Chapter 25

My head whipped around fast and all of my muscles tensed. I got up from my perch near the flowers and slowly crept to the center of the garden, where I could get a better view of my surroundings. My sneaking skills could use some work

, I thought to myself as more leafs and stray branches cracked under my feet. My heart continued to thud loudly as I heard more noises around me and at one point, I was positive anyone within 10 feet could hear it.

I was still wearing the bright orange sundress I’d worn to
talk to Zane in, not my best choice of camouflage

, I thought moodily. With my bright orange outfit, high heels in one hand, and spare key in the other, I was beginning to feel like a criminal on the run. Normally, a key wouldn’t have been my first choice of a weapon but it was either that or the spare Kleenex in my pocket, so I went with the metal key.
After what seemed like an eternity of crouching, I finally made it to the center of the garden. Once there, I scoped out my surroundings but didn’t see anything that could’ve made the noises. After several more minutes of searching, feeling foolish and embarrassed, I turned to head back towards my dorm when I came face-to-face to a black hooded figure.

I screamed as loud as my lungs allowed me to until the figure clamped a hand over my mouth. Feeling trapped and suffocated I bit down and didn’t stop until I felt I tasted their blood and they finally released me. As my captor clutched their and cursed loudly their hood fell back and I gasped aloud.

“Kyle? What are you doing here?” I asked and then feeling bad for hurting him, knelt down beside him.

“Damn Summer!” He said and even though he was yelling his voice sounded more playful rather than angry, which was odd since I had

just bit into his hand for no reason.

“I saw you laughing and figured I’d go ask what was so funny but then you went all Nancy Drew on me and started sneaking away, though not very successfully I might add,” he said then gave me a wink as my cheeks turned rosy out of embarrassment. “Then I finally caught up to you and before I can even say anything, you start screaming bloody murder,” he said and seeing me shiver from the cold, offered me his jacket. I took it gratefully and couldn’t help but smile as I inhaled more of his sweet cologne. His scent reminded me of an old childhood memory, familiar and nice, I liked it very much. As we walked back towards the dorms a silence settled between us, it wasn’t awkward though, we spoke more through thoughts than words.

We were almost out of the garden area when he finally spoke. “So which is your favorite?” then seeing my confused expression he explained, “The Flowers. I saw you admiring them, do you have a favorite?” I gave him a smile and motioned for him to follow me as I led him to the patch of Zantedeschia’s. In the moonlight their petals glowed with an orange hue, then thinking of my dress color, I bit my tongue to keep from laughing from this new found similarity.
“That’s Zantedeschia, right?” he asked and I nodded, then catching his smirk asked, “What?” His smile got bigger and seeing his boyish grin made the corners of my mouth turn up also.

“Most girls would’ve led me to roses or maybe lilacs, or even lily’s, but only you would lead me to the only poisonous plant in this entire garden,” he said.

“Sorry to disappoint,” I said frowning slightly at his words and looking down. Catching my reaction he put his fingers underneath my chin and raise my head so I was looking directly at him.

“That’s a good thing, Summer,” he said, a grin spread across my face, “if you were like other girls then guys like me would be hopeless.” He didn’t give me time to wonder what he meant by that because he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the school.

When we passed the school windows I caught a glimpse of my frazzled reflection and gasped in horror. “I look horrible!” I said and desperately tried to wipe away the black smudges from underneath my eyes, and straighten my frizzy hair.

Kyle’s soft hands gently pulled mine from my face and turned me away from the window so that I was facing him. “Relax Summer, you look gorgeous, like always,” he said and I felt a dizzy rush of joy from his words as he pulled me into the building.

As we walked through the hallways Kyle slipped his hand into mine and though I felt a little guilty I didn’t pull away. Why feel guilty?

I thought silently, You never were with Zane anyways.

When we reached the end of the hall that led to my room he pulled me over and gently pushed me against the wall. He leaned in close to me, close enough that I could get another sweet smelling whiff of his cologne. “I don’t know what Zane did to you, “he began and I felt my heart clench at the sound of his

name. “But I tell that whatever it was, it hurt you,” he continued and then paused to gently brush his fingertips over my cheeks bones, making me shiver.

“But I want to make sure you know that I will never

hurt you. No matter what, okay?” he said and by now stray tears had spilled out from the arising of the memories from earlier. I let out a chocked sob and Kyle pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around me. I tried to pull away, insisting that my tears would ruin his shirt, but he held me tight and assured me it was fine.

As I snuggled closer to him I was hit by a major case of déjà-vu. Yet again Zane had made me cry and yet again, Kyle was here to comfort me. Maybe,

I thought, Just maybe, I’ve been falling for the wrong guy all along.

But my heart ached and my throat closed up whenever I even thought about living with someone other than Zane. He’s a part of me now, he’ll always be, but that doesn’t matter. I need to make new parts too,

I thought silently.

We stood there for awhile, locked in our embrace, until I realized how late it was getting. “It’s after curfew and we have school tomorrow so I’d better get going,” I said and Kyle gave my hand one more squeeze before dropping it to my side. I stood on my toes and gave him a peck on his cheek. “Goodnight Kyle,” I whispered as I bent and fumbled in my pockets for my room key. “Sweet dreams, beautiful,” he said and I flinched at the irony of his words but when I looked up to question him, I found myself staring at a blank wall and Kyle was nowhere to be seen. “Sweet dreams indeed,” I muttered quietly then opened my door and quietly shut it behind me.


Chapter 26

As I flung myself down onto my bed I realized that in order to stop my exhaustion I was going to have to sleep, which in turn meant I was going to have to endure one of my ‘dreams’. I sighed, though I wasn’t sure if it was out of exhaust or frustration, and grabbed my purse. A quick check of the clock on my phone told me that it was going on Midnight which normally isn’t very late for me, but I had to start my new schedule tomorrow and I could use all the rest I could get. I’ll just check my messages and then I’ll go to bed

, I thought silently and as if my body were in protest, I let out a huge yawn.

