Green-eyed girl

Lily is lying on the poolside lounge chair at Jason’s house, her boyfriend of eight months. It’s the last week of summer vacation in Northshore Falls, a mid-sized town in Washington State. The day is incredibly beautiful.

Jason swims carelessly in the pool. Captain of the football team, with blue eyes and dark hair, he’s the kind of guy who attracts girls like a magnet.

Lily laughs when he splashes water at her, inviting her to come in. Her green eyes—intense, impossible to ignore—are fixed on him. Her long, wavy brown hair falls over her shoulders.

He pulls her into the pool, making her scream. He holds her by the arms while she tries to break free, struggling for a few seconds.

When she finally manages to slip away and swim toward the other side, Jason catches up to her effortlessly and corners her against the edge. The space between them shrinks.

Lily is trapped between the wall and his body.

He moves even closer and presses his body against hers. Gently, he brushes Lily’s hair to the side, leaving her neck exposed. He brings his lips near, letting her feel his warm breath against her skin. The atmosphere changes. Waves of heat spread through her body.

He slides his hands along Lily’s arms. It’s enough to make her shiver. He laughs, his face now very close to hers, staring at her. Then he kisses her.

The kiss begins slowly. He holds her face with both hands and shivers when Lily presses her hand against his abdomen, feeling his muscles. The kiss grows more urgent.

They have kissed countless times before, but never like this—so intimate, with their bodies almost naked. It’s the first time Lily has been with Jason like that. Something she had been avoiding, because she knew exactly where it could lead. And she didn’t feel ready. Not yet.

As his hands wander along Lily’s back and their breathing grows faster, she gently pushes Jason away, pausing the kiss.

Immediately, he looks frustrated.

“I’m sorry, Jason, but this was going too fast.”

“We’ve been together for eight months. That’s not fast for me,” he says, resting his arm on the pool edge, staying a few inches away from her body.

“I just… I… I’m not ready.”

“When will you be? Because honestly, Lily, this is getting really hard to deal with.”

She hesitates.

“I don’t know, Jason…”

“To me it looked like you were enjoying it just as much as I was.”

“Yes, I was. But you don’t understand…”

“I really don’t. You know I could have any girl I want, right? And yet I’m here with you!”

Hearing that, Lily swallows hard. Then she pushes him aside and moves toward the ladder to climb out of the pool.

“That’s all you have to say to me, Jason? That you could have any girl you want?”

“I’m just telling the truth, Lily!”

She steps out of the pool and pulls on her shorts and T-shirt over her still-wet bikini. Jason watches her from the water, looking confused.

“Where are you going?” he asks.

“Home, Jason. I’m going home.”

“Hey, babe, come back here.”

She doesn’t answer. She grabs her bag and heads for the exit, leaving Jason behind.

She walks a few blocks holding back tears. A few escape anyway.

She enters the house, goes straight to her room, closes the door, and throws herself onto the bed.

She’s confused. She feels attracted to him—that’s undeniable. But something had never felt quite right. The desire was there, but along with it came a resistance she couldn’t ignore.

She doesn’t know how much time passes, but it’s probably been a few hours.

A notification arrives.

She thinks it’s Jason. But it isn’t.

It’s Jena.

Strange, but she opens it.

And there it is. Jena with Jason.

A photo appears. Then another. And another. Jason is lying beside Jena in bed. They are covered by a sheet, but it’s clear they’re naked. Jena smiles for the selfie while he sleeps beside her.

Lily freezes in shock. She types nothing. She looks at the photos again and again. It’s his room. And she’s there.

When she doesn’t reply, Jena sends a message.

Jena: If you want, I can give you a spoiler about what Jason likes. Maybe that’ll motivate you, Lily?

Lily reads it in disbelief. The audacity.

Jena: Oh Lily, I wish you had seen what we did in the pool. You would’ve been shocked!

Lily blocks Jena. She doesn’t want—and doesn’t need—any more explanations. Everything is already perfectly clear.

