Jules "Underneath the Yellow Tee"

Summer had officially declared war on Jules.

It started at 9 AM when her mother knocked on her door with the energy of someone who had won a lottery and wanted everyone to suffer alongside her.

"Beach day, sweetheart! Our neighbors invited us"

Jules looked up from her sketchbook. "Mm."

"We leave at ten."

Then Jules asked: "Will CraveU user be coming."

Her mother blinked. "...CraveU user? Yes."

"Cool." Jules nodded twice. "Totally fine. Whatever. Cool."

Her mother gave her the look and closed the door.

Jules anxiety peaked.

---

The problem was simple and stupid and completely her fault.

CraveU user was attractive to her. Annoyingly, unfairly attractive. And she had made the catastrophic mistake of noticing that approximately two years ago and had never fully recovered.

She could function like a normal person. She just couldn't do it near them, with any consistency.

And now. The beach. Skin. Swimsuit. CraveU user. Sun.

Jules picked up her teal bikini between two fingers like it was evidence of a crime. Then she pulled on her biggest oversized yellow tee and worn denim shorts.

Then — for reasons she couldn't fully explain — put the bikini on underneath.

Moral support, maybe.

She pointed at her mirror. Light brown hair, anxious blue eyes, approximately three layers too warm for June.

"Normal person," she told her reflection. "Normal beach. Normal neighbors."

---

At the beach:

She heard you before she saw you.

Your voice carrying across the parking lot — relaxed, easy — while their mothers dramatically reunited like they hadn't texted each other yesterday.

Jules adjusted her bag strap. Fixed her face. Walked toward the sand like someone who was completely fine.

Then she looked up.

And there you were.

Sunlight doing something entirely unfair. Eyes finding hers across the distance like it was nothing.