This Summer (DMBB Spin-off)

Chapter 6: Summer Night Rendezvous

"I'm as good as I can be," I stated equivocally.

"You can trust me," he said softly.

"I know," I chuckled. "It's just...I wouldn't even know where to start."

"Well," he said. "Begin at the beginning, and go on till you come to the end; then stop."

I looked at him.

He shrugged. "Alice in Wonderland."

I laughed. "Good movie."

"Book," he corrected.

"You're a book nerd?" I joked.

He laughed softly. "I'm not ashamed to say that I am."

"Well I think that's cute," I said.

He rose an eyebrow. "Cute?"

"Yes, cute," I laughed. "Take the compliment."

He nudged my shoulder with his and I smiled back.

"I'll admit Jacob," I told him. "I wouldn't mind a few more rendezvous."

He nodded. "I will try my hardest to not sleep for you."

"Well don't I feel special," I joked.

"Don't," he deadpanned. "Nine times out of ten you won't be the reason I'm wide awake in the middle of the night."

"Thank you for that," I laughed.

And then we just sat there in comfortable silence, looking at the sky. And in a way it kept me calm too.

*********

"Hey, where were you at dawn today?" Renée asked me with a chuckle. "You seem to get up earlier than everyone."

"We spent the night together," Jacob said casually.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him. I dropped the spoon I was using to eat my cereal and froze also, waiting for him to explain his very ambiguous statement.

He looked at all of us like he expected us to not take his joke seriously. "I'm kidding."

I picked up my spoon in relief. The last thing I needed was for them to think something was up.

Liam pointed at his eyes and then at me, mouthing the words "I'm watching you". I rolled my eyes and ignored him, continuing to eat my cereal. It was past noon, but I didn't care. I was in much better sprits today. Like I said, I couldn't control it. Sometimes I woke up perfectly fine and optimistic even. Other days I could barely bring myself to get out of bed, or I woke up angry at the world.

How fun.

"That would be an interesting development," Austin chuckled.

"Can we all shut up now?" I said, feeling myself getting irritated.

"Why don't we do something relaxing?" Tess suggested, probably noticing the change in my tone. "We could just lay around, watch a movie, maybe two."

I didn't object. As long as I wasn't the topic of conversation I was fine with doing whatever.

***

I slipped out later in the day though, when everyone else was too busy to notice. I took a walk down to the diner where we had dinner the other night. My eyes searched the place for Cameron. He was behind the counter like the last time. I gave him a small smile when I approached him and he chuckled.

"Hi," I said.

"Hey you," he replied. "How did your uh...friend take my advice?"

"She wasn't very convinced."