Back when we were still changing for the better...

"You're up late."

I froze as I noticed Leah sitting at the kitchen island. She had a glass of water in hand, smiling at James and me. Her gaze dropped to our intertwined hands, and she smirked. I quickly let go and politely smiled back.

"Yeah, um, we were out on a walk," James told her.

"Did you go swimming?" she grinned.

"We...may have stepped in the water for a minute," James replied.

I looked at him to see a faint blush on his cheeks, still very apparent in the dim lighting.

"Do you mind if we put on a movie?" James continued.

Leah's face lit up. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "And Augustine, you're absolutely welcome to spend the night here. I'm sure James will take great care of you." She winked at us before standing up and walking towards the stairs.

"I'm off to bed. Have fun you two," Leah grinned. "But not too much fun." With another wink, she disappeared up the stairs.

"Jesus," James muttered as I giggled. "I think she's a fan of you."

"I see where Miles gets it from," I laughed.

"Surprisingly, they're not related," James told me. "She's our stepmom."

I mentally face-palmed myself. "Right," I said. "Sorry, I totally forgot."

"Not a problem," James replied. "Do you want a change of clothes? You've been shivering this whole time."

Had I been? I hadn't realized. Comfy clothes would be nice though. I nodded, and James led me up the stairs to his room.

I studied his room the moment we entered. Not in a creepy way, but I was a firm believer that one could learn a lot about a person by how their room looked.

It was extremely organized. The bed was made with white and blue sheets, there was a telescope pointing out the window, and a large skylight I could see the stars through. There was also a bookshelf containing novels organized by colour. On his wall was a poster with names of stars and constellations written all over it. On his small bedside table held a lamp and the journal I saw him using a while back with a pen resting next to it.

He's a bigger nerd than I thought.

"Here you go," James said, handing me some clothes. "If you want, I could get you some of Leah's stuff to wear." He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

I held his gaze. "It's okay," I said softly.

"Um, you can change here. I'll meet you downstairs, and we can put on a movie."

"Ok."

James shut the door softly as he left, leaving me alone in his room. I took my time slipping on the red t-shirt he had given me, as well as the grey pj pants. Written all over the pants was the word StarWars, making me smile. the more I got to know James, the more I learned about his nerdy side. He had also left a dark green hoodie with a sky full of stars dotted across the front, and a bag for my current clothes. After putting it on and marveling the soft fabric, I placed my old clothes in the bag and headed downstairs.

I heard a popping sound as I entered the kitchen. James stood beside a popcorn maker while melting some butter on the stove. My heart warmed as he sprinkled some salt on the popcorn and separated it into two bowls. It didn't even cross my mind to make snacks for the movie.

"You ready?" James smiled at me.

"Almost," I replied. "Where's the washroom?"

"Oh, just down the hall."

I stood facing the mirror. My hair was wild from the breeze at the beach, and my cheeks were stained with red. I looked tired and a little bit crazy, but definitely happy. I quickly washed my hands and went back to the kitchen, but James was nowhere to be seen.

"James?" I called out nervously.

"Over here," came his voice from the next room. I walked through the kitchen, down two stairs, and turned to the left to see the TV room. What I saw next completely melted my heart.

The couch had a few blankets piled on it, and the coffee table held a bowl of strawberries, one with blueberries, and two with popcorn. There were also two large mugs of what smelled like hot chocolate, both foaming at the top. Somehow, James had also managed to change within that time, now wearing a grey hoodie and dark red, flannel pj pants. I froze as I took it all in.

"Sorry, I didn't have time to make a lot of things," James said shyly.

"James, this is perfect," I stated, when I finally found my voice. Just the thought of him making this for me was so kind.

"The berries are for you," he said. "I don't really like them."

I walked over and sat on the couch, immediately taking the bowl of strawberries.

James laughed. "Ok, I guess I know your favourite fruit," he teased.

"My favourite food," I corrected him.

"Alright then," he smiled. "What movie do you want to watch?" He started browsing through movies, until one caught my eye.

"Ooh, High School Musical!" I laughed. "My best friend gives me shit for not having seen it. Well, she used to."

James gave me a curious look but brushed past my comment. "I've never seen it either," he admitted.

"We could watch it," I suggested.

"Why not?" James clicked on the title and the opening scene played.

The moment Zac Efron entered, I started giggling. "He looks so young there!" I exclaimed.

"He looks like a knock-off Justin Bieber," James laughed.

We spent the first half of the movie making fun of the characters. I couldn't believe how cheesy it was. We mocked almost every line, laughing and giggling each time.