I slowly got up and sat down the computer desk in the corner of my room. I quietly turned it on and flinched when it let out a loud beeping noise. My head whipped around to see if it had woken up Sierra but she was still sleeping soundly. Soon enough, I had my school e-mail up and was logging on. When my account was loaded I noticed that I had five new messages; Two from Zane, One from Stephanie, One from Kyle, and One from my Parents. Looks like sleep’s going to have to wait.

I sighed as I clicked on the message from my parents.

To:SummerCharard From: Linda and George Charard
Dear Summer,

Your mother and I haven’t heard much from you lately. Naturally, we are very worried. It’s been nearly two whole weeks since your last call and we just want to make sure everything is okay. Hope to hear from you soon.

Love you,
Mom & Dad
I sighed, it’s so like them to worry over this,

I thought as I began to compose my reply.

Dear Mom & Dad,

Please stop worrying! I’m perfectly fine, really, there’s no need to stress. Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve talked to you guys, I’ve just been so busy lately. Talk to you soon! Love you guys!
Summer

I clicked send and silently prayed they wouldn’t ask what I was so busy with. One down, four to go,

I thought silently to myself as I clicked on the next message, Kyle’s.

Summer,

I had a great time with you tonight. If you want to hang again text me, my numbers below.

-Kyle P.S. Looking forward to hearing from you, beautiful.

I smiled silently to myself as I added his number to my phone. Three messages left,

I cursed silently under my breath. God I’m tired!

I thought grumpily. Hesitenly, I moved my mouse over the bold, red button at the top of my inbox that read, DELETE ALL. Sighing, I moved my mouse over the three remaining messages, One from Stephanie, and the others from Zane. A soft, annoying voice in the back of my head whispered warnings like, You really should at least see what they said

and It could be important,

but I brushed them off and quickly clicked the bright red button. The messages disappeared from my inbox as if they never existed, and if it was up to me, they didn’t.

Then, just to be thorough, I erased my recycle bin. I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath until I let out a sigh of relief. The voice was still there, whispering in the back of my head that I was going to regret doing that, so I put my ear-phones in and turned my I-pod up to a deafening level. I kept laying there listening to my music on blast and cleared my mind of all thoughts until I started to drift into a deep sleep.


Chapter 27

When I opened my eyes I saw that I was surrounded by people, many of which were dressed in formal wear from the 1800’s. The women were clothed in huge ball gowns and had expensive jewels hanging from their necks. The men of the party were dressed in odd looking suits and many of them had their hair slicked back. I wanted to look around more but it was then that it hit me how bad me rib cage was hurting. I looked down and was surprised to find that I too was dressed in old clothing. I wore a light pink ball gown with that waist synched in tightly, corset-style, to show off my narrow waist. I had exquisite looking jewels that were embroidered on the front of my dress that matched the large stones that hung from neck and wrists. I loved the dress, it was gorgeous after all so I tried to push any thoughts of my aching ribcage out of my mind, though my efforts were unsuccessful.

Just as I began to finally stop fidgeting with my dress, in an attempt to make it less tight, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and found myself staring at a very handsome young gentleman. He smiled and extended his arm to me. “May I be honored with a dance Madame?” He said and the way he addressed me as ‘Madame’ made me feel like I was royalty. I nodded eagerly and followed him as he led the way to the dance floor. The young looked very familiar but I couldn’t remember where I knew him from. As we twirled eloquently around the dance floor, all eyes were on us. I laughed in delight when he lifted me up into the air and spun me around then gracefully caught me in a dip, causing many of the guests to gasp in awe.

Still, as the wonderful night went on, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was forgetting something, something important. “You look absolutely stunning tonight,” the young man whispered into my ear as we gracefully swayed around the dance floor, his voice soft and sweet even compared to the music playing. I smiled in spite of myself and then felt a pang of guilt. “I’m terribly sorry sir, and I feel very guilty for this, but I can’t seem to remember your name,” I said then silently added, or if I’ve ever met you. I expected him to be upset or offended but he merely smiled, as if I’d just humored him.

He pulled us to a graceful stop and brushed a strand of hair behind my earlobe before he answered. “Oh Summer, you need not feel guilty, and of course do not have to refer to me as ‘sir’ anymore. We’re on a first name basis.” He said and as he flashed me a brilliantly white smile I shifted guiltily, yet again scolding myself for not remembering a young man as handsome as this.

“Alonzo Montlatzo,” he said and smiled. Alonzo Montlatzo, I thought silently, he definitely fits the royalty-sounding name, I added in my head, taking in all of his flawless features. His soft blond hair was so blond it held a silver cast that was almost mesmerizing. Unlike most of the other men, his hair hung lose and flowing just past his ears. His big eyes held a brilliant gold hue that made it almost impossible to look away from. He dressed in an old fashioned looking suit, like the other gentlemen, he wore a ruffled dress shirt under a brightly floral colored dress vest. On anyone else, his outfit would’ve looked ridiculous and rude but on him it looked sophisticated and well thought out.
Alonzo smiled and grabbing my hand, pulled me off towards one of the back halls. The walls were lit by small torches that hung on the stone walls. As we passed several different wooden doors I began to wonder where we were going and my worries increased once the smooth marble floor started to go uneven underneath my feet. At one point, I stumbled and almost fell but Alonzo’ strong arms caught me before I hit the floor and from then on, he kept his hand on the small of my back, guiding me.

Finally, after a tiresome hour of walking up and down hallways, staircases, and cellars, my aching feet were relieved as we came to a stop in front of an old, polished wooden door. Alonzo produced a fancy looking skeleton key from a pocket in his vest and soon had the door open and was ushering me inside.

