After Summer (11 page)
Authors: Hailey Abbott
Tags: #Juvenile Fiction, #Social Themes, #Dating & Relationships, #Love & Romance, #Social Issues, #Dating & Sex, #Fiction
Hours later, stuffed and dazed from too much food, Beth staggered into the den, where Jamie was already stretched out on the couch, looking about to burst. The family company had been wonderful, with everyone passing warm plates and clinking wine glasses and laughing over Thanksgivings past. But now, as the turkey-comas were setting in, and the grown-ups drowsed over coffee, the girls were happy to just be with one another.
“I’m so glad you made it here in time for that turkey,” Jamie said, smiling up at Beth as Beth dropped onto the sofa next to her. “Otherwise I might have had to eat even more of it.”
“You could have had a veggie burger,” Kelsi said, coming into the room. “No one forced you to eat all that turkey.”
Jamie and Beth rolled their eyes at each other. Kelsi went over to the stereo and stuck a CD into the player. She pressed a button, and a mellow alternative ballad began to play. Beth watched Kelsi smile almost to herself as she sat down on the loveseat.
The three girls sat there, enjoying the stillness and the music, until Ella sauntered in a few moments later, a smile across her face.
“It was nice seeing Jeremy again,” Beth said. She’d been so surprised when she finally arrived, out of breath and wound up, to find Jeremy sitting at the dining room table. She’d been expecting the new guy. Jeremy had been his usual shy-funny self before taking off to make it home.
“I know I don’t need to say it, but he’s so right for you, El. Unlike Ryan,” Kelsi said.
“Who was totally hitting on me,” Jamie told Beth in a low voice.
“I told you guys last summer that I wanted a real boyfriend,” Ella said, as if she hadn’t heard any of their murmurs. “I guess it just took a little while to figure out how to be a real girlfriend.” She wandered over and settled next to Beth on the couch. “Like you, Bethy.”
Beth hadn’t told anyone that she and George had broken up. She’d claimed he had to work, and left it at that. For one thing, she knew that as soon as she said it out loud, it would be true. She wasn’t ready to really accept that yet. And more
so, her cousins loved George. They would be so sad, and Beth didn’t want to do that to them on Thanksgiving. They didn’t get to see one another enough during the year and she hated to ruin what little time together they had.
So she just smiled at Ella and scooted over to make room for her.
“Are you sad about Tim?” Jamie asked Kelsi. “I feel weird that I never met him.”
“We just…grew apart,” Kelsi said. “I don’t think it was anyone’s fault, you know? Things just happen.”
The four girls sat there for a moment, reveling in being together. Then Ella got back on her feet.
“I thought we were watching a movie,” she complained. “Not listening to this emo crap.”
“I like this emo crap,” Kelsi retorted.
“If we’re watching a movie, I think we need pie,” Jamie chimed in. “And there better be vanilla ice cream this year, that’s all I’m saying.”
“Vanilla is boring,” Ella said haughtily, and then let out her snort of a laugh when Jamie threw a pillow at her. “Duh. Of course we have your ice cream, Jamie.”
Beth sank back against the couch, and basked in it all.
Kelsi talked about
growing apart
as if it were inevitable. No blame. No fault. Just what happened, like autumn after summer.
Maybe that was true. Maybe that was why, underneath her sadness, Beth knew she’d be okay.
Beth kind of felt the way she did just before she dove into the pool. Everything in her body felt tense and ready to fly, knowing that the water waited below. Her unknown life without George stretched before her like the lanes in the pool, calm and smooth, waiting.
Outside, the first few snowflakes of the season began to fall against the windows, but inside in the den it was warm and cozy. She had her cousins all around her and more food than any of them were likely to finish.
The future waited, with George, without George—who knew?
All she had to do was jump.
Read all the books in the sizzling
SUMMER BOYS series
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Spring Break in South Beach.
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Turn the page for a sneak peek at
SOUTH BEACH,
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by Aimee Friedman
“Hello?” she asked cautiously.
“Holly!” A girl’s voice bubbled over the line, warm and fizzy. “It’s me. Alexa!”
Holly’s stomach tightened. Alexa St. Laurent? How random was
that
? She and Alexa hadn’t spoken in years. Holly had deleted Alexa’s number from her phone in the ninth grade, marking the final break from her former best friend.
“Holly? Are you there?” Alexa asked, after Holly had been silent for several long seconds.
Holly chewed on a thumbnail, now officially nervous. “Yeah. I’m here. Hi.” What could she say? Why was Alexa even calling her?
“It’s kind of weird to hear your voice.” Alexa paused. “It’s been forever, huh?”
“Tell me about it,” Holly managed. Her tongue felt clumsy in her mouth. Was Alexa delusional or something? Did she think they were still friends?
“What have you been up to?” Alexa went on. “Still running track?”
“Yup.” Holly thought about telling Alexa that she’d just been named co-captain, but she resisted. Would Alexa even care about something that didn’t involve male models or designer labels?
“I always admired that about you,” Alexa said. “I’m so lazy. Trying on Mavi jeans is my only form of aerobic workout.”
