"It's not going to be that bad, Cadence. It's just for a month, and I'm not leaving you home alone for that long. I'd be a horrible mother." She said as she set the car keys on the kitchen table.

"I want to spend my summer here, mom. All of it." I groaned as I squeezed my eyes shut. "My friends are here, not in Cape Cod."

"You're coming, and you're not getting out of it. The sooner you accept it, the sooner you'll quit whining, and the less tempted I'll be to chug a whole bottle of vodka."

"I'll be in my room." I rolled my eyes and walked upstairs to my room, where I slammed the door for emphasis.

I wasn't usually a whiny brat. Usually I was patient and calm, but I hate when people tell me what to do. Especially when they don't give me any choice.

I pulled out my phone to text my friend, Avery.

Fuck me. I sent her with a frown. Then, in a different text, My mom's making me spend a month of the summer in Cape Cod. Going next week.

She replied back with, What's in Cape Cod?

Her old friend is meeting us there. Don't know her at all.

Sucks. I'll miss u.

What a kind, caring friend.

Mom opened my door slightly and peeked her head in.

"Cadence, if it makes you feel better, she has a daughter your age."

"It doesn't, but thanks." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Why don't you lose the attitude, missy?" She said in her mom voice, looking at me with a stern glare.

"Whatever," I said, flipping her off when she closed the door. "Whatever."

Six days went by and I was packed and ready to go. As mom stuffed the both of us into the car along with countless bags and snacks for the road, I popped my earbuds in and slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next thing I knew, I was being shaken awake in the passenger seat.

"You slept the whole three hours. Now, wake up and help me bring the bags in." Mom said, lugging a heavy bag over her shoulder.

I rubbed my eyes and sleepily stepped out of the car, breathing in the ocean air. The house was cute and right along the beach. Ice cream shops and boutiques were scattered about, giving the area a very summery vibe. I could dig it, I guess.

"Doesn't look too bad, does it?" Mom asked as she looked out to the water.

"It's cute. I'll try to enjoy myself, I guess." I smiled, glancing around and basking in the warm air.

"C'mon. Marie and her daughter aren't here yet, but we may as well settle in." She led the way up the front steps as I juggled three bags and a suitcase in my arms. We were staying for a month, after all.

Mom reached under a flower pot and pulled out a small gold key, unlocking the door and stepping inside with me trailing behind her.

"It's adorable! Just how I remember it." Mom gushed as she set her bags down in the hallway. "Marie and I used to come here every summer when we were younger. I miss this." She looked around the house, very obviously reminiscing as she fluttered about and grinned nostalgically.

"I'm gonna pick a room." I said as I started to walk upstairs with my bag, calling over my shoulder.

"Third on the left is Marie's, third on the right is mine!" She yelled back.

The upstairs hallway was narrow and long, and I made my way through it peeking into each room.

First on the left was a small bathroom, second was an office, and third was a bedroom. Marie's, apparently. On the right, there was a bedroom, then another, and a bathroom. At the end of the hallway was a large room with a queen sized bed. One of the walls was occupied largely by a window with the kind of sill you could sit on; the kind I'd always wanted to have in my room at home. I smiled and walked forwards, dropping my bags in the doorway and looking around.

"Can I take the one at the end of the hall?" I shouted down.

"Yes!" She called, and I heard her footsteps walk up the stairs.

"I think I just heard Marie's car pull up. Come with me, I want to introduce you two." She led me downstairs and we watched the car pull up through the kitchen window.

A middle aged woman stepped out of the car along with a teenage girl, and my blood ran cold.

"Nooo." I moaned in frustration as I realized who it was.

"What?" My mom asked, turning to me. "What is it?"

"I know her. She goes to my school." I groaned.

"That's good! You're already friends, then." She smiled and went to open the door.

"Mom, why the hell would I say 'no' if we were friends?"

"You don't like her?" Mom asked with a frown.

"I really don't."

That didn't quite sum it up.

Farrah Adler.

