Summer Love

Chapter Twelve - "Normal" again

The next morning I got dressed and went straight to Nova's hospital room, I saw her slipping her hoodie on over her bare shoulders. I ran up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"You have no idea how much I've missed the feeling of being with you." I squeezed her tight, and she struggled against my embrace.

"You're crushing my spleen!"

"You don't even know where your spleen is!" She paused, then burst out laughing. I laughed with her, and she turned around to connect her lips with mine.

"Lei apologized to me last night,"

"I know, she apologized to me too. I felt bad, I didn't know she interpreted me as someone trying to replace her. I think we should just forget about what happened, and go back to the three of us being friends again. No more shutting each other out."

I nodded in agreement and wrapped my arms around her again.

"Do you feel better?"

"Well it doesn't feel like I'm being stabbed in the stomach anymore, so yeah I feel better. But I should be asking you if you're okay, you got hit by a car."

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. Want to head to Lara's house?"

She nodded, and I grabbed hold of her hand as we walked out of the building.

As we walked into Lara's house, she threw herself on me and Nova, wrapping us in a tight hug.

"Thank God you're both okay!"

We struggled out of her grip, sighing with relief once we could breathe again. She hit us with a ton of questions, constantly asking if we were okay. After about an hour of talking, Nova and I headed to my room to find something to do. I heard a crash from behind me and turned around to see Lei tumbling through my window, falling head first laughing.

"Oh my God, are you okay?!" My stomach turned as I broke into laughter, I went to help her up and tripped on her foot, landing on top of her back. We laughed even harder, unable to get up and catch our breaths.

Nova walked in, and she stopped in her tracks as she saw us on top of each other in fits of laughter.

"I leave for one second and this is what happens?" She giggled. I tried getting up and bonked my head on my dresser, causing a loud cackle to escape Lei's mouth. Nova doubled over in laughter.

"AAAAAHAHHAHA WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

"ME?! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO TUMBLED THROUGH THE WINDOW!"

We paused as we made eye contact, and broke into laughter all over again.

"That's it I'm out of here!" Nova turned around and walked into the door, hitting her head with a loud bang and falling backwards.

I cackled and grasped onto Lei's arm as she howled with laughter again. I watched as Lei tried getting up and fell, over and over again, doubling over in laughter and making me laugh even harder to the point of tears.

"Tell me I'm not the only one who thinks we look like a bunch of drunks?" Nova exclaimed between shaky breaths.

"Except we're not drunk we're just stupid!" I giggled,

"NO, YOU'RE STUPID YOU DINGUS!"

"HEY, WHO HERE FELL HEAD FIRST THROUGH A WINDOW?! NOT ME!"

We lay on the floor staring at the ceiling and we soon stopped laughing after what felt like hours.

"I just realized something..."

"Yeah?"

"This is Dawn and I's last day in Orlando, we're flying back to Indiana tomorrow." I heard Lei sigh in the darkness, and I had to swallow the lump in my throat.

"What? Already?" I heard Nova's voice get smaller, I could feel her shaking beside me.

"It's okay, we can send each other letters, right? We won't forget each other." I reassured her, but I know it failed to make her feel any better.

Lei fell asleep eventually, and I felt a weight press on the mattress beside me.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"Can't sleep?" I whispered,

"No."

"Want to go for a night swim?"

"Sure, why not?"

We tiptoed out of the room in an attempt to not wake Lei and headed to the backyard.

The pool was lit up by the underwater lights that emitted hues of blue and purple. The moonlights' reflection on the water looked beautiful.

I took my sweater off and got in the water, the coolness soothing my hot skin.

"Is it cold?" She asked, and I shook my head. I watched as she turned around and slipped her shirt off, then got into the water. The moonlight shimmered on the water droplets on her neck, and I couldn't help but stare. Her lavender hair stuck to the sides of her face, and her big emerald eyes looked in mine.

"You gonna keep staring or?" She interrupted my train of thought, and I smiled.

"You manage to take my breath away everytime I look at you, you know that?"

She playfully slapped my face, and leaned her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her as we looked up at the stars in silence. I felt her breathing grow unsteady, and her sniffle broke the silence.

"Hey, what's wrong? Nova, talk to me. Please?"

"I can't lose you... it feels like we just met yesterday, I need you."

"I don't want to lose you either, Nova. We knew this was going to happen, we both knew I'd have to leave eventually."

"I know, but I didn't know I'd fall in love with you." She choked out the last part, breaking into a sob. I wiped her tears with my thumbs, holding her face in my hands.

"It's going to be okay, we'll see each other again someday. Let's just enjoy the moment, okay?"

She nodded, and I had to hold back tears. She leaned on me as we enjoyed the comfortable silence, looking at the stars.

"Can I ask you about James?" I whispered, trying to start a conversation. She nodded.

"Why were you friends with him if he hurt you so many times?"

"He has a rough life and I felt bad so I tried being nice to him by being his friend, but he obviously took my kindness the wrong way and took advantage of me..." She sighed.

"Nova?"

"Yeah?"

"How many scars have you justified, just because you loved the person holding the knife?"

She sighed. "Too many, I think."

I held her close, feeling her relax in my embrace. I never wanted to let go.