About halfway through the movie, my eyes got heavy and I let out a long breath. James sat on my left, sipping his hot chocolate and focusing on the screen. He looked so at peace, with an amused smile on his face. If he didn't like the movie, he wasn't showing it. I looked back at the TV and slowly leaned my head towards him. He didn't move, so I rested my head on his shoulder. The insecure side of me expected him to pull away, but he didn't. Instead, he took another sip of hot chocolate and continued watching the movie.

A few minutes later, I felt his arm move, and his hand rested on top of mine that was next to my legs tucked in on the couch. With a move that sent butterflies across my whole body, he opened my hand with his, so he could intertwine ours together. I relaxed against his body and shut my eyes, feeling his thumb rub softly against mine.

I managed to stay partially awake for the rest of the movie, despite it being one of the most cheesy I had seen. As they sang the final song and the credits rolled, I rubbed my eyes and sat up.

"What did you think?" James asked me. He seemed to like it, but I wanted to be honest.

"It wasn't that good," I confessed.

"It really wasn't," James said. "What a terrible movie."

"You seemed to be into it," I laughed.

"Not a chance," he replied. "That was awful."

"Totally. At least we can say we've seen it now."

"Right," James smiled. "Want to watch the second one?"

"Hell no," I laughed. "One was bad enough."

James grinned. "I guess we have to learn the dances now."

"In your dreams, weirdo."

While James got up to go to the washroom, I pulled the blanket further over my body. I felt something buzz underneath me and lifted the blanket to see what it was. James's phone was lit up with a text. I knew I shouldn't have read it, but my curiosity won over, and I picked up the phone.

Hi James, just making sure you got my last text. Let me know when you're free to chat! <3

Pretty typical text to get from a friend, I thought, before glancing at the name.

Betty.

James's ex-girlfriend.

Why is she texting him?

I didn't open the thread, instead waiting for the screen to go dark and setting it back down on the couch.

James appeared a minute later, smiling as he sat next to me.

"Someone texted you," I told him.

"I can open it later," James smiled, leaning forward and pressing his forehead against mine. My heart warmed at his comment, but I needed to know what was going on.

"Looks like it's from Betty," I frowned.

James's eyes narrowed as he picked up his phone. I watched his face while he read the message. He showed signs of anger, possibly sadness. But I saw a glimpse of longing, like he missed her. My heart sank as a realization hit me.

"James?" I asked softly.

He gazed at me with sadness in his eyes. The text was happy, but it clearly affected James negatively.

"Do you still love her?" I asked finally.

James pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "No!" he stammered. "I mean, I don't know. She confuses me. I haven't responded to her texts if that's what you're wondering."

I shifted away from him, putting some space between us. I really thought he liked me. Was I a rebound? I lifted the blanket off me and stood up, ready to leave.

"Augustine, wait."

James took my hands in his.

"Am I your rebound, James?" I asked, tears threatening to spill over. Inez had broken me, bullying me until I almost dropped out of school. I couldn't handle another rejection.

"You're not my rebound," James said, looking in my eyes for reassurance. "Don't leave. Please."

I sighed, sitting back on the couch. James sat next to me but left some space between us. I spent the night getting closer to him, closer than I had been with anyone besides Inez, and now I was unsure if I meant anything to him.

"You should move on before finding another girl," I told him, my tone harsher than necessary.

"You're one to talk," James shot back.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked him.

"You obviously have some issues with emotional connection. What happened?"

I squirmed in my seat, not wanting to answer. "None of your business," I said. I turned to leave when James spoke again.

"She cheated on me," he said suddenly. "With a girl."

I froze before turning back to face James.

"I thought maybe the universe decided I didn't deserve to be loved," he continued. "I didn't want to come here this summer, but my dad and Leah made me. Meeting you has been amazing, despite how awkward we are. Betty broke me, but you're healing me."

I sat down again, letting his words sink in.

"Look," he said softly. "I can't promise I'm completely over her, but I promise you're helping me move forward, while also bringing happiness to my life. We have three weeks left of August, and I want to spend them with you."

He took my hands in his, waiting for my reply.

"She ruined my life," I began. "She was my best friend, until one day she decided to hate me. She bullied me everyday, her and her stupid new friends. Every secret I had told her was spread around school. I almost dropped out because of her. I decided I would never trust anyone again." I took a deep breath before continuing.

"You've brought back a part of me I forgot existed. It's only been a few months since she hurt me, but it feels like forever now. I want to spend the rest of August with you."

I leaned forward, softly pressing my lips against his. He tasted like hot chocolate, warm and sugary. I felt him smile against my lips as he tugged me closer.

Though everything felt right, one thought wouldn't leave my mind.

What happens when August is over?