"More than a stunning debut. It is the announcement of a bold new literary voice"
—Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I sit here now thinking about you and the time we spent together, frustrated with how you seem to encompass all my thoughts and annoyed that you’ve managed to turn me into that ‘annoying teenage girl’ who obsesses over a boy who doesn’t feel the same way.

I didn’t expect this summer to be any different from past ones, but then you came rolling in like a hurricane – fast and quick, destroying everything in your path. Striking up a conversation with you during staff week at our childhood overnight camp was one of the best accidents I’ve made. From playing a typical game of geography, to laughing about how you were at my prom and we didn’t even know it, we hit it off immediately. Things took off after that until talking to you became a part of my daily routine – the part, I soon realized, I looked most forward to, much to my dismay. I was in denial about how I felt, afraid to say the words out loud because I knew deep down that I’d only be setting myself up for failure since at the end of the day, you would always have a beautiful, perfect, longterm girlfriend whose name you’ll never say even though we all know it. My friends think that there’s something between us, that you treat me differently than your other girl friends. I sometimes wonder if that’s true, that maybe you feel something too, but I’m cautious. I’m trying to believe that it is possible for girls and guys to just be friends, that When Harry Met Sally didn’t get it right (which is a whole rousing debate in itself).

My adventures and times with you are some that I will treasure forever. On one of these adventures we went searching for a lake we saw on a map. After some driving around, we pulled over to the side of the road under the ‘no parking’ sign. Quickly and quietly we scurried into someone’s backyard and sat on their dock with our feet in the warm water. While watching lightening illuminate the sky in the distance, you turned to me and said “I really wanted to make new friends this summer, I’m glad I did”

I don’t know how you did it, but somehow you managed to become one of my best friends in such a short amount of time. And if that’s what you’ll forever be, then I’ll gladly take it, cause I’d rather have you in my life then not have you at all.

“Nights like these will be my best memories from this summer,” you told me later.