Summer Girls

Chapter Twelve

 "Why not go out with both of them?" Sam asked as she and Kate went grocery shopping for Iona as they often did during the week. "You like both of them so date both of them."

"Because that's just not something I feel comfortable with doing," Kate said with a shrug. "I lied to Marc too. I feel like shit about it. I said nothing happened with Steve. Why did I do that?"

"Because you still want a chance with him," Sam said with a shrug. "He would have been pissed because he hates Steve, and because Marc still likes you."

That made Kate's face grow warm. "I like him too, but..."

"He hasn't made a move," Sam said with a smirk. "Right?"

"He hasn't even tried to hold my hand," Kate said with a sigh. "We even went to the lake again the other day and nothing. Sometimes I wonder if he's okay with just being friends. I mean, I did dump him. Maybe he doesn't want to be with me again even if he 'likes' me."

"Then why not go out with Steve?" Sam asked happily; clearly thrilled that nothing had happened between Kate and Marc which annoyed Kate. "At least go over and watch a movie with him. He'd love that. He's always calling and asking what I'm up to these days, and I know it's because he's hoping you're with me. He never called me this much before!"

"We've been texting," Kate said with a shrug. "We just joke around and talk politics sometimes though. He's really smart. I never would have thought I'd be having these kind of conversations with him when we were in high school. He's not like I thought at all."

"See what happens when you give people a chance," Sam said with an annoying amount of smugness which was rich considering she was wearing purple pajama pants with unicorns on them and a faded, old black t-shirt  that had huge holes in the armpits but Sam refused to throw out. 

"So you'll say yes the next time he asks you out?" Sam asked as she plucked Iona's favorite cereal into the cart.

"I guess," Kate said after a moment of thought. "He's not in town right now though. He went away with his Grandpa to Australia. He's surfing right now apparently."

"I'm so jealous that you might date him," Sam said with a satisfied sigh. "Don't forget me when you're hanging out with rich people alright?"

"I'm not hanging out with rich people," Kate said and rolled her eyes. "We haven't even gone out on one date yet so calm your horses."

"I see something there," Sam said in a sing-song voice as she threw a box of granola bars into her cart and continued dancing down the aisle. "It's true love!"

Melody was back from Mexico and full of stories about the beach and her beautiful tan, and Kate was mildly jealous but too distracted by her relationship problems to care too much. 

Plus Kate needed to start getting ready for her first year of college. Kate took her sister shopping for dorm stuff as she knew Sam would be no help. She would pick out the most expensive stuff and then quickly lose interest and start shopping for herself instead.

"This is a lot," Melody said as she and Kate stacked the jeep full of storage bins, a mini-fridge, microwave and new bedding. "Are you sure you need all of this?"

"Well, I have a whole room to furnish," Kate said with a huff; sweaty from the summer heat.

"Half a room," Melody corrected. "Ew, I can't imagine sharing a bedroom with someone I don't know. What if they smell? What if they steal? Like you never know who you're going to get."