Once inside, I scoped the room out. The walls were completely covered in ancient looking paintings. The rest of the room was mostly bare except for the lone chest in the corner. The floor was stone but mostly covered in exquisite, overly expensive looking rugs. Overall, the room made my gut churn and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
“Why did you bring me here?” I asked examining one of the oldest looking paintings and racking my brains trying to think of what I was forgetting, and why I was having a sickening feeling of déjà-vu. I could feel Alonzo’s golden eyes on the back of my head so I nervously continued to be immensely interested in the devilish painting in front of me. I felt him place his hands lightly on my shoulders and I let out an involuntary shiver and automatically flinched away from his touch. I snuck a glimpse at Alonzo’s face and saw that he was smiling at me with his perfectly straight, and crest white smile.

“There’s no reason to be afraid Summer, I’ve only brought you here to show you something,” He said and started walking towards the lone chest that sat in the corner, motioning for me to follow. At first, I intertwined my fingers with his and followed behind him but then a memory came floating back into my mind. It was one where I was dancing with a little boy, in a magical glowing field. He to, had laughed and danced with me, he had also tried to kill me. I yanked my hand away from his and started to quickly back away from him, towards the door.

Alonzo looked startled at first, and then hurt. “Summer,” he said reaching for my arm, “Please! I’m not one of them! I won’t hurt you!” he insisted as I dodged away from his hands and quickened my pace back to the door. “Wait! Please!” he called after me but he didn’t attempt to grab me again so I continued on my way out the door.

I scurried out as fast as I could while wearing the enormously full ball gown and tried to ignore his pleas as I shut the door behind me but there was one that caught my attention. “I can help you! I can help you get rid of him!” he called after me and I was momentarily stunned by his words. I blinked a few times to clear my thoughts then clamped my eyes shut and imagined my old garden.

When I opened my eyes I found myself staring at the back on my old, falling apart little town house. Oh the days of minimum wage I thought silently, to be honest I preferred our small town house tons better than the new mansion my parents purchased shortly after my dad’s promotion. Around me was our make-shift garden that I used to spend all my time in. I walked around the small garden countless amounts of time until my mind was completely refreshed and Alonzo was out of my head. Tired, I trudged over and laid down on the dangerously-close-to-falling-apart wooden bench that stood in front of a patch of daisies. Daisies, I thought absentmindedly, mothers favorite. With that I closed my eyes and feel asleep next to the small patch of happy childhood memories.

Chapter 28

I woke up to the annoying beeping of my alarm clock and was startled to find myself fully rested. I looked up and over my bunk and saw that I had a cute, blue plaid dress laying out for me to wear. Why did I lay that out? It’s awfully dressy for lounging around…

My thoughts trailed off when my answer hit me. My first day with my new schedule.

I stifled a groan when I rolled over to check my clock and found that I was already running late.

I threw my covers back and hopped down, off my bunk. Where’s Sierra? I thought, puzzled for a moment until I saw her note and picked it up to read it.

Summer, Left early for my study session, hopefully I’ll see you in class. If not, have fun! We’ll talk later, Sierra

I tossed her note into our trash bin and hurried off to take a shower. Though my aching muscles protested, I only allowed myself five minutes to shower and dress. According to my clock, I had ten minutes to get to my first class or risk getting detention.

My damp hair left puddles of water droplets on my wooden floor as I grabbed my bag and cell phone. I hurried out of my room and used all of my will power not to sprint down the hall to my art class. Five minutes now

, I told myself, that’s more than enough time

. I hurried off down the hall to my art class and crossed my fingers in hope that a friend would be there.

When I entered the classroom I saw Mr. Brentol, the much laid back, under qualified art teacher, sat lazily in his chair reading a newspaper. The class around him was quickly turning into a loud, rowdy group but when I entered everyone seemed to quiet down.

As I made my way to the back of the classroom I forced a smile on my face and pretended not to notice that everyone was staring at me. To my right I saw Stephanie, sitting in the corner and laughing quietly with Lance. When she saw me her laughter faded and she raised her hand, beckoning me to come over.

I pointedly swung my wet hair over my shoulder in a forced
impression of her, and continued walking as if she didn’t exist. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her begin to stand up and follow me but Lance put a assuring hand on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear. Whatever he said, it worked, she gave a small, quick nod and then sat back down.

I found an empty seat at the back of the classroom and quickly took my seat. The red head in front of me whipped her head around and gave me a ugly glare. “Why are you here?” she asked and it was then that I recognized her high pitched, nasally voice. Terri Levi, a ex-BFF of Stephanie’s, and an incredibly annoying air head,

I thought to myself moodily. Terri kept her face in an unattractive glower.

“I transferred classes,” I replied and let out a sigh of annoyance as the petite brunette next to here, who I recognized as Emily Bungler, turned my way.

“Yeah, I heard that,” She said, then offered me a carefully polished, dainty hand. “Well it’s great to have you here,” she said enthusiastically as I gave her hand tired shake.

“So I heard you got Tyler to dump Stephanie, how’d you do it?” Terri asked loudly so the several students in the class turned around to stare at me.

I heard the distinct clunk of expensive heels and wasn’t surprised when I turned around to see Stephanie standing behind me, giving Terri a sly smile. “Look Terri, I normally don’t share tips but since it looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the cage, I’ll make an exception,” She said coldly and paused briefly to flash a smile at the surrounding classmates that were giggling at her last insult.
Terri’s smug smile disappeared from her overly make-upped face.

“Have you gone shopping recently?” Stephanie asked, sugar-coating her voice and flashing an innocent smile as her. Terri shook her head and looked down so that her natural red hair fell in her face, hiding most of her face from view. “Well there’s a new sale and you should probably check it out. They’re selling lives, and from what I’ve seen, you could use one,” She finished, her tone icy, and harsh.
Terri opened her mouth to speak but then clamped it shut again as the bell rang and Stephanie strutted back to her seat.

I bit my tongue to keep from laughing at the completely shocked and angry face Terri wore now. Stephanie must’ve noticed my enjoyment because she shot me a wink and then a smile. For a moment, I smiled back and thought about the old days when I would’ve done anything to have her as my friend, but I was quickly brought back to reality when Mr. Brentol cleared his throat and my school day began.


