Flashes of Our Endless Summer Love
Chapter 1: Endless Summer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xF656KUqeEo
As I enter the school building, I push up my glasses and my eyes happen to fall on you. It’s the first day of senior year at high school. You look in my general direction, but you don’t seem to even care about my presence. I thought that what we had was special; I thought I was special to you. At least in some way. It reminds me a lot of the day we first spoke, Alex.
I was walking down my road at a slow pace with a dog underneath my arm, holding it up. Rain was pouring down, soaking through my clothes all the way down to my skin. My hair was dripping, sending more droplets of water running down my face and spine. It was cold, but not too bad. Summer rain was always strangely warm.
The only sound around me was the merge between the dog’s satisfied heavy breathing and the pitter-patter of rain dropping into puddles. My footsteps were completely drowned out but occasionally filled the air with a splash. My trek wasn’t all that far, I started just a few blocks away, but I enjoyed taking in all the rhythmic sounds. Unfortunately, there weren’t many cars around. I loved the way their headlights created a glow in the dark sky.
It only took a minute for us to reach our destination. I walked up the driveway of the two story house that was on the left side of the end of the road. It had a nice green front yard, I could only imagine what the backyard was like. It must have been paradise on days that weren’t as rainy as this.
I softly pet the dog’s wet head and reached out for the doorbell. We were still being showered down on by the heavy rain, but I could only smile.
And that’s when you opened, Alex. You were squinting at me, looking at me like I was some complete stranger. An insane stranger at that.
“I found your dog walking around a few blocks from here. I figured he escaped,” I told you.
You carefully took the soaking dog from me and looked me down again. “I’m sorry, do I know you? How do you know this is my dog?”
“I’m Mia… we go to school together. We sit next to each other in English,” I clarified. I saw you at least every other day. But you just stared back at me. “I literally live across from you.”
“Oh!” Your eyes lit up. “You must be new here!”
“Nope,” I shook my head, “I’ve lived in that house my whole life.”
“I’ve never seen you around.” You frowned and scratched your head.
I shrugged back. There were no other ways for me to explain who I was. I was Mia, the girl from next door, who sat next to you in English. You had never noticed me, that wasn’t my fault.
Your mom then came to check who you were talking to. She saw your dog and took him from you with much glee. “Oh, thank you so much, Mia! He ran out earlier this afternoon and I couldn’t find him.”
“Luckily I walked past him.” I shrugged again and gave her a smile.
“Thank you, really. Also,” she then added, stepping forward and forcing you out of the doorway a little, “you don’t have to worry about taking care of the dogs this summer. Alex will be home.”
“Wait, you’re the one who’s been taking care of our dogs during summer vacation?” You gasped in surprise, still no hint of recognition in your face.
Obviously, you had never cared. I had lived in that house across from you for ten years before you first moved it, yet you never noticed. I was stupid to think that you would change.
As I enter the school building, I push up my glasses and my eyes happen to fall on you. It’s the first day of senior year at high school. You look in my general direction, but you don’t seem to even care about my presence. I thought that what we had was special; I thought I was special to you. At least in some way. It reminds me a lot of the day we first spoke, Alex.
I was walking down my road at a slow pace with a dog underneath my arm, holding it up. Rain was pouring down, soaking through my clothes all the way down to my skin. My hair was dripping, sending more droplets of water running down my face and spine. It was cold, but not too bad. Summer rain was always strangely warm.
The only sound around me was the merge between the dog’s satisfied heavy breathing and the pitter-patter of rain dropping into puddles. My footsteps were completely drowned out but occasionally filled the air with a splash. My trek wasn’t all that far, I started just a few blocks away, but I enjoyed taking in all the rhythmic sounds. Unfortunately, there weren’t many cars around. I loved the way their headlights created a glow in the dark sky.
It only took a minute for us to reach our destination. I walked up the driveway of the two story house that was on the left side of the end of the road. It had a nice green front yard, I could only imagine what the backyard was like. It must have been paradise on days that weren’t as rainy as this.
I softly pet the dog’s wet head and reached out for the doorbell. We were still being showered down on by the heavy rain, but I could only smile.
And that’s when you opened, Alex. You were squinting at me, looking at me like I was some complete stranger. An insane stranger at that.
“I found your dog walking around a few blocks from here. I figured he escaped,” I told you.
You carefully took the soaking dog from me and looked me down again. “I’m sorry, do I know you? How do you know this is my dog?”
“I’m Mia… we go to school together. We sit next to each other in English,” I clarified. I saw you at least every other day. But you just stared back at me. “I literally live across from you.”
“Oh!” Your eyes lit up. “You must be new here!”
“Nope,” I shook my head, “I’ve lived in that house my whole life.”
“I’ve never seen you around.” You frowned and scratched your head.
I shrugged back. There were no other ways for me to explain who I was. I was Mia, the girl from next door, who sat next to you in English. You had never noticed me, that wasn’t my fault.
Your mom then came to check who you were talking to. She saw your dog and took him from you with much glee. “Oh, thank you so much, Mia! He ran out earlier this afternoon and I couldn’t find him.”
“Luckily I walked past him.” I shrugged again and gave her a smile.
“Thank you, really. Also,” she then added, stepping forward and forcing you out of the doorway a little, “you don’t have to worry about taking care of the dogs this summer. Alex will be home.”
“Wait, you’re the one who’s been taking care of our dogs during summer vacation?” You gasped in surprise, still no hint of recognition in your face.
Obviously, you had never cared. I had lived in that house across from you for ten years before you first moved it, yet you never noticed. I was stupid to think that you would change.
