Every Summer After

When Percy is 13, her parents buy a cottage in Barry’s Bay, along the lake. The Frasers drive up there for the summer. Percy has freshly cut bangs in imitation of Delilah Mason, a popular girl at her school and once one of Percy’s closest friends. As soon as they arrive, Percy heads down to check out the water, wondering if she will be able to swim across the lake. She sets up her room in the cottage, putting up a poster of Creature from the Black Lagoon above her bed; Percy loves horror movies and books.

Percy heads to the lake the next morning and spies a rowboat and raft tied to the dock of the neighboring house. She falls asleep in the sun and wakes up to the sound of two boys yelling and tossing each other off the raft. They seem close to her in age, and she guesses that they are her neighbors. The boys spot her and come by the house later to introduce themselves: Sam Florek is the same age as her, and his brother, Charlie, is a couple of years older. They live next door, and Charlie asks if Sam can hang out with Percy that evening, as Charlie has friends coming over. Although Sam seems embarrassed by this, Percy agrees, on the condition that he show her how to somersault off the raft.

Percy reflects on how the city hasn’t felt like home since she fell in love with the cottage at 13. She now lives in Toronto, and her life is confined to the little bubble of her work as editor of Shelter magazine. She doesn’t let herself think about the life she lived back at the cottage.

Charlie’s phone call is “an ax through [her] bubble” (19). After hanging up, she books a car and motel room for the next day, even though the funeral is a few days away. She emails her parents, who are on a vacation in Europe; after packing, she lies in bed unable to sleep and runs through old memories of Sam in her mind. Percy tries to employ the tricks she learned from her therapist for anxious spiraling. She started seeing one some years ago after having panic attacks again, on her closest friend Chantal’s insistence. However, even Chantal doesn’t know the full story with Sam.

The next morning, Percy picks up the rental car and drives to Barry’s Bay, texting a concerned Chantal about the situation before she leaves. The last time Percy drove down was on Thanksgiving weekend 12 years ago; it was also the last time she saw Sam. After checking into her motel room, Percy desperately wants to go to the cottage and dive off the dock into the water, but the place is not hers anymore.

At 13, it is the first time Percy has a boy alone in her room. Her mother is apprehensive about Sam hanging out, but her father dismisses the concern, noting that Percy needs a friend. Sam is much chattier without Charlie around and asks Percy about her father’s comment; she reveals that she had some issues with the girls in her class, who don’t like her anymore.

Sam asks Percy about the friendship bracelet she keeps playing with on her wrist, and Percy explains she made it herself. It is the other thing she is known for, besides her love for horror: She weaves friendship bracelets, carefully choosing the colors based on who she is making one for. After falling out with Delilah, Percy found the bracelets she made for her three best friends lying on her desk, cut up into pieces. Sam asks Percy to make one for him in the same colors as hers.

Percy heads to the dock the next morning so Sam can show her how to somersault off the raft, as agreed. Sam comments on the amount of sunscreen Percy is slathering on, and she asserts that she hates getting freckles. Sam explains the biology between what causes freckles, revealing that he wants to be a doctor.

Sam also notes that Percy keeps touching her hair. After Delilah cut her off, Percy cut herself bangs like Delilah’s to try and win her back. However, it went badly, and along with helping Percy fix it at the hairdresser’s, her parents also decided to buy the cottage, realizing Percy needs a break away from the girls at her school.

Percy asks about Charlie, and though Sam is suspicious and defensive about why she wants to know, Percy simply wants to hang out again. As they spend time together, Sam reveals that his mother owns and runs the Tavern, a local restaurant that serves Polish food in keeping with their heritage. It was co-run by his father, who passed away a year ago.

Percy and Sam fall into a routine of spending time together at the lake. When Sue realizes how often they are together, she introduces herself to Percy’s parents, reassuring them that Sam is a responsible boy and that Percy is welcome at their place any time. Percy and Sam begin to watch horror movies together in Sam’s basement, and she eventually tells him what happened with Delilah. The girls were watching The Evil Dead together on Percy’s recommendation, and it scared Delilah so much that she peed her pants. After this, a furious and embarrassed Delilah cut Percy out of the group and treated her horribly. Sam doesn’t find Percy’s love of horror weird, just as Percy accepts his interest in and extensive knowledge of science and nature.

Sam quickly becomes Percy’s favorite person. He never takes off the bracelet Percy gives him. By the end of the summer, Percy is covered in freckles, but when Sam swears on the friendship bracelet that he likes them, Percy doesn’t worry about the freckles anymore. Charlie occasionally turns up when the two of them are hanging out, teasing and pushing Sam around, which Sam insists he does more in Percy’s presence. Charlie also flirts with Percy, which seems to bother Sam.

By the last week of the summer, Percy is dreading going back home. On the afternoon before she leaves, Sam takes Percy out on the rowboat one last time and tells her about his father’s death: He was cooking at the restaurant when he collapsed of a sudden heart attack. Percy better understands why Sam wants to be a doctor so badly. Sam has not spoken about his father to anyone else yet and apologizes for dampening the mood, but Percy dismisses this, saying it suits her mood. Neither of them wants Percy to leave.

In the motel room, Percy reads Sue’s obituary in the local newspaper and feels overwhelmed. She considers phoning Chantal, who has been checking in, but she knows that if she starts talking and thinking about Sam, then she won’t be able to keep herself together.