Chapter 29

Mr. Brentol’s slow, mono-tone voice started to fade in and out of my mind as he continued to go over the different types of art with the class. Several of the students around me had dozed off at some point and were now quietly snoring. Lance, who was sitting three rows in front of me, was gazing out the window and started to absentmindedly scribble on the corner of his notebook. Terri sat unmoving in front of me, casting an occasional death glare in Stephanie’s direction. Stephanie, who either didn’t see or didn’t care about the looks, was fidgeting quietly with something in her purse.

I didn’t realize what she was doing until I felt my phone vibrate against my stomach from the pocket of my dress. I quickly glanced up to see if anyone had noticed but Mr. Brentol was still continuing with his lesson and my classmates were still either snoozing or staring off into space. I let out a silent sigh of relief and looked down to read her message.

S, we need to talk ASAP.

I rolled my eyes and dropped my phone back into my pocket. I could feel Stephanie’s gaze on me but I didn’t check to make sure, I kept my gaze straight forward and pretended to be immensely interested in the art lecture. After what felt like an endless hour, the bell finally rang and Mr. Brentol dismissed class with a half hearted wave of his hand. I scooped up my books, quickly tossing them into my back pack, and hurried out the door.

As I walked through the overly crowed hallways I kept my head down and tried my best to blend into the walls, trying to avoid a confrontation. Particularly with Zane or Stephanie,

I added silently and felt a frown appear on my lips. When I almost reached the door of my next class I felt a timid tap of the back of my shoulder. I turned around and saw it was Emily.

I stifled a sigh as though silently of excuses to get myself alone again. I’m not in a very friendly chatting mood right now,

I thought silently as the petite brunette in front of me shifted uncomfortably.

“Yes?” I asked in a cold, harsh tone. She ignored my mean tone as she reached into her bright pink backpack and began digging for something. “Look, I’m really sorry but I have to get to my…” My voice trailed off as I saw the fancy envelope she pulled out of her bag and was now handing to me.

“I didn’t steal it!” she insisted as if I had begun to assume that, when in reality, I’d never seen the card in my life. “It fell out of your bag when you walked out of class. Don’t worry, I didn’t peak either,” she added then, after handing me the letter, scurried off down the hall before I could even thank her.

I opened the envelope and pulled out an even fancier looking card. The front was decorated in lavender flower designs and had a tie-die orange flower in the center of it, it even smelled of flowers as I opened it up and read:

Dear Summer,

I’ve left something for you outside your dorm. You’d best check it out before classes end or our classmates may ruin it.

I flipped the card over, and then read through it again. “No signature,” I muttered silently under my breath. The fancy, decorative writing sounded very familiar to me, but since the note was typed, I had a hard time guessing who sent it. Sent it? They snuck it into your backpack,

I reminded myself as I dropped the letter back into my bag. Half of me hoped desperately that the note was from Zane but I knew in my heart that this note wasn’t from him.

As I walked down the empty halls, my hands got slick for sweat. Every once in awhile a teacher would come out to shut their door, and I was forced to dart around a nearby corner to avoid being caught. Being the star student of my classes, I’d never skipped class before, and it made me a lot more nervous than I thought I would. Bulk up!

I scolded myself silently, It’s not like your going to graffiti a wall. You’re just skipping class, and you have a good reason too…

My thoughts continued like this until I reached the hall where my room was located. My room was at the very end of the hall, and from where I was standing, I could just make out an object sitting in front of my door.

I quickened my pace and when I reached my door I gasped. Lying in front of my door was one of the most beautiful flower bouquets I’d ever seen in my entire life. It matched the cards front perfectly. The purple flowers, which I now recognized as Lilacs, smelled lovely and were arranged to perfection. The center flower was really what made me gasp thought. There, in the center of Lilacs, was a single Zantendeschia. It looked absolutely gorgeous, in the sea of purple, its bright orange petals stood out wonderfully. Lying near the bouquet was a card that matched the one I’d received earlier. I picked it up with shaking hands and read.

Dear Beautiful Summer,

I saw these flowers and simply couldn’t resist. Mind you, I added the center flower, I thought that it made it more…You. If I’m not mistaken it is your favorite flower, so how could I get you a bouquet without it? Anyways, I’ve sent you these as my invitation. I would absolutely honored if you would accompany me to Autumn Ball. I know that it’s coming up rather quick, and it is last minute, so I do understand if you already have a date, but if you don’t I ask you to consider. Thanks again for a lovely evening with an even lovelier girl; I hope to see you again soon.

Yours Truly,
Kyle

I let out a squeal of pure joy as I scooped up the bouquet and cradled it in my arms. The Autumn Ball, I almost forgot that was coming up,

I thought to myself as I read and re-read Kyle’s letter again. My grin stretched wide across my face and I thought to myself how good it felt to smile again. I stood there gripping the bouquet and smiling like an idiot until I heard footsteps from around the corner. My smile disappeared instantly and I bit my tongue to

keep from letting out a yelp of surprise. I quickly hurried into my room and placed the bouquet and cards in the back of my closet, where I could retrieve them later. Jumping into bed, I tested out my fake cough as I pulled the covers up to my chin. For an extra effect I pulled my water bottle out of my bag and dripped some water on my face.

There was a loud, firm knock on my door just as my head hit the pillow. “It’s open,” I croaked, making my voice sound hoarse and weak. In a matter of seconds my door was flung open and Ms. Kelly was rushing through the entrance, hurriedly shutting the door behind her.

“I heard from your teachers that you hadn’t showed up to some of your classes. Everyone was quite worried about you,” Ms. Kelly said as she straitened her blazer. Her tone was meant to sound kind and worried but to me, it came across as cold and accusing.

“So how are you feeling?” she asked, her expression tight as she reached up to feel my forehead.

