Brighter Than Summer

A lot of people said that Evan Pearson was with me because I resembled his "first love" – the girl who dropped out of school to treat her depression.

I found a photo of that girl, which my roommate had somehow managed to dig up, and compared it with my own reflection in the mirror.

Well, our eyes and brows did look somewhat similar, but I couldn't quite imitate that girl's wistful, melancholic aura.

Everyone always said I was a natural optimist, the kind of person who'd light up a room with nothing but a smile, like sunshine on a clear day.

In that regard, I figured Evan and I made a pretty good match.

He was the type of person who could easily draw attention wherever he went. When he flashed that sly smile and his eyes sparkled, it felt like he could steal your focus completely.

I honestly couldn't picture how someone like him could have the patience to comfort a girl who might burst into tears at any moment.

1

The first time I met Evan was during Homecoming in my first year.

Our school wasn't anything fancy, just your typical public high school, but it had a ton of clubs – everything from the artsy to the quirky. As for me, I'd rather join a "Nap Club" than waste my time with something like the "Classical Literature Club," which was dry, boring, and utterly pointless.

Clearly, I wasn't the only one who thought that way.

Compared to the excitement of Homecoming, the Literature Club's room was quiet and tucked away in a corner of the school.

I had to pick up some books for a teacher in that room. I figured it would be empty, but when I opened the door, I saw someone leaning back in a chair, his head tilted up with a book covering his face. His legs were stretched out long across the floor.

When he heard the door creak, he tilted his head slightly, and the book slipped down to his chest.

The soft glow from the setting sun streamed through the window, casting half of his face in a warm, amber light. His eye, just barely visible beneath his messy hair, seemed almost hypnotic, like it was glowing.

We locked eyes for a long moment.

Honestly, it was not easy to pull your gaze away from Evan once he was looking at you.

And yet, he didn't look away either.

"Sorry, I was just... coming in to grab a book," I said, breaking the silence.

He raised an eyebrow, shifting his legs and giving me a relaxed nod.

"Go ahead."

I grabbed the book quickly. It wasn't hard to find it, since the shelves were organized neatly with everything in its place.

But when I turned to leave, I saw him still watching me, his chin resting in his hand, staring without blinking.

That's when the awkward silence settled between us.

Evan had this uncanny ability to make you feel nervous and unsure of what to do next.

The crazy thing was, he probably didn't even realize it.

"So, what grade are you in?" he asked with a slight grin, his eyes narrowing.

I blinked, still a bit stunned, and told him my grade. Without much thought, I walked out of the room, still feeling like I'd been caught in a strange dream.

As I was leaving, I heard him call out from behind me, his voice full of teasing amusement.

"I'm Evan Pearson. A first-year student as well!"

It took a moment for the words to sink in, and then I realized just how awkward I had been.

But honestly, who could resist a good-looking guy flashing you a smile like that?

From that day on, Evan Pearson's name was firmly etched in my memory.

It didn't take long for me to realize he was a bit of a celebrity around school.

Almost every conversation among the girls after class would eventually circle back to him. He was always popping up on the school gossip website, and even the teachers occasionally mentioned him with a mix of admiration.

But despite all the attention, Evan was the type who kept to himself and didn't let people get close.

Apparently, he used to be in a relationship with a girl named Melody Harvey.

They were childhood sweethearts, having known each other since middle school, and were practically inseparable. Their relationship was widely known, and there were rumors swirling around the entire school. But at that time, I was so focused on my studies that I hadn't paid any attention to the gossip.

Then, for some reason, Melody transferred to another school. Evan was left on his own, and although some girls tried to get his attention, he turned out to be unexpectedly reserved and serious, leaving everyone around him completely puzzled.

After Kyle filled me in on this little backstory, I couldn't help but think, "I feel like we're not even at the same school."

Kyle Graham, who had just given me the gossip, twisted open his bottle of water, took a sip, and continued, "By the way, you really do look like Melody."

"Really?" I tilted my head, staring at my reflection in the bottle of soda. To be honest, I'd heard plenty of compliments about my looks growing up.

"Does she look as good as me?"

"Don't get too full of yourself," Kyle waved his hand dismissively, clearly disgusted, but then muttered under his breath as he turned away.

"She was a nice girl, though... No need to act like that."

I thought the story between me and Evan would end with me hearing all his gossip.

That day, it was time for our morning exercises.

Every morning, it was the same routine. We'd be divided into groups, chatting and joking as we made our way to our spots. The loud music from the speakers blasted overhead, part of our morning warm-up, but it never did much to help me fight off the tiredness.

Kyle and I were at the back of the group. He was probably up all night playing video games again. Poor guy thought I had been doing the same.

I wasn't, though. Every time I said I was playing games, I was actually going over the endless pile of practice questions I had to memorize.

Normally, our group wouldn't have been near Evan's, but as we walked, I spotted a familiar face ahead of us.

Every group had its own "bad boy" – the guy who was always stirring things up and clashing with teachers, but somehow still managed to get top marks.

Joe Clarke was that guy.

He didn't really matter, though. What mattered was the guy he was walking with.

Evan had that kind of presence – one of those people you could never forget after a single glance.

The two of them were standing close, probably talking about something, but for some reason, I had the feeling Joe was trying to steer Evan my way.

Then I saw it – Joe shot me a quick glance.

And then, Evan looked my way, too.

Our eyes met directly. His eyes were a light shade, and they always made him look like he was studying people with some mysterious intent.

After a moment, he smiled at me.

It was one of those smiles that could outshine the sun even though it was high in the sky.

But before I could think too much about it, he turned his head back to Joe and they kept walking, their voices fading as they got farther away.

"What's up, you falling behind? Come on, keep up!"

Kyle slapped me on the shoulder, sounding exhausted. I sighed and took a step forward to catch up with the rest of the group.