The Tale of Summer

Chapter 2: Best Forgotten

Growing up is a very funny thing. One day, you’re making new friends, pretending crayons are Twizzlers and wishing that tomorrow, life gets even better than it already is. Then the next thing you know, you’re in real life and all you have are your memories that make things even more painful.

But no matter how much pain your memories cause, you never really care because you never want to forget. Learning from them is a silly excuse because we all know that we just want to remember because they still bring us the same joy and thrill they did before.

Can you imagine how painful it is to have such happy memories ruined and soiled? Can you imagine what a person must go through until they realize that there is no way that they’re ever going to forget? Can you imagine having to tell yourself every day that it’s okay to feel that way?

So the pain in my chest naturally grew at the very sight of Charlie. It was a lot more than I thought I could handle, but I turned my painful shock into more of a pleasant surprise. There was not much else I could do.

“Charlie!” I exclaimed with all the fake happiness I could muster. I greeted him as just another party guest, but I didn’t kiss his cheek or shake his hand. I needed to pretend I wasn’t interested even if there was no one in the room I could be more interested in.

“It’s been so long, how have you been?” I took a sip from my flute to look more confident even if my hands were shaking like crazy.

That easy and charming smile came onto his face. God, he looked exactly the same. The same dark tousled hair that sometimes got in the way of his eyes, the same fair skin and the same well built yet tall figure. But the suit looked so different. I got so used to seeing him in knit caps and jackets.

“Great actually, just making things up as I go as usual.” Hearing the sound of his voice and seeing his face made a part of me happy that he at least seemed like himself. The other part wanted to scream and run for the hills. “You seem amazing though, almost like I don’t need to ask.”

I entertained him with a small laugh and I took a glance at Amanda. She was pleased to see me mingling. There are times when I’m grateful for her. Other times, I am worried that the things her mother had passed onto her will be the death of me.

“It’s alright, I’m alive and breathing.” I said and he smiled at my sense of humor. I remembered when we always made each other smile. Those were better days. “By the way, this is my stepsister, Amanda. Amanda, this is Charlie, an old friend of mine.”

He nodded, not one bit shocked. He must have seen it on the news. Isabell’s wedding had been on the E! Network after all. “Thanks for taking me to see your sister. It’s been a really long time, it means a lot.” Charlie thanked and she shot him an equally charming smile.

That was the thing about Amanda. She was beautiful yet she had never been the most gorgeous girl on the planet nor was she the smartest, but whatever she had, she was able to work it. It was what made her amazing.

“Oh, there’s no need to thank me, I was glad to.” She said, but I could tell that she was glad to be thanked at all. She was never thanked by her mother all that often, so she took all she could get. And after all, Charlie was handsome as heck. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing in Virginia?”

“I have work to do here. I wanted to take a little time off while I’m here too though.” He said and as soon as the words escaped his mouth, I was tempted to ask what he did for a living. But no, I told myself not to let my interest show. Not that day.

I watched his face and he watched my own. He waited for me to ask and I waited for him to give up. It was like a game, just another game. He finally let out a small sigh and spoke at long last. “Would you like to dance Amanda?” He offered and he knew very well that it tortured me inside.

“I would love to.” She took his hand. I was, for once, sad that she was a prima ballerina, so light on her feet. It wasn’t that I had any love or liking for him at that time, but the memories were what hurt the most. They put their glasses down and I watched the two people that I trusted with all of me drift away.

“Stop bugging me Char, it isn’t going to happen.” I said before taking a sip of the tropical punch in my crystal glass. It had been laced with vodka, as we had all expected. Another normal prom. Nothing new. Nothing different.

For the first time ever, the people of Portland saw me trying to get rid of Charlie. Most of the time, we were stuck together, as if there was super glue on both our sides. But that night, I wanted to watch him, I wanted to watch him alone.

“Why not Cat?” He said, not jokingly but as a normal curious question.

I gave him a look and he just gave it back to me. “Well, you have a date over by the snack table, waiting for you to dance with her.” I replied and he just groaned. “Oh come on, you asked her and now she’s standing over there, waiting for you. You guys haven’t danced once tonight.”

He watched her from a distance, watched her sway to the music like grass in the breeze. He opened his mouth to say words of protest, but Carrie was beautiful in her white dress, her wispy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. It was like looking at an angel. I understood fully well why he had asked her to prom.

He let out a sigh and dropped his hand to his side. He gave me one last look and just gave him an understanding nod. I took a sip of my drink once more and smiled at my good work as she asked her to dance.

I watched them dance, I watched them glide, I watched her let him hold her close. I smiled when he look at me, feeling for once at that entire stupid dance as if I was happy. It was all because he was happy. That’s all I had ever wanted for both of us.

And in the blink of an eye, it wasn’t prom anymore. I was back in the beach house in Virginia, recounting memories best not remembered. It was like coming back from a past that had long since been forgotten. And I hated myself for it.

“Oh, don’t look so glum darling.” Amanda said, taking her flute from the table in one fluid motion. I’d been standing there with my thoughts for company long enough that I hadn’t noticed that she and Charlie had come back.

“Why, something wrong?” Charlie asked in that concerned voice. I wanted to scream, I wanted to yell at him. I wanted to ask him why he was even asking. Maybe he had cared for me, once, in a past that felt like ages ago, but it became untrue.

I swallowed it down, trying my best not to choke on my own words. “I’m alright, just a little tired.” I told them, pasting that smile so practiced onto my face. I didn’t want them to see, especially him.

He nodded his head, but I could still see concern etched into his face. I dismissed his concern as fake, something so wholly fake that it was best forgotten. But I couldn’t forget. I could never forget that look he’d used so many times on me.

He stole a glance at his watch and sighed. “I’m sorry ladies, but I have to leave. My friends will be expecting me back at our hotel so I must be going.” He told us and Amanda frowned. I kept my face completely impassive and expressionless.

“So soon? Well, why don’t I at least give you my number and Caterina’s number?” She offered and I shot her a dangerous look that went unnoticed. “I mean, I would like to see you again and I think Caterina here would not like to lose you once more.”

That was the thing. I didn’t. I wanted to see him again. I wanted to know if he was still the guy I knew from so long ago. Was he still my best friend? Was he still the person I trusted? I didn’t know, but I was willing to find out.

As Amanda inputted our numbers into his phone, he turned to me, his eyes glued onto mine as I looked at my champagne. Stared more like. “She never lost me.” He said in an almost absent voice.

And I wondered what exactly did he mean by that statement

A/N: This took a while to write, I needed to get it just right. Yay I rhymed! Okay, so thanks to one of my bestest friends ever, HappyFacade, for editing this for me. Love you Xx