“Oh I’m feeling tons better after lying down for awhile. Actually, I can probably head back to my classes,” I replied, slightly flinching as her cold hand pressed against my forehead.

“Well, I believe it’s your lunch hour right now. If you’re sure your feeling better than”

“It’s lunchtime?” I asked, cutting her off mid sentence out of shock. Did I really skip that much class?

“Yes, it is,” she replied, her tone indicating that I was beginning to annoy her. Before I could respond she continued on, “Perhaps you should take the rest of the day off to fully recover,” she said giving me a smile that sent shivers up and down my spine.

“Perhaps,” I finally managed to mutter as she continued to stare unblinkingly at me, with her cold, harsh gaze.

“Well you just rest and I’ll notify your teachers,” she said in an overly sweet voice. “Oh and Summer,” she said as she turned towards the door. “Please try to make curfew tonight, that is a rule after all,” she finished then, shutting the door firmly behind her, she left me staring open mouthed behind her.


Chapter 30

I sat on my bed for a few moments, staring at my closed door. My head was spinning and spots were forming in my vision. How did she find out about last night? Was she watching me? And why did it seem like she knew I was just skipping?

I took a deep breath to calm myself and clear my thoughts.

Then, when I was sure no one else was going to enter my room, I crept over to my closet door and scooped my bouquet up into my arms. I cradled it in my arms and inhaled deeply, loving the sweet scent of lavender that filled my nostrils. I sighed, instantly relaxed, as I went back to my bed and sat down. I sat there for a moment, admiring the beauty of the flowers, until it occurred to me that I should give Kyle a call.

I pulled out my phone and dialed his number, he answered on the first ring, making me smile. “Oh Hi Summer, did you get my present?” he asked surprising me with the hint of nervousness in his voice. Does he honestly think I’m going to turn him down?

I thought and let out a giggle.

“Yep, I thought I’d call you and tell you-"

“Tell me? Oh…” I could hear the disappointment in his voice which made me shake with silent laughter. He really does think I'm turning him down!

“Oh Kyle I’d love to go with you!” I said and I could hear him laughing along with me.

“Wow, that’s a relief,” he replied and the tone of his voice changed from sad, to happy with just one statement.

A bell rang in the background and Kyle let out a sigh of annoyance. “You’re in your room right?” he asked and I felt my gut clench with nervousness for a reason unknown.

“Yeah, but-”

“Don’t go anywhere; I’ll be up in a second. Just got to get past the wardens,” he said then hung up before I could protest.

I began to chew anxiously on my fingernails as I waited for him to arrive, though it was only about five minutes before I heard a soft knock on my door. I hustled over and flung it open to see Kyle with a smile lighting up his face. What’s he staring at?

I wondered looking down then, seeing what he was staring at, I returned the smile.

“So I’m taking that as you like them?” Kyle asked, motioning towards the bouquet that I was still cradling in my arms.

My smile widened and I motioned for him to come in as I answered, “Like them? I love them, Kyle! Where did you get them?” He stepped through my doorway and I shut the door behind him, feeling my stomach churn as the good girl inside of me remembered the no-guys-in-the-bedroom rule.

“The Lilacs are from my mothers garden,” he said, shifting uncomfortably as I cast him a look.

“I think you know what I was talking about. Where on Earth did you get a Zantendeschia?” I asked, knowing that almost every store refuses to sell them.

Kyle smiled shyly at me and brushed his hair out of his eyes while I waited patiently for him to answer. “Well…I knew you they’re you favorite and…It’s not like the gardeners are going to notice…They hardly even water the place anymore…”he said, his voice drifting in and out as he tried to answer me.

“You stole it!?” I asked, feeling suddenly very guilty to be holding the flowers and set them down onto my chair.

“No! I left money in the gardeners shed, though I doubt they’ll ever find it,” he said and we both burst into laughter.

“So why aren’t you in class?” I asked scooping up my flowers again and plopping down onto my bed. Kyle shook his head so his hair fell into his face as he sat down next to me.

“Not everyone thinks that skipping class is equivalent to robbing a bank Summer, some people do it regularly.” he replied giving me a smirk that quickly disappeared when he saw my expression.

“Well, if you’re going to be a jerk than you can just leave,” I said motioning towards the door with my free hand.

Kyle’s jaw dropped, “Look Summer, I’m sorry…I was just joking around, but it wasn’t funny and-”

“Would you shut-up!” I said, playfully punching him in the arm, “I’m totally kidding with you. I can take a little sarcasm, I’m a big girl.” Kyle’s look of sorrow turned to amusement.

“That’s it, you asked for it!” he said leaping towards me and tickling my stomach till tears were running down my face.

“No! Stop it! AH!” I screamed as we both collapsed in fits of laughter.

“I came up here to keep you company, to answer your question,” he said playing with the ends of my hair which made me shiver out of pure joy.

“Well, thank-you. You mean a lot to me,” Crap! Did I really just say ‘you’? No, I couldn’t have! I meant to say ‘it’... or did I?

I looked up at Kyle to see him smiling.

“You mean a lot to me too,” he said and time seemed to slow down as he leaned towards me. It felt like Earth stopped turning and everything was moving in slow motion.

I leaned towards him and closed my eyes slowly, not wanting to lose sight of his beautiful face. When our lips met it was like fireworks exploded. It wasn’t like kissing Zane, but it was still wonderful and sweet in its own way. His soft lips continued to brush up against mine and he tangled his fingers through my light blonde hair as I scooted closer towards him. There was a burning passion between us that seemed to strength more and more as our lips met again and again. I felt his soft, warm hand on the small of my back and I smiled as his lips met mine once more before he pulled away.

“I love you Kyle,” I said and even I was surprised to hear the words come out of my mouth, I’d never told a guy I loved him before.

“I love you too beautiful,” Kyle said as he pulled me onto his lap and wrapped his arms around me. I sighed, If heaven is anything like this, I’m ready to die now,

I thought blissfully as Kyle kissed my forehead and I leaned my head back onto his shoulder. “I’m glad you said yes,” he said, stroking my hair after a few moments of silence.

