Summer Reading Women Novels & Stories

Their faces flash, and Goddess are they beautiful, perfection walking the earth meant to torment me. Those idiots have been different since we stepped foot in Willowa to retrieve Nora. They’ve been reserved. All the progress we made prior is gone and I have no way to repair it. Neither of them will tell me what they’re fighting about, but whatever it is, it’s squashed any hope I had. “You’re going to have to leave this house. We can’t stay in this room forever.” Summer huffs, begging for a run. She has been cooped up for days and she hates it.

gays? I might be making things up, but I wouldn't deny it if they came out holding hands or kissing one another. Summer is breathing softly, her body sweaty when I walked into the room. I start taking off her clothes as she's feeling heat. "Let me just open the windows," I murmur. "Sure, I'm feeling heat. It's too much in here," she says. I don't climb on the bed, only watch her snore softly again, each sound a melody to my ear.

Nobody is going to come to me. Talking about me, my name is Theodore Reigns. I'm 16, about to enter Junior year in two months when the school reopens after summer break. But to be honest, right now I think it's highly unlikely cause I'm here attending this three day Art camp for next year's senior students, that too in disguise as Elena Griffin, Eastwood's best artist, and so if I get caught, I guess I won't have to go to school again.

What do normal people do when they come to Crete for a summer vacation? They probably post photos on I*******m with captions like "Sun, sea, sand #blessed," sip ouzo in the evenings, smash plates, and just soak up that effortless island vibe. And what am I doing? I’m covering my ears with my hands, counting prime numbers backward in my head, and trying not to lose my absolute mind. I am in a literal marathon to stay sane.

Summer stood up. She was dressed in a short T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.

While Summer herself is still trying to organize her heart every time she remembers her best friend who has to deal with all her problems on her own after she decided to stay in Australia because of Andrew and his work. “Oh yes, later we will have lunch together with Sarah Brook. Do you remember her? The brown-skinned woman from Texas? She is now working in the ministry of law and is becoming a well-known lawyer.” The silence was finally broken after Summer changed the topic of their conversation regarding their other friend, who Eden might still remember.

I reply with a wide grin and squeeze her unhurt knee. “Thank you, that is sweet of you, and I appreciate it.” she kisses my cheek before taking a sip of her wine, “So what brings you here for the summer?” she asks. I turn to look at her, and she is watching me, “I needed to get away from my hectic life.” I shrug. I didn’t want to go into detail. “Maybe we can keep each other company this summer?” she suggests, “Yes, sounds perfect. And once you feel better, we can swim in the lake.” She used to love swimming in the lake.

Silly questions, a funny face. It was summertime. Warm weeks spliced with days of rain. The wide sky and its clear, open blue calling people out from beyond their gated walls and routine paths. Everywhere we went, the parks were full of people. More chaos than quiet. Fat ladies in shorts with big cloth shoulder bags, their too-white skin singed to a bright pink by the stinging yellow sun. Big men with sunglasses and bald spots standing around with their hands on their hips, their movements all in wide gestures—elbows out, fingers splayed. Shoulders rolling. Smiles pressed so deep across their mouths they might even have been real. They almost always had kids with them, the women and the men,

"Fine." Summer also became angrier and angrier the more she thought about it, and turned back, with her hips on her hips, and roared fiercely, "All I do is work! I work overtime every day, and my hair is about to fall out. The pressure is high, so naturally, I eat a lot and have no time to keep fit… Why is it so difficult for women!" "Why isn't Peach fat?" "She is still a little girl with a fast metabolism! When I was her age, I also was not fat!"

This time Summer looked away. She spent the majority of the day in her room doing nothing. Her thoughts meshed into one another like different colours splattered and mixed on a palette— messy and ugly. The elderly couple had gone to work, leaving food and keys. Liam had said to call them if she needed them. Summer wanted to get up, do something productive, but she simply did not have the energy to do anything. She felt tired, yet sleep evaded her. --**--