Summer Break, Rising Senior Year, 2015

"Can you see me?"

Shea gripped her phone in one hand and the handle of her suitcase in the other. She scanned the cars parked haphazardly against the curb in the arrivals lot. The airport's pick-up zone was a cacophonic symphony of car horns, musty bus engines and people shouting into their phones.

"No," she said with a sigh. "Sorry. Can you go around again? I'm coming out of Southwest if you can find their sign."

"Yeah," Rodrick said. "Gimme a few. See you soon."

It was finally summer break, and Shea had just landed in Chicago. Normally her dad would pick her up from the airport, but he and his fiance Jennifer were away in Montana working on wedding details. Shea had considered calling an Uber to pick her up, but Rodrick insisted he wanted to drive her home.

"No one ever wants to pick someone up from the airport," Shea had told him via text about a week ago. "What's fun about driving around in circles and getting cut off by assholes?"

"There's a reward at the end," Rodrick had typed, "I get to see you."

Even now, Shea blushed thinking about his words.

No, they weren't together, but their flirting was fun and made her feel good. He had even agreed to attend her dad's wedding in Montana with her after Priya could no longer make it—she was accepted into a highly competitive externship for her major.

Especially after Rodrick agreed to go to the wedding, Priya warned Shea against falling for Rodrick ("You live 1,000 miles apart still;" "you tried this last time and it didn't work;" "I don't want to see you get hurt again"). Shea had reassured her friend that she wouldn't, but she had to admit she loved his attention. He made her feel special in a way others couldn't.

After a few minutes of waiting (and breathing in too much motor exhaust), Rodrick's red pickup truck emblazoned with the Plainview Heights Country Club logo pulled in front of her.

"Found you!" Rodrick said with a childlike grin. "Get in."

Shea didn't have to be told twice—she tossed her suitcase into the backseat and then hopped in his truck, ready for summer in Plainview.

Shea thought they'd drive right to her apartment, but Rodrick had something else in mind: a trendy new rooftop bar a few miles away in the heart of Chicago. Shea would have never put "Rodrick" and "trendy" in a sentence together on her own, but his mom had read about the bar in a magazine and apparently "insisted" he check it out for her. Shea was skeptical of this story but was also happy to accompany him on whatever misadventures lay ahead.

"Wow," Shea said in awe once they arrived. Above them, fairy lights twinkled, beautifully contrasting against the fake moss on the brick walls. The warm May breeze wrapped them in a pleasant hug; even better, the bar was mostly empty, so they had their pick of high-top tables scattered across the bar. "I feel very cool right now."

Rodrick smirked at her, his eyes lingering on her childlike smile. "Well, you're not, you big dork."

Shea barked a laugh.

After they ordered two margaritas, Shea and Rodrick toasted, thus beginning their afternoon of drinking. They picked at nachos (without meat, much to Rodrick's chagrin; "I keep forgetting you're a vegetarian," he lamented) and chatted about the semester. Though, honestly, they didn't have much new information to share. Especially after Rodrick and Celine broke up, they had been texting more often. Shea had missed being so in tune with Rodrick—whether or not they were romantically meant to be, he felt like a soulmate.

"So when are we taking the city by storm?" Shea asked, sipping on drink number two. "We're just a few blocks back from the venues, right? We should get drunk and go beg for a spot on their roster."

Rodrick grinned and clapped his hands triumphantly. "Actually, I'd been meaning to tell you… Ben and I have been hustling lately and we've booked a few shows!"

Shea nearly spit out her margarita. "What!"

"About two a month through the end of the summer."

"Wow," Shea gushed. She had missed the thrill of performing rock music live; though she was part of her college's choir and Chamber Singers groups, it just wasn't the same energy as a rock show. "It's been so long since we've performed live. Do you think we're ready?"

"We will be," he said with a sheepish smile.

Shea barked a laugh. "That's the reckless Rodrick Heffley optimism I know and love."

