STRANGER

chapter one ; gwen savoy
[ season one - episode one ]

IT IS EXACTLY how I remember it. Nothing from it has changed.

The blazing hot sun, as bright as always, glittering my face as I partially hang outside of the rolled down window. The wind has this nostalgic aroma to it that just satisfies me all too well. Each strand of my dark brunette hair dances with the air, some strands sticking to my glossy lips.

I haven't seen this place for four whole years, and it makes my heart pound against my ribcage harshly the more I think about the plans I have for this summer; what I'm going to do when I see my best friends again, how I'm going to dress, how I'm going to act... everything.

That's if my best friends are still best friends with me. I won't be surprised if they turn around and say they're not interested in talking to me — considering I did leave them all those years ago. They really cared about me and made sure I was always included with every little thing they participated in. But then one day, I vanished. They never heard from me again. Some of them might even think I'm dead.

I pray that's not the case though. I'm ready to knock on their door with an 'I'm sorry' note if that's what it takes.

I am officially moving to Cousins Beach.

I visited six times as a child. The first time was when I was six. My father took me there for the summer since this is where my mother grew up, knowing it was her dream to take her daughter to this captivating town.

My father did what she couldn't, and I'm happy that he did. I got to meet some of the most amazing people anyone could think of. I may have only been six, but at the time, it was like a dream come true. To befriend the people that are extremely hard to find in this modern world.

It wasn't until my fourteenth birthday that I got my dad's old phone and turned it on that I got my ultimate best friend's number. Gwen Savoy. She was the closest friend I had when I visited Cousins as a child. And so when I booted up the phone and realized it hadn't been reset, I caught onto the contact that caught my young eyes immediately.

Loretta (Gwen's mom)

I didn't hesitate to annoy the hell out of my dad to get into contact with the woman to beg for Gwen's number — if she had one that was. And thankfully, she did. I'll never forget the relief I heard in her voice the day I called her. I think she cried... I don't know.

She told me everything that had gone on while I was M.I.A., saying how she distanced herself away from the Conklins' and the Fishers' because it didn't feel right hanging out with them without me. She then told me about her father... how he passed away two years after I left. I made sure I explained everything to her — the reason I left.

Her heart had been so broken when she found out the summer house I stayed in was put up for sale. It was my mother's house she grew up in, and my dad couldn't bear the thought of staying somewhere that reminded him of her much longer.

Now, as a 16 year old, I understand why he felt that way. But then... Being told as a twelve year old that I would no longer be seeing my best friends during the summer and that I wasn't even given the chance to say goodbye to them was like someone stabbing me in the heart and leaving me there to bleed.

Gwen had informed me last summer that she practically hated the sight of Steven, Jeremiah and Belly, seeing how they were all happy without her and me. I understood where she was coming from, but sometimes I asked myself why?

If I had stayed in contact with her when I was younger, I would've encouraged her to talk with them again.

The mere second I informed Gwen that I was moving to Cousins Beach, I think she passed out or something because she was quiet for a solid two minutes... or she just ran to her mother, who was off work that day, and screamed with happiness. I'm pretty sure it was the first option.

The house my dad pulls into looks beautiful, walls being a bright gray color and the roof is covered with solar panels. The garage seems huge and the door is open to enter, but Dad stays on the driveway.

"You've been very quiet, Lena," Pa says as he turns the engine off to the car. I turn to face him with a wide grin on my face. His middle-age smile lift into his cheeks. "Are you excited?"

I send him an are-you-serious look. "No, definitely not, Pa," I answer sarcastically. I straighten my back and smile even wider with my teeth. "Yes, I'm excited! I can't wait to see everyone again."

"Well, you're wasting time by just sitting in my car admiring the house," he points out, gesturing to the very house I am just so very fascinated by. It wouldn't ever compare to the old house I used to stay in during the summer as a child, but it is enough.

I squeal with excitement, pushing open the car door beside me and scramble onto the concrete. I'm wearing a denim skirt, a plain black tank top tucked into it. I have sandals on my feet — my favorite pair of shoes of all time. During the summer, I never wear anything else. Just a pair of converse and my sandals.

I am ready for everything.

...