The bitch of my past, present, and future. She was such a stereotype, it wasn't even funny. Most popular girl in school, every guy wants her but she's on and off with her boyfriend (as if anyone cares), perfect looks, super skinny, bitchy, has minions... is that enough? Do you get it?

I've never really talked to her. I've tried to avoid her and any drama associated with her.

If I did talk to her, I know she'd be a bitch.

I didn't have a bad experience with her, but you could just tell she was rude. Bitchiness radiated off of her, and her glare could make a grown man cry.

"Well, suck it up. Be nice or....I'll punish you somehow, I guess." Mom sighed, and opened the door.

"Anne!" Marie cried, enveloping my mom in a hug.

"Marie! I missed you! How's Ted?" She gushed.

"He's the same, you know. Golf, and lots of it." Marie laughed as if she had just told the joke of the century.

"Oh, you." My mom laughed, stepping inside to let Marie and Farrah in. When Farrah saw me, she rolled her eyes and chewed her gum in disgust (somehow. I'm not sure how you do that, but she did. Trust me).

"Cadence! The last time I saw you, you were in diapers." Marie grinned, crushing me in a hug. "This is my daughter, Farrah." She said, pulling back and allowing oxygen into my lungs once again.

"Hi, Farrah." I said blankly, not wanting to be rude in front of Marie but not wanting to be nice in front of Farrah.

"Mmh." She nodded at me, probably feeling the same way.

Her curly blonde hair was perfect, even in this heat. What a bitch.

"Well, we're gonna go get settled in our rooms. How about we go eat at Seaside after that?" Marie suggested, causing mom to grin wildly.

"I haven't been there in years! Do you think they're still open?" She laughed.

"I drove by it on the way here. It's just how I remembered it. Everything is, it's so crazy. I've missed this place!" Marie exclaimed as she picked up her bags and went up the stairs, Farrah doing the same.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Mom looked at me happily. I could see the glimmer in her eyes, and knew she was remembering all the good times she'd had here. I knew she was truly happy.

"No, it wasn't." I relaxed. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad.

The ride to Seaside consisted of Marie and mom talking while Farrah and I sat awkwardly in the backseat.

"So Farrah, Cadence tells me that you two go to school together." My mom said in between topics.

"Yeah." She nodded, scrolling through her Snapchat.

"That's nice. Must have been a nice surprise, seeing her here."

"Oh, it was a surprise alright." Farrah agreed, looking up at me with a glare.

Marie pulled into the Seaside parking lot, blabbing to mom about her chicken recipe. The restaurant was set up like nothing I'd ever seen before. It was located above what seemed to be an ice cream shop, as if the two were conjoined like an apartment, so you had to take stairs to get to the main restaurant.

The four of us stepped out of the car, and I suddenly wished I was wearing sandals instead of sneakers, and that mom had warned me there'd be sand everywhere.

"What the hell?" Farrah exclaimed, and I peered over at her sand-filled converse sneakers with a giggle.

"It's not funny." She spat at me with a vicious look.

"It's kinda funny." I frowned as I took my own shoe off, dumping the sand out of it in front of me.

"Did you bring flip flops?" Marie asked the two of us. Of course, that's what both she and mom were wearing.

"Yes, Mom. I brought my flip flops out to eat." Farrah said sarcastically, squinting her eyes and shaking her head at her mother.

"Okay, wise ass. I meant, do you have some in your bags back at the house?" Marie asked.

"No." Farrah scowled. "I didn't bring any."

"We'll have to go to a shop and get some after we eat." Mom suggested. "Let's go get a table."

The wait for a table was fifteen minutes, and my phone occupied me long enough to keep me sane until the waitress came.

"Hello, you guys can follow me to your table." She said with a smile.

The four of us stood up and walked after the waitress, coming to a stop at a small booth that overlooked a beach.

Marie and mom slid into the booth, and I realized that all four of us wouldn't fit.

"You two are sitting there, girls." My mom said as if that wasn't a problem. She pointed to the booth right behind them.

I sighed and slid into the booth, wishing I'd brought a jacket for the air conditioning.

