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132 Woodbine Lane, Beacon Hills, California. The childhood street of her childhood home was just how Ky remembered it to be, which was a pleasant surprise as she leaned against the front porch railing to observe it. Before arriving for the summer, she had mentally prepared herself for changes upon changes, like different neighbours and drastic house renovations. But the old fountain on Mrs. Palmer's front lawn was still there, as was the old tire swing at the end of the road. Mr. Turner still grew roses in his front yard and still remembered her- of course he would, he had said with a laugh. "It's only been a few years."
Actually, it had been 7. Maybe this didn't seem very long to Mr. Turner but for Ky, it was a lifetime. The expanse between eleven and seventeen years of age seemed as far, wide, and deep as the Pacific Ocean itself.
"Ky, come for dinner!"
The familiarity of her grandmother's Cantonese as she called out from inside the house made Ky warm with nostalgia.
"Coming!"
Kyla Chang was to visit and stay with her grandparents for the summer, at the home that she'd been raised in. Her mother, Mona Kuang, was a skilled, sharp, bleeding-heart lawyer for the people. She had landed a bigger, higher profile case for the next few months, and was about to turn it down because of the hours. Her father, Peter Chang, was a high school teacher but had decided to go back to school for his doctorate's degree in order to become a professor. It would take up the next year. So together, they asked Kyla if she wanted to stay at her grandparents' house for the summer instead. Kyla was 17, on the cusp of adulthood, and surprised at the offer. But she had missed her grandparents and was curious about what had happened to the childhood town, so the answer was fast and sure.
Peter, Mona, Mona's parents, and Kyla used to live together in an average two-storey house built in the 60s in the suburbs of a small town. Fortunately, the arrangement suited everyone well. The house was full and warm despite the lack of kids running around. Kyla had been an anxious only child, and found it harder to make friends with others as a result. Still, there were a few others like her. They'd draw and read around the table in the library, mostly oblivious to their parents' worries.
During the last two weeks of the summer before 6th grade, Kyla went to sleepaway camp. She dreaded the very idea of it and asked her parents repeatedly if she could just stay home, maybe take drawing lessons for the summer, but they were adamant about her having this experience. Surprisingly for Kyla, it was a great experience and she'd felt more like herself than ever before. She was elated when she got back a week before school started, and to her parents' surprise she was even more excited when they broke the news that Mona had found a position as a pro bono lawyer, and it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. They had decided to move to San Francisco in a month.
What seemed like a nightmare for any other kid- to be the new kid on the block- was, in Kyla's eyes, a chance at a new start. Now that she'd felt firsthand what it was like to be comfortable in one's own skin, this move was a once-in-a-lifetime (she had also been a pretty dramatic kid) chance to cement the feeling by reinventing herself, instead of feeling stuck in the idea of her that she knew everyone else now believed. The only downside was moving away from all she'd known, including her beloved grandparents. Grandpa's cooking, Grandma's stories and sewing lessons. The fireplace. The neighbours.
And so, each member of the family took this news in stride, enjoying the last month together and promising to visit for the holidays. Kyla worked hard to do well at school and kept on drawing during her free time. She made friends with other kids who were into the arts, and went on to high school without much of a hiccup. Beacon Hills faded into a distant, insignificant part of her past.
So being back here for the summer? It felt surreal, almost too much to be true. And when Stiles Stilinski went on a walk that same evening and saw that Kyla Chang was back, he paused in his tracks. He felt the very same way.
Camp Unalayee was located at the heart of the Trinity Alps Wilderness in Northern California, a four and a half hour drive from Beacon Hills. The camp prided itself on values of self-confidence, friendship, and offering 7-12 year olds the chance to do a three-day two-night hike in the Alps. Kyla and Stiles had been classmates since kindergarten, but hadn't really talked much. In school, Stiles was the hyperactive kid with questions that usually had little to do with the material being taught, while Kyla sat on the side and tried not to think too much about what others were thinking about her. Once, earlier in the year, they'd had to stay after school to clean the chalkboards as part of their detention; Stiles had been disruptive during class and Kyla had been caught drawing instead of doing work for the third time. They'd bonded over the unfairness of it, laughed at each other's antics while cleaning, and then never really talked again. Now, the two had been paired together to gather extra firewood for the evening.
It felt like no time had passed at all as they hiked through the forest during the day, stopping for breaks throughout. The two kids got along like a log on fire, or a s'more, rather, similar to when Stiles's s'more actually caught fire later that night. As they laid next to each other during a guided stargazing session with the other kids, Stiles admitted that he wished Lydia was there to see this. And Kyla said the same about Jess, a girl from school who was a known violinist.
"Too bad it's just you," Kyla said jokingly.
"Pfft. Too bad it's just you."
"Nice comeback."
"Shut up."
The two grew quiet while the guide pointed out the cassiopeia constellation- "See, it forms a 'w' right up there…" and went on to recount the story of its namesake, the ancient Greek myth of the queen of Aethiopia. The queen had angered Poseidon by saying her daughter Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereids- the sea nymphs- and so was she. As punishment, he placed her and her family into the sky, forcing Cassiopeia to wheel the North celestial pole around the earth on her throne and thus cling to it so she wouldn't fall off half the time.
