You watched your mother reread the letter, her expression unreadable. She flipped it over, checking the back, then set it down on the kitchen table. A slow exhale escaped her lips as she clasped her hands together.
“That’s quite the opportunity,” she said, her voice measured.
You nodded, excitement bubbling within you. “I really want to go.”
The letter felt like a lottery win. You’d applied for the internship months ago as part of a school program designed to broaden horizons and strengthen college applications. You hadn’t seriously considered success—Stark Industries, the behemoth of engineering, seemed impossibly selective. Yet, here it was, an acceptance letter for their summer program.
Apparently, only 250 applicants—out of over 10,000 high school students—were chosen each year. You were one of the lucky few. You couldn’t explain how. Your grades were solid, a consistent A/B average, but nothing spectacular. You weren’t particularly gifted in science or math. Still, the chance to work at a company like Stark Industries felt… monumental.
The only hurdle was distance. New York City was a world away from your home in Colorado.
“This is great, Y/N,” your mother said, her pride evident. “And I’m so proud of you, but how are you going to get all the way to New York and stay there for the summer?”
“I didn’t think that part through when I applied,” you admitted. “But we can figure it out, right? I don’t want to let this pass by just because of where I live.”
Your mother tapped her nails on the table. “I agree. You shouldn’t have to. But I can’t just uproot myself for an entire summer to rent an apartment in the city. And the expense… it would be astronomical.”
You nodded, tracing a scratch on the table’s surface. Renting an apartment yourself was an option, but you were a minor. Balancing the internship with a part-time job to cover rent felt impossible. Even finding a job in the city would be a challenge.
“Is there a room and board option?” your mother asked. “For kids who aren’t from New York?”
“I don’t know,” you said, pulling out your phone and opening the Stark Industries website. “I can email them, explain my situation, see if they’ll make an exception.”
Your mother nodded. “That’s a good idea.” She glanced down at her phone. “Your Uncle says congratulations on the internship.”
You looked up, surprised. “You told Uncle Tommy already?”
“We were talking about his plans for Laurie’s visit this summer, and it came up.” Your mother said. “He’s super psyched, says even the valedictorian of Laurie’s class couldn’t get in.”
“Uncle Tommy!” you exclaimed. “He and Laurie live in Brooklyn, right? I could stay with them!”
Your mother pursed her lips, considering. “We could ask. But if you stayed with them, they’d have to completely change their summer plans. And I don’t know if Tommy’s ready for another person in the house, especially after Marie left.”
“We can ask though, right?” You asked, a surge of hope rising. Living with Uncle Tommy and Laurie for the summer would be perfect. Uncle Tommy was always the fun one, and Laurie was only a few months older than you. You hadn’t seen them since Christmas two years ago, and you’d love to spend a summer with them.
“We could ask,” your mother said, reaching for her phone. “I’ll text him now.”
---
Two and a half weeks later, you scanned the baggage claim, searching for the familiar dark curls of hair from your memory. Your bags were stuffed with everything imaginable—clothes for two weeks without laundry, books, shoes, enough hair products to supply a small army, and whatever had been within reach during a last-minute scramble through the house. Did you need a half-empty bottle of yellow nail polish? No. Did you pack it anyway? Of course.
Your phone buzzed. You pulled it out, hoping for a text from Uncle Tommy or Laurie, but it was from your mother. You’d texted her as you landed, and she was reminding you to collect your luggage. As if you could forget.
“Y/N!”
You looked up to see Laurie sprinting toward you, arms outstretched. She nearly tackled you in a hug, beaming. “You’re here!”
“It’s so good to see you!” you said, returning the hug. Laurie stepped back, and you got a better look at her. She hadn’t changed much—a little taller, but still the lanky, wild-haired, freckled Laurie you loved.
Uncle Tommy emerged from behind, ruffling your hair. “Wassup, kiddo!”
He hadn’t changed much either. His beard was a little longer, his hair a little grayer, and he’d put on a few pounds. But he was still smiling Uncle Tommy.
You wrapped him in a hug. “Thank you so much for letting me stay with you guys!”
“Of course!” Uncle Tommy said. “I’m super proud of you for getting that internship. That’s super hard to get into. I wasn’t going to let you waste away in Colorado and miss this opportunity!”
Laurie grabbed your bags, playfully bumping your legs with one of them. “Can we get out of here? This place smells like people.”
“Yeah… we’ve got to get you unpacked into Laurie’s room, and we should probably grab something to eat. You’ll want to shower… and yeah, this place does stink.”
You laughed. It was just like their visits during the holidays or summer vacations—Uncle Tommy and Laurie weren’t exactly PG (especially after Uncle Tommy had a few drinks), and your mother always played censor for them.
You followed them through the throng of people. Laurie led the way, bobbing and weaving and muttering apologies. Uncle Tommy and you trailed behind, talking and catching up.
“How’s your mom?” he asked.
“She’s good,” you said. “She told me to tell you she’s super grateful and you didn’t have to do this, and if you need anything while I’m here, just call or text. That’s a direct quote.”
Uncle Tommy grinned. “Yeah, I figured. She’s a riot, your mother.”
“I don’t know if I’d put it that way,” you said.
“Well, you won’t have to deal with her for a whole summer,” he said. “It’s going to be you and me and Laurie. Fun squad summer!” Uncle Tommy wrapped an arm around your shoulders.
You grinned. “Fun squad, huh?”
“Hell yeah, baby,” he said. “We’re gonna eat junk every night and stay up late and do all that cool teenager stuff.”
“I’m here for the internship, Uncle Tommy,” you said. “I don’t know if I’m going to have time for all that cool teenager stuff.”
“Internships are cool teenager stuff!” Uncle Tommy said. “Especially this one—Stark Industries, wow! You’re going to meet so many cool people and do so much cool stuff and get super smart!”
“But you just said cool teenager stuff was… different,” you said.
Uncle Tommy sighed dramatically. “I know… Laurie never wants to eat greasy pizza and watch sad movies and stay up late with me. She’s too busy being a good student and applying for college.”
“What a shame,” you laughed.
“Are you talking about me?” Laurie glanced back over her shoulder. “I heard my name.”
“No,” you said. “Uncle Tommy was just complaining about how you’re a good student and care about your grades and won’t live out his teenage dream with him.”
“Dad, you don’t even choose good movies. Who in their right mind would choose a cheesy rom-com over Lady Bird?”
Uncle Tommy’s jaw dropped open. “First off, A Cinderella Story is a masterpiece. Secondly, your mother never did any of this, and our parents were strict about school, and now my own kid won’t even humor me! Do you even love me?”
You smiled, enjoying their banter. You walked out of the airport, following Laurie and Uncle Tommy to their car and gazed up at the city skyline. New York… the land of dreams and ambition, and the new setting for your summer. You were excited and nervous, but you knew, whatever happened, this summer would be one to remember.