THE LACK OF sand meant they found themselves sitting on the heated rocks as everyone arrived. Livia had texted Auntie Xu and asked her to prepare some snacks, and the auntie showed up a while back with a whole box of all assortments of pastries and snacks. They hadn't hesitated before digging in.

"God, I love Auntie Xu," Brie moaned as she took a large bite out of her ice cream. "Thank her for me. Thank you."

Livia noticed Zeth's eyes darting towards the dark-skinned girl for a moment before flickering away. That was fine. That was acceptable. A bit of longing was still expected at this point of time. Eventually Zeth would stop feeling the need to stare, stop putting Brie on that high pedestal.

"I will," Livia said, amused. "Pam, can I...?"

Without another word, Pamela stuck her mint ice cream over. "Fine. But I get a bite out of yours in return."

Livia grinned, taking a small bite out of Pamela's ice cream before shoving her own strawberry one at Pamela. "Feast, my little sister, feast."

Anya rolled her eyes. "She's going to eat the whole thing."

"I'll get another one," Livia laughed. "We have plenty. I think Auntie Xu cleared out the entire ice cream supply for us."

"Don't have too much," Lila reminded. "Unhealthy."

Sarah scoffed at her. "You are the last person who can talk, Anderson. Literally the last person who can say anything about eating healthy."

Lila stuck her tongue out in return. "I was trying to mimic what Livia usually does."

"Well, I'm boiling hot, so I couldn't give less of a shit about my sugar intake right now," Livia snorted. "If I don't have ice cream, I think I'll melt."

"If you ever feel like melting," Zeth said, amused, "get back in the water."

"Ah, thank you for that wonderful advice, Zeth Calvert-Egerton."

Zeth flashed a bright smile in return. "You're welcome, my beautiful Livvy."

Livia's eyes practically rolled to the back of her head in response. Amphion let out a loud snort, and Zeth narrowed his eyes in response. "What?"

"Nothing," Amphion said, taking a quick bite of his vanilla ice cream. "Just the nickname. Brings back old, old, old and dead memories."

Livia coughed. "Yeah, no. We're not going into any of them, thank you."

Sarah tilted her head and said nothing. They all fell quiet for a bit, enjoying their ice creams. Since there were too many of them to all fit on the picnic cloth, Livia was one of the few sat on the beach itself instead, cross-legged, Pamela beside her.

It was calm. Chilling. The weather was perfect. As much as she complained about the heat, she was dressed in little enough that it didn't cause anything more than a thin layer of sweat.

That was fine. She dealt with worse in the dead of winter in Hong Kong. This was nothing in comparison.

She wondered what they must look like from an outsider's perspective. From someone who didn't know every crack and haphazardly taped together shards. They must look like a dream, straight out of a movie. A group of friends, by the beach, eating ice cream while chatting about life and what comes after.

Wasn't that youth?

Wasn't that the definition of being eighteen?

It was what Livia always thought was being on the cusp of adulthood. Grasping onto the last straws of childhood, while knowing full well it was impossible to escape the pull of becoming older, of having to become responsible for themselves and no longer being able to rely on their parents.

Sometimes, Livia wished she was one of those outsiders. Looking in from the outside, at this picturesque, perfect, harmonical group of young adults enjoying their summers. Without any of the drama, the chaos, anything.

"You're all so old now," Anya suddenly declared, shaking her head in disbelief. "Can't believe it. You're all adults."

Amphion shot her a glare. "You'll be our age in two years."

"Two years is a long time."

"It's not," Lila laughed. "It really is not. It'll all be over in a blink of the eye. Literally. Like, tomorrow we'll be heading into university and the day after we'll be graduated and ready to take a beating from society."

"We've already taken multiple beatings from society," Livia pointed out. "Nothing we're new to."

"An even bigger beating, then," Lila said. "Somehow, life always gets worse."

Zeth made a "tut-tut" sound. "So pessimistic, Lila Anderson."

"That's me. A pessimist."

