The Summertime & Butterflies » Zarry ✔

☀️ 1: First Summer : Bait

"I think it will be very good for you." Yaser said to his son, Zayn, who was sitting next to him in the passenger seat of the car. "You need to get away. Plus your grandparents will definitely appreciate the company."

"But my whole summer vacation?"

"Yes. Your entire summer vacation. And they live in a lake house. Who wouldn't want to stay there a whole summer?"

Zayn leaned against the door and put the palm of his hand against his cheek. "Me. People who swim like the lake. I can't swim so it doesn't interest me."

Yaser chuckled. "The water nearest the bank is low enough to stand in. Besides, there's more to a lake than swimming. You can fish. You can go out on a boat. You can sit down and enjoy the view or even listen to the water crashing against the bank. If you don't particularly like that, Papa and Nan have some activities planned to do with you so you won't be bored there. But above all else, I think it will be good for you. You haven't seen them in years."

Zayn groaned. "I know but still..."

"You're going, Zayn."

Zayn sighed and his father sensed the tone of defeat and pat him on the shoulder.

"I know you don't think it's fair. But they asked for you to come down for a reason. It helps if you think about what it's like to be here. It's peaceful and there's so much you can discover here. Plus it's quiet. And you know you like quiet."

Zayn did manage to give a small smile to that. "Yeah."

"So cheer up then. I think by the end of the summer, you'll have changed your mind. Just wait and see."

He looked out the window into the distance. He would much rather be at his own home for the summer. Not here. Sure, he would never be too embarrassed to describe himself as a homebody because he had accepted it for what it was. But no matter how much he loved his grandparents, taking care of two old people for three straight months was not his ideal choice for recreation. Even if he was bored. He wasn't too sure that would have changed his mind by the end of the summer.

Only twenty minutes later, they were turning into the driveway of his grandparent's lake house. The last time Zayn came here to stay was a few years ago when he and his family came back from his mother's funeral. At the time, he was twelve years old so he really found comfort here. Sleeping in the guest bedroom in the big bed next to his father was okay with him then. But now that he was seventeen, things were different. The lake house was no place for him.

After Yaser and Zayn had collected the luggage, they went up to the front door of the house. Before he could ring the doorbell, the door opened and revealed his grandmother standing there with a delighted expression on her face. She reached out and hugged him immediately.

"Zayn, it's been so long. How are you, darling?"

He forced a smile and hugged her back. "I'm okay, Nan."

"Just okay?" She prodded as she let go and stepped out of the way for him to come on through.

"Uh, I'm good."

As she turned her attention to hugging and kissing Yaser, he dragged his suitcase on down the hallway and into the open living room. His grandfather was sitting in his favorite chair when he came in.

"Zayn. How are you?" He asked and he smiled.

And that was rather adorable to Zayn because his grandfather had no teeth and he hadn't put his dentures in yet.

"I'm good, Papa." He said and he walked over to him and hugged him. "How are you?"

"Oh, just getting old." He said nonchalantly. "That's all."