Boston had been chilly, girls in knee high socks with plaid skirts being common in the area. Solange Walton—a private school attendant, a girl who put herself head first into school to ignore all the background sounds. She wasn't in cousins, not with Steven or Jere, she hadn't seen or heard from Conrad or Belly since their break up, and Susannah, well, she was dead. The family hadn't been as tight knit anymore, the beach house had basically been empty when she went back to get her last things, clear out her room.
Her home, the place she grew up, the people, everything was different. Solange sat at her desk, hands covering her eyes as she stared at the pages, her focus shifting to the framed picture on her desk, the Conklins and the Fishers, the last summer they were all together as one, Solange knocked it over, the frame facing the table.
Her mind went back to the last night she was there, the argument between her and Steven, the conversation with Conrad, the last time she got to hug Susannah, sometimes Solange would go through her voicemails just to get that sense of comfort, that close knit feeling, she deeply sighed, looking around her room, the new one at her dad's house, she looked out the window, the birds chirping as a hand knocked on her door "Solange! your rides here" her step mother came in, Sherri, the woman was shorter, she had a shaped afro with your average mom cardigan and sweats.
She took a deep breath, adjusting her dark blue baggier long sleeve uniform top, her white skirt under it. Solange had taken preppy to a new step, her hair laid in a side swoop, curls bouncing in the high ponytail it had been in, makeup set, Lange took her white shoulder bag, "you okay pumpkin?" Sherri asked, holding a lunch box in one hand, a couple bills in the other "yea, i'm great."
Sherri frowned. It had been obvious something was going on with her but Solange had no interest in getting to know the woman, not after her mother, not after susannah "right, okay, well here's your lunch money I noticed you weren't eating the ones I packed so" she awkwardly grinned "no it's fine, I don't need it."
"Solange-" she said as the girl was already half way down the stairs.
Her face altered, this being another day of the same routine, Solange rushed out of the house not saying bye to either of her step sisters as the car beep the horn a few times, Elliot sitting sound in the drivers seat, Elaine and Nova sitting in the back, she opened the car door, plopping next to Nova "you know, I find it really offensive how you guys pretend i'm a personal chauffeur leaving the front seat all open and stuff" the older boy complained.
"Shut up, we pay you" Nova shushed him, Elliot's eyebrows furrowed, turning to face the three of them, the teenage girls staring with intent "you pay who? celery sticks don't count" his face scrunched up.
"Can you roll the window up, your gonna mess my curls up, please" Solange gently spoke looking back down at her phone. The girl had been like this for months, weirdly quiet, always deep in thought—Elliot nodded, pushing the window button "good-morning" he looked through the mirror, adjusting it to see her returning smile "morning" she responded.
⁂
They all sat in the schools library, a big and cold place students tended to eat lunch at or just to hang in between passing periods "so, has anyone heard from Angela?" Nova questioned the group of three, Solange had been too busy scrolling through Steven's previous post, he had been in an entire graduation party and didn't invite her, it was a big moment, a milestone considering he got into his dream ivy league "Solange! stop stalking that damn boy" Nova took the phone out of her hands.
"I wasn't...I was just looking extra long at his account after I saw it in my search history.." she said, hearing how it sounded, she groaned, laying back on the couch "okay fine, I just wanna make sure he's okay."
"He broke up with you for wanting to know your dad basically, girl, fuck him" Nova gave her opinion, the same one she'd given for months, the same one Solange ignored and pretended not to hear—that night, the night she came to get more stuff, it was a big argument and she'd never in a thousand years think it would lead to a week of radio silence and then, following a break up when he came to visit but it did, and at the hands of Elaine's brother the situation was not helped "It's complicated Nova, we were both in the wrong" Solange sighed.
She took her phone back, staring back at it, a picture with his arm around Taylor on his story, she narrowed her eyes, her heart sinking as she realized they'd probably gotten closer, how he re followed Shayla, her facial expression changed, the immense realization, he was really moving on with his life, continuing everything without giving her a second thought and even if he had been, how would she know "Solange, no its not" Nova spoke up, Elaine's head bowing knowing exactly where this was going, the result it usually had.
"You know what, mind your business, you're way too worried about me" Solange found anger, one of the two emotions she'd felt recently, the teenage girl gathered her things in a hurry, shoving her books in her bag—Nova and Elaine exchanged stares "girl, I didn't even mean it like that" the curly haired girl defended, she stopped, looking up before rolling her eyes, a huff as she left the library.
⁂
Solange found herself at the docks, a place near Elaine's house, the first place she ran to after Susannah had passed. it had been her go-to place simply because the water reminded her of beach night's in cousins, even though Boston was colder she'd just close her eyes and listen to the water in the lake, the drops falling from her hands after dipping it. Her chest tightened as a few tears fell from her face.
She lost all the people important to her and because the cake filling crumbled, left her as vulnerable as ever, maybe she was reaching her max point. "Out here again?" Elliot's voice turned her head, a hoodie in his arms, he handed it to her, slowly sitting next to her, he was there after her father gave her the news, Elliot found himself looking out his window and straying down after seeing the girl sat for around thirty minutes, no movement, no words, she sniffled as she accepted it "I'm gonna have a whole collection pretty soon" Solange joked.
"I don't mind" Elliot paused, "So, whats wrong?"
Solange looked over at him, knowing it was everything "Uh, my ex posted with this girl who he hooked up with before we got together, it just reminds me that everyone's moving on without me, one of my best friends got into college and didn't even tell me" she complained, the hood laying her curls flat "Steven right?" he asked.
The raven haired girl nodded, forced laughter finding its way out "I never knew it would end up like this bro, everything was so perfect at the end of summer, we were all together, all of us, we were so happy and now sh-she's gone and it's like I lost apart of me, of everyone" her eyes full with each word, voice cracking. Elliot wasn't really good for advice but he was all ears, ready to comfort her in anyway he could, Just like Steven was, advice was never his strong suit but ice cream and making her feel heard, that was him "Everyone moves on at their own pace, you guys were family, you don't forget family, you just need to re-find that spark" he uttered.
Elliot's arm wrapped around hers, pulling him close to her with rubs embedded.
••• authors note
Solange is going through it 😕
poor girl, I can't wait to write her and steven i
this book, (elliot isn't the new love interest
for this act, It might be conrad lowk) GIVE
OPINIONS! please interact!!!
YOU ARE READING
OCEAN EYES ━ steven conklin ✓
FanfictionOCEAN EYES| Solange Walton, a sixteen year old girl who vowed to hate summer, not because it was hot but because year after year the same things went down, movie night, 4th of july, family dinners, ...