After a pause, she realizes: it’s over.

And she cries. She cries until she completely passes out.

When she wakes up, she’s still lying on her double bed, wrapped in the blanket. It’s probably another day already, she thinks. And it is when she checks her phone. She must have fallen asleep like she’d been drugged.

Her room still carries many traces of childhood Lily. The style is Provençal, white and pink, with wallpaper of small flowers. The bigger bed replaced the old princess bed—Lily wouldn’t fit in that anymore. There are framed photos, posters on the wall, and makeup scattered across the vanity.

Her face is swollen from crying.

I need to forget, she thinks.

How she wishes Ash were here.

Ashley, her best friend, is spending the summer at her grandparents’ house in California. Lily feels trapped in Northshore Falls. All she wants is to leave for a while—away from school, away from Jason.

Summer break is ending. She’ll have to see him. And see Jena.

The summer had been pleasant until yesterday.

Their relationship had started because it seemed natural that they would be together. Soon Jason began pressuring her. He wanted what many boys their age want.

With him, Lily never felt safe. And he never tried to make her feel that way. He thought being handsome and popular was enough—and maybe, for other girls, it was.

Still, Lily stayed with him. It seemed right. He was funny, he made her laugh, and he was attractive. But most of all, she stayed because she believed that with time something deeper would grow.

Now she knew she had been wrong.

She cried—not because of the breakup itself, but because she hadn’t followed her intuition, which had been screaming from the beginning. She mentally thanked herself and even felt a bit relieved that she hadn’t given in to the pressure to go further than she wanted.

Now she was sure: she had made the right choice for herself.

Her phone vibrates beside the pillow.

A message from Jason.

Jason: Babe, what happened with Jena was an accident. You’re the only perfect girl for me.

Lily rolls her eyes. She almost wants to ask if Jena accidentally fell into his bed. She doesn’t reply. And she won’t.

Suddenly the door bursts open.

Anne runs in and throws herself onto the bed, excited.

Two years younger, she is very different from Lily. Blonde, blue-eyed, she looks like their mother, Joice. Lily resembles their father, Adan.

Anne is pure light—the kind of girl who changes the atmosphere of a room with a sincere, contagious laugh.

“Lily, my favorite sister!”

“You only have one sister.”

“So tell me—what do you want?”

“Wow, how did you know I want something?”

“Anne, just say it. I’ve known you for almost fifteen years. Spill it.”

Anne settles onto the bed.

“Okay! You win. There’s a festival in town tonight, and Mom said I can’t go unless you come with me. So Lily… I really need this favor. I really want to go!”

“Anne! Look at my face, look at my eyes. I don’t want to see anyone. I just want to stay here and sleep for twenty-four hours.”

“Lily! You know I love Avoid Fights. They’ll be there. And they’re so cute!”

“No chance. Today is not a good day for that. Jason and I broke up.”

“I’m not surprised! And that’s even more reason for you to go out!”

“You’re not surprised?”

“Oh Lily, please. You two had nothing in common!”

“You’re only telling me this now?”

“I think you already knew! Please, just this once. Come on! When will I get to see them again?”

“Where’s Lia? Why don’t you go with her? Didn’t you say her neighbor is in the band?”

“Sean is, yes! Lucky her! But Lia has to babysit her siblings tonight. She can’t go.”

Anne sighs dramatically.

Lily sighs too.

“Fine. I’ll go. What wouldn’t I do for you, Anne?”

“Yessss!” Anne shouts, jumping on the bed. “You’re the best sister in the world! And by the way, get out of that bed!

Anne grabs Lily’s arms, trying to pull her up. Lily grumbles and doesn’t move. Anne gives up, grabs a pillow, and starts hitting her with it. Lily raises her arms to protect herself.

“Come on, Lily! Don’t just stay there. It was obvious that relationship wasn’t going to last, right?”

“Okay, okay… don’t rub it in my face. I already feel bad about that. I didn’t follow my intuition.”

