That Summer Crush (#wattys2017)

Chapter Six

                               "Swooning? Really? Yes, we talked. Then we stopped. Nothing really."

                               "Nothing?! That's huge! What did you talk about to your lover boy?"

I hold my finger up and say, "He's not my lover boy."

                                "Not yet!" laughed Darcy as we entered the elevator and headed up to the fifth floor of the resort

. I slid my shoes off and carried them in one hand while holding my bag in the other. This was the moment I had to brace myself for. All of my family members are going to be interrogating me while I attempt to make dinner. My mom will remain a fly on the wall and not utter a sound. My brother will jump down my throat, because I offended mom. Dad will probably usher me to leave and to pack my things at home and to stay at the campus until I find an apartment.

I stopped right before we got to our room. No, I cannot go in there. When I saw a chance to duck out, I quickly took it and escaped through the stairwell; and ran down them in a rather fast moving pace. Not my brightest idea as I ended up taking a nosedive against the floor. All my things were on the floor: my bag, flip flops, phone, one of my books, and myself. Heaving my chest up and down, I stand up and dust the dirt off of me and swing the door open.

Much to my surprise, I am greeted by Bobby. My face was red, my nose was beginning to bleed, and I was sweating and out of breath. To top it off, I had extremely frizzy hair going in all directions – I looked like I stuck a finger in a light socket. My lip was busted open, with blood oozing from the bottom lip. Basically, I was a hot mess. Tears lining my eye – yeah this isn't exactly the ideal look I had in mind.

He bends down and grabs my things and hands them over while saying, "You dropped something."

                             "Uh thanks. Just for your information – I am not following you...I'm just avoiding family. I...uh...don't want you to assume I am stalking you or something." Really? Did I just flat out say what everyone is thinking? Digging my own grave. I better put the final nails in the coffin. Why do I have to open my mouth and ruin everything? Blunt much, Everly!? Like seriously!? UGH!

                             "Wasn't assuming anything, but now that you mention something..." smiles Bobby as he adjusts his posture and looks upon me. I opened the giant can of worms. Yay me. Strike one thousand for Everly Hoffman.

                            "Great."

                           "I'm joking Everly. You're having a bad day. Trust me, when I say we have all been there and done that. Today's not your day, but tomorrow is a clean slate. Wanna talk?" asks Bobby as he points to the door that leads outside to the staff parking lot. Yes. Uh-huh. You betcha, I do.

                          "Yes." I say as he holds the door open and allows me to exit first. I wrap my kimono around me as the wind started to pick up and watched Bobby step out of the building. It was just us. No one else was there. Just Bobby and I outside...at night...all alone...in the dark...at my resort. Contain yourself, Everly. You guys are just talking...but this is sort of part of the plan. Not how I imagined it, but I will take it. Don't make a fool of yourself. Attempting to do the impossible – okay let's do this. Look at those eyes under the moonlight. Stop!

                        "What's going on?"

                        "Uhm..."

                        "I mean we don't have to speak."

                       "Sorry. Today isn't going how I imagined it. My back hurts. My friends have all moved onto their summer plans and I am sort of stuck in this funk that I can't seem to get out. My family thinks I am in love with this guy – but I am not. They think I do things for attention. Uhm, I fell down the stairs and I look like a hot mess. Oh and I am starving. Not how I expected today to go. Nothing went according to plan!"

Bobby looks at me and reaches over and pulls a leaf out of my rats nest. My cheeks immediately grow pink and I burry my face in my hands; before he pulls my hands away and tilts my face up towards him. Then he digs in his bag for a paper towel and hands it to me and gestures at the nose for the nosebleed.

                     "You hungry? I don't know what is opened at this time, but I could...I could take...never mind. Everly, you need to get some rest. Let me walk you upstairs at least. Assuming you can find your way back to your room on your own, right?"

Smiling, I nod as he opens the door again and we enter together; except we can't go through that staircase anymore, because it's locked. "It's locked." I sarcastically remark as he shoots me an evil grin; and I smile some more.

                      "Ha-ha. You think you're funny."

                      "Nope. I know I am. You're just late to that show." I laugh as we head down the hallway going past the vending machines. He stops and gets me some crackers and hands them over to me. Taking them, we continue heading down the hall and enter another area and enter the elevator.

                    "Now you can't say I never gave you anything, Everly." I smile and he watches me get off the elevator and disappear down the hallway. Spinning around in a circle, I become all girly and giddy and just smile.

Then I swipe my card and enter my room to be greeted by a bunch of worried faces.

Oh great.