𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫

two

Alexey

I barely pay attention when JJ and I step into his house. It's familiar—same kitchen with the spotless counters, same smell of his mom's perfume lingering in the air. I've spent so much time here, it practically feels like home. Well, almost. JJ's already busy talking, saying something about our plans for the night, but my attention drifts. It usually does when I'm here. The place is too clean, too quiet, like it's constantly trying to cover up the mess simmering under the surface.

But then I catch a glimpse of someone in the corner of my eye, and everything shifts.

At first, I don't recognize her—there's this girl standing in the doorway, looking small but somehow fierce, like she's stepped into the wrong room and knows it. Her blonde hair is pulled back in a messy bun, a few strands falling around her face, and she's dressed in baggy clothes, like she's trying to hide from the world. It's her eyes, though, that catch me off guard. Green, sharp, almost like they're studying me as much as I'm studying her.

And then it hits me. That's Summer. JJ's kid sister.

Only, she's not a kid anymore.

Last time I saw her, she was a shadow—quiet, kind of awkward, blending into the background like she wanted to be invisible. But this? This is something else. She's still got that same quiet look, but there's something more to it now, something almost... intense. Like she's been through something, and it changed her.

"Hey, Summer," I say, trying to keep my voice casual. Inside, though, I'm struggling to keep up, to make sense of the way she's looking at me with those green eyes that somehow seem to see more than they should.

She nods, a quick, quiet response. "Hi, Alexey."

JJ's laugh cuts through the air, sharp and rude. He glances at her with his usual irritation, like just being in the same room as her is too much effort. "Don't get too comfortable, Summer. We were just about to leave."

I glance over at him, frowning slightly. It's not like he and Summer ever had the best relationship, but something about the way he looks at her now feels... different. Like there's more to the story than I know, something simmering beneath the surface that makes me wonder what's really going on with them.

JJ's mom steps in with her usual cheerful vibe, breaking the tension with a smile. "Oh, you two look so grown-up! And Summer, honey, it's so nice to have you out of your room for a change."

JJ mutters something under his breath, but I catch it—barely. It's something dismissive, something that makes me grit my teeth for reasons I don't fully understand.

I glance back at Summer, and there it is again—that look. Like she's braced for impact, like she's waiting for someone to say something that'll cut through her. It's familiar, in a way, because I know that look. I've worn it myself more times than I'd admit. But the difference is, she doesn't let it show. Not really. Instead, she just stands there, nodding like it's nothing, like she's completely unaffected. I can tell it's an act, though. I can see it in her eyes.

"Didn't know you were still around," I say, trying to break the silence. I'm not even sure why I say it, but the words slip out before I can stop them. "Figured you'd... moved on."

She gives a small shrug, like it really doesn't matter to her one way or the other. "Still here, I guess."

JJ rolls his eyes, clearly over the whole thing. He grabs his car keys off the counter, muttering something to his mom about where we're going. I follow him, but just before I reach the door, something makes me pause. I glance back at Summer, my eyes meeting hers one last time. I don't know why, but I can't shake the feeling that there's more to this girl than I remember.

The way she's looking at me, it's like she's got something bottled up inside her, something heavy. I wonder if anyone else has noticed, or if she's been hiding it from everyone. Either way, it sticks with me, this image of her standing there, watching us leave like she's waiting for something that'll never come.

"Later," I say, my voice softer than I intended, as if there's something in that single word I'm trying to get across.

The door slams shut behind us, and JJ's already talking, already moving on, but my mind's still back in that kitchen.