Summers

Summer strolled through the halls of school and tossed her glossy black hair. She stopped and glanced at the trio of people standing by the lockers. The boy waved at her timidly and Summer bit her peachy lip sadly.  

“Sum!” 

Summer whirled around to see her friends-June, Mike, Mel, Amelie, and Aaron waiting for her at the doors of the theatre. Summer grinned at them and threw herself at Mel and Amelie, wrapping them in a bear hug. “How are you?! I haven’t seen you since….” Summer paused, “well, Friday!” Mel giggled loudly.   

“We’ve missed you too, Sum. Hey, are you trying out for the play?” 

Summer shrugged and the group of friends-including the boys-walked through the massive doors, leading them to the drama part of the school. 

“Did you see that?!” Hunter asked frantically, “she didn’t even wave back!” Louise shook her head and pressed her lips into a tight pressed line. “She hasn’t hung out with us for about two years now. What else do you expect?” 

“Yeah,” said Elle sadly, “Did you think she would magically become the Summer we used to know? The Summer we loved? The real Summer?”  

The trio all looked at their feet at that remark. Not because it hurt them, but because it was true. They all used to be the Fantastic Four. Now they were just the depressed three.  

Two years ago, Summer decided that she was more into theatre and popularity then hanging out with her friends. Now the latter is important to her but not with Hunter, Louise, and Elle. With her new friends. Ones that weren’t “babyish,” or “annoying,” to hang out with.  

“She’s never going to come round. She’s always going to be this Summer.” Elle trembled and leaned into Hunter who rubbed her back.  

It was the hardest for Elle, who was Summer’s adopted sister. Summer used to play with Elle and help her with things but now? Now she just sits in her room on her phone or is out with her friends.  

“Let’s go.” 

Louise tossed the ball from hand to hand and sighed. She threw the ball behind her back and it bounced off into the distance. She walked over to her friends who were sitting on the grass talking. “What are you guys talking about?” Louise asked.  

“Summer.” Hunter said. “Do you remember a long time ago-many, many Summers ago when she would get so annoyed at musicals and say…” 

“Why break into song when you could speak like normal humans?!” The trio laughed when they said it in perfect unison.  

“It’s time to try, 

Defying gravity 

I think I’ll try, 

Defying Gravity 

Kiss me goodbye, 

I’m Defying gravity 

And you won’t bring me down.” 

Summer muted the TV in frustration-much to the cries of protests from her best friends-Hunter, Louise, and Elle. “JUST SAY IT!” She shrieked, “MUSICALS MAKE NO SENSE!” 

Her friends gave into fits of laughter as Summer fumed. “What?!” She asked. Summer grabbed three pillows and hauled them at her friends. She joined in the giggling as her friends cracked their knuckles and threw them right back. 

“It’s quite ironic, isn’t it?” Hunter laughed. “That she used to hate musicals with every part of her body and now she’s trying out for them!” 

“I remember-once again, many Summers ago, when I was about ten years old-she would brush my hair and tell me stories about herself when she was my age.” Elle smiled at the memory. 

“She would’ve been about eleven or twelve, right?” Hunter asked.  

“Well, Elle is currently fourteen and Summer is sixteen right now so…yes…Summer would have been twelve.” Louise nodded. 

Elle looked back at her big sister who was gathering the hair ties. “Where do all of them go,” she muttered. “You had about fifty of them yesterday!”  

When Summer finally found one, she sat down on the couch, behind the stool Elle sat on.  “You have such exquisite curls,” Summer ran her fingers through the dark brown afro-like hair.  

“Can you tell me a story tonight?!” Elle asked eagerly and Summer chuckled. 

“How about I tell you my most embarrassing moment?” Elle nodded rapidly and Summer steadied her small head.  

“I was eleven years old-so not that long ago. The whole school was at an assembly and it was boring as usual, so I was daydreaming. When it was time for the certificates, I thought my name was called so I quickly stood up and walked onto the stage. Turns out my name wasn’t called. It was someone else’s.” 

Elle laughed and jumped up from her seat; Summer was done plaiting her hair. “I love you Sum! Nighty Night!” 

Louise rolled over onto her side, clutching her chest. She giggled louder than anyone and was wheezing breathlessly. “I remember that!” “Summer was mortified!” 

Hunter slapped his knee, “She wouldn’t come out of the bathroom!” 

Elle smiled. “I wish she would brush my hair again.” 

Hunter and Louise looked at the girl sitting in front of them. Elle missed her sister badly-they could tell-and it was sad to see that she had been hoping that her sister would come back.  

“I wish she would come back.” Hunter hugged Elle and she cried into his shoulder.  

“Why is Elle crying?” A voice asked from behind them. 

Louise turned to see a dark haired, blue eyed, fair skinned girl standing behind them. “Because of you.” Hunter looked up at that statement and gaped at the person.  

“Summer?” Elle asked quietly. She hugged her sister tightly and jumped up and down. “I knew you’d come back! I really did!” 

But Summer just stood there awkwardly and shrugged her sister off. “I missed that young feeling I always got from you.” She squeezed her sister’s shoulder.  

“If you did then why did you leave us?” Louise asked. 

“I…I…I don’t know,” Summer finally admitted and she grimaced at the words. “I guess I just went through another stage.” Summer lifted up her sleeve to show a small tattoo of Saturn on her shoulder. 

“I remember that! Mum and Dad were so mad at you!” Elle grinned, “You were grounded for three weeks!” 

“Yeah...” Summer nodded, “I guess that stage was a....moody teen? And this stage was a popularity one.”

Louise looked sceptical but looked understanding and hugged her friend. “Well that was many Summers ago. Can you come back to the first Summer? The real one?”

Summer smiled, “Of course.”

“Summer! We’re gonna start it without youuuuuuu!” Elle grabbed the remote and clicked play just as Summer slid into the seat beside her. 

“Scooch,” She pushed her little sister over and all the friends went tumbling into each other. 

Soon everyone was crunching on popcorn; eyes fixed on the screen. It seemed like it had been five minutes when the final song of the first act came on.

“It’s time to try, 

Defying gravity 

I think I’ll try, 

Defying Gravity 

Kiss me goodbye, 

I’m Defying gravity 

And you won’t bring me down.” 

Summer sang along with the song-much to her friends surprise-and sat down at the end of it. 

“What?” She asked, “that’s one thing I’m not giving up. I like singing!”

Hunter snorted, “That’s fine Summer. We’re just glad we have you back.”