"I passed! Oh my god I passed!" June March shot into the arms of Pope Heyward, a surprised and excited smile on her lips when she realized she had passed the summer school exemption exam. She held the letter in her hands, the girl pulling back soon after with an open smile as she looked down at the letter in Popes hands. They were sitting on the porch of the March house, the boy having come it open their letters together. He looked nervous, her eyebrows furrowing as she put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure you passed...if I did then you definitely did."

"I mean...probably. But at the same time I was kind of distracted during the test and I know I got a question about the quadratic formula wrong even though I've had it memorized since the 3rd grade and I—" June snatched the letter from Popes hand, shaking her head as she held it between her fingers. She didn't know why he was so nervous but she respected it, her lips tightening into a line as she suggested something different.

"How about I open it...and then I'll let you know."

"Yeah let's do that. Go ahead...ruin my summer."  She chuckled slightly as he rubbed his hands on his shorts, his palms sweaty from stress. He stared out at the yard as she ripped the paper open, the boy taking a few calming breaths. He wasn't a fan of academic failure...and yes—he did act like this before  he got the results of every test.

"You passed." She said in a calm tone, the boys head snapping to look at her. She shrugged, dropping the paper in between her legs and waiting for his reaction. He let out a heavy sigh of relief, June waiting for him to smile so she could tell him how proud she was. Finally the smile came, the girl following suit as she leaned towards him with outstretched arms. "Yay I'm so pro—"

"Don't hug me...I'm too sweaty." He said in a panicked tone. However this didn't deter her, the girl wrapping her arms around his torso and rocking slightly.

"It doesn't matter...you know why?" She asked, pulling back with a huge smile. He looked at her with a look of confusion and shook his head, the girl shooting forwards again to hug on him. "Because I love you and I'm so happy that neither of us have to go to stupid summer school!"

Pope felt his heart warm as she hugged him, the girl pulling back with a wide smile and picking up the letter. She slid it into his hands and he watched her as she stood, an interesting glow about her. She seemed happier, and he didn't want to make the moment too mushy and gross but he thought she looked like she was healing. He couldn't stop the words from spilling out of his mouth.

"What's up with you?" He asked, pushing himself up from the steps as she stomped on the letter that told her she had passed the test. She looked at him in confusion, her smile not wavering as she tried to figure out what he meant by that. She shrugged, the boy continuing on. "You're like...laughing and smiling and stuff."

"I can't be happy?" She asked, her smile slowly dropping as she looked at him strangely. He nodded, scratching at the back of his neck, feeling like something strange was happening.

"You can. It's just different to see is what I'm trying to say." She nodded, the girl realizing that for the past few days since that night in the beach...she had been feeling exceptionally better. She had been humming and laughing and smiling more, even when she was working. The atmosphere of her home hadn't felt as gloomy as it had for the past year, things felt different. Maybe things were different...maybe she was getting better. "Listen I gotta run...my dad wanted me back as soon as possible but uh—we're still on for tomorrow right?"

"Right. Tomorrow at noon. Tell your dad I said hey!" Pope took off with a salute, June shaking her head and letting out a laugh as she walked back towards the house. She felt good about the fact she had gotten to opt out of summer school...her store needed more of her attention at the moment. She figured she could ask JJ to go up and help her, she was thinking about showing the others...showing them what she had made. Business was going well, the days the store was open were busy ones, full of endless work. She was hoping to change—

The sound of laughter from the living room pulled Junes thoughts away from the store. It was a soft melodic laugh, it was her mothers. And on the receiving end of the laugh was the sound of her fathers voice. They were both laughing. She hadn't even noticed they were home, she didn't even know when they had returned. And maybe it was Pope pointing out her mood change or maybe it was just the fact that her feet led her towards the living room, but before she knew it she was standing in the doorway, her parents sitting side by side and looking up at the tv.