Brie wrinkled her nose. "You gotta stop being so sad."

"I'm not sad," Lila argued. "I'm just realistic. There's a difference."

"That's what you've been saying since we were thirteen," Sarah groaned. "We're over that stage where pessimism equates to realism. Get over yourself, Anderson." But Sarah's tone was light, teasing, and everyone could tell that she didn't mean it. Especially Livia, who was often receiving the brunt of her honest annoyance and rage.

Lila stuck her tongue out. Brie laughed. "Lila here never got over her emo phase, you know. The edgy teenager, she's still stuck in it."

"We are still teenagers," Lila pointed out.

Pamela raised a brow. "In two years you won't be."

"And as we've already established," Lila said with a sigh, "two years pass in the blink of an eye. I'll stop being an edgy, emo teenager when that time comes, though."

They all laughed at that, turning back to face the ocean.

Livia played with the pebbles on the beach, rubbing a small white one with her fingers. When she was younger, she'd collected these and brought them back to Hong Kong, putting it in a vase or their little garden as a souvenir. A reminder of Briarville, even when she wasn't here. She stopped doing that a few years ago, and she couldn't remember why. It had gotten too childish, she supposed.

Pamela got up, picking up a pebble and flinging it into the ocean. It landed far from the coast, sinking into the water and disappearing from view.

Livia smiled. She loved doing that.

Pamela walked back to join them, settling back down beside her. The two girls shared a little smile.

Everyone had finished their ice cream by then, so they got back up and headed off to different patches of the beach. Anya wanted to locate shells, and Pamela went off to join her. Livia got into the water to enjoy the chilly sensation with Lila and Brie, while the twins and Sarah stayed by the picnic cloth and chatted.

Someone located a beach volleyball sometime later, abandoned by its previous owner and left beside a rock. It didn't look like it was in the best state, but it was still usable. Soon enough they were all gathered together again, tossing the ball around amidst cheers and screeches.

Beach volleyball was not particularly one of Livia's talents, with or without a net. She'd never been able to excel at it. It was lucky if she managed to touch the ball at all, much less launch it away to an ally. She wasn't the only one who struggled, though, so no one particularly cared as they dodged and threw the old ball around.

They left at dusk. When the sky finally began to darken, documenting the end of the day, when Livia's parents called to get them back for dinner. When they could no longer seclude themselves at the beach and act like nothing had ever changed. When they finally had to return to their normal life, and say goodbye to those memories in their heads.

—

"I'M GLAD TO hear you're doing okay, Livia," Remiel said over the phone.

"How's Hong Kong?" Livia asked, leaning against her chair. It was afternoon the next day, and nighttime in China, where Remiel now was with her family. "Been getting up to much?"

"Meeting up with some old friends," Remiel said with a sigh. "It's been a long time since I've seen some of them. We've all changed so much. One of my friends dyed her hair blonde and I almost didn't recognise her."

"It's the charm of university, and the fact that parents can't stop you from doing anything anymore."

Remiel laughed. "Don't go full rebel on us the moment you're in university, Livia. Or I'll personally drive all the way to your school and beat you up."

"I think you'll have better luck taking the train."

"Shut it, Livia." There was a pause and some muffled sounds from Remiel's end. "Alright, I need to go. We're going out for dessert."

"Dessert?" Livia groaned. "Tong sui?"

"Black sesame sweet soup for me, I think."

"Lucky you."

"Auntie Xu can make it for you if you want, you know."

"But I'm the only one who likes it," Livia complained. "My dad doesn't like sweet food, Pamela prefers almond sweet soup, my mum and I can't finish everything."

"You have friends, Livia. You literally just told me you get along fine with all of them now."

"Doesn't mean I can drag them all here to finish up some sweet soup with me," Livia shot back. "Besides, I don't think they want to be... in a group much anymore. Like, the last few times, it all sort of ended with, 'hey this is a nice time we had here, but I think it might be the very last.'"

"But it's never the last."