Farrah sat down across from me, and judging by the goose bumps on her arm, she was thinking the same thing.

We were both quiet and distracted by our phones for a couple minutes while our moms talked to the waitress, and I decided to try and lighten the awkwardness.

"Hey, why do you think they call this place Seaside?" I asked, looking out over the view of the ocean and setting my phone down on the table.

She glanced up at me and sighed, putting her phone down as well.

"Listen, Cadence," She said as if she were talking to a five year old. "I don't want to be your friend. I don't need any more friends. So stop trying to talk to me." Her voice kept the same even tone the whole time.

"So what are we supposed to do if we can't talk? Just sit here on our phones?" I asked.

"Didn't think you'd have a problem with that. You're a teenage girl." She rolled her eyes.

"What would you ladies like to drink?" The waitress asked, interrupting our conversation.

"Coke, please." I said.

"Water." Farrah said, not looking up from her phone.

The waitress walked away to get our drinks and the table stayed quiet.

"Do you think people will judge you if you're nice to me?" I asked, hoping to start some kind of conversation.

"No. I just don't need any more friends. And people like me don't hang out with people like you, so..." she raised her eyebrows and trailed off as she read the menu.

"Are you and your boyfriend dating right now?" I asked, in hopes of either pissing her off or getting her to talk.

"None of your business." She said stiffly, and I could tell that almost set her off.

"What his name? Chad? Brody?" I pretended to forget it.

"Brad." Farrah glared at me. "I'm not talking about this with you. Shut up."

I finally gave up and went the rest of the lunch in silence.

"We're going downstairs to get ice cream, come on girls!" Marie said in excitement.

Farrah and I followed our mothers' leads and went down the stairs. I was glad to be outside in the warm air instead of freezing inside the air conditioned restaurant.

The ice cream shop was colored red and white, with booths and chairs scattered around. The signs on the wall listed about 100 ice cream flavors, from cotton candy to double chocolate caramel. Delicious.

"What can I get for you today?" The man at the counter asked with a smile.

"I'll take the salted caramel, please. With cookie dough pieces on top." I ordered.

He took Farrah's order, then Marie's, then mom's, and the four of us walked out with our ice cream.

"I've missed this place so much." Marie smiled as she looked out towards the beach.

"Are we going to the beach later?" Farrah asked as she licked her ice cream cone.

"No, if you're going to the beach you go in the morning here. It gets quite chilly at night." My mom replied, and Farrah frowned.

"Can we go tomorrow?" I asked. "Tomorrow morning?"

"We'll see." Mom shrugged.

"Can we go back to the house now? We can buy flip flops later. I'm tired." Farrah complained, and I nodded my head.

Back at the house, I was unpacking my bags in the large bedroom when Farrah walked in.

"I was gonna stay in this room." She scoffed at me as I folded some shirts.

"No, you weren't. I got here first and you hadn't even seen the place. If you wanna talk to me, you don't have to make an excuse." I said, rolling my eyes and sitting on the bed.

I had made a mental decision that I would try to get along with Farrah. I wouldn't let her walk over me, but I'd try to get along with her.

"Whatever." She frowned. "I'm going to the beach tonight. Like, night swimming."

"Okay?" I said, unsure of what she wanted from me.

"So? Are you coming?" She sighed, frustration evident in her voice.

"Isn't it gonna be freezing?" I asked. Sure, I wanted to go to the beach, but I was also suspicious as to why she was asking me. Wasn't she supposed to hate me?

Farrah groaned. "Whatever. We don't have to swim, I guess."

"Sure, I'll come." I shrugged. "Why not?"

"Don't tell your mom, though." She mentioned as she began to walk out of the room.

"What? Why?" I asked her in confusion. What kind of game was this girl playing?

"It's more fun." She said with a smirk as she left the room.

That night, I was shaken awake by Farrah herself.

"Get up." She grunted as she shook my shoulder back and forth.

"What?" I asked, sitting up groggily. I wiped the sleep from my eyes. "What time is it?"