His smile nearly knocked her off her feet… or maybe it was the tequila. Just to be sure, she ordered a third, and then a fourth, drink. Shea was having such a good time shooting the breeze with Rodrick that she barely noticed the sun moving across the sky or the barstools around them filling up.

At some point, Rodrick's phone buzzed with such ferocity it nearly fell off of their table; they both scrambled to catch it, and it luckily fell in his palm. Shea could see on his caller ID that it was his mom.

Rodrick cleared his throat before answering (as if that would hide the fact that he was drunk). "Hey. What's up?"

Shea couldn't help but giggle. They were both 21 now—Rodrick would be 22 in August—but he was still shrinking like his mom had caught them at a high school party.

"We can do that," Rodrick said a little too confidently. Then, quickly, "See you."

"What was that?" Shea asked as soon as he hung up.

"Mom needs milk for dinner," Rodrick said. He hopped off the stool he had been sitting on, stumbling slightly on his step. "Shit. Um. I can't drive."

"There's gotta be a store around here somewhere," Shea suggested. "We can find milk and then drive back."

"Sounds good." Rodrick wobbled a little as he walked. "Let's go on a milk mission!"

The city streets smelled putrid—like burning rubber and cigarette smoke—but something about stumbling through the city with her friend made Shea not want to be anywhere else. More than once, Shea tripped over her own feet. Each time, Rodrick caught her hand in his to stop her from falling, wrapping his fingers around hers. Shea melted at his touch.

She was swooning, she knew she was, but UGH, he was so cute. Priya's voice wiggled into her brain, "It didn't work last time and it won't work this time."

Well, imaginary Priya, Shea thought, it wasn't like she was going to marry him. It could be a summer fling. Or nothing at all! That was what college was about, right? Having fun and making impulsive choices?

Shea waited for Priya's voice to chime in her head, but it was quickly replaced by the pop song that had been blasting through the speakers at the bar.

Rodrick found a corner store about four blocks from the bar. It was blessedly empty, which allowed them to drunkenly wander around, picking at candy and magazines and other knick knacks they didn't intend to buy.

"Dare me to eat this hot dog?" Rodrick was staring down a rough-looking hot dog on a spinning warmer.

"Absolutely not," Shea laughed. "That's food poisoning waiting to happen."

"I like to live dangerously."

"Ew."

They must have circled the store shelves half a dozen times, waiting for their sobriety to kick back in. Shea wasn't sure how much time had passed when Rodrick finally grabbed the gallon of milk and wandered over to the cash register to pay, Shea following him like a baby duckling.

When the transaction was done, the store's door jingled and Rodrick stopped in his tracks. In walked a beautiful black girl with thick dreadlocks and a hand-torn band shirt for a metal band Shea didn't recognize. She glanced around the store as if trying to find her footing when her eyes landed on Rodrick.

"Rodrick?"

"H-hey, Mel," Rodrick stammered.

Mel shot him a toothy smile. "Hey, man! What's going on?"

"Milk," he said, holding up the gallon as if to prove his point. Shea wasn't sure if he was still drunk or just embarrassed to run into this girl.

"Same," she smiled. When Rodrick didn't move or speak, Mel cleared her throat. "Well, see you around."

"Yeah, bye," Rodrick said, watching her as she walked past the two of them.

"What was that?" Shea asked once they were safely outside.

"I, uh, hooked up with her a few weeks ago," he admitted, his face red. "Hadn't seen her since."

"Oh." The adrenaline and excitement that had filled Shea's body since the morning vanished almost instantly. Suddenly, she was nauseated… and she knew it wasn't from the alcohol.

The walk back to Rodrick's truck was much more somber than when he had picked her up from the airport. Shea pretended to focus on the walking directions on her phone, but her chest ached. Of course Rodrick was hooking up with other girls—he was single and trying to have fun. Why had she assumed that he was only thinking about her? She felt dumb and embarrassed.

In the car, Rodrick told her, his voice laced with nerves, "Um, that girl… It was just one time, and I…"

"Oh, don't, um, don't worry about it," Shea said, cutting him off. Her face burned with embarrassment. "You don't need to explain anything."

