Here's To That Summer

Chapter Six

“What?!” I ask loudly.

“Yeah she’s smoking up with the rest of the guys right now.”

I turn to look at Rebecca. She smiles and nods in approval and I take off for the house. Reaching the door, I straighten my shirt and tidy my hair then check my breath. All good it seems. I reach for the door and pull it open.

There she was, sitting on the couch laughing with the rest of the guys.

“Where’ve you been?” Matthew asks.

“Just chilling.” I respond nonchalantly. Tuck seems knocked out on the floor and Kelly isn’t wearing her shirt. The rest of the guys are just playing with cards and drinking what looks like the crappy licorice liquor.

I turn to look at her and she smiles at me for a moment until we get interrupted.

“You guys wanna go swim?” Kelly pipes up.

“Sure!” two voices call out in unison.

Rebecca walks in with Hanns.

“What’s going on?” Hanns asks, pointing at Kelly who is taking her pants off.

“We’re going swimming!” she yells at him.

“Yeap. Basically that.” Daniel chuckles, taking his clothes off too. The group proceeds to do the same and I look at Claire.

“You joining them?” I ask her.

“Nah. I’m not that crazy.”

“Fair enough.”

She leans back in her seat, I take one right next to her. The rest of them proceed to run out the house, Kelly wearing nothing. Hanns takes a quick look around.

“I’ll just drink on the porch if anyone needs me.” He says quietly and tiptoes out of the room.

I’m alone with her. I take a deep breath and feel my chest closing in. My mouth feels dry and my palms begin to sweat. My eyes quickly assess the situation. She’s busy looking at her phone and smiling at it, I have some time to recompose myself.

Be cool, I find me telling myself.

“Why so serious?” I hear her asking me in a “Joker” kind of voice.

“What? Serious? Who said I was being serious?” I scramble to find my words.

“Come on. It’s not that bad is it?” she teases me.

I turn to look her in the eyes. I want to tell her. Everything that’s happened, everything I’ve felt. But the courage doesn’t build up. The look on her face dies a little. She seems disappointed.

Fuck.

A moment of awkward silence passes. I stare at my fingers nervously and she shifts around in her seat.

“Do you still like me?” she finally asks.

I turn to look at her once again, but before I could answer her Matthew comes into the room.

“Come on guys let’s go chill together. Why’re you two just sitting there?”

“Nothing, I want to go lie down for a little.” Claire says and stands.

“Okay whatever floats your boat then. You coming?” Matt turns to me.

“Yeah sure. Gimme a sec.” I turn to look at her as she walks up the stairs.

I stand and head out onto the porch with Matthew. Everyone is splashing around except for Hanns. Matt jumps straight into the pool without me, and I take a seat next to Hanns.