The World According to Susie

Ch. 1: As Summer Ends

"Susie! Susie???" Rina jabs my shoulder, making me nearly launch out of my lawn chair. I sigh, bracing for impact. "Riiinnnnnaaaaa," I groan, passing her the half-smoked blunt before face-planting into the freshly cut grass.
"What's got you all mopey?" she giggles, clearly enjoying my existential crisis. "Rina... the fall semester of my SENIOR YEAR starts in days, and you're my only friend. Am I that unapproachable?"
She bursts out laughing. "No, you're just awkward and quiet. Not to mention you've made ZERO effort to make friends!"
Rolling around on the grass, I wonder how I even made it this far. "I thought I'd be dead by 21! But here I am, about to graduate with no clue what's next. Got any advice, underclassman?"
Rina, my only friend within the chemistry major clan, is two years younger. Everyone else in class seems weird or overly eager to impress the professors. But Rina? She's the cool little sister I never wanted. Meanwhile, I'm friendless, broke, and reading lesbian smut like it's an Olympic sport.
"Susie, you're so overdramatic." Rina hands me the blunt, which promptly slips through my fingers. "EFF THIS!!!" I leap up and scream.
"Chill, Miss Wells! It's not the end of the world!" Rina takes a few puffs before returning it. I snatch it and inhale like I'm trying to win a contest. "Ack! COUGH COUGH" Back to the ground I go, high but slightly less panicked. I stare at the clouds, lamenting summer. "This summer was a bust. My sister is living her best life studying studio art—FOR FREE—while I'm over here with zero social skills!"
Rina nods, reaching for the roach I'm waving around. My sister Emily spent her summer in Italy making art, while I'm trapped in a STEM hell.
Suddenly, a wave of clarity hits me—maybe it's the weed. "Rina, this semester I'm determined to make at least one more friend... and maybe even... a girlfriend!" I squeal, covering my face in embarrassment.
I wouldn't call myself a late-life lesbian—I just didn't always know. But I do wish I could time travel back to my awkward 15-year-old self to dodge a bunch of cringeworthy boy encounters. Spoiler: I've never had a girlfriend, kissed a girl, or even felt any romantic spark with one in high school.
"What about that one girl...?" Rina nudges, making a cheeky face as we lay on the grass, gazing at the white fluffed-filled sky. "HER???" I picture her vividly. "Rina, I've never even talked to her! I just stare at her awkwardly in class." I fidget, recalling her short curly hair, her not-so-skinny frame, and those mesmerizing brown eyes I only glimpse from a distance. "Her eyes, Rina! HER EYES!"
Then it hits me. "I'm pretty sure I won't see her again. I don't even know her major! She's definitely not in chemistry, but she was in the same science class with me for two semesters. AAAAAH, that's the only time I saw her! She probably has her own life and might not even like girls!" I bury my face in the grass.
"It's whatever," I finally say after a dramatic pause. "But wait! I have a plan—a foolproof plan! I'll just pretend to be social!" Rina side-eyes me. "Easier said than done, Susie." I bolt upright. "What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Exactly what I mean to say," Rina snarked. I sighed heavily. She's right—I'm a total hermit, yet I yearn for friends and a girlfriend who'll love me for me.
"Hey, Susie."
I looked up to see Rina already standing by the fence of my mom's backyard. "Let's go out tonight—just two girlies letting loose before we're buried in lab reports and study sessions." I perked up; I definitely needed to unwind, especially since I hadn't gone out much this summer. Rina had just returned from visiting her grandparents in Japan, and I wanted to squeeze out one last unforgettable summer night.
I jumped up.
"It's 6 o'clock now..." I glanced over just as Rina slipped inside without a word.
I rushed to my room, expecting to find her there. "I'm rolling another blunt before we head out. Lol." Sure enough, she was on my bedroom floor, rolling away. "We're going to have the most fun, Susie! Maybe we'll meet some college students at the bar."
My face lit up with hope and enthusiasm. "Yeah!" I pumped my fist in the air for an awkward four seconds before gathering my things for the bar.