The Almost Summer

Chapter 2: L'été de l'amour♥

We pile off of the bus onto what we affectionately call “Main Street”. We live in a tiny village in the north of England called Warrshire. And by tiny, I mean tiny. About fifty houses, a church, and a primary school make up the village. To get to the nearest high school we have to catch a bus that’s a forty-five minute ride. But even so, I like it. I especially like where it is, smack bang in the middle of rolling fields of endless golden wheat and tall leafy forests.

Besides, there’s a decent bus service, so if I get bored I can always catch the bus over to Main Street.

Main Street is a cute little street that has a café (appealingly called the ‘Slug and Lettuce’), a charity shop, a used video/music store, an old fashioned ice cream shop which I’ve worked at for the past two summers, and a cinema that only ever shows films at around the same time you can buy them on DVD.

Ever since we started high school, on the last day of term we’d go into the Slug and Lettuce and order slices of chocolate cake to share whilst making plans for the holiday ahead.

I was standing in line, which was surprisingly long for half four on a Friday. Piper and the rest were sat on the big comfy chairs near the window, I could hear them talking and laughing. Someone had left the door open and a lazy summer breeze was dancing through the many wind chimes strung up around the café. They chimed clearly over the low buzz of chatter and soft croon of the radio. I was half paying attention, half daydreaming, which is probably why I was so shocked when I heard the sharp, snappy voice.

“Are you going to order anytime soon, because today would be good for me.” Someone said from behind me. I jolted back to reality, suddenly noticing I was finally at the front of the queue. Resisting the urge to turn around and say something back, I just stepped up to the guy behind the counter and placed my order. Once he had finished, I grabbed the tray and started back towards my friends, walking straight into Mr Angry Customer.

And spilling my coke on his clean white shirt.

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry!” I yelled, as the café fell silent around us. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Piper laughing, and hear Matty muttering. “We can’t afford another coke and the bus ride back…Charlie you’re walking.”

“You can deal without a coke. I’m not walking home again…”

“I’m so sorry!” I was still saying, setting down my tray on a nearby table and swiping a handful of napkins. “Here, have these.” I thrust them at him, finally getting a good look at his face.

He was kind of tall, but not so tall I had to break my neck to look at him. Ashy blonde hair fell in soft waves across his forehead, and he had the kind of mouth which seems to be naturally turned up into a casual grin. I kind of wanted to stare at him all day.

 I immediately felt self-conscious about a million different things. I hadn’t brushed my hair since P.E, and the humidity makes it extra curly, so it’s probably a massive cloud round about now. I’m also wearing school uniform which is never a good thing. My mascara’s probably smudged into panda eyes by now, and I’m still as pale as a ghost from our horrible rainy weather.

I surreptiously try to check my reflection in a spoon, whilst the guy is still dabbing at his white shirt, which looks weirdly familiar.

“Don’t worry about it.” He laughs, and he has a carefree, easy laugh that makes me smile too. “It’s probably karma – sorry about before, I’m having a bad day.” He says, gesturing to where we stood in line earlier.

“Well, I’m not really helping with that,” I said, nodding at his now stained shirt. He laughs, and I see Piper and Halle staring at him wide eyed. The boys, on the other hand, are staring at the cake. I sigh, and pick up the tray.

“I’m sorry again…” I say, not too sure how to finish that sentence: “But I need to give this cake to my friends, otherwise they will kill me?” sounds a bit…odd.  He glances up at my friends, and they all do their best ‘natural’ poses: Piper starts whistling Justin Beiber, Halle pretends to be texting, with very exaggerated facial expressions, Charlie and Matty are having an enthusiastic thumb war and Lucas studies the menu like it’s an ancient Egyptian scroll. I try not to let my inner feelings of intense embarrassment show on my face.

“It’s fine, really. I’ve got loads more shirts anyway. I’ll let you get back to your friends…" He gives me a friendly wave, then walks up to the counter and places an order for some expensive sounding coffee to go whilst I gather up my tray.

"Well, I'll see you around?" It's not until he says these last three words that I realise he’s probably my age. I just nod, slightly dumbstruck, as he makes his way out the door.

When my head clears slightly, I turn back to my friends, fixing them with a stern look.

“Was the whistling too much?” Piper muses, and Charlie shakes his head.

“I think it might have been the victory dance Matty did when he won the thumb war.”

“You’re just jealous of my moves.” To which I hear someone mutter “What moves?”

“Or maybe Lucas’s intent study of the menu…even though it was upside down.” Lucas does a double take at his menu, sees it is indeed upside down, and flips it up the right way.

“You were all awful. He probably thinks I’m a right nutter!” I say, and Piper and Halle grin at me conspiratorially.

“Relax, eat your cake. You probably won’t even see him again.” Charlie says as he grabs his plate. I try to take his advice, but to be honest the thought of not seeing this guy again makes me feel a bit sad. I know I'm being ridiculous though: I've only seen him once. But in a town as tiny as ours, there's something intriguing about new people.

Stop it, I scold my stupid heart. I try to concentrate on my cake and drink, and the casual chatter that flies around our table.

As we’re walking back to the bus stop, I stop and grab Piper and Halle’s hands.

“Promise me this will be the greatest summer ever!” I say, grinning. I know, I know, it’s cheesy. You can’t blame a girl for wanting perfection, can you? They exchange eye rolls, but hold up their pinkies.

“I, Piper Green, solemnly do swear that this will be the ‘greatest summer ever’,” Piper laughs, making her voice go higher to imitate mine. I flick her forehead, and link my pinky through theirs.

“Deal!” Halle says, taking a pen from behind her ear and putting it in her mouth like a cigarette. “It will be l'été de l’amour!"  She says in a ridiculously crap french accent. Giggling, we all rush down to the bus stop in time for the bus to come rumbling up the road.

My summer was just beginning, and I couldn’t wait.