"What are y'all watching?" The sound of June...speaking in their direction startled both of them, her father pressing the pause button in the tv almost immediately.

"What honey?" Her father asked, her mother sitting up a little bit as she looked at her daughter. The only time they had really spoken for about 6 months now was when one of them needed something from the other. Any other attempts were shut down by the girl.

"What are you watching?" It shocked them even further when she walked towards them, taking a seat on a reclining chair that was angled towards the tv. She was settling in...she was staying.

"Just some romcom your mom found. Is—is everything okay Juney?" The nickname didn't make her flinch, and maybe that's what told her it was time to move on. She grew a smile on her lips and her parents hearts melted at the sight of a smile from their daughter, the one who had been actively ignoring them—hating them for months.

"Yeah I'm fine. Do you mind if I watch?" She gestured towards the tv and both of them nodded, her mother being the one to speak next.

"Why don't you come and sit over here?" She extended her arm to her daughter and took the leap of inviting her to be with them...and June stood, walking over to the couch and taking a seat beside her mother. And she didn't hate herself for it. And she didn't hate them. She just felt okay. She felt normal. And that was it. She forgave them the way that most kids forgave their parents...silently.

Her father resumed the movie and it wasn't 10 minutes later that the front door closed, footsteps marching into the living room. They all looked up when Adam entered the room, his eyes scanning over the strange assortment of family members on the couch. He snapped out of it quickly, dropping down on the couch beside his dad and looking up at the tv screen.

"What are we watching?"

:::

John B sat on a lawn chair on the edge of a dock, a can of soda pressed to his lips as he held his fishing rod. His eyes were on the water but his mind was on his girlfriend and a variety of other things, the peace of fishing being welcomed. Beside him sat his best friend, JJ Maybank, the blonde also thinking about his girlfriend while drinking a soda, thinking about her dreamy her dark eyes were and the way that she was so terrible at fishing even though it's not really something you can be bad at.

The sound of a phone ringing cut through the silence, JJ turning his head to look at John B whose phone was ringing. The Routledge boy pulled it out of his pocket, his face lighting up at the sight of who was calling.

"It's June." He pressed the answer button, JJs face perking up at the mention of her. "Hello Juneypoo."

"Hey John B...is JJ there?" John B had a pleasantly surprised look in his face at the question, an obvious one coming next as he looked over at JJ who was already staring at him.

"Yes he's right here." He replied, JJ reaching for the phone. John B pulled back, shaking his head at the boy and waiting for June to proceed. JJ desperately wanted to hear her voice, but he also wanted to know what she was saying.

"Perfect. Can you tell him that my mom is inviting him to dinner tonight at 6. That's in like...2 hours. And tell him to dress nice. Everyone's gonna be there." John B felt like his mind had been blown, the boy trying to hold a nonchalant look as he stood from the chair.

"Yep...I'll tell him." June hung up after he confirmed, the boy lowering the phone from his ear and then looking at JJ with wide shocked eyes. "Dude did you actually pull it off?"

"What did she say?" JJ asked, feeling his heart racing at the fact that he had no idea what she said. John B looked accusatory, but JJ didn't know what he was defending, his mind going back to the promise to keep it quiet that they had made.

"She said dinner at her house at 6. You have to dress nice because her mom invited you." JJs face went a sickly pale, his nerve immediately hounding him. However John B was focused on something else his focus being on why the hell June would invite JJ to dinner if they weren't together. "You guys are back together aren't you?"

"No." JJ lied through his teeth, John Bs JJ lie detector going off immediately. His eyes widened and JJ saw the realization in his eyes, John B gasping as he reached out for the blonde.

"Oh my god how long—"

"I don't have time for this! 6 is in 2 hours. I have to shower I smell like fish and ass! I need—get me a nice shirt or something okay? We'll talk about it later. You're not allowed to tell anyone!" JJ ran off down the dock, John B staring after him with wide and surprised eyes.

"So you are back together! Dude!"