Percy walks into town and arrives at the Tavern, which is closed in honor of Sue’s passing. Noticing a light on inside, she enters the kitchen through the open backdoor. Sam is there washing dishes, and when she calls his name, he engulfs her in an embrace, saying, “You came home” (48). Percy breaks down in his arms and apologizes for not consoling him instead. However, Sam is glad she is there, though his face darkens when he realizes that she found out about Sue’s death through Charlie.

After washing up, Sam and Percy head out to get ice cream together and catch up. They give each other “three updates,” just as they used to when they were young. Percy lives in Toronto and is an editor, and her parents are well and currently traveling. Sam is a doctor, he specializes in cardiology, and he is currently living in Barry’s Bay—he moved back last year to help out when Sue fell sick. Percy expresses how much she has missed this place; she gets “cabin fever” every summer and just wants to jump into the lake. Sam promises to make that happen.

Eighth grade goes better for Percy. She gets her period, and she and Delilah become friends again. Sam and Percy exchange emails and meet again for Thanksgiving when Sue invites the family over. When Sam compliments Percy on how she looks dressed up, she blushes. However, Sam is stunned to see that she is not wearing her bracelet, and Charlie reveals Sam never takes his off. Percy promises to wear it next time.

Percy is allowed to invited Delilah to the cottage for the first week of summer. When they arrive, the boys are much taller than when Percy last saw them, and Sam’s voice is deeper. Percy tells Sam that she hasn’t taken the bracelet off since Thanksgiving, and he is pleased. When Delilah comes to say hello, Percy feels insecure, as Delilah has become even prettier over the last year. However, Sam’s hello is cold, and Charlie barely acknowledges Delilah. The boys tell the girls that they have fixed their grandfather’s old motorboat, which was stored in the garage; Sue had promised Charlie he could use it once he turned 16.

As the girls get ready to go out on the boat, Delilah squeals about how cute the boys are. Next to Delilah in her string bikini, Percy feels inadequate and insecure once more. The boys bring out a bright-yellow boat, nicknamed the Banana Boat, and take the girls out to a cove, where they swim and jump off rocks. Percy is nervous, but Sam jumps with her. He also confesses that Delilah seems more likable than he expected, but he will be watching out for Percy, nevertheless. Sam comments on Percy’s lack of freckles and grown-out bangs, and she notes that he is the only boy who pays such close attention to her hair; Sam assures her he notices plenty of things about her.

At night, the boys take the girls and some of their other friends out on the boat to watch the fireworks for Canada Day. Charlie’s girlfriend comes along, so Delilah turns her attention to Sam. When Sam politely offers a cold Delilah his hoodie, Percy is jealous. Delilah notices and promises Percy her secret is safe. On her last day, Delilah insists that she, Sam, and Percy play truth or dare. Delilah dares Sam to kiss Percy. As he hesitates, Charlie arrives on the scene. Delilah explains what happened, and Charlie nonchalantly kisses Percy, declaring that he doesn’t want her to feel bad about Sam’s hesitation. It is Percy’s first kiss, and she cannot stop thinking about how Sam didn’t want to kiss her—even as a dare.

After Delilah leaves, things go back to normal. However, Charlie doesn’t mention the kiss, and Percy thinks incessantly about whether she is a bad kisser, as well as about Sam not kissing her. One day, Sam catches Percy staring at Charlie while she ponders this and becomes very quiet. An annoyed Percy brings up Sam’s hesitation to kiss her, and he counters by asking if Charlie was her first kiss; Percy admits he was. The two discuss menstruation and “wet dreams” as milestones of growing up, and Sam calls periods the “foundation of human life” (79). Percy is amazed by how smart and mature he sounds. When she asks him what he dreams of during a wet dream, he says “girls with brown hair” (79), which warms her insides. Sam also admits he has not kissed anyone yet.

Percy’s ninth-grade English teacher, Ms. George, is strict and a little scary, but Percy loves her. Ms. George hands out workbooks on the first day of class, which are to serve as journals, and instructs the class to write about their most memorable experience from the summer. Writing in her journal becomes Percy’s favorite part of ninth grade. Four weeks in, Ms. George tells Percy that she has a flair for creative writing and asks her to enter a short-story competition. The finalists will attend a three-day workshop at a local college over the March break.

Percy takes her notebook to the Floreks’ for Thanksgiving, and Sam looks over her stories, assuring her they are good. When Percy’s parents say that they can spend March break in Barry’s Bay if she doesn’t get into the workshop, Percy almost considers not entering, but Delilah insists that “the Summer Boys” shouldn’t get in the way of Percy’s greatness. After working on her piece extensively, Percy emails Sam a copy; the story is titled “Young Blood” and is dedicated to him. He is sure she will win.

The Frasers drive up to Barry’s Bay on Boxing Day, and Percy arrives at the Floreks’ to surprise Sam with a gift. She meets his friends, Jordie and Finn, and delivers her updates, one of which is that she got into the workshop. A thrilled Sam takes her upstairs to exchange gifts. There is a new framed photo on his desk of Sam and Percy from their first summer together; Sam gifts her one too. She gives him a game of Operation because he wants to be a doctor. There is a moment where Percy feels like Sam will kiss her, but he pulls away, stating that no one understands him like Percy and he doesn’t ever want to mess that up.