I read very far into this story - though I haven't got caught up - and I'd like to drop a proposal here. This story has a great idea, and the plot is just as good. The problem is that this story is far, far longer than it needs to be. There are entire long paragraphs, very frequently, that rehash previously established ideas. Removing them wouldn't cause anything to be lost. There are also long discussions, that while not necessarily bad per se, don't add to plot or develop the characters - it's just the characters discussing some idea, sometimes repeatedly over several conversations. We see everything the characters do in the summer, so there's no real need to talk about those plans in great detail beforehand. The characters can plan, but it doesn't need to be shown. Streamlining this story would make it significantly more readable.