EIGHTY EIGHT DAYS

CHAPTER 1. KEEP CLIMBING

Author's note: This chapter contains some mature language.

There's a video trailer for this book above. Please grab some headphones and enjoy the beautiful, original song "Blame" by Human Cypher before I take you along with me on this wild summer adventure ♥

"Hey Dylan, it's me. I know you probably don't want to talk to me after what happened tonight, but I think if you knew the whole story, you'd understand. So, I'm leaving tomorrow and if I don't hear from you before I get on that plane...I'll never...umm, I mean, I just called because I wanted you to know that I still...never mind, goodbye Dylan."

As I hung up the phone, my whole body was trembling and I couldn't stop pacing the floor. The pressure inside my empty stomach suddenly rose up to a boiling point and squeezed my ribs so tightly that it left me breathless. There was an uncomfortable heaviness in my heart that reminded me I was leaving tomorrow. The mere thought of getting on that plane made my heart beat so fast that I could literally feel my pulse throbbing inside my ears with each step that I took. Tears steadily streamed down my face and as I slowly unraveled, I immediately regretted leaving him that message. I couldn't help but think to myself, if he doesn't ever want to see me again like he told me tonight, then I guess it's over. I'll survive, somehow.

I have to admit, it was a lot easier trying to convince myself that I'd be ok than to get my heart to believe it. The truth was, I wasn't alright. My heart ached with so much sadness that all I could do was flop on the bed, bury my face in the pillow, and scream out in agony.

Thank God the sound of me breaking down was muffled. I tried desperately to keep what was left of my dignity after being humiliated at that party by my cousin Erica and her best friend. She was in the next room and I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing that their evil plan worked and Dylan and I had broken up.

That was the only thing that made me happy about having to leave tomorrow. I was finally going to get away from her. In one day she had managed to wreck what Dylan and I had built together in eighty-eight days and I hated her for it.

When the phone rang a few minutes later, I frantically jumped up from my bed and about broke my neck, tripping over everything in my path as I raced over to answer it. I paused for a second as I wiped my eyes and tried to compose myself, just in case it was Dylan.

"Hello?"

"Chloe?"

As soon as I hear his voice, I drop to my knees beside the desk and struggle to catch my breath. I can feel my mouth trying to move to answer him, but I can't get the words to come off of my quivering lips.

"Chloe? Are you there?"

"Umm...yeah...I'm here."

"Ok, well, I was actually just getting ready to call you when I got your message."

"I'm so glad you called. I didn't want things to end like this, Dylan. I have to leave tomorrow and I wanted to talk to you about what really happened tonight."

"Yeah, about that, Erica already beat you to it."

I jumped to my feet when I heard him say her wretched name and defiantly clapped back, "that bitch! What did she tell you? More lies I'll bet!"

"No, now just listen. She took full responsibility for what happened and told me what they did to you and how it was all just a joke at first and that it just got a little out of hand."

"A joke? Yeah, it was hilarious! I don't even care that she tried to do the right thing and tell you the truth. If it wasn't for her and Bethany's childish bullshit, it never would have happened in the first place!"