Stepping onto the sand that I used to build sandcastles on as an eight year old is a surreal feeling. The sun is now halfway through the sky, having got to this wonderful town at nine a.m. I made sure to put sunscreen on before I left the new house, not wanting to get sunburnt on my first day. All I know is that today is the day the Conklins' and the Fishers' arrive at their house.

It's the same day every year, Gwen would tell me over the phone. I think my heart is going to fall out of my mouth when I think more of the fact that I'm going to see everyone again. Especially Gwen.

So the moment I see her walk down onto the sand from the road ahead, I don't hesitate to scream her name. She looks so different in person to how she looks on FaceTime — and certainly a lot different than how she did the last time I saw her physically.

We were twelve... and now we're 16.

Despite the warm weather, Gwen is wearing a leather jacket over her plain white T-shirt, a golden chain to match with a ring on it. I don't know where the ring came from, but it suits her well. For pants, she's wearing denim shorts with rips in them. Her style now is so, so different to how it was the last time I saw her, but it fits her so well. I'm happy she's found her style.

Soft freckles are painted across her face, and are much more vibrant now than they used to be. And her face is so mature that she could run for a model if she wanted to. I adore her.

We run into each other's arms, and we nearly fall to the ground. It feels so surreal holding my best friend again.

I think tears brim both of our eyes, our mouths opening to form words yet nothing comes out. I don't care what anyone else on the beach is thinking, knowing they are looking at us as if we were just two best friends who had been separated for two weeks or something. Hell, how I wish it was only two weeks.

We are both speechless for at least two minutes before we sit down in the sand beside the water, the waves crashing against our feet and no further. I make sure I take off my sandals so they don't get covered in water and get sand attached to them.

I brush my hair behind my ears and stare off into the sea while Gwen watches me. "Girl, you're hot as fuck," is the first words Gwen Savoy say to me after four years of not seeing each other.

Shyly, I face her with a smile. "Same goes for you. You suit your style," I reply, nodding matter of factly. I bring my knitted tote bag to the opposite side of me so we both can look inside. Gwen tilts to the side as she inspects the inside of the bag, her face lightening up as she spots her favorite candy.

"Oh my God, you got Trolli gummy worms?! Are you kidding?!" She is nearly ecstatic. "I haven't had these in years."

I nudge her arm gently, eyeing her with an unserious look. "You literally didn't shut up about missing them a couple of weeks ago." My dad and I stopped at a gas station on our way here and they caught my eye. I bought them without even looking at the price tag. I assume they were no more than two dollars.

Gwen rips open the packet of candies and immediately tosses some into her mouth. She offers me one, to which I gratefully accept and pop it into my mouth. The sourness will always get to me, scrunching up my face uncomfortably.

The curly haired girl puts the packet of gummies back into my tote bag before abruptly rising to her feet. I stare at her as if she was a crazy person who just escaped a psych ward as she stares at me back with a menacing smile. "Oh God, what are you planning, crazy lady?" I ask, a hint of genuine worry in my tone.

"You know what," she answers with a brief lift of her eyebrows.

"Do I?"

"Yeah," she giggles

I look around me, expecting to see someone or something jump out on me or something. I remember her pranks she pulled on me when I was a kid. I loved but hated them at the same time.

"Last one standing has to buy the other chocolate!" Gwen yells at the top of her lungs as she shrugs off her leather jacket, sprinting over to the water. My mouth falls open as I stand up, immediately following behind.

"Oh, you're on!"

We both rush into the water, the cold taking my breath away, but it's bearable. Gwen spins around, her hands raised to prevent me from stepping near her or she'll push me. I lick my dry lips, tasting the salt on them that had landed on them from lingering in the air. I giggle, pushing my hands through the water.

My friend lets out a loud scream, water soaking into her skin from her head and down. Water drips down her face as she looks ahead at me, her mouth hanging open. She doesn't think twice to copy my actions and splash water all over me. I wipe my hand across my face, already knowing my mascara is smudged, but I don't care.

We laugh, and I ignore her raised hands and charge at her. She dodges me like a bullet and effortlessly pushes me from behind. I screech from surprise, my entire body falling beneath the waves. I definitely inhale some of the salty water, so when I sit up, I cough and pull a disgusted face.

Gwen is folded forward, holding onto her stomach with laughter. "I know— I know you just bought me those gummy worms, Lilo, but rules are rules," she laughs more, being so contagious that I know I'm already laughing.

