A Summer to Remember

Chapter Four

Zoe's POV

I couldn't believe she did that. She knows that I had liked him before she even created her twitter. She only created it to steal the guys I thought were cute, away from me. But then again, maybe Sam was right. He never did show any interest in me, and he told me she tried to stop him.

I sat on my bed and thought long and hard about this situation. I guess I over reacted, but Rayley couldn't know that. Not now. I'd never hear the end of how stupid I was over one little thing. It wouldn't be the first time.

My mind wondered to the conversation I had with Sam.

Sam walked into my room, being very careful. He shyly smiled, apparently not wanting to make any sudden movements. "Hey." His deep voice filled my room.

"Hey" I couldn't really speak, or look at him. I thought he had liked me. Stupid girl.

"Can we talk about what just happened in there?" He looked desperate. Doing Rayley's dirty work, I made sure to keep that locked in my mind.

"Sure." He sat down next to me. I looked up at him.

"Zoe." He sighed, "Rayley told me this would probably happen. She wanted to come in here and talk to you, but I wouldn't allow it. Listen, you're a good friend and a beautiful girl, you're going to find someone, it's going to be soon. I promise. It's just, I've liked Rayley for such a long time now, actually, since she and I started talking to her on twitter. I just couldn't tell her. Zoe, you had boyfriends all throughout high school, she didn't. I think it's time she gets a little romance. Don't you?"

He had a point. All through high school, she went to the dances without dates. She skipped prom, since every other friend had dates and she didn't want to feel like a third wheel. I remember the numerous times she got rejected. Despite her beauty and kind heart, no boy was ever interested in her. Once, all the girls got together for a date night so we all brought our boyfriends and Rayley came because we wanted her too. She went home an hour early, probably cried in the shower. I always had hated the fact that most boys found her ugly because of her athletic ability and smarts.

"Yes, I do. I just don't like how it's with you. She knows I liked you a lot and I came here for college and to try to bump our relationship up a bit." I felt selfish but it was true.

"Please don't do anything stupid, Zoe. She told me not to do anything. I refused though. I really wa- like her. You have to understand." He got up. "I have to get going. Rent isn't free." He walked out. I heard Rayley singing to her music while she got ready.

I walked over to her room. I stood by the door for less than a minute when she walked out. "Hey, Zo. I'm really so-" She started, but I didn't let her finish. I slapped her as hard as I could. Her hand came up to feel the newly red skin.

"You bitch..." I couldn't remember all I said just that I knew we weren't friends anymore. I didn't care that Sam had made the first move. She should've stopped him. There was no reason for that. I walked back to my room to get clean clothes and waited in my room until she left. When I heard her on the phone, I cursed to myself for not expecting she'd retalliate with something. I heard the apartmnet door slam, and I walked to my bathroom. It wasn't as big as Rayley's but it consisted of the same things. I wanted the smaller bathroom so I didn't have to clean as much.

I walked into the shower and let myself think.

***

Sam's POV

The phone clicked. Did a girl just take control of our date? How hot was that! I texted her why all the sudden her being interested in me. I told Zoe not to do anything stupid. Stupid, falling under recking their friendship.

When she didn't respond I told myself to ask her later. I set down my phone in my gym bag and went to the receptionist counter checking in and out members. Workers in this gym are put where they're needed. I didn't really like being needed here. I couldn't type as fast as the regular girls who worked up here. They were a lot swifter and nicer.

***

It was two thiry-four in the afternoon when I clocked out. I got into my Jeep and drove back to the apartments. Rayley's Mustang wasn't there. I guessed she was already at the beach tanning because she was so pale. I strongly prayed she wasn't that pale all year long. She probably would be a couple tones darker if Texas hadn't decided to be cold for spring.

I decided to take an hour nap before I went to beach, thanking myself that I did as I pulled on my black rip curl board shorts on over my blue boxers. I rummaged through my drawers searching for my Gold Coast tee, finally finding it, I slipped it over my head and grabbed my keys.

It takes about fifteen minutes to get to Pensacola Beach from the apartments. I instantly spotted Rayley tanning on the beach in a pink and black striped bikini. She was getting attention from some males, but she ignored them. I walked over to her, "Hey gorgeous." I ran my hands down her sides. She caught my hands before I reached the ties on her bottoms. "Hey! No funny business." I laughed.

"Like that's ever stopped me." I untied her long hair and played with it. "So why did you want me here?" She stayed silent for a long moment.

"Zoe blew up on me. We're not friends anymore. So I'm all yours." My heart raced and sunk at the same time. Rayley was mine, and I was her's and that's the way it's always going to be. But her and Zoe no longer were friend's because of us.

"Are you sure this is right?"

"Of course, if she's going to blow up about something like that, then let her be. She'll probably cool down and things will go back to normal."

"Okay." I kissed her forehead. I slipped off my shirt and tanned next to her. I reached for her hand and held it. She smiled. It amazed me that this beautiful girl got rejected all through high school and no boy wanted her.

We laid there for a long time, asking questions about each other's life. I'd never had someone ask me so many questions about my life at once. It was like she actually cared about what was going on. No one ever really cared about me after I headed for college. My family did, but I lost connections with old friends and most girls just wanted sex from me. So I'd do it, thinking they really loved me.

Rayley would be different. I'm taking our relationship slow. I'll do all the things I've always wanted to with the other girls but never had the chance to do. I was not letting her slip through my fingers.