Blame It On the Beach

Epilogue

-10 months later-

"Almost there, girls!" my dad says. I look out the window as we take the exit off the highway and the familiar road comes into view.

"Finally," my mom says. "That was a long drive."

I stretch my legs out, and take my phone out to snapchat Quinn. It feels weird to be doing this without her; as we drive past the "Marshall Hamptons Home" sign, I remember the exact same moment a year ago, when the summer before senior year was still just a blank slate.

As we pull into the garage, a grin makes its way onto my face as I look up at the house-- we haven't been here since Christmas break. I grab my suitcase and lug it up the driveway, and my parents follow with more of the stuff.

"Alright, here we go," Mom says, taking out the house key and opening the door. I exhale lightly as the living room comes into view.

"Man, I missed this place," I say.

Mom sets the keys down into a bowl on the table. "Me too," she says, putting her arm around my shoulder. "I can't believe my baby's leaving in just a month and a half." She squeezes me tighter.

I laugh, shrugging her arm off. "Mom, come on," I say, taking my suitcase and walking towards the stairs. "Don't be mushy yet, we've got all summer."

I bask in this moment for a few seconds; the moment right before I open the door to my room, when I'm still standing right on the surface of the summer.

I set my suitcase down on the carpeted floor and begin to unpack, putting clothes and bathing suits in my drawer. I'm about halfway through when my phone rings-- Quinn's FaceTiming me.

"Hey," I say once we're connected. "Just got here, I'm unpacking." I flip the camera to show her my room.

"Ugh, I'm jealous," Quinn says. "I wish I were there."

"Hmm, I can't say I feel bad for you though," I say, setting the phone down and starting to change into a pink bikini. "A trip to Europe isn't too bad."

After college acceptances came out, Quinn's mom surprised her by announcing a trip to Europe, just the two of them-- in a few days, they're leaving for Paris, and then they'll be hitting up London, Florence, and ending up in Mykonos.

She chuckles. "That's true," she says. "God, I'm so excited. We're going shopping today for some final necessities."

I pick the phone up again. "Fun, fun."

"I thought you were unpacking?"

I shrug. "Eh, I'll finish later," I say. "I think it's time for the first swim of the summer. It's such a hot day."

"Aww, memories," Quinn says, making a goofy face. I sniff playfully, making an ugly face. She sticks her tongue out at me, and I chuckle.

Her hair is darker; when we got back to New York at the end of the summer last year we decided we were both bored with our hair, and spontaneously went to the hairdresser. Quinn dyed her hair a few shades darker, and has decided she wants to keep it that way for college, and I cut my hair to my chin. It's longer now; it reaches just past my shoulders. I've decided I like it more at this length-- it makes me feel older, more mature.

"Do you know if Milo's there?" Quinn asks after a few seconds.

I pause. "No, I don't think he is," I say. "I didn't see any cars in their driveway."