Sunset Promises

Title: "Sunset Promises"

Subtitle: Four Friends. One Summer. A Promise That Changed Everything.

It was the beginning of July in the coastal town of Seabrook, where the golden beaches sparkled under the sun and secrets floated with the sea breeze. Ava and Mira, best friends since second grade, had made a vow: no matter what happened, they’d spend one final summer together before college started.

On the other side of town, two childhood friends, Leo and Jace, had their own pact—this summer would be legendary. It was their last before Leo left for New York to study film and Jace headed to Boston for engineering.

Fate brought them all together one lazy afternoon at Seabrook Pier. Mira, fearless and sarcastic, had dared Ava to jump into the ocean from the dock. Ava, always cautious, was hesitating when a voice called out behind them.

“You’re going to regret not jumping,” said Leo, holding a skateboard and wearing a crooked grin.

Mira rolled her eyes. “And you are?”

“I’m Leo,” he replied. “And this is Jace. We make bad decisions look cool.”

Jace, quieter than his friend, nodded politely. His eyes met Ava’s, and there was an instant connection—quiet but electric.

The next few weeks passed like scenes from a coming-of-age film. Mornings at the beach, afternoons at the skatepark, and late-night bonfires became routine. Mira and Leo bonded over loud music and sarcasm, while Jace and Ava found peace in books, photography, and quiet conversations under the stars.

One night, under a purple-orange sky, the four sat around a fire on Moonlight Beach. Music played from Leo’s speaker. Mira laughed at one of Leo’s terrible jokes, but Ava was quiet, staring into the flames.

“What are you thinking?” Jace asked her gently.

“That everything’s changing too fast,” Ava said. “And I’m scared we’ll never be this happy again.”

He nodded. “I think about that too. But sometimes, things have to change to become better.”

Leo stood and raised his soda can. “To unforgettable summers and people we’ll never forget.”

They all cheered, but something lingered in the silence afterward—an unspoken awareness that this summer was different. It wasn’t just friendship anymore. It was more.

Later that week, Mira confessed to Ava that Leo had kissed her. “He said he likes me. Really likes me,” she said, her voice softer than usual.

Ava was happy for her friend, but a strange pang hit her chest. Something was shifting.

Jace, too, began pulling away from Leo. He spent more time with Ava, sketching with her by the shore, talking about the stars and the future. He wanted to tell her how he felt but feared it would ruin the balance of their new world.

One night, while walking Ava home from a bookstore, he finally said it.

“I don’t want this summer to end without you knowing…I like you. I’ve liked you since that day on the dock.”

Ava smiled and whispered, “I was hoping you’d say that.”

But while two hearts found each other, another was breaking.

Leo noticed Jace and Ava’s closeness, and jealousy crept in. Not because he liked Ava—but because he was losing his best friend. Mira noticed too. She and Leo had started something, but the tension between the group grew heavier each day.

On the last night of summer, they gathered one last time on the beach. The stars stretched endlessly overhead.

“I guess this is goodbye,” Mira said, her voice cracking slightly.

“No,” Leo said. “It’s a pause. We’ll come back. We’ll always come back.”

They hugged, all four, wrapped in one another’s warmth. Jace and Ava held hands. Mira looked at Leo, her eyes saying everything words couldn’t.

They carved their initials into the wooden post near the dock: A + M + L + J. Summer ‘25. A small mark to remember everything by.

—

Years Later…

Ava stood at the pier again, camera in hand. She turned as she heard familiar voices behind her—Mira, Leo, and Jace, older now, but not strangers.

“We said we’d come back,” Leo grinned.

“And we did,” Mira said, linking arms with her best friend.

Ava looked at Jace, still her favorite chapter in a story that had never ended.

They stood together, the four of them, where it all began. A reminder that some summers never fade. Some promises are kept. And some friendships become forever.