I don't know what to do, Summer thought as she sat at her usual lunch table. She stared at the grimy surface that was only ever present at a high school. Summer knew that she should take out her lunch box, but she found she couldn't get her body to cooperate. It was one of those days where, for no apparent reason, nothing seemed right. Too many thoughts whirled around in her mind. Everything could go wrong. "Hey, Summer!" She looked up to see her friend Sol striding towards her with a tray of food in their hands. Summer plastered a smile on her face. "Oh, hi Sol." The enby nodded at Summer. "Our first day of actual play practice is tomorrow!" If Summer was her normal self, she would have felt overjoyed. She and Sol were the play managers and had been working hard since the summer figuring out all the logistics. Now, it was December and their efforts were finally starting to pay off. But instead of leaping out of her seat, Summer simply twirled some of her long blonde hair around her finger. "There's just so much we have to take care of though." Sol thumped into the seat beside her and their short black hair swayed against their light brown forehead. A frown etched their face "Hey," they said, "Meet me after school." ~~~ Summer waited in the lobby for Sol. Her blue backpack weighed down on her shoulders and even with her silver coat on, she still felt cold as the main doors thudded open and closed. People from all grades who recognized her as a play manager waved to her as they passed. Summer somehow returned their greetings with smiles, but she could not prevent hopelessness from creeping in. These people were depending on her. Maybe they shouldn't, she thought to herself. "Summer!" She twisted around to face her friend. She gave them a small grin. "Hi, Sol." Sol grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the doors. "Let's go," they exclaimed. The early winter wind eased itself around her cheeks and Summer trembled. She gripped her hand tighter around Sol's and felt glad for their warmth. The sun glared down at them from off into the distance and pockets of snow decked the grass lawn that surrounded the school. "Where are we going, Sol?" Her friend didn't answer and so they continued on their way past apartments and parking lots, past little shops and restaurants. The air seemed to warm around them and Summer felt her body tensing less. Soon they were in a neighborhood that Summer recognized as being on the opposite side of town to her own. She could see a glint of the blue lake behind rows of capes and colonials. "Isn't today a bit too cold for the lake?" Summer whispered. Sol paused and beamed at her. "It'll be quiet and plus, I brought something to keep us busy." Summer frowned at her friend, but still clutched their hand. Sol led her down to a little stone pathway between two houses. Summer, nervous that the property owners would spot them and tell them to run, kept her attention on the side windows of the homes. To her relief, no movement stirred. Finally, they made it to a wooden picnic table that sat toward the edge of the lake. The surface was damp from melting snow and little splinters were scattered around the top. "This is even worse than our school's tables," Summer groaned. Sol shrugged. They let go of her hand and sat on the bench. "It's not too unpleasant and the people living here have always allowed me to hang out here." The enby shook off their backpack and unzippered it so they could begin scrounging through the piles of items tucked inside. "Come sit," they called to Summer with their body still bent over their backpack. Sighing, Summer obliged and took a seat across from Sol. The table creaked and the wetness seeped into her jeans. Summer shivered. "Got it!" Sol blurted. They plopped a silver box of dominoes onto the uneven table. "You carry that all day with you?" Summer asked. A smile dipped onto her face. "Yeah, you never know when you're going to need it." Sol began opening the tin container. Summer peered at the lake rippling behind her. Brown leaves left over from Autumn clung to the deep blue liquid and Summer could almost taste the apple cider that made her love that season. She turned back to her friend. "You know, Sol, this table is too jagged to easily play dominoes on." Sol raised an eyebrow at her. "Who made the rule saying the surface has to be smooth?" Summer laughed. Hope spiraled into her body for the first time that day. Thank you for reading! If you like my story, please don't be afraid to give it a share. Comments are always welcome and I love hearing your thoughts. Question: When was a time a friend cheered you up?
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AuthorI'm Darcy Ridge, creating stories that all revolve around family and identity in a myriad of ways. In the past, I have shared multiple stories and published a novella online. You can find me on Wattpad and many other social media websites. They/them [Image Description: black background with the words "Social Justice and Mental Health Resources" in white in the center /end ID]
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