“I’m glad you asked,” I replied smiling up at him.

“You really should put those in a vase, they’ll last longer that way,” he said motioning to the bouquet that was lying at the end of my bed, I’d tossed it there when we’d started to kiss and now my cheeks flushed bright pink as I remembered this.

I reluctantly got up from his embrace and crawled over to where my flowers where lying, smiling at the beauty of them. “They really are gorgeous,” I said and was startled to feel Kyle place his hands on my waist from behind me.

“They had to be, beautiful flowers for an even more beautiful girl.” I blushed even deeper, like always do when he compliments me, and leaned forward in an attempt to hide my face behind my hair. Kyle reached forward and tucked the few shielding pieces of hair behind my ear then shot me a smile, “Sorry, but it’s too pretty of a face to hide it.” I grinned at him and let out a giggle.

“Can I ask you something?” I asked and he turned to face me, suddenly serious.

“Anything.” He confirmed.

“Why me? Why do you like me, instead of Stephanie or Terri?” I asked and he let out a snort.

“Well, to start, Terri Levi and Stephanie Marlow aren’t anything compared to you. Second, I think we’ve already determined that I don’t ‘like’ you, I ‘love’ you. Third, how could a guy not love you Summer? You’re amazingly beautiful, smart, creative, edgy, feisty, you like to go on adventures, and

you’re one of the kindest girls I’ve ever met.” He finished and catching my shocked expression he laughed and pulled me towards him again.

“No wait.” I said putting my hand against his chest to restrain him.

“What?” he asked with a hint of a smile as he reached up and intertwined his fingers with mine.

“Do really think that highly of me?” I asked feeling rather flattered. The only person who’s ever talked to me like that is…

I felt my heart clench as I thought of him. How did he manage to sneak his way into my thoughts? Why can’t being with Kyle be enough for me? But It is!

I insisted silently as his soft fingertips caressed my high cheek bones.

“Well, I would stay, but Ms. Kelly has a habit of checking up on those who skip, and I’d like to avoid detention,” he said getting up off of my bed. Hearing Ms. Kelly’s name brought back her chilling image and the memories of our last conversation, making me shiver.

“You okay?” Kyle called over his shoulder as he headed for my door.

“Yeah, just a little cold,” I assured him feeling a pang of guilt in my stomach as I lied to him.

“Well, see you later Summer. Love you!” he said shooting me an extra white smile as he opened my door and stepped out.

“Love you too,” I whispered as my door swung shut. But do I really ‘love’ Kyle? Yes, I finally decided, Yes I do and right now, he’s the only one I love.

I laid back down on my bed and continued to repeat that to myself hoping that if I said it enough, it might make it more true.


Chapter 31

A few hours later, I heard the last school bell ring and let out a sigh of relief, no more visits from Ms. Kelly. I stared at the bouquet sitting on my widow sill and let out a sigh. Life should feel great right now. So why doesn’t it?

I wasn’t sure how to answer that thought, so I decided to ignore it.

The clicking of my door getting unlocked made me jump and crouch into a defensive stance. Sierra smiled and gave a small wave, “It’s just me.” I breathed a sigh of relief and returned to sitting on my bed. “Oh! What a pretty bouquet! It couldn’t be from Zane

, could it?” she asked, pulling herself up to my bunk, and plopping down next to me. The way she said Zane’s name suggested she knew something I didn’t and it made my stomach flip from nervousness.

“No, it’s not from Zane. Why would you think that?” I asked anxiously picking at my cuticles.

“Oh no reason,” she said giving me a wink and playing with her short, choppy hair.

“Spill,” I said, shooting her a glare.

Her smile dropped, “Oh, you really didn’t see it…” she said then got up and motioned for me to follow her.

We walked through our doorway and came to a halt right outside our door, where a note hung. A fancy Z was inscribed on the front, letting passing viewers know exactly who it was from. I shifted uncomfortably. Was that on the door this whole time? Did Kyle see it? Did he read it?

I shook my head to clear it then snatched the note off of the door.

Why couldn’t it have a K on in? It would make this so much easier!

I cursed under my breath as I opened the letter so only I could read it.

Dear Summer,

We need talk, no I need to apologize, and I’m not doing it through a letter or a text. Please meet me in front of the school at 5:00 tonight.

-Zane

I folded up the letter and put it my pants pocket with a defeated sigh. Was it really only a year ago that I had absolutely no life whatsoever? And now… I have 2 boyfriends!

I shook my head at that last thought, actually I have 1 boyfriend, and his name is Kyle.

I gave a quick reassuring nod to Sierra as her eyebrows shot up her forehead.

“Wanna talk?” she asked a concerned look crossing her face.

“I’d love to, but I can’t. If have to meet someone,” I replied glancing at my watch. I had five minutes till I was supposed to meet with Zane. I took a deep, steadying breath and started to shuffle my way down the hall.

By the time I made it outside I was 3 minutes late. I walked out door and towards the buff figure that had his back to me. As I approached he heard the slight crunching of twigs and turned around to face me. My breath got caught in my throat, I’d forgotten how handsome he was. He held out his hand to me and I took it. His skin felt warm and soft to touch, I missed it greatly. He led me over to the school’s outdoor fountain and we sat down on the side of it. Once we were seated, he dropped my hand and I couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

“They say that fountains reform hearts and-”

“Rekindle new love,” I finished for him. He smiled at me and I sat on my hands to refrain from throwing them around him at the sight of his adorable dimples.

“Look, Summer I-”

“You don’t have to apologize.” I said turning away from him. He placed a hand on my leg and used his other to turn my face towards his.
“Yes, I do. I know I was jerk, I know I shouldn’t have lied to you, and most of all I know that I hurt you badly. The worst part is that those were all the things I wanted to avoid,” he said whispering the last part more to himself than to me.