Oh how I missed this.

...

"They look so much older," I comment on the short blades of grass, wrapped in a towel after being dunked in the cold sea water. Gwen and I are sitting on a hill outside of her house, looking across a large lake. A lake I always used to jump into as a child.

I remember always pushing Jeremiah into the lake after he would push me for revenge. He would never complain, however, and always said it was refreshing. It used to annoy the shit out of me when I was younger... but if it was to happen now, I'd laugh so much that I think I'd get a stitch.

"It has kinda been four years, Lilo," Gwen counters, her legs sprawled out ahead of us while mine are brought to my chest. It's like I'm a ball when I do this. In the winter, I always wrap myself in a blanket in a ball in front of the fireplace. Gwen has her arms stretched out behind her to hold her body up as she lets the blazing hot sun dry her out.

I nod. "Yeah, I know. Just doesn't feel like it's been that long, y'know?" I don't take my eyes off of the four across the lake. And sitting here, I'm beginning to realize that maybe Gwen had been right two years ago. Seeing them have fun like we all used to together without us hurts. I know I'm being immature when I think that, but it's the truth. Everytime I made new friends, I always ended up not hanging out with them because I felt like I was betraying my best friends.

"I watch them do the Belly-Flop every year, as pathetic as it sounds," Gwen pipes up, her eyes glued onto them. "The first year without you, I could tell they weren't as happy. But the year after I think is when they moved on. That's when I dipped."

"Do they even remember us?" I ask subconsciously, my mind beginning to spiral as many thoughts plague me like a disease. "I always think of them. I never stopped."

"Who the fuck knows," Gwen sighs, leaning forward as Belly gets thrown into the pool. I think I heard her scream before she submerged into the water. Perhaps this was my karma for leaving them without notice, but it wasn't my fault my dad dragged me away. I don't blame him either. I know he needed to escape this place. But after a few years, he was more than ready to return.

After ten minutes pass, Gwen and I head inside to her house. The moment I step inside, I immediately begin to drown with nostalgia. We enter through the sliding doors to the living room.

It doesn't even look different. Well, perhaps the wallpaper has changed. But the furniture is still the same — just a few cigarette burns. I never knew her mother smoked. I must have missed a lot. The air smells refreshing, like mint. The wall near the fireplace in the middle of the room is a light gray brick wall, the rest of the walls being plain and gray to match the bricks. I miss the old wallpaper — the one with small blue flowers on them. It gave the room much more vibrance and atmosphere.

The flooring was still the same — brown laminate — with a white rug over the top. It was nice and soft like candy floss. I could fall asleep on it if I wanted to. I notice the shelves, the books and fake plants stacked on them that seem to be in the same place as they were the last time I was there four years ago. They must be covered in dust. The small table in the center of the room is somewhat covered in dust, but I don't take any notice of it as my eyes land on the scented candles.

I think Gwen watched my eyes land on the candles, because she lets out a small sound of realization and darts forward to pick them up. "Oh shit, I'll go put them away. Susannah mailed me them for my birthday."

I've never been able to sit in the same room as a candle. When my doctor informed my father that I have a severe allergy to scented candles, he made sure to ask people if they had any candles lit before I stepped inside the house. He cared so much for my health and I'm still grateful he hasn't stopped.

I watch Gwen shove the candles into a cabinet beneath her TV stand.

The second my eyes set upon the Lay-Z-Boy, I squeal and run over to it. I jump into it as it rocks back and forth from the force and weight of me. Gwen plops herself down on the couch beside the Lay-Z-Boy, chuckling at my random outburst of excitement. I don't hesitate to pull the lever on the side, my feet elevating along with the part of the couch.

Gwen leans forward and grabs the TV remote, switching on a movie.

For the next hour, we watch Lilo & Stitch. A classic. It was our favorite movie to watch as kids — which was where Gwen got her nickname for me. She explained it in full when she came up with it.

"Well your name is Selena. And what's short for Selena? Lena. What's short for that? Oh yeah, Lee. Then add 'Lo' to the end of Lee and you have Lilo!"

She's been calling me that ever since.