"Like they said, our friend group fell apart a long time ago. We're still all friends individually, but it's just awkward in a group. I'm civil with Sarah right now, but if you put us in the same room a few more times I can't ensure that. Same with Zeth and Brie."

"What about you and Amphion?"

"A few jabs here and there, but usually it's almost as if we've travelled back in time."

"That's nice," Remiel said.

"Yeah." Livia bowed her head. "It is."

"I need to go now, for real," Remiel laughed. "I'll call you back eventually. Text me, yeah?"

With that, the older girl hung up. Livia placed her phone on the table before her, sighing.

The summer was almost over. What next? What now?

The next and only event where they all had to be together was Victoire's birthday party in two weeks, around the time they had to start getting ready to leave.

Livia's term started in mid-September, but her parents were leaving with Pamela in late-August. Livia was to stay an extra few days in Briarville before taking the train up north to her school and getting her apartment properly set up.

Her parents had suggested she head up with Amphion, but she'd pushed it off earlier. Next time she sees him, she might bring it up. It would be more convenient.

The Hepburns might throw a dinner party, a reunion the day before the first batch of them leave, but Livia thought she might decline the invitation. Sarah wouldn't hold it against her (anymore than she already did), her parents wouldn't find it out of the norm, and they didn't particularly like the character of Sarah's parents anyways. They were cold, selfish people, her mother always mused. Not people they'd consort with if they had the choice.

Unfortunately, proximity had always forced them together. And there was nothing personal between the parents.

They could easily make an excuse as a family and choose not to go. No one would question it.

It was conflicting. On one hand, she wanted to see them all a few more times before this was all over. Before she put that final full stop on her eighteen summers in Briarville, before she closed this chapter and could only ever return to it again in memory.

But at the same time, she knew that any more meetings might just lead to disaster.

She did not want to risk it.

She wanted to preserve her memory of everyone just as they had been yesterday at that beach. She did not want to take the risk of having it be changed, having it be left on a sour note.

She didn't think she could handle it. She didn't want to handle it.

Livia left her room and went downstairs, finding only nai nai on her rocking chair beside the large window of the living room, watching an old show on the television that she'd watched a thousand times before. Livia let out a laugh as she strolled over. "This again, nai nai?"

"It's a good show," nai nai argued. "You can watch it a thousand times, and every time you still find new details you never noticed before. I love it."

"I can tell," Livia said.

"And what brings you down to the living room, hmm?" nai nai asked. "You never leave that bedroom of yours."

"I spent the entirety of yesterday outdoors," Livia pointed out, "I don't think it's a crime to want to stay inside for a little bit. I was calling Remiel."

"Fair enough." Nai nai turned her head back to the television. "So why are you here now?"

"I'm bored."

"Go out with your friends, then."

Livia didn't reply to that, instead shuffling around with the cushions on the sofa until she'd made herself a cosy little spot and sat down.

Nai nai raised a brow as she glanced at her. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"If you're bored, just go out with your friends. It's why we bring you here every summer anyways. That, and to visit me, of course."

"I already spent yesterday with them."

"You've changed quite a bit. You used to always have time for them. You could spend every minute and every second of the summer with them if we let you."

"Well, things change."

"Oh? Do entertain me, granddaughter."

"It's a long story, and I don't think you'll be very interested in hearing it."

"I just might be. As you said, I've already watched this show a few too many times."

"Yet here you are, still watching it."

"Shush. Do not burst my bubble. Let me be. Now tell me, what changed?"

"We've all grown up."

"Nonsense." Nai nai slapped her hand against the wooden armrests. "Absolute nonsense. If you think I'll believe that you must think I am an idiot."

"I do not, nai nai."

"Clever of you," the old woman said with her chin raised. "So. What actually happened? We are not blind, you know. We know it's not just some small argument. You didn't even go with them to Melody's."

"None of you have really said anything about it," Livia grumbled, wrestling around with her pillows until she'd settled down comfortably. "And I didn't want you guys getting involved."

