𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫

thirteen

Alexey

Dinner at the Willows' house was a strange kind of routine. JJ always dragged me along, not because he wanted my company—he rarely admitted to needing anything—but because it gave him an excuse to escape whatever nagging he imagined his mom had planned for the night. I didn't mind much. I got a free meal, and JJ's family wasn't the worst I'd seen.

But tonight felt different.

Summer sat at the far end of the table, so quiet I wouldn't have noticed her if I weren't paying attention. She always had this way of folding into the background, like she didn't want anyone to see her. That wasn't always the case, though. I remembered her a year ago, before... whatever happened. She used to be louder—not obnoxious, but present. Now, it was like she'd disappeared entirely, even when she was sitting right there.

Her friend, Kayali, was beside her, chattering away about something or other, probably trying to fill the silence. JJ was already rolling his eyes before we even sat down, clearly annoyed by her energy. He liked to pretend he didn't care about anything, but he had a particular kind of venom saved up for his sister.

"Summer," their mom started as she placed the dishes on the table, "why don't you pass the bread to Alex?"

Summer glanced up, startled, like she hadn't even realized I was there. For a second, our eyes met, and something flickered across her face—embarrassment, maybe. Or annoyance. She grabbed the breadbasket and slid it down the table without a word, her eyes dropping back to her plate like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Thanks," I muttered, not expecting a response.

She didn't give one.

I leaned back in my chair, watching as the conversation started around me. It was the same as always—JJ throwing in snide remarks about Summer, their mom pretending not to notice, and Summer sitting there, picking at her food like she wished she were anywhere else. It didn't take a genius to see there was something wrong between them, but I didn't get involved. JJ wasn't the kind of guy who took well to people prying into his personal life, and I wasn't exactly the advice-giving type.

"School isn't a bad idea," Kayali said, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife. She was looking at Summer, smiling like she thought she could actually convince her. "Think about it. We'd get to hang out every day. You wouldn't have to be stuck in the house all the time."

Summer's fingers tightened around her fork. She didn't look up.

"Yeah," JJ said with a snort, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Maybe she'd actually learn how to talk to people."

"JJ," his mom snapped, giving him a sharp look.

He shrugged, unfazed.

Summer didn't react. Not outwardly, anyway. But I could see the way her shoulders tensed, the way her grip on the fork tightened just a little more. She didn't argue, didn't snap back. She just sat there, taking it.

It pissed me off more than I cared to admit.

"Maybe she doesn't need friends who are going to treat her like garbage," Kayali shot back, glaring at JJ like she wanted to throw her drink at him. I almost smirked. At least someone had the guts to call him out.

JJ just shrugged again, clearly unbothered. "Whatever."

The conversation shifted after that, but my attention stayed on Summer. She was still picking at her food, pushing it around her plate without actually eating. I wasn't sure if anyone else noticed, but it was hard to miss once you were looking.

Her mom tried to draw her into the conversation, asking if she'd thought about going to school or if she wanted to spend another year homeschooled, but Summer only nodded, giving short, vague answers that didn't mean much. It was like she was running on autopilot, saying what she thought people wanted to hear without actually committing to anything.

"Let's just enjoy dinner," Mrs. Willows said eventually, trying to smooth over the awkwardness.

Everyone went quiet after that, the clinking of silverware against plates the only sound. I kept glancing at Summer, watching as she continued to push her food around without taking a single bite.

"Don't you like it?" I asked before I could stop myself.

Her head snapped up, her green eyes wide with surprise. For a second, I thought she wasn't going to answer, but then she shrugged, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not really hungry."

I didn't push it. I wasn't sure why I even asked in the first place.

The rest of dinner passed in uncomfortable silence. Kayali kept throwing Summer little glances, like she wanted to say something but didn't know how. JJ was too busy scrolling through his phone to care about anyone else, and their mom was doing her best to keep the peace.

By the time the plates were cleared, I was more than ready to leave. JJ was already heading for the door, muttering something about meeting up with some of the guys.

"You coming?" he asked, barely glancing back at me.

"In a minute," I said, my eyes flicking to Summer.

She was already halfway up the stairs, her head down, her shoulders hunched. Kayali followed close behind, chattering away about something, but Summer didn't seem to be listening.

I stayed behind for a moment, leaning against the doorframe as I watched them disappear down the hall. I wasn't sure what it was about her that caught my attention. Maybe it was the way she seemed so... small, like she was trying to disappear entirely. Or maybe it was the way she didn't fight back, didn't defend herself, even when JJ was being a complete ass.

Whatever it was, it stuck with me as I followed JJ out the door, his voice droning on about something I didn't care to hear.

I glanced back at the house one last time, the faint sound of Kayali's laughter echoing through the open window.

Summer's silence was louder.