“Hey, look at me,” I said and instantly his bright blue eyes rose to mine.

“We all make mistakes, and if we’re gonna be honest with each other, I miss you.” I paused, choking back a sob then added, “I need you.”

“Oh Summer,” Zane said wrapping me in his warm embrace that I missed so much and pulling me close. “Oh Summer I’m so sorry,” he whispered in my ear, “I’m so, so sorry.” He said it over and over while I sat crying into the shoulder of his t-shirt. I let the tears slide down my face and into the fountains glistening waters.

“Just p-promise me one t-thing,” I said through choked sobs.

“Anything your heart desires,” he said and I sobbed even harder at the resemblance of his and Kyle’s responses.

“Don’t ever lie to m-me again, it j-just hurts t-too m-much,” I said and I felt him slide his fingers under my chin.

“Summer Charard, I promise, with all of my life, that I will never, ever lie to you again,” he said then, he kissed me. He kissed me with passion, with desire, and pure un-dying love. His kiss wiped my mind blank. No one else existed but him. No Stephanie, no Sierra, no Lance, and no Kyle. No Kyle…. Kyle!

I jerked away from Zane, losing my balance and falling feet first into the fountains icy water.

When my head broke through the surface of the cold water, my thoughts came back. They flooded into my mind like the rushing water surrounding my body. What did I just do!

I thought as two strong hands pulled me up and out of the freezing ice water.

“Summer? Summer, are you okay?” Zane asked taking off his jacket and putting it on my shoulders.

“What the Hell is going on here?” A voice from behind me asked, causing me to spin around and come face to face with Kyle.

“Nothing, Kyle. Absolutely nothing.” I ignored the hurt look on Zane’s face as I threw my arms around Kyle’s neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Are you okay, honey?” he asked stroking my cheek.

“I’m fine.”

“Summer, can we please just talk about this?” Zane asked reaching out and grabbing my arm.

“Get your hands off of her!” Kyle shouted lightly pushing me behind himself and shoving Zane backwards.

“I said I was fine, Kyle. There’s no need to get angry,” I said meekly.

Kyle’s eyes didn’t even blink as he answered me, “No, you’re not fine. This jerk’s made you cry again and this time is the last time he’s gonna do that to you. I’m gonna make sure of it,” Kyle said shoving Zane back another few steps.

“She doesn’t need a lame loser like you in her life anymore,” Kyle said pushing Zane yet another few feet back until his calves were touching the marble rim of the fountain. “Don’t you get it? She doesn’t like you anymore!” Kyle said and I gasped out loud as Zane’s fist made contact with Kyle’s jaw.

Kyle clutched his jaw and kick Zane in the knee. Zane fell, clutching his knee, and used his elbow to hit Kyle in the back of the head.

“Stop it! Please! Stop! Both of you!” I shrieked, pushing them away from each other with all of the strength I had in me. Neither of them budged but with me in such close proximity, they didn’t dare throw any more punches.

“You just stay away from her!” Kyle spit as he got up from the ground and pulled me closer to him. “Let’s go Summer.” He pulled me with him as he marched towards the school. I looked back over my shoulder and caught Zane’s glance. His normally bright blue eyes, were dim and sad, his perfect lips pouted in a look of defeat.

“Please, don’t leave,” He whispered so only I could hear. I’m sorry

, I whispered, and his defeat lessened, he’d read my lips perfectly. Kyle opened the door and dragged me inside but before I was in I threw my head back, looking directly at Zane and mouthed, I love you

. Then, as Kyle slammed the door, I forgot about Zane, about the kiss, and about my last words. I left it all outside, and linked my arm through my boyfriends as we started off down the hall together.


Chapter 32

We made it halfway down the hallway before Kyle pulled me aside and pushed me back, against the wall. My mind flashed back the memory of Zane, he’d done the exact same thing right after our first date. No! No more comparing Kyle to Zane! Kyle is your boyfriend and Zane is a friend.

I silently reprimanded myself as Kyle’s lips turned up in a smile.

“You’re doing it again,” he said brushing my wet hair out of my face.

“Doing what?” I asked. Comparing you to Zane?

I thought nervously, How does he know I do that?

“You’re thinking real hard about something. I can tell, and I think I know what it is,” he said and I shifter uncomfortably, letting my body press up against the hard stone of the wall.
“You do?” He smiled at me, making my stomach churn with guilt.

“Of course I do. You feel guilty about kissing Zane, but no worries Summer. I think I know how you can make it up to me,” he said and I gave him a confused look.

“How?” I asked and his smile widened.

“By saying yes.”

I sighed, beginning to feel annoyed with him, “But I already did say yes!” I protested as he finally released his strong hold on my arms.

“I’m not talking about the dance Summer,” he replied, ignoring my look of annoyance as I took a step away from the wall and wrung my hair out.

“Then what are you talking about Kyle?” I asked with a sigh, I was really getting tired of all of these games.

“I would like you to meet my parents,” he answered and I felt my breath catch in my throat.

“Y-your parents? As in your family? When?” I asked turning to face him. He reached up and took hold of my hands, intertwining his fingers with mine before he answered me.

“Well, my parents are my family, I have no siblings, and yes they said that they would be delighted if you would come have dinner with us. We were thinking on this tomorrow.” He finished and I felt my jaw drop.

“Tomorrow? They want to meet me? What happens if they don’t like me? What happens if-”

“Oh Summer, relax!” he said giving me a quick peck on my forehead. “They’re going to love you just as much as I do. In fact, I’ve already got us permission from the office to leave campus, so now all that’s standing in the way is your answer,” he finished his statement by giving me a sly smile that made me let out a nervous giggle.

“Of course I’ll meet them!” I said giggling as Kyle picked me up and spun me around.