Holly gave a hesitant chuckle. She was thrown by Alexa’s sudden friendliness, but she also couldn’t help feeling flattered by her words. Alexa had always been disarmingly charming.
“Well, you don’t need to worry,” Holly replied bashfully. “You’re skinny, anyway.”
Whenever Holly thought of Alexa, she first pictured the Alexa she’d known best—the short, slender, flaxen-haired girl in plaid skirts and knee socks, who spoke with a hint of a French accent and could make Holly burst into hysterical laughter just by crossing her enormous blue eyes. Then,
Holly had to remind herself to replace the picture with the way Alexa looked now—tall and gorgeous, decked out in fur-trimmed tweed blazers and spike-heeled Jimmy Choos, striding through the Oakridge halls with her ever-present Starbucks latte and a boy at her side. Holly couldn’t imagine the present-day Alexa ever crossing her eyes. Or trying to make Holly laugh at all.
“Thanks,” Alexa said. “But lying around the house and stuffing my face with chips every day next week isn’t going to help much.”
Next week
? Holly thought, confused. “Don’t you have plans for spring break?” she blurted, regretting her words an instant later. Of course, Alexa had plans for spring break. She was probably flying to Aruba or something. What a dumb thing to even ask.
“I did, but they fell through,” Alexa replied with a sigh. “What about you?” she volleyed back casually.
“Um, not really,” Holly said. A deep blush warmed her cheeks. Couldn’t she have lied or something? Leave it to Alexa to make her feel like the biggest dork alive.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d be busy or not,” Alexa said. “But I had the craziest idea…”
Wait a minute,
Holly thought, suddenly wary. Where was Alexa steering their little chat?
“I was sitting in my room, thinking about how I used to
go to the Catskills with you and your family. Those long car rides…” There was a note of wistfulness to Alexa’s voice that Holly hardly recognized.
“I remember,” Holly replied. She thought back to sharing a bunk bed with Alexa in the cabin upstate—trading ghost stories while the tree branches tapped against their window, frightening them in a delicious way. Back then, Alexa had practically been like Holly’s sister. “That was a long time ago,” Holly added quietly. She wasn’t sure what purpose this trip down memory lane was serving.
“I know,” Alexa said. “That’s why I was wondering…wouldn’t it be cool to go somewhere together this year? You and me. Like old times. But without parents, of course. Just this total whirlwind getaway.” Alexa paused. “What do you think?”
Holly was speechless, but her mind was racing.
So I’m your sloppy seconds,
she longed to retort.
Do I seem like that much of a sucker
? Holly twisted the ring around her middle finger, silently stewing. It was so obvious. Alexa had called Holly, dripping kindness, only because all her other plans hadn’t worked out. Did Alexa honestly think that after what had happened between them—and all their years of not being friends—Holly was going to get all giddy at the thought of their spending spring break together? Holly took a deep breath, searching for a way to articulate her bubbling emotions. She’d never been very good at confrontations.
“I—I don’t think I’m up for that,” Holly spoke at last, her face burning. “I mean…we haven’t talked in so long. What made you even think to ask me?” God, this was awkward.
Alexa sighed dramatically. “Oh, there was this boy drama, and then all my stupid friends left me adrift, and to be honest…” Alexa gave her small, tinkly laugh. “I’m kind of sick of them, anyway. At this point I would
completely
prefer to go away with you. If you’d want to.” Suddenly, Alexa sounded just the slightest bit vulnerable, and Holly could feel herself starting to soften. “Don’t you remember how much fun we used to have?” Alexa went on. “Like the time we played Truth or Dare, and I dared you to crank-call my cousin Pierre in Paris and pretend to be me?” Alexa asked with another laugh.
Holly smiled, despite herself. “How could I forget?” she asked. “My parents saw the phone bill afterward and grounded me for a month.” Holly remembered how she’d mimicked Alexa’s voice into the phone, dropping in random French words that Alexa whispered to her, thoroughly fooling Pierre. Afterward, she and Alexa had fallen into a heap of laughter on Holly’s bedroom floor. Alexa had often gotten Holly into scrapes that were wildly fun in the moment, but ultimately ended in some sort of parental trouble.
“But it was worth it,” Alexa mused aloud. “We had a good time.”
“That we did,” Holly had to admit. She’d always had trouble staying mad at Alexa—her boldness and energy could be irresistible. Holly glanced down at the beach umbrella she’d drawn in her notebook. She had been dreaming of an escape, hadn’t she? But there was still the teensy problem of her parents. Maybe Alexa would at least have some ideas for how Holly could get away.
“So your parents probably haven’t changed much, huh?” Alexa asked, as if she’d read Holly’s mind. Her voice was full of understanding.
Holly bit her lip. Alexa knew about Holly’s issues with her parents better than almost anyone, because she’d been there at the start. In the fourth grade, Holly’s parents decided that Holly shouldn’t go to sleepover parties. Alexa got to attend them all, and would always have some life-changing experience, like getting her ears pierced or seeing an R-rated movie. She’d fill Holly in on all the details the next day. It had been painful, but also sort of pleasant, to live life vicariously through Alexa.
