? you haven't spoken much,"

"charlie,"

"yeah?" charlie replied, feeling slightly nervous. "we need to talk," emma said quietly. "what's going on, em?" she asked softly.

emma took a deep breath, her voice
trembling. "i think we should distance ourselves a bit." charlie's face showed confusion and hurt. "why? did i do something wrong?" emma shook her head, struggling to find the right words without revealing what she knew. "no, it's not that. i just, i have a lot on my mind right now, and i think it’s best if we spend some time apart."

charlie frowned, her confusion deepening. "emma, where is this coming from? tell me what's wrong?" emma felt tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, fighting the urge to tell her the truth. "i'm sorry," emma said, her voice breaking.

charlie bit her bottom lip and nodded, unable to speak as she turned away, her heart breaking with each step.

to avoid from breaking down at the spot, emma got up and left to go inside, knowing she was losing precious moments but unable to bear the thought of losing charlie completely.

charlie on the other hand had tears running down her face before she left the place, going back home.

°°°

flashback,

"hey, can you hold this for me? i need to use the bathroom," charlie announced, passing emma her phone and left to use the bathroom as emma nodded. emma, feeling a mix of curiosity and boredom, picked up the phone and glanced at the screen.

a message caught her eye, a reminder from the doctor about charlie's limited time left due to a terminal illness. emma's heart sank with a mix of confusion and sadness.

hearing charlie's footsteps, emma quickly composed herself, wiping away the tears. charlie returned, oblivious to what had just happened, and casually asked, "did i miss anything?"

emma forced a smile, "no, nothing at all. just some notifications."

"ah, okay," charlie responded, as emma's mind was racing with the newfound, heartbreaking knowledge.

°°°
charlie was laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling when her phone buzzed, a call coming from isla. she swiped the screen and brought the phone to her ear. "hey! we're all going out tomorrow, me, you, jenna, and emma. it'll be fun!"

a pang of anxiety hit. charlie hasn't spoken to emma lately. it's been over a week since the incident and the thought of spending the day with emma was both thrilling and terrifying.

"i don't know, isla," she spoke back. "i don't think i can make it."

isla quickly replied, "come on! it won't be the same without you. plus, whatever happened between you and emma, just brush it away. jenna misses you a lot,"

charlie sighed, feeling the tension between wanting to see emma and the fear of awkward interactions. "i'm really not sure..."

"please! i promise it'll be fun. just give it a try for me?" isla pleaded. after a long pause, charlie finally gave in. "okay, fine. i'll come."

"yes! it's going to be great, i promise," isla responded, excitedly.

after ending the call, charlie put the phone down, a mix of nerves and anticipation swirling in her stomach. tomorrow would be an interesting day.

here they were. charlie and isla walked down the not so busy street, eager to reach the local café where they were meeting the two, jenna and emma. the late afternoon sun cast long shadows on the sidewalk, and the air was filled with the hum of conversation and the clinking of dishes from nearby restaurants.

"i can't wait to see jenna and emma," isla said, her eyes bright with excitement. "it's been too long since we all hung out together."

charlie nodded, a smile playing on her lips. "yeah, it'll be good to catch up. plus, i could use one of those amazing lattes from the café."

as they approached the café, the familiar sign came into view, its vintage lettering welcoming them back. they pushed open the door to find jenna and emma already seated at a cozy corner table, waving towards them.

"there they are!" jenna exclaimed, standing up to hug isla. "i missed you!" jenna let out before pecking isla's lips. charlie grinned at the two and jenna gestured to the empty seats. "grab a seat and let's order. i’m starving!"

they settled in and charlie caught emma's eyes, sending her a small smile. jenna and emma sat next to each other while charlie and isla were on the opposite. the café's warm atmosphere, filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods, wrapped around them like a comforting blanket.

"so, what's new with everyone?" isla asked as she scanned the menu.

jenna launched into a story about her recent trip to the mountains, and isla shared news about the success of her family's ice cream shop in return. they laughed, teased, and reminisced about old times, the conversation flowing effortlessly. mostly, charlie would keep quiet, she always liked listening to her friends talk.

after ordering their drinks and some pastries, they continued to chat, enjoying each other's company and the vibrant energy of the café.

eventually, they decided to leave, the sun now setting and painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. they strolled down the street, continuing their conversation, enjoying each other's company.

after a bit, charlie steps suddenly faltered. she pressed a hand to her chest, a sharp pain making it hard to breathe. isla, who was walking next to her, stop in her tracks, laughter faded into concerned as the two in front of them also stopped.

"charlie?" isla's voice was laced with worry as she reached out to steady her.

but before charlie could respond, her vision blurred, and darkness closed in. the last thing she heard was the panicked voices of her friends as she collapsed to the ground.

"charlie! someone call an ambulance!" isla shouted, her face pale with fear.

jenna was already dialing emergency services, her hands shaking. "hang in there, charlie," isla said, her voice breaking. emma was too shocked on what had happen, and regretted for not doing anything as she stood there, eyes wide.

they waited, the seconds stretching into what felt like an eternity, their hearts pounding with fear for their friend.

°°°