"Two in the morning. Get up." She said again, nudging me.

I swung my legs over the bed and yelped when I felt a rush of cold air.

"Oh my god. No. It's freezing. Aren't you dying?" I gasped, looking at her wearing only a t-shirt and shorts.

"Yeah, but I'm not a baby like you. Get up or don't come. Last chance."

"Fine, fine. I'm up." I stretched my legs out and stood up, throwing my sweatshirt over my head and pulling on sweatpants.

Farrah left the room and I realized, after a moment, that I was supposed to follow her.

"Walk louder, why don't you?" She growled as I went down the stairs.

"Sorry." I whispered, and tiptoed down the last couple of steps and entered the kitchen.

Farrah opened the kitchen door and a rush of cold air blew in.

"Fuck no." I gasped, folding my arms to keep warm.

"Pussy." She said, rolling her eyes and stepping onto the porch.

I mean, she basically sealed my fate right then and there. I would not stand to be insulted and not prove her wrong.

"Oh my god, I can't believe that this is how I die." I said, stepping out and closing the door after me. I caught up with Farrah and squeezed my eyes shut as I followed her down the path to the sandy beach. "I always figured I'd go in a cooler way. Freezing is alright, I guess, but I'd imagined something more heroic. 'Local girl sacrifices life to save family from burning house.' A headline. Something-"

"'Local girl found dead on beach; cause unknown." Farrah growled. "Seriously, do you ever shut up?"

"Rarely." I admitted. The wind whipped my hair around and into my face as the two of us made it to the beach.

Farrah didn't answer. Instead, she walked out further to the sand until she was merely two feet from the freezing water. She inhaled deeply, and I felt inclined to do the same. Her hands raised to her hair where she let her messy bun out, before she slipped her shirt over her head. All she wore were black Nike shorts and a black bikini top, her hair flying in the strong wind, and I knew I didn't know the real Farrah at all.

But I only saw the real Farrah for a minute or two... I'm not sure, but you loose track of time looking at beautiful things.

She turned around and walked towards me with the regular frown on her face.

"It's fucking cold as shit out here." I said.

"Come on, misery loves company." She looked at me with blue eyes.

I slipped the sweatshirt over my head and took off my t shirt, leaving myself in my own shorts and red bra. The cold air nipped at me, and I felt my arms go numb.

"You're not ugly, or anything, I guess." She said as she raked her eyes over my body. "Your body, I mean. Your face, well..." she let out a heavy breath, the kind of laugh you do to let someone know you're joking.

"Please," I smiled, my teeth chattering. "I eat my vegetables."

We sat on the ground completely silent until I lost all feeling in the tops of my arms. It seemed that Farrah had, too, because she stood up and dusted herself off just as the cold became unbearable for me.

She rolled her eyes and said, "I'm going back."

Farrah began the walk back towards the house and I ran after her, hurriedly slipping my clothes back on.

She ran up the steps and inside, and I followed, closing and locking the door behind us.

"My whole body is numb." I complained in a whisper as we stood in the freezing kitchen.

She only sat down at the table in the middle of the kitchen. I grabbed a box of Oreos off the shelf, pulled a chair out, and sat down across from her.

"Do you like the beach a lot?" I asked, looking to break the silence in the room.

"I love it." She gave the closest thing I'd seen to a smile from her.

"Even when it's cold as shit?" I laughed, snacking on Oreos.

"Yes." She said shortly. After a moment, she stood up and walked to the fridge, where she pulled out the milk.

"What are you, dumb? You can't have Oreos without milk." She scoffed as she poured two glasses.

"Sorry." I let out a breathy laugh, hoping she wouldn't hear.

Apparently, she did.

She set the milk jug down, putting her hands on the counter, and took a deep breath. Her back was to me, but I could tell she was squeezing her eyes shut, thinking.

"I don't want to be your friend." She said. It sounded like she was trying to convince herself rather than me.

"Nobody asked you to be." I replied, sitting back in my chair and smiling to myself. I'm not sure why, but her saying that prompted a bit of curiosity in me.