We both laughed as he tripped over the uneven floor and we were both sent tumbling onto the ground. Sprawled out on the soft, carpeted entrance hall we must have looked incredibly foolish, but at that moment, I didn’t care. Kyle got up and brushed his pants off then offered me his hand. I took it graciously and laughed joyfully as he pulled me up off the floor and into his warm, loving embrace.

“I’m glad you said yes…again,” Kyle whispered as I clung tighter to him.

“I’m glad you asked…again,” I replied and gave his lips a soft kiss before untangling myself from him.
“I should head back to my room before Sierra gets worried, I kind of left her in a hurry,” I said and gave Kyle one last hug before we set off in separate directions.

I made if halfway to my dorm before I registered the fact that I was still wearing Zane’s jacket. I sighed, maybe I can give to Lance, and the he can deliver it for me.

I thought glumly as I again regretted whispering ‘I love you’ to Zane. I shouldn’t have done that. All that did was make things more complicated.

I gave my forehead a light slap as I replayed the evenings highlights in my mind. Zane kissing me, me falling, them fighting, me mouthing words, and Kyle’s invite. It’d all happened so fast that most of it was a blur.

Click! I heard a loud stomp from somewhere near by, ignoring it, I kept on walking. Click! There it is again!

I thought as I looked around for the person behind the noise, but found nothing and kept walking.

“Oh for the love of Christ would you turn around!” called an annoyed voice from behind me. I whipped around, not sure how I’d missed whoever it was and then I saw her. Stephanie stood by the wall, her expression tired and sad. She was wearing her pink, lace and silk pajamas and her hair was slicked back into a high pony. My eyebrows shot up at the sight of her.

“Sleep walking are we?” I checked my watch, “It isn’t even 8:00 yet, why are you in your pajamas?”

As normal, she plastered on a superior glare and stood up straighter before she answered me, “I just got finished with my massage and thought I’d relax!” she said pointedly and I let out a sigh.

“So I only have 2 questions,” I said giving her a sarcastic glance, “1.) Which boy did you con into giving you a massage now? And 2.) What are you doing in the hallway?” She twirled the end of her pony tail nervously before answering.

“Would you just forgive and forget already?” she yelled, surprising me. “I mean, come on! I’m sorry that Zane lied, and go ahead and stay mad at him, but don’t drag me into this! I’m not

the one who lied to you!” she insisted stomping over to look me in the eyes. “You know I don’t apologize a lot…” she said her voice trailing off as she looked down at her feet. I crossed my arms and waited for her to continue.

“Look, do I really have to say it?” she said and I shot her a glance.

“Say what? You’re sorry?” I asked innocently and she gave me a disgusted glance.

“Of course not! I have nothing to apologize for!”

“Nothing to apologize for? You have absolutely-”

“Don’t you get it!” she yelled, cutting me off mid sentence. “I have no one

! I don’t have caring parents, I don’t have a brother cares if I even exists, I don’t have any relationship, yet alone a good one. Most of all, I don’t have any friends! I’m sorry! Okay? I’m sorry!” she yelled in fury and without a second glance she ran to the end of the hall, flung her door open, and slammed it shut behind her. I stood there for a moment, did that really just happen?

I asked myself as I forced my feet to walk forward. Who would guess that Stephanie actually has a heart?

I thought as I stumbled my way back to my room.

When I got to my dorm room I flung open the door, then after shutting it behind me, I dragged myself onto my bed and pulled the covers up to my chin. I had no intentions of actually sleeping, but it felt good to just lie there and do nothing. After only a few minutes of nothing I heard my phone vibrate from my computer desk and turned over to look at it, contemplating whether I should get up to answer it. Sierra rounded the corner from our bathroom and glanced over at my phone.

“You want me to get that?” she asked as she ran a comb through her short, choppy brown hair.

“Yeah, thanks,” I replied as she scooped my phone up and tossed it to me.

“Hello?” I said hearing how tired my voice sounded and heard a rustling on the other line.

“Hi sweetheart,” My fathers low baritone voice rang through the receiver.

“Oh hi daddy!” I said instantly glad to hear from my family. “What’s up?” I asked casually and heard him clear his throat, something he only does when he’s nervous. “Is everything alright, dad?” I asked willing him with all of my might to assure me that everything was fine.

“Uh, no honey, I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news for you,” he said and I heard the sadness emitting from his voice.

“Daddy? What’s wrong, Daddy?” I asked, sounding like the small child my father could always bring out in me.

“Your mother and I have done a lot of thinking about this…and we want you to understand that this has nothing to do with you…Honey, your mother and I are splitting up.” He finished and his words made the tears spring back up in my eyes.

“What! But you and mommy are happy together! You’ve always been happy together!” I cried as my father tried to console me.

“I know, I know, and I’m sorry that you have to hear it like this, but we just aren’t happy anymore.” The way he said it made me stop sobbing and sit up straighter.

“This wasn’t a mutual decision, was it? This is mom’s choice! She’s the one who’s ‘not happy’ anymore!” I said and I heard my father let out a defeated sigh.

“Yes, your mother is the one who brought about this but you’re not to blame her. Things like this happen, and honey, can you really blame her? We hardly see each other anymore, with my constant working and her travels; it’s obvious to see that we’ve drifted.”

My sadness turned to anger. “How could she does this to us?!” I screamed as unwelcome tears slid down my face.

“Summer listen I-”

“I gotta go,” I said then hung and threw my phone a the floor. It bounced one then lay still on the carpet.

I looked up from my bed and saw Sierra’s concerned look. She walked over and cautiously picked up my phone, as if she were afraid I would throw something again.

After she had it in her hand, she set it back down onto my desk then pulled herself up to sit with me on my bed.

“If you wanna talk-”

“Yes, I need to talk,” I replied and without waiting for a response I started into what happened after I’d left her and for the first time since I had my first dream, I didn’t lie. I told her everything, leaving nothing out, and for the first time in a very long time, I felt like I had a friend.

Chapter 33 Coming Soon! Comment/Heart if you like. Friend me to get messaged when I update :)

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 04.08.2011

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