“Nothing cheers you up like looking at the boys from the band! Lily, seriously, you’ll understand when you see them!”

“Don’t exaggerate, Anne! They’re just boys!”

“I’m serious! Oh my God! Matt, with those blue eyes… too bad he’s been dating the same girl forever!”

“Anne!” Lily laughs, giving her a light push on the shoulder.

“Since Lia is Sean’s neighbor, I’ve seen them a few times. And I swear, you won’t regret it!”

“You almost made me believe you! Almost! Now help me hide these dark circles, little sister,” Lily says, sitting up on the bed.

When they are ready, their father, Adan, drives them to the festival. Anne sings along with him during the ride while Lily sits quietly, looking out the window. When he stops the car, he gives each of them a kiss.

“I’ll pick you up at ten. Have fun!”

Lily watches Anne, so excited about the show and the festival, that she starts feeling a little happier for having agreed to go with her. It’s better than staying home wrapped in a blanket, mentally replaying everything that happened — the photos, the conversation with Jason.

They eat hot dogs together, sitting on an improvised bench, and Lily finds herself laughing at something Anne says. That surprises her. She’s having fun — more than she thought she would.

The festival is filled with rows of small stalls, each offering a different kind of food. Hanging lights stretch across the space from one side to the other, illuminating the night with warm tones and creating a cheerful, almost magical atmosphere. In the background, a stage has been set up — still empty, but imposing. That’s where the band Anne loves so much will perform.

Lily has heard about them before. A local band, four boys from the elite Northshore Academy, a traditional and prestigious school. She never had much interest in knowing them — until now.

Silently, she admits to herself a sudden curiosity. She wants to understand Anne’s excitement and why she became such a fan. After all, even though they are local, the band is already a constant presence at city events, always being talked about.

As the time for the show approaches, Anne becomes more and more excited. She insists on getting closer to the stage. She wants to stand in front. Lily lets her sister pull her by the hand, following her onto the grass where people are beginning to crowd together.

It’s a pleasant summer night.

Lily is wearing a light white dress with small floral prints. Anne is wearing a blue dress. The two of them seem to belong to that scene, as if they were part of the lively, illuminated setting around them.

The stage lights partially turn on. The sound is tested.

The host appears and announces that in ten minutes Avoid Fights will take the stage.

An excited murmur spreads through the crowd as people move even closer to the stage.

When the show begins, Lily understands everything within the first few minutes.

The boys attract attention.

They’re good.

And they’re handsome — very handsome.

Now everything makes sense: Anne’s excitement and all the compliments.

Still, that’s not what holds her attention.

It’s the voice.

The lead singer.

His voice is beautiful. More than that — it’s captivating. Surprisingly good. Lily feels her attention being pulled toward him without effort, without warning.

It’s strange.

And new.

He’s tall, with slightly messy dark blond hair and light brown eyes. The other band members almost disappear for her.

He sings with emotion, as if every word has weight. At times he closes his eyes, completely immersed.

Between one verse and the next, he opens them again and looks at the audience.

He doesn’t seem to be searching for anyone in particular.

But then, for a moment, his eyes meet Lily’s.

And stay there.

Time slows down.

His gaze is intense and steady, and Lily feels as if something invisible crosses the space between them. As if silent particles travel through the air, creating an almost tangible connection.

It’s just a look.

But her heart starts racing.

The sensation is one of recognition.

Like finding someone who, in some inexplicable way, had already been missing.

He looks forward again.

But seconds later, he searches for her eyes once more — and doesn’t look away.

Lily wonders if it’s really her.

There are so many people there.

She is just another girl in the crowd at a festival.

But in that moment, she doesn’t want to be.

Not this time.

Anne pulls her toward the other side of the stage, trying to get a better view, and the connection breaks as Lily is dragged along by her sister.

Even so, the feeling remains.

Warm.

Good.

Real.

Lily decides to keep that moment just for herself, hidden somewhere in her memory — untouched, silent, waiting to be remembered.

And there, without her knowing it,

everything began