Farrah nodded slowly before turning around and setting the glasses of milk on the table. She slid back into the chair across from me and we sat together, a comfortable silence falling over us.

"I just don't understand why you're both so tired." Mom scolded the two of us the next morning at breakfast. "You went to bed at a reasonable hour."

"Does anybody want coffee?" Marie offered as she brewed a pot at the counter.

"I'll take some." Mom replied.

"Me." Farrah raised her head and looked around sleepily.

"Cadence, how 'bout you sweetie?" Marie offered.

"No thanks. Caffeine doesn't agree with my stomach." I blushed, scooping a spoonful of cereal into my mouth.

"So, what are we doing today?" Mom asked cheerfully, taking her coffee cup and leaning against the counter, waiting for our suggestions.

"I wanna check out some stores. Plus, Farrah and I need flip flops." I said, standing up and putting my and Farrah's bowls in the sink. "I'm gonna get dressed."

Farrah followed me up the stairs and into my room.

"I don't mind you being here, but can I ask why you followed me when I'm about to get changed?"

She looked at me like she didn't know how to answer. "Thank you," She said.

"For what?" I asked as I pulled jean shorts out of a drawer, along with a black t shirt.

"Well-" she stopped talking when I turned around and slid off my sports bra, swapping it for a real one. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Uh... changing?" I replied, slipping my shirt on. I kicked my shorts off, and Farrah blushed with a scowl, turning around. I guess someone's big on modesty.

"Thanks, I guess. For last night." She took a deep breath, regaining composure and turning back around. I was fully dressed now, just brushing my hair.

"Don't you mean this morning?" I smiled, grabbing a pair of sunglasses and resting them on top of my head, and probably tangling them  into my hair.

"You're really stupid." She scoffed, turning around and leaving.

The four of us met up outside on the front porch, with Mom and Marie wearing sundresses while Farrah and I wore jean shorts and t shirts.

"Are we walking?" Farrah asked with a frown.

"The farthest stores are six blocks away. You'll live." Marie laughed, and began to lead the way to the busiest parts of the town center.

"Stupid humidity...messing up my hair." Farrah complained. Mom and Marie walked ahead, while the two of us lagged behind a bit.

"It looks fine." I said, glancing around the various ice cream shops and boutiques. "Like always. See anything interesting?"

"Follow me." She said, letting Marie and mom know that we were going off on our own.

She led me to a small clothing store called Gabby's, the bell jingling as we walked inside.

"How may I help you today?" The girl behind the counter asked with a grin.

"No." Farrah said, walking past her to look at bathing suits. I gave the girl an apologetic look and followed Farrah.

"What was that?" I asked her.

"I...don't talk to people who I don't want to talk to." She said, not giving me her full attention as she looked through racks. "Here," She said, shoving a red bikini at me. "Try this on."

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"Are you deaf?" She scowled, forcing me to take the two piece and shoving me into a changing room.

I gave in and undressed, slipping the bikini bottoms over my underwear and putting on the top.

"There. Are you happy?" I asked, stepping out of the dressing room.

"Buy it." She said, looking my body up and down.

"How hot am I?" I teased her, twirling around.

"Reasonably." She said with a nervous frown.

I bought the bathing suit.

"You wanna grab some ice cream?" I asked after we had left the store, bags in hand.

"Which shop? There are only 100." Farrah smiled before catching herself and slapping her usual frown back on.

"How about this one?" I suggested as we walked past a ice cream shop called AJ's Creamery.

We went inside and stepped into line.

"Are you looking forward to the rest of the month?" I asked. She seemed to be in a better mood recently, opening up and saying full sentences.

"Not really. I'd rather be spending summer with my friends. At home." She said as we looked at the flavors on the wall.

"Wow, thanks. What flavor are you getting?"

"Cotton candy." Farrah said, twirling her blonde hair in between her fingers.

"Next in line, please." The boy working the counter called out, and Farrah and I stepped up.

"Hi, can I please get the brownie batter in a small cup?" I smiled at the boy, and he smiled back, dimples showing in his cheeks.

