Summer had come and gone again. Hannah hated August. It was too hot for her, she hated the stiling heat. She preferred the snow. It covered up all the imperfections in her life. And there were enough imperfection in her life, believe me. This summer was the worst on record. 40 degrees in the shade! But it wasn't just the heat that was getting her down. It wasn't the workload that was piling up on her either (She'd got into Bangor university, just as she'd wanted), August still reminded her of Darren. 4 years had passed since she went to America, but every August since then seemed to remind her of everything she loved about him. Whenever she walked up to the Old Bridge to do work, she thought of the afternoon they'd spent watching the townspeople the first afternoon. Everytime she heard a guitar play she thought of the first meeting in the Music shop. To make things worse it seemed that Darren had made a bit of a name for himself. He did some show, 'A Very Potter Musical' or something with the people they met at that party. She watched it, although she fought with herself for days before and after she did so, and saw that he hadn't changed at all, apart from the fact that his arms were a bit bigger than before, and he seemed a lot more confident.
She'd only been able to watch the first half. It hurt too much for her to watch someone she loved so much get on with his life without her in it. She wondered whether he thought of her as often as she thought of him. But she brushed that thought aside when she remembered that he didn't come chasing after her that morning. That he didn't say goodbye.
She wondered if she'd feel as stuck as she did if she'd been able to get a boyfriend. She'd flirted, and gone on dates, but she felt that she couldn't commit thoroughly, because there was a part of her that still clung onto the thought of being with Darren, and she couldn't move on until that part was left forgotten.
Hannah decided that to be able to lead the best life that she'd have to move on. She told herself that whatever they had wasn't real. That he didn't love her anyway, he made that clear. That nothing would ever happen between them again, and that was that. She'd almost convinced herself too, when a letter dropped onto her carpet.
Hannah rushed toward the door and ripped the letter open, expecting another notice from the bank, or the Uni telling her that her rent needed to be paid. It was neither of these things. It was from her mother. The letter read;
Hey honey! It's your mother!
Look I have some bad news, last week your uncle Trevor passed away in his sleep. Val phoned me today to tell me that they're holding a funeral there next week. I know it's not likely that you can make it, seeing as you have so much work and all, but Val really wants you to go sweetie. She wants all of us there. You might not know it, but you meant a great deal to your uncle. Can you phone me as soon as you have an answer so I can book your plane ticket, I love you! Mum xx
As Hannah read, her world came crumbling down. She looked up from the piece of paper and ran her fingers through her hair. She leant against the old writing desk that he'd sent her the year before. The one that looked like it hadn't been used in years, and all the progress she'd made in the last 10 minutes fell in the gutter. Looks like she was going back to Ann Arbor after all.