Summer and May

Chapter Seven: May

Sneaking off from my conversation with Summer and Jeremy was a good move. If I stood there any longer, taking in the scent of Jeremy for another moment, I'd start fumbling on my words and ruin Summer's chances with him... which might not even be possible. Summer can close a deal with or without my help. I found Brooks and a few others sitting around the fire, and decided to join them.

I threw a beer into Brooks' lap, expecting he'd need one. I was right. For the next hour, we traded stories from high school, admitting that it felt weird to talk about those four years in the past-tense now. That transitioned us to our future plans, and I quickly found a reason to leave.

"Want another one?" I asked the group. Brooks could sense my unease, and gently smiled in my direction. The boys all nodded at my question. I waved at a few others before grabbing five more Millers. I popped the tabs off all the bottles, noticing Summer introducing Jeremy to the most popular boys in our grade. Jeremy looked mildly unamused, but put on a smile while Summer was beaming and gushing.

She kept a hand on his arm most of the night, and I couldn't tell if Jeremy was enjoying himself or not. Either way, he was good at keeping up with Summer's antics. She whispered something in his ear, and his eyes lit up. She led him by hand to the jacuzzi, stripping down to a strapless bikini. It was her favorite swimsuit. I had to look away when Jeremy peeled his shirt off, revealing a set of chiseled abs and a strong chest.

I had been standing here too long, so I entertained myself with a girl from my math class. We'd single-handedly carried each other through calculus, and we congratulated each other on finally making it through the year. Brooks shouted my name from across the yard, trying to embarrass me.

"Lord," I groaned, tucking my hair behind my ears. "Sorry, Sarah. Looks like I've gotta go."

"Have fun." she winked.

I headed back towards Brooks, who was now making animal calls to get my attention. He was attracting stares, but he didn't care. He was good at making me laugh. I passed the jacuzzi, trying not to get noticed. Summer was giggling loudly, which meant she was a little drunk. We were well into the night, and I hadn't spoken to her in almost an hour. Jeremy looked comfortable, too. His arm was draped across the stone around the in-ground hot tub, a drink in one hand, and I couldn't tell where his other hand was. My mind flashed, picturing his hands all over Summer. It made my cheeks burn.

Switching back to reality, I headed back to my post. The boys cheered when I popped beers in their hands, and I took a long swig of mine. Beer number five was the magic number for me; if I kept going, it was the point of no return. I decided then that this would be my last drink of the night. I hardly noticed when the boys disappeared, one by one.

"What do you say, May? Are you up for a swim?" Brooks asked, scooting his chair closer to mine.

I just shook my head.

"What's up?" he lowered his voice. I stared down at the ring on my right hand. "Is it nostalgia?"

I chuckled. "Sure, we'll call it that."

"I'm being serious. What's with you?"

I sighed, not wanting to put myself in the spotlight tonight. "It's nothing, I just... I haven't talked to Summer yet. She still thinks we're going to Brown together in the fall, and I still haven't made up my mind."

He rested his back into the chair, looking up at the stars hanging in the sky. "Normally, you'd have time to figure this out. But... you don't have that luxury right now. You need to go with your gut, and you need to let it out."

"I know. But I haven't even heard back from Brown, yet. If I don't get in, then I can just rip off the band aid all at once with her. I just..."

"Am terrified of letting her down?"