Only for the Summer

I swear today has been one of the worst days of my life. I walk into my apartment thankful to be home. It had been one thing after another all day long.

I was home from work over two hours late. My last appointment, which was supposed to be a quick haircut, had turned into someone deciding to go platinum blonde from dark brown. Before that, I had two cancellations and one kid who screamed the entire time. Oh, and this morning, I woke to my girlfriend breaking up with me over text. It was safe to say this day couldn't get any worse.

I kick off my sneakers by the front door, throw my bag on the floor, and plop on the couch. I'm too tired to make it the other twenty feet to my bedroom. I opened my phone and re-read the texts Pichy sent me.

Pichy: I'm sorry, but I can't do it anymore.

Pichy: Until you figure out your feelings for Charlotte or remove her from your life, I can't be in yours.

Pichy: I'm sorry. I can't be anyone's second choice.

I sigh, throw my phone across the couch, and fall back into the pillows. I put one over my face and let out a muffled scream. This wasn't the first time a girlfriend of mine had an issue with my close friendship with Charlotte. We had been best friends for years, so we were close. I just don't know why people have such a hard time accepting that we're just friends.

I've been down this road too many times to try to plead with Pichy. If she wanted to break up over it, then fine! I was tired of having to defend my friendship. Eventually, the right girl would come around, someone who understood Charlotte and I were just friends!

RING! RING! RING!

My phone rings from across the couch. I lift the pillow slightly and glance toward my phone. I see my brother's face on my screen and get up to answer it. Before Charlotte, my best friend was and always has been my older brother Sun. I hadn't told him about me and Pichy, yet so he must just be calling to talk.

"Sia!" Sun says excitedly. He's the only one who gets away with calling me Sia, a nickname I usually despise.

"Yes, Sun?"

"I'm engaged!" he all but shouts.

"What!?" I shoot up, sitting up straight. Did I hear him correctly or had the screaming done some hearing damage?

"I'm engaged! I proposed last night, but you're the first one I wanted to tell."

"Holy shit, this is amazing!" I forced myself to say. Part of me is concerned about how quickly this is happening. I mean he hadn't been dating her for very long. This was completely unexpected.

"We're having an engagement party. Can you come this weekend for a visit? I'd love for you to meet her, " he says a little more seriously.

"This weekend?" I ask surprised. There go my plans of soaking another breakup in ice cream and alcohol.

"Yeah, we want the families to meet. I know it's last minute, but it would mean a lot if you came." I can hear Chanda whispering in the background.

"I, uh, I'll have to get someone to cover the shop." I don't know why I'm stalling, of course, I'd do anything to be home this weekend.

"And bring Pichy too! We'd love to meet her." He says, unknowingly sending a sucker punch to my gut.

"We ummm... broke up..." my voice cracks as I say it aloud for the first time.

"Fuck, hold on." I can hear the ocean in the background, and I know he must have walked onto the beach to talk to me alone. "Sia, talk to me."

"I'm okay Sun, she had a problem with Char. I can't change her mind about it, so that's that. Let me go, I can make a call and see if someone can cover the shop for the weekend. I need to meet this new sister of mine." I add playfully.

"Let me know when you're coming in, I'll get you from the airport." He doesn't push the Pichy situation further.

We say our goodbyes and I immediately make a second phone call. She picks up on the second ring with a sing-song hello.

"Wanna come over?" I groan. Originally, I was going to go for a run, run out of my problems and try to salvage my mood.

"You sound like a crap; do you want pizza or Thai?" That's what I love about Char, her blunt and bitter honesty.

"Pizza, with pepperoni and mozzarella sticks and buffalo wings. Oh, and a cannoli,"

"Terrible day order, I got it. Give me like thirty."

                                                            *

Thirty minutes later Char is standing on my doorstep holding a pizza, a bag of food, and a smile. A smile I swear could cure the worst day of bad days. She slips her shoes off as I grab the food from her and bring it to the small island in my kitchen.

"So, you gonna tell me what caused the terrible day order? I swear I've only ordered this like twice before." Char slips onto the couch; I walk over a plate of food and a glass of water for her.

"Pichy broke up with me," I say holding my breath.

"What a bitch," she mumbles, a mouth full of food.

"Did she say why?" this was a commonly asked question.

"No, she just said, uh wasn't working anymore," I lie. I didn't want to bring up the real reason. Knowing, Char she'd feel terrible and blame herself.

I don't say anything else while I slide beside her on the couch after grabbing the remote. We put on some shitty reality tv, the only sounds are the couples fighting and the chewing of our food.

"Sun's getting married," I try to add casually.

"WHAT?! How did you not lead with that?" She squeals.

"He's having an engagement party this weekend, he told me to bring Pichy but now we're over, so I guess I'm going stag."

Before Char came over, I had managed to get Nudee to cover the shop for the week. I haven't been home in months, and I know my parents will appreciate an extended trip. Running my own business has many perks but in times like this, I'm thankful for my staff. I couldn't leave for a week on my own without thinking I could trust my assistant manager to handle everything.

"Why don't you take me?" Char asks, smiling.

"W-what?" I almost choke on my pizza.

"What? I'm off for the summer. I've already met Sun. I'm due for a vacation," she says as if it's not a big deal.

"You want to go?" I ask, surprised.

"Why, wouldn't I?" she counters, raising an eyebrow.

"My family will be asking about my girlfriend, and I'll have to give them the whole 'I just got dumped' speech and see their pity," I groan. It's bad enough hearing it in Sun's voice.

"What if you didn't?" Her green eyes are gleaming. Then my best friend proceeds to tell me what might be the craziest thing we've ever done.