A knock sounds at the door, and it practically makes me jump since I was falling asleep on the Lay-Z-Boy. It's been a long day. I left Richmond at around twelve a.m. It feels nice not having to breathe in fumes from the cars all the time, or listen to the loudness of people's chattering. I hate cities. I prefer to listen to the sound of birds singing in the mornings rather than people honking their cars at each other for driving too fast or too slow.

Gwen says quickly that she'll get it and leaves the movie playing. However, I turn over anyway and peek through the long hallway which reveals the front door at the end. Gwen pulls it open and reveals a blonde woman, one of which I immediately recognize.

It's Susannah Fisher.

A smile blossoms on my face, using my palm to hold my face up on the top of the couch. I don't think she can see me though, but I don't complain. Just seeing her after all these years makes me so happy.

I watch them talk for a while, and Susannah doesn't look behind her once, so she doesn't see me at all. I think it's because she doesn't want to be nosy and peek inside of Gwen's house. I'm just out of earshot to hear what's being said.

A minute or two passes, and Gwen finally shuts the door and calls out to me, "Uh, Sel?" She walks down her narrow hallway and back into the living room.

"What's up?" I respond in an instant, looking up at her as she locks eyes with me. Her face seems completely surprised and shocked by the fact that Susannah had knocked at the door. I'm not sure why though.

"So, Susannah was at the door. Fun times, um..." she trails off dumbfoundedly. She really looks confused, and I'm unsure why.

"So I saw," I say, sending a small, innocent tight-lipped smile as I nod slightly. "What did she need? Is she okay?" I wonder, my brows knitting together.

She huffs. "She asked me if I wanted to go to dinner but I said no and that I would take some snacks over there. Speaking of, I need to find snacks," she rambles. That was something similar with us — how we always rambled to each other and how we'd always listen.

I straighten my back, my face lighting up as I ask a hopeful question. However, I hope the answer I receive is a solid 'no' since I have another plan. "Did you mention anything about me?" She flops back down onto the couch beside me like a ragdoll.

"No," she replies, and relief pumps through my veins since she must know that I want to surprise the Fishers' and the Conklins', "I figured that maybe it could be a surprise or do you not wanna go? Look, I don't wanna go, it is gonna be hella awkward and I accepted and said I was gonna take snacks— I don't even have snacks and— I am rambling aren't I?"

I grin at her, laughing internally at her rambles. But my smile soon turns into one of a thin line. I nod ever so slightly as I tiredly sigh, leaning back into the Lay-Z-Boy. I am so exhausted.

"Damnit, Lilo. What am I gonna do?" she cries. "I'm gonna have to see all of their faces. I mean, Conrad would be fine to see because we talk but still." She huffs again and pinches the bridge of her nose. I can see the frustration in her expression as she tries to calm herself down.

I instantly want to try to calm her down — so I simply say something that just flies out of my mouth. I don't know what's gonna be said, but hopefully it wouldn't be something like 'quick, run outside and get naked!'. "It won't be bad. We can stop by one of the stores and get some snacks. Then you can go drop them off. Aha! See. Genius, I am," I bow stupidly as I put on a Yoda voice. "Hallelujah, praise the Lord!"

"God, you're such a nerd and I love it," she eyes me from the side, chuckling at my actions. She props herself up, facing me fully. "Right, okay. It's maybe two p.m right now. What do you say we get some ice-cream and drown our thoughts in it and get some snacks for later?" she suggests, her eyes growing wide like a puppy. I know she wants to push aside the thought of seeing our childhood friends tonight, and I want to help her.

"Is it bubblegum?" I ponder, raising a single brow. She tilts her head as if I'm the most dense person on the planet.

"Well, no shit. What else would we get? Mint?" she says.

I don't say this out loud, but the thought of mint flavored ice-cream immediately brings my mind to a particular boy. The boy that was probably showing Steven all of his favorite video games right now since that's what they did every year when we were younger. Unless they changed, of course, which I shouldn't be surprised about at all since it's been a while. We're not kids anymore. We're adolescents.

I realize I'm quiet for a moment or two, so I nod instantly. "I'm in. Let's do this." With my new-found energy, I throw myself off of the comfy Lay-Z-Boy and go to exit the house, Gwen following closely behind.

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words: 3846
23rd may 2024
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i am so happy to finally publish this book after planning for two days straight with everm0res .

MAKE SURE TO READ GWEN'S POV ON HER PAGE (it should be published very soon since we are writing together !!)