Summer Sanders is going through it. The pressures of school are mounting, and her home life is completely falling apart. Feeling bored and lonely on a Saturday night, she decides to get buzzed and surprise her hookup buddy with her best lingerie. Th...
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Three Months Later.
"Summer, sweetie, do you know where my red blazer is?" My mom sticks her head into my room, smiling ruefully.
I painstakingly lift my head off of Aleena's lap to think for a moment. "Try looking in the white container in your closet."
"Oh, I completely forgot to check there." She holds her hand to her head. "Alright, I'm heading off to work soon. Don't forget your father's coming to take you all to dinner tonight, don't spoil your appetite before then."
"We won't." Aleena and I both promise before she shuts the door back up and leaves.
We shift our attention to the TV to continue watching our High School Musical marathon and I lay my head back on her lap, savoring her company after three months apart.
Though we talked frequently about reuniting some time before school started back up, neither of us made any definitive plans, so when Aleena and Darren surprised me a few days ago and promised to stay until my birthday, I was more than elated.
The days have flown by with Aleena, Darren, Theo, and I spending our time going to movies, parks, museums, and doing all the fun touristy things that can be done in Philadelphia. Today though, August 24th, on the morning of my 21st birthday, we've decided to slow down and have a lazy day. Theo and Darren are at the gym so Darren can give him some workout pointers, and Aleena and I have yet to leave my bed.
My birthdays have never been a big deal and I don't expect this one to be either. Just a day spending time with the people I love and having a small dinner at a steakhouse at night. Simple enough, just how I like it.
"How weird has it been not having both parents living at home anymore?" Aleena asks, stroking the tendrils of my curly hair.
I speak honestly with no lingering emotion. "Better. Obviously my internship ended two weeks ago so I haven't been back for long but it's been more peaceful than ever. Splitting up was the right move. Selling the restaurant and pursuing other career options was what they needed to do ages ago."
I don't miss Kingston way, and now that they no longer have a flopping business draining their money and the small confines of our house to share, my parents are actually cordial and somewhat friendly to one another.
"That's good to hear. People think divorce is the worst thing ever, but a lot of people were only meant to be in each other's lives for a short period of time, not forever," Aleena says.
For some reason, that thought sticks with me in a depressing way. She's not wrong, I know first hand.
"How are your parents though?" I ask. "Please tell me they showed some enthusiasm for you booking a national commercial your first week of auditioning."
"They congratulated me, but it's still back to Pennwood next week to finish my degree. They're not budging about that and in all honestly it's probably a smart move. Only one more year and I'll have a safe backup if god forbid this acting thing doesn't work out. Plus I started this college journey with you and I'm not letting no other girl share your bed and eat your ramen." She pokes my stomach.
