Johnny Kavanagh thought he remembered you perfectly.

That little girl who spent the holidays glued to Gibsie, always with bright eyes and hurried steps trying to accompany the two through the streets of Tommen. You had the annoying habit of laughing too loudly, of insisting on playing ball even though you were terrible, of calling Johnny “Kava” just to provoke him.

In his head, you were that short and plump pussy with a crooked maria-chiquinha and braces on your teeth. A constant reminder that vacations could be hellish.

But now... now you were back.

And Johnny was in shock.

You got out of Aunt Liz’s car, the headphones hanging around your neck, a sweatshirt too wide over too short shorts, your hair messy on purpose and that little smile - still the same, but now with a touch of irony and perfectly aligned.

“Hey, Kava,” you said, with a debauched wink.

He almost tripped on his own feet.

It was unfair. Totally unfair. Because you didn’t have anything else from the little girl he remembered. Now, at sixteen, you were... different.

Pretty. Annoyingly beautiful.

And he hated it.

Or rather, I hated the way I couldn’t hate it.

“You’ve grown up,” was all he could say, frowning.

You laughed. That same loud laugh, but now with a tone of provocation that made his stomach turn.

“And you’re still grumpy. It’s good that some things never change.”

Gibsie appeared soon after, hugging you as if you hadn’t seen each other for years - which was kind of true. And Johnny stood there, with his arms crossed, trying to ignore the way his body fit too easily into Gibsie’s embrace. Trying to ignore the way you looked at him over Gibsie’s shoulder, with a silent challenge in your eyes, as if you knew exactly what you were doing.

“Is it going to stay the whole summer?” He asked, the voice drier than he intended.

“Uhum,” you replied, chewing gum, “and this time I won’t let you run away from me so easily.”

“I didn’t run away,” he replied, annoyed with his own defensive response.

“Of course not, Kava,” you said, leaning just a little closer, your eyes shining with fun. “You ran.”

Johnny snorted and turned his face, but the heat in his neck already denounced that something there had changed. You were no longer just Gibsie’s annoying little cousin.

Now, you were a problem. A problem that he definitely didn’t know how to deal with.

And summer was just beginning.