Apart from their families, a few of their parents’ friends and a couple of teenagers who worked at the Millers’ ice cream shop with Lila mingled around the party. Her coworkers had said hello and congratulated her before forming their own little circle, not interacting with anyone. No one else from their high school showed up, even though Lila had sent out invitations months in advance.
A momentary twinge of regret struck as she looked around, wishing she had done things a little different—that she was more involved in school while she had a chance. It would have been nice if at least a few people came.
The kids continued to laugh and play in the dim light of the tiki torches placed throughout the yards. Lila sighed as she watched fourteen-year-old Matthew spin Emily around on his back. “How is it they can be so fun and caring when Gavin is the worst?”
As if on cue, Gavin and Dylan strolled over to the swing.
“Ladies.” Dylan sat on Beth Ann’s other side, putting an arm around her. She laughed and playfully shoved him over.
Gavin lowered to the ground across from them, leaning back on his hands. “See, wasn’t that fun? You should’ve let me plan your party.”
“I’m actually surprised you two are having separate parties,” Dylan said.
With their birthdays only three days apart, they had shared a party every year until they turned eleven. After that disaster of a party, Lila started making up excuses about being too old and wanting to do something else. Even so, their families held all of their other holiday parties together.
“That was all her doing.” Gavin lightly kicked Lila’s swinging leg.
She rolled her eyes and looked to Dylan. “Having my own party was my graduation gift.”
“If we’d had a party together,” Gavin started, “at least people would have shown up.”
“Gavin!” Beth Ann hissed
Lila shrugged, trying to show his words didn’t hurt, then pulled her feet up beneath her to turn more toward Beth Ann. “Are you excited about New York?”
She knew the answer, it was all they’d talked about lately, but she wanted to change the subject. Beth Ann nodded, understanding. “Yes! I’m so anxious though.”
“I still can’t believe you’re going to Harleson.” Dylan stuck out his lip in an exaggerated pout.
“I wish you didn’t have to leave so early,” Lila said.
With an acceptance into an early summer program, it was Beth Ann’s last weekend home. She hooked an arm through Lila’s and pulled her close. “As soon as I’m all settled, you have to come visit.”
“New York would be a blast!” Dylan said. Gavin agreed and leaned up to bump his fist.
“Oh, no. I wasn’t inviting you two,” she clarified.
“Come on, Bethy,” Dylan pleaded as he pulled her away from Lila. He sat her on his lap and kissed her cheek. “You know you have to invite me.”
She gave in and smiled but didn’t respond. Instead, she stood, pointing toward the table on the back deck and mumbling about getting food. Dylan followed as he always did.
Lila wrapped her arms around herself, watching her friend walk away. An invisible band tightened around her chest, her eyes burned, and she bit her bottom lip. She didn’t want Beth Ann to leave in two days. They’d talked about it for the last year, but it didn’t make it any easier. New York was so far from their small Indiana town.
The swing jolted, and she grabbed the arm of the bench in surprise. Her eyes snapped to Gavin. She had forgotten he was still there.
“Breathe,” he whispered, gently rubbing her back. She took a shaky breath, hating that he knew how to help her through the anxiety.
“Thanks,” she replied after she had control again.
He held a hand over his chest in mock surprise. “What? Did Lila Weston just thank me?”
She didn’t reply, she just shook her head and looked back to her friends on the porch. Dylan had never teased her like Gavin. He didn’t have a mean bone in his body and seemed to genuinely like everyone. They never spent much time together, but he treated her better than the rest of Gavin’s friends. Her dad joined him and Beth Ann, pointing to the little speaker playing music. Dylan started talking to him in his typical animated form—probably explaining how the Bluetooth let him play music from his phone. Her father was alarmingly bad with technology.
“Hey.” Gavin bumped Lila’s shoulder. With a wink and mischievous smile, he said, “At least you’ll have me around all summer.”
She groaned and jumped up. “Shut up, Gavin,” she said as she headed in the direction of her parents.
2
Sunday
Lila opened the sliding glass window and handed over a chocolate chip ice cream cone. The shop stayed busy all day, but it had finally let up around dinner time. As summer break began and all the different graduation open houses took place, people typically came and went nonstop from mid-morning until they closed. The little boy at the window said a quick thanks then ran off to play on the playground with his friends.
“I can’t believe you have to work on my last day here,” Beth Ann complained as she stepped up to the window.
“I know, I’m sorry,” Lila said. “Mrs. Miller was desperate when Cass and May called in. I couldn’t leave her hanging.”
She knew it shouldn’t have been up to her, but she truly loved the Summer Scoop. Mrs. Miller hired her three years earlier, but she’d helped out before then unofficially. In their small lake town of Summersville, there weren’t a lot of options—especially for teenagers—so Lila was grateful for the chance. Without the Scoop, she didn’t know what her life would look like. It had changed everything.
“I’ll be done by ten-thirty, then we can have one more sleepover,” she said. “We can stay up all night watching movies and eating junk food.”
“My flight is really early. I have to leave by like five. I don’t think I should stay up all night. As much as I want to…”
Lila sighed, frustrated that time had gone too quick. “Well, at least hang out here for a little while. I’ll get you some ice cream.”
“Chocolate va—”
“Vanilla swirl,” Lila finished with a grin. “I know.”
She turned away, grabbed a cone, and walked to the machine. Saying goodbye to her best friend would hurt. They’d planned to spend the day together at the lake’s beach, but now she was stuck watching others enjoy the sun from the shop on the hill beside it.
That seemed to be the theme of her life.
A plan to change that began to form as her mother’s words from the week before about making the most of her summer echoed in her mind.
“Mom, this isn’t fair,” Gavin said for the third time. “It’s my last summer before I have to be an adult. I have plans—fun plans. None of which involve working at the Scoop.”
“Honey, I know, but I really need the help.” She didn’t turn away from her spot at the desk in their living room. “I wasn’t expecting two people to quit the first week of summer.”
“So, hire a couple more people,” he pleaded. “There are plenty of high schoolers wanting jobs.”