When Summer Ends

03

03

I'm still reeling from what I just witnessed when suddenly the door reopens, Nicolai appears with Sasha behind him. Nicolai and I make eye contact, I can't read his face. Guilt, maybe. Sasha pushes past him and hugs me.

"Vivi! I can't believe you're back! I've missed you so much." She says happily.

I recover from my state of shock enough to hug her back but I can barely speak.

"Me too." I manage to mutter.

I peer at Nicolai but he's looking away.

Sasha pulls away and I finally get a better look at her. She changed her hair. Still blonde but it now sat just above her shoulders and she has bangs now.

"You chopped your hair off?" I ask as I reach and touch her hair.

She laughs. "Yeah, you know I just needed a change. I was getting bored with my old look."

"You look good." I reply, grinning.

Sasha smiles and then looked back at Nicolai as if she just remembered she was just all over him a second ago.

"Um." She returns her gaze to me. "It kind of just happened."

Even though it isn't fair because she has no knowledge of my feelings for Nicolai; I couldn't help but feel betrayed by her but more so Nicolai.

Sasha and Nicolai dating is something I find difficult to understand. They barely ever spoke to each other and Sasha has repeatedly told me that she would never be in a relationship with a guy who is younger than her – even if it's by a single day. Perhaps I'm simply biased but they don't suit each other.

"How long ago did you two become a thing?" I mask my anger with inquisitiveness.

Nicolai answers "Not long." At the same time Sasha says "Three months."

Sasha and Nicolai exchange looks. The situation is becoming awkward.

"Well, I'm happy for you guys." I force out even though my heart is breaking.

Sasha believes my performance but Nicolai doesn't, he sees through it and I could tell just by the way he is looking at me.

"So, what have you been up to for the past twelve months? You didn't call or anything." Sasha queries.

"Nothing interesting. Just a lot of studying. I finished senior year last month."

"You? Studying? Am I in an alternate universe?" Sasha jokes.

"What can I say? I decided to get my shit together." I reply.

Her eyes grow sad. "But you couldn't do that here?"

I shake my head. "I just needed to get away from everyone and everything."

"You could have just told me that, I would have understood." She says.

"Yeah, I know and I'm sorry."

Sasha places a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, are you okay? You don't look well."

My façade was starting to fall. I nod my head. "Yeah, um I'm feeling a little nauseous. I think I'm going to get some fresh air."

Nauseous is an understatement. My heart and brain is mush, my legs feel heavy and I'm lightheaded.

I turn around and head back down the stairs and then walk outside. I feel like I can breathe again. Nicolai has never hurt me before; he was the one that helped me when someone else hurt me. I want so desperately to ask him why. Why, why, why? Of course, I never expected him to wait for me. When I walked out of Coral Cove last year, I had to force a part of me to let him go because I didn't know if I would ever come back. He could have chosen any girl. And he chose my sister. That's what broke me the most.