"I wonder if she was right," Kyla whispered.
"About?"
"Being more beautiful than the sea nymphs." She noticed that Stiles had gone quiet. "Hey, you okay?"
"... Yea. It's just. My mom passed away two years ago, and it's stupid but.. I wonder if she's up there. You know, in heaven and all that stuff."
"... sorry about your mom. Do you believe she is?"
"I dunno what I believe."
"That works, too."
"... Thanks. People usually try to tell me what they want me to think, instead of just letting it be."
"Yea, I know. It's annoying. But we can't help how other people feel, so. The kindest thing is to just sit with it, with them. That's what my grandma says, anyway."
"She sounds smart."
"Yea, she is."
The guide finished up talking about the constellations, and told the kids that it was time to clean up and head to sleep for the night. They'd pitched up tents earlier, girls on one side, boys on the other. As they got comfortable in their sleeping bags, Stiles drifted off to sleep while thinking about his mom. Kyla had a hard time sleeping, although it wasn't due to the usual restlessness. She didn't know why, exactly, but there was now a sudden sense of serenity and peace that hadn't been felt in a long time.
On the evening of Kyla's first night back, dinner consisted of her favorite: soy sauce spare ribs, bok choy, and rice. In the mid-size dining room that was connected to the kitchen, Kyla's grandmother brought out the chopsticks before sitting down to begin their meal.
Kuang Yisheng and Wong Li Lin both spoke Cantonese as their mother tongue, but picked up a bit of English in the years after arriving in America in their late 20s. Still, under the roof of this home they had chipped in to buy with Li Lin's daughter for the family, they naturally spoke Cantonese. As a result, Kyla could understand the language fairly well, although it was getting a little more difficult to speak with every year that passed. Her parents were spoke more English to her and each other, these days.
"So, how's school?" Grandpa asked.
"Good."
"Grades?"
"Very good."
"Of course they are," Grandma said proudly. "How're your parents?"
"They're doing well, too. I mean, both are busy with work, so. I think that's good."
"Hmph," Grandpa said, displeased in the way he usually was when Kyla's father was mentioned. He had always been at odds with his daughter's husband. It was a classic tale; Gai Ling had given up his prior writing career in China upon moving overseas, and worked 12-hour shifts tirelessly in a Chinese restaurant to support his family. It was one of the few jobs available when you didn't speak the language. Nonetheless, he hoped better for his daughter. So it was disappointing when she started seeing Peter Chang- a low-earning teacher. He was a nice enough man, always trying to win Gai Ling's approval even now, but that didn't mean very much. Teaching was respectable, sure. But it would never make someone rich.
Kyla braced herself for the grumbling and complaints that had been as familiar as the television playing in the background since she was a kid, but Grandma cleared her throat. She'd sensed it coming, too. She wasn't a fan of the disharmony, either.
"Why don't we eat outside, on the porch? Just like when you were little."
"Oh, good idea."
After a quick move from the dinner table to the porch with their bowls, Kyla tried to think of a topic to steer the conversation towards. Before she could, a wave of exhaustion came over her although she couldn't pinpoint the reason. And then a familiar brown haired boy passed by.
The boy stopped in surprise when he caught her eye. So did she; her chopsticks were midair.
"Ky?"
Stiles's voice had gotten deeper now, and he must have grown at least a foot since the camp days. Ky wondered how different she looked now, too. She smiled and waved. "Hey."
"You're back," he said, surprised and grinning. "Oh, hi, Mr. and Mrs. … Kyla's grandparents."
"Yea, I'm back." She laughed then glanced at her grandparents, who greeted him politely in return.
"When did you- oh, shoot, you guys are eating. Uh. I won't bother you, then- sorry." He winced, then offered a weak grin. "See you around?"
"Yea, no, it's okay. Um. Yea, see you later."
The family returned to their meal. Ky snuck a glance just in time to see Stiles open his door and head in, two houses down across the street. Just like when they were little. Except back then, they hadn't really known each other all that well.
You still don't, she reminded herself. He was an acquaintance, at best. A neighbour. The boy next door… well, two doors down and across the street. She'd never seen him grin like that, though… as if there wasn't as much light behind it as there used to be.
"I've never seen you talk to that boy before," Grandma said, surprised.
"Yea, we never really talked until the summer before we moved. He ended up in the same camp as me for a week. We were the only people we knew, so we sorta… became friends, I guess? But that was years ago. I don't really remember it, even, so I doubt he does."
"Hm."
Ky gave Grandma a look. "Wait, what's the matter?"
She sighed. "I think you should stay away from him."
"How come?"
"Boys mean trouble, at this age," Grandpa quipped, before continuing to eat.
"Yea, but they've always been trouble. Grandma, why are you worried?" she asked gently. "He's lived down the street since we were kids. We know him."
"You haven't been back in a few years… things have changed." She paused, unsettled. "He seems like no good these days, is all. I think something happened, but I don't know what."
"Oh. Okay. I'll stay away, then." Ky said this just to appease her. Besides, she didn't think much of it or of Stiles; it wasn't like they were old friends.
Just old classmates. Nothing more.