"I know, but I just…" Rodrick trailed off. He considered his words before saying, "I'm not… looking for anything serious right now, you know?"

Shea's heart ached, but she forced an understanding smile. "Yeah, I get it."

"I mean, it's summer," he said as if that explained everything. "We're just having fun right now. But then there's school and…"

"I know," she cut him off. And even though she didn't believe it herself, she told him, "Really. It's okay."

"Okay," he said, meeting her bittersweet glance. "Yeah."

Thank goodness for music. Familiar guitar riffs and drums surrounded them on the drive home. Shea tried to ignore the rock of anxiety in her gut that told her she was right—that Rodrick didn't want another relationship with her. She knew this was probably for the better, but the indirect rejection stung.

Shea licked her mental wounds, telling herself to call Priya when she got home, until she noticed that they were pulling up in front of the Heffley house instead of her apartment. Did Rodrick forget to drop her off?

"Really quick," he said, holding up the milk.

"No problem."

Shea followed him inside. The Heffley house felt blessedly normal. Even though it had been almost three years since she was last inside, nothing (aside from updated family photos) had changed. Sweetie bounded to the front door and jumped up on her just like he used to. The air was warm and smelled like roasted chicken. Some sort of video game music was thumping from the living room TV, and Shea swore she heard Rowley and Greg laughing.

"I'm back!" Rodrick announced, leading the way into the kitchen.

"Just in time," Susan said. She looked up from the stove and her eyes found Shea's; she broke out in a wide grin. "Well, hello there, stranger! Are you staying for dinner?"

"Oh! Um, I don't want to impose. Plus, you know, I don't eat meat."

"No worries! I can whip up some pasta. Dinner will be ready soon."

Rodrick looked to Shea to make sure this steamrolling by his mother was okay. Though she was just reminded they were not in a relationship, Shea couldn't help but indulge herself. Plus, who could say no to Susan Heffley?

Being in the Heffley house was like stepping back in time. Shea blinked, and she was 17 again, sitting around the dinner table with the Heffley family plus Rowley. Everyone was kind and animated (including Manny, who was now in grade school and obsessed with video games like big brother Greg). Shea was delighted to get a crash course in Heffley family news—Greg and Holly had broken up after they started high school ("She dumped him," Rowley teased, which made Greg groan); Greg, now a rising senior, was looking into art schools for college; Manny was a star student in Spanish and spent most of his free time playing Fortnite; and Susan and Frank were both still contentedly working.

It was funny how much had changed—and also how nothing had. In this house, in this family, Shea felt like she belonged. Though she had entered the house with some melancholy, she felt so much better after an evening with the Heffleys.

When Rodrick dropped her off later that evening, Shea was nostalgic for her senior year of high school and the excitement of potential that being with Rodrick brought her. She pretended that it was after their first date again—their disastrous night that led to a glorious first kiss. It took all her willpower not to wrap her fingers around his.

"I'm sorry my family is so weird," Rodrick said once he parked the truck in her apartment's parking lot. He cut the engine and turned to face her, the moonlight glowing in the sky behind him. "I'm sure you just wanted to get home."

"No way!" she said with a sincere smile. "I had fun. It was great to catch up. Though I'm not surprised Holly dumped Greg."

"Yeah, that was brutal," Rodrick said plainly. "I don't think he saw it coming."

"Poor guy. He'll meet some cute art student in college and settle down."

"Yeah, his future ex-wife."

Shea laughed so hard she clapped her hands together. Rodrick, delighted by her reaction, also started laughing, and soon, they were doubled over in near hysterics.

After they calmed down, they sat in pleasant silence for a few moments, one simply watching the other. Shea knew she shouldn't swoon at his stubbled chin or warm, dark eyes, but she couldn't help it. Even his stare made her feel electric.

Shea knew she shouldn't. She knew she would likely regret it in the morning. But she didn't stop herself from asking, "Do you want to come inside?"

Rodrick read her mind; her skin was on fire with anticipation. "Yeah, I'd like that."

And even though they both knew better, they did it anyway.