"We expected that. We chose not to."

"I suppose I am grateful for that decision."

"Well, I thought you deserved some independence. And you seemed to be busy fixing the problem for yourself."

"I'm eighteen now, nai nai."

To which the elderly woman turned to her and smiled indulgently. "That you are now, Livia. An adult. I remember when I was your age. Well, barely. I remember the excitement, though. Do you feel excited, dear?"

"I shiver with excitement and fear."

Nai nai chortled. "Yes, that sounds about right. Would not want you too excited. That leads to brash and unstudied decisions."

Livia lowered her head and said nothing.

Nai nai raised her hand. "No matter. I am not here to scold you. So. What happened?"

"We're alright now," Livia said. "There was a massive misunderstanding. Arguments, you know. But we're at peace with each other now. We even went to the beach together. We've sorted out our misunderstandings."

"But have you gone back to before?"

"I don't think that is ever possible," Livia replied, scratching her head. "I don't think that has ever been an option. We're all leaving soon anyway."

"Not going to try for the last perfect summer?"

"It's already been marred. I don't see much of a point in that."

Nai nai was silent for a moment as she lowered her head, weighing her words. Trying to decide what to and what not to say. "Well, you are all growing up. I cannot tell you what to do any longer."

"No, you cannot."

Nai nai turned to glance out of the window, squinting her eyes against the bright sun. "If you say you have it handled, I trust that you do."

Livia tilted her head. "I do. We're all civil with each other now."

"Civil? That is a sad word to use to describe you and your friends. I was expecting far more."

"Well, nothing lasts forever. I'm grateful for the time we had, but sometimes we have to learn to let go. Here's one of those times."

"But none of you seem ready to let go." There was sorrow in nai nai's voice, which Livia was surprised to detect. She looked up, looking her grandmother in the eyes. "I see you all around each other and I don't think any of you are ready to say goodbye to each other."

"Well," Livia said slowly, shaking her head, "sometimes we don't have a choice."

"If that is the case, you might as well spend some more time with them while you still can, you know."

"If we're together often," Livia pointed out, "the problems will rear their ugly heads again. Might be better just to keep it as it is in our memories. It's a delicate situation."

"So is it the end?" nai nai asked, sighing.

"For some of us, I think so," Livia replied. "I don't think we'll ever all be in the same room together again, except for maybe Victoire's birthday party in a couple weeks. No one seems to be particularly interested in hosting reunion dinners. You all sense it, don't you?"

"The animosity? Of course we do. Besides, this relationship was always between you kids. Us adults were just along for the ride. Most of us barely talked to each other about a topic that wasn't you kids. Me, I've always felt particularly left out. I'm the only grandparent here."

Livia let out a laugh. "You must feel very lonely, then."

"Sometimes, I do," nai nai said honestly. "Why do you think I insist Auntie Xu come so much? It's not just to help cook, I assure you."

"Well then."

"Go hang out with them if you want," nai nai shooed. "I do not want you to have any regrets in the future. Let me tell you, it is miserable, having regrets about the past you can do nothing about. Absolutely miserable. I would hate for you to ever have to go through it."

"But that's unavoidable."

"But this is avoidable, yes? It is not too late yet. Go. Go hang out with them a bit more. If not the people you don't get along with well, at least go with the ones you do like. Brianna. Lila. Those two are nice girls."

"Brie hasn't been very happy recently."

"All the more reason to go hang out with her," nai nai said with a roll of her eyes. "Be a good friend, get her mind off it. And Lila always liked playing with you more than the others."

"I'm not sure it's necessarily a good thing, being the one Lila Anderson relates to the most."

"She's a little tough, and sometimes she doesn't release her emotions the right way, but she's still a good girl." Nai nai stood up carefully from her chair, turning off the television. "But it's your choice in the end, I suppose. I cannot force you into doing anything you do not want to do."

"I'll think about it."

"That's good. That's very good indeed."