He looked to Farrah, who just rolled her eyes at him.

"And she'll have the cotton candy," I added, and remembering that she got it in a cone last time, "in a cone."

"Coming right up." He said, winking at me.

"He's cute." I said, turning to Farrah.

"He's out of your league." She said, rolling her eyes. "Guys like that probably wouldn't really go for you."

"He winked at me, though." I said defensively, a little bit hurt by what she said.

"He doesn't like you, Cadence. Give it up." She growled.

"Fine," I gulped, "Whatever."

The boy came back with our ice cream and handed them to me with a grin.

"Your ice cream, ladies. Take it up to the register and you can pay there."

"Okay, thanks." I said, a little bit choked up. I gave him a half-smile and began to walk away.

"Hey, uh..." he stuttered. "Maybe I'll see you around?"

"Maybe." I shrugged, biting my lip and pulling out my wallet to pay for the ice cream.

Farrah stood beside me with a frown on her face. It wasn't her usual resting-bitch-face frown, though, it was a sad frown.

"What's wrong?" I asked, eating a spoonful of ice cream.

"Shut up," was the only answer I received.

We stepped outside the store and the hot air hit me like a wall. Stupid humidity.

I texted mom that we were going to buy flip flops and then head home as I followed Farrah into a small store with accessories and some footwear.

"Let's just get some flip flops. I told mom that we'd be going back to the house after." I told her, and she nodded.

"What shoe size are you?" I asked as I picked up some flip flops from a bin. Nothing too fancy, seeing as I had spent most of my money on the bathing suit and ice cream.

"8." She said, searching through the basket to find the right size.

"Here," I said, handing her some black size 8's, "are these okay?"

"They're fine." She said, taking them and heading to the cash register. I did the same once I found some red size 10's.

"You all set to go back to the house?" I asked her when we had both purchased the sandals.

"Yeah," She sighed and began to walk down the sidewalk.

Something was going on, and I needed to know what. It's strange to see someone so tough look so...conflicted, I guess. Sad.

"Hey, Farrah," I sighed, putting a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

She whipped around and slapped my hand off her shoulder with a look of disgust.

"Done touch me!" She growled, whipping back around.

"Farrah, what's wrong?" I asked her as calmly as possible.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong." She scoffed, rolling her eyes and beginning to tap her foot on the pavement. "Can we just go?"

"Seriously, Farrah, I jus-"

"I have an idea!" She exclaimed in a fake happy voice. "Let's play the quiet game! Whoever can be quiet the longest wins. Understand? Alright? Okay!" She gave me a sarcastic smile and turned back around, leaving me to stand on the sidewalk like an idiot.

"Oh my god." I muttered as I followed her, being careful to not get too close.

We got back to the house in what felt like hours, when in reality it was about five minutes. Farrah stormed up to her room as soon as she opened the door, and I went to mine in an attempt to save myself in case she decided to attack.

It was the second day of being here and I was already holed up in my room.

I decided that, to kill the time, I'd just watch Friends on Netflix in my bed. My feet were at the headboard and my head was at the footboard, since I was laying on my stomach with my chin resting on my arms.

I paused the show when someone knocked on the door.

"Do you have a weapon of any kind?" I called out.

"No." Farrah's voice replied angrily. "Let me in."

"Door's open. Enter."

️Farrah walked inside with an angry glare, and I pulled both earbuds out.

"What do you want?" I asked her as she stood in the doorway. She took a deep breath and the anger washed out of her face.

"Nothing." She said.

"Then I can't really help y-" I stopped talking when Farrah walked over to my bed and laid down beside me, copying my position.

"Earbud?" I offered her. She took it hesitantly.

"I'm sorry, I-" she began with a sad expression.

"It's okay." I said, cutting her off.

"No. I am." She growled.

"Farrah, let it go. I already did." I insisted, putting my earbud back in. She put hers in too, and I pressed play.

We sat in my bed watching Netflix together for an hour or two, and nobody said a word the entire time.