SUMMER OF STARS

Summer of Stars Part 27

Chapter 23

            Mom arrived at the pool to get Hannah and me a half hour after the guys left.

            “Mrs. Ray, I’m really sorry to hear about your separation.” Hannah leaned forward from the back seat as we pulled into her neighborhood. The pageant world and growing up an only child had certainly given Hannah the confidence to talk to adults like she was one.

            Mom reached over and patted her hand. “Thank you, sweetie.”

            “If you ever need to talk to anyone about divorce, you can call my mom.” We pulled into the driveway in front of the large brick house Hannah had grown up in. “See ya later, Lola. Call me.” She climbed out of the car.

            “Bye.” I yelled through the open window as she walked into the garage.

            “Did you two have fun?” Mom asked.

            “We met her new boyfriend and the jerk quarterback there, so I’d hardly call it fun.”

            “So you didn’t hit it off with the quarterback?

            I laughed. “Are you kidding?”

            “Hey, you and Ian are just friends right?”

            “Yeah, but Camden? I’d have a better chance at getting a modeling contract than getting asked out by him.” I shook my head and stared out the window. “He’s not my type anyway.”

            “Well, at least you got your Vitamin D,” Mom laughed.

            “Ah, yes. A bright side.”

            When we got home, I called Ian. “Save me,” I moaned when he answered.

            “What do you need to be saved from?”

            “I just spent half the day with Hannah, Andy, and Camden at the pool.”

            “OMG! Those guys are totally super cool. I mean, they are gorgeous with a capitol G!” Ian was doing his best shallow, ditzy girl impersonation. I could just imagine his head whipping back and forth.

            I laughed. “I can’t begin to tell you. It was a see-saw between great levels of embarrassment and intense boredom.”

            “How in the world could you possibly be embarrassed or bored by the super-jocks?”

            “Well, let’s see, Hannah and Andy were all over each other and the only words that came out of Camden’s mouth all morning were a few insults directed at Andy.” I grabbed a clean shirt out of my drawer and pulled it over my head. “Quite frankly, I think I’d rather experience my death in the Holocaust again than have to repeat this day.”

            “Perfect, when do you want to schedule an appointment?” Ian asked.

            “Huh?”

            “An appointment with your hypnotherapist.”

            “Oh,” I laughed. “I was only kidding, you know.”

            “You need to go back one more time. You need to see the rest, to know what happens to your mom and dad and the young guard.” Ian paused. “Hell, maybe one more trip there and you’ll figure out who he is.”