Last Days of Summer

That bike was the last thing anybody ever saw

of Summer Johansen.

Ricky Gallo was 19-years-old the summer

that Summer went missing.

Fresh outta high school and figuring out what the hell to do

with the rest of his life.

Ricky came from one of those families

that put on magazine covers

that suburban moms subscribed to.

His mom, Linda, was a former beauty queen,

Miss Indiana, 1982.

She was the smartest in the family, like women tend to be.

She was a little critical at times,

but that's just 'cause she knew best.

There was a sadness about her,

but no one ever talked about it.

All right, well when you're finished,

put them in the dishwasher.

You know how I hate

- when the dishes pile. - I know.

I always do it.

Ted.

Yeah, hun.

That goes for you too.

You got it, hun.

She always does this.

And his dad Ted.

Well, they didn't make men like that anymore.

Ted didn't talk much, he tinkered.

Ricky swore he broke things just so he could fix them again.

There we go.

Oh.

How in the hell.

Hell yeah.

Nicely done.

Thank you.

Most people could hang up a photo

in five minutes.

Ted would take 45,

but you could be sure that photo would be level

and it'd stay that way until the day he died.

And then there was Johnny.

Johnny always called him Ricky Boy.

Johnny.

Ricky Boy, come give your big brother a hug.

He'd say it big and loud too, like it was a celebration.

What are you doing here, dude?

What am I doing here?

Yeah.

- What the fuck is this? - What the fuck

are you doing here?

What do you mean?

And what the is this?

Dude, you got a bike.

This is Brandy.

Aha.

It's the of my life.

Oh, okay,

- not the first time. - All right.

But Ricky, Brandy.

- Brandy, Ricky. - Oh,

nice to meet you, Brandy.

How are you?

I'm great.

How are you?

- I'm good. - Jesus.

Hey hun.

Hey Ma.

Oh.

Oh, I've missed you.

Oh, it's good to see you.

Johnny was always destined

to feel like an outsider.

His dad was some asshole, who Linda married young.

The guy drank too much

and knocked her around from time to time.

Shortly after Johnny was born, they divorced.

He'd never even met the guy.

Who the fuck

- do you think you are? - He had it out

for father figures after that.

No, no.

Ted never had a fucking chance.

Go sober up.

Go sober up.

- Fuck you. - Get out.

After a couple years out west,

Johnny showed up out of the blue

as if nothing ever happened.

Johnny was mythical in Ricky's eyes.

He loved him more than anybody.

Well, almost anybody.

Summer was the girl next door.

And Ricky had been deeply in love with her for years.

Big smiles.

She was what her parents referred to

as trouble.

But to be fair, that was mostly her parents' fault.

Great job guys.

You're such a lovely family, okay.

Let's do one more.

Oh my God.

Her dad, Charles, was hardly ever around

unless it was a major holiday.

He was usually off on a work trip

in some other city or some other country, God knows where.

Mostly it was just her and her mom at the house.

And like a lot of teenage girls

and their moms, the two didn't get along.

Summer's mom, Kim, was a lonely woman.

But she never stayed alone for long.

She was having an affair with the neighbor, Michael.

Summer found out about it one night by accident.

As a protest,

she made it a point to play her music

as loud as she possibly could.

Music, Kim didn't like the sound of.

Made by boys she didn't like the look off.

- To what? - Just hold it tight, Ricky.

I'm holding it tight.

- Fuck. - Oh shit.

Are you all right?

I said hold it tight.

- I was holding it tight. - Ouch.

- Jesus. - I'm sorry.

- Don't touch it, man. - Oh my God.

Where'd the rag go.

Where'd your rag go?

We should sanitize that.

What's your name?

Summer, my name's Summer.

You?

Johnny.

Nice to meet you, Johnny.

Nice to meet you, Summer.

Okay.

One, two, three.

Gauze.

Better?

Better.

Thank you, Summer.

All good?

All good.

We ready to go?

Ready, Freddy.

Let's get to getting along, good is good.

What?

Hmm?

What is it?

What's what?

Why are you smiling?

I'm not.

Yes you are.

Well, it's a nice day out today.

Okay.

Can't the girl just smile on a nice day?

No weirdo.

Anywhere in the world?

Yeah.

I always thought Japan was cool.

Tokyo?

Hmm, Kyoto.

What the fuck is in Kyoto?

Cherry blossoms.

A hell of a lot of cherry blossoms.

I guess, fair enough.

Ricky and Summer

would take long walks around town,

talking about anything and everything.

What about it?

What kind of people did they wanna be?

Where did they wanna travel?

What kind of lives did they wanna live?

Like most young people,

the two were concerned about their own untapped potential.

I'm all right.

Hmm, it's worth a try.

Hey.

Hey.

You know next time if you could be louder,

I might get up just a bit earlier.

Ah sorry.

What are you doing out here?

Nothing.

Do you wanna go somewhere?

Yeah, why not?

You know any constellations?

Big Dipper.

Little Dipper.

Can't find Orion's Belt tonight though.

There.

Where?

Right there.

Ah, there you are, you bastard.

Can I ask you something?

Anything, man.

What are you running from?

Running from?

Why do you always think I'm running?

Johnny, you showed up unannounced.