Page 2 of Songs of Summer

“It’s not a game. Not really. We’re writing letters to our future selves. I read about it inSeventeenmagazine. Put down everything you hope to be by the time you’re thirty on your sheet and then seal it in the envelope. I’m gonna do the same thing, and when we’re thirty, we’ll come up here and read them out loud!”

He rolled his eyes again, but leaned back against the trunk and began. They both took the task very seriously, and nearlyan hour later she put their envelopes in the Ziploc, sealed it tight, and wrote:

DO NOT OPEN UNTIL MAY 2025

Maggie shoved it into the hollow of the tree, Boo Radley style, and neither of them thought much about the contents of their letters again.

Track 1

Put Your Records On

May 4, 2025

Maggie

Maggie May Wheelerpressed the last strip of Scotch tape onto the vintage yellow Maggie May Records wrapping paper just as the reindeer bells rang on the front door of her record shop. She looked up and smiled as Jason strolled in. A matching smile lit his face.

“Hey, thirtieth birthday girl!” he proclaimed.

“Hey, thirtieth birthday boy,” she responded.

Jason looked around the store to double-check that it was empty before giving Maggie a sweet birthday kiss.

Maggie and Jason had been sleeping together since Halloween, but they were still the only ones who knew about it. It wasn’t a planned thing, or even something they’d discussed casually; it was just something that had happened. The fact that they were dressed at the time as Ken and Barbie (wigs and all) had helped her feel bold enough to make the first move, though if Maggie were being completely honest, she would have to admit that it was less about their costumes and more about Jennifer Alexander endlessly flirting with Jasonat the party they were at. She had even asked him to sing a duet for karaoke. Suddenly, while watching the two crooning “Islands in the Stream,” the possibility of losing Jason, and losing his family, became too much for Maggie to bear. When he dropped her off that night, with the help of some liquid courage, she leaned over and kissed him, really kissed him, and after his initial shock, he kissed her back.

That first time was a frenetic, alcohol-fueled combination of hookup and head trip. Breaking through twenty years of platonic friendship was intense, though they seemed to be in tune. Clearly, they had both been curious over the years about what it would be like for them to fool around, but acting on it felt a bit surreal. Plus, they had kept the wigs on.

The next morning, in her natural brown curls, Maggie had no idea what Jason was thinking.

She slipped out from under the covers, grimaced at the sight of last night’s crumpled Barbie costume, and grabbed a Case Western sweatshirt from the back of Jason’s desk chair. The two were nearly the same size, both slim and fit, so it barely covered her bum. She scooted to the kitchen, holding the side of her head. She needed coffee.

While the Keurig brewed, so did she.

She knew the next move was up to her. Everything between Maggie and Jason was always up to her. It wasn’t that Jason was wishy-washy; he just always put her first.

The thought made her laugh. What could be better than dating your best friend who always puts you first? She weighed the options, from never again to a split-level ranch with 2.5 kids and a golden retriever named Ringo, and decided to keep her mouth shut for now.

Later that day, at a boozy brunch with Jason’s family, hissister got right to the heart of the matter with Maggie and Jason.

“What did you go as for Halloween?” she asked, adding, “If you two are still dressing as a couple, neither of you will ever meet someone else.”

Maggie had no interest in meeting someone else, and even less interest in a solo Halloween costume. They had already discussed reprising their sixteen-year-old Elvis and Priscilla getups for next year. She pictured herself going alone as Priscilla. No one would even know who she was.

She downed the mimosa she had been sipping and decided to bring up the issue on the ride home.

“Do you think it’s true, what your sister said?”

“No. Jennifer Alexander had no problem moving in on me at the party last night.”

“Ya, and because of it, I jumped you in the front seat of your car.”

“I knew it—you were jealous.”

“It wasn’t really jealousy. It’s just, I don’t know, I don’t care to share you with anyone else.”

“I get that. Me neither.”

They braked at a crosswalk for a family of five to cross the street.

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