The Summer Before

Chapter Nine

Tessa

When I woke up from my fitful night's sleep, I wondered if everything that happened last night was all just a bad dream. Rolling over onto my side, I spotted the empty plate, bottle of pain meds, and mostly-empty bottle of water. So, not a dream then.

Great.

I sat up, surprised that my head didn't ache from the vast amount of alcohol I drank last night. I guess I have Levi to thank for that...

He saved me last night. Saved me from a situation that could have scarred me for life. One that would undoubtedly have made going back to Surf City alone more difficult.

What would have happened if he hadn't been there? How bad would it have been?

I shake the thoughts away, knowing the answer already- it would have been a nightmare. And the only reason I'm safe and sound in my brother's house right now is because someone was there to rescue me- the last person I would have ever expected.

Levi saw what was going on and tried to warn me. When I blew him off, he didn't give up. He made sure I was safe. And just like he did when we were kids, he saved me from the bad guy. Only this time, the bad guy was real.

Maybe we can get past what happened last summer. Last night shows that he still cares. Right?

Maybe we can be friends again.

Like we used to be.

*Flashback*

It was the first week of my sophomore year. I remember thinking how cool it was that I'd be getting my driver's license in a few months and be free to take myself wherever I wanted to go without having to beg Jason and Levi for a ride- not that they minded.

The three of us still hung out, just not like we used to when we were kids. As soon as they started high school, it felt like things were changing quickly. They had a lot more friends to hang out with by then and spent a lot of time at sports practices. And I was always working on school projects and hanging out with Charlotte and our other friends.

It was rare that the three of us would hang out alone anymore, but when we did, I savored every moment. It took a few years for me to figure out how to talk to Levi like normal after I realized I had a crush on him.

He and Jason would be hanging out in my parents' living room while Charlotte and I watched from a distance, both pining after someone we thought we would never have.

Once the awkward years of puberty passed, things seemed to flow a little easier. Charlotte and I would be hanging out at my house, and Jason and Levi would roll in from football practice. They'd clean up, then join us on the couch for scary movie marathons after Charlotte helped Jason with his math homework.

It was no secret that she was a genius at the subject, always taking advanced courses and jumping ahead of the rest of our class. By sophomore year, she had jumped ahead so far that she and Jason were in the same math class. He asked her for help, pretending to be worse at it than he was so they could spend more time together.

I think he knew back then but was afraid to admit it- he loved her. Everyone could see that he only had eyes for Charlotte. The girls who were upperclassmen would always try to get his attention, asking him out and flirting with him.

They never got what they wanted, though. He was too busy drooling over my best friend.

I was happy for them, even if they refused to make things official. At least they knew where they both stood. Me, on the other hand? I was crushing on someone who would probably only ever see me as his best friend's little sister. I didn't think I ever stood a chance with Levi.