59 parts Complete Mature*COMPLETED* In the sleepy coastal town of Bayside, four friends make up the families they never had. JJ, Alexis, Maddox, and Aaron have always been inseparable-bound by secret scars, late-night bonfires, and the fragile promise of something better. But when JJ's mother, a longtime heroin addict, vanishes without a trace just weeks into summer, everything begins to unravel.
As JJ becomes obsessed with finding her, he's joined by Carly, the new girl whose innocent eyes and unrelenting optimism make him question everything. The two form an unexpected bond, shaking the foundation of JJ's long-standing friendships. Alexis, who's been in love with JJ for as long as she can remember, watches their connection deepen with a quiet ache. Maddox, battling demons he refuses to name, starts to drift in the opposite direction, and even Aaron can't seem to hold the group together.
Over the course of one sweltering summer, loyalties are tested, hearts are broken, and the friends are forced to confront painful truths about themselves, their pasts, and each other. As the search for JJ's mother leads to darker places, they realize that not all who are lost want to be found-and sometimes, the hardest person to save is the one standing right beside you.
Bayside is an emotional coming-of-age story about love unspoken, the weight of addiction, and the way friendships bend under pressure-and sometimes break.
tropes:
- found family
- friends to lovers
- pining
- slow burn
- angst
