Summer and May

Chapter Twelve: May

"Your other-half snuck off with the new guy." Brooks droned, his eyes on the screen, while concealing a self-soothing grin. He finally looked up at me, his grin now a wide smile. "What ever will you do?" He feigned concern, tapping the lawn chair beside his.

Summer and I had a radar on each other. Not just each other's locations on Find My Phone-- I mean a telepathic, freaky sense of location with one another. I had a feeling she was on the other side of Alec's truck, and when I snuck around back to check on her, I was right. She most likely chose the spot because it's tucked away--far, but not too far. She couldn't look like she was trying too hard. That was Summer's style; the art of the mirage.

I plopped down in Brooks' mother's lawn chair, the same one I'd occupied at his several baseball games growing up. It made a noise when I shifted my weight.

"I'll sit right here, and prop my feet up. They're killin' me."

Without notice, Brooks reached down to grab my legs, pulling them on top of his. The muscles in his back tensed around his t-shirt as he leaned forward. His fingers did a little dance along my knee and my shin, and I chuckled.

"I'm not giving you a foot rub. Not really my style."

I tapped my converse up and down. "I didn't ask. That's a girlfriend favor." I rolled my eyes, waving to the others around us. I saw his jaw tense, and almost unnoticeably, his face relaxed again.

Per my usual, I ordered a coke with a straw, a medium popcorn, and a bag of sour gummy worms. Brooks and I always split the worms, but I insisted on having the popcorn to myself. I tried not to peer over at Summer and Jeremy, but it was difficult to resist. They appeared to be having a good conversation. Jeremy's back was to me, but his head fell back a few times with laughter. I wondered what they could be laughing about.

I then remembered my conversation with Jeremy, at Summer's party. When he said that a man's body language tells you everything you need to know about him. What was Jeremy's body language saying? He was more expressive around Summer this time. Even with just his back in view, that was obvious. And what about my body language? I peered over at Brooks, who was fist-bumping another one of our friends, while keeping his arm rested on my knee. My legs are splayed on his lap, his hands are gripped around them, and we're splitting a bag of candy. When he stole my Coke to take a long sip, I grabbed it back.

"Ah!" Brooks' jaw dropped, Coca Cola dripping from his mouth. "What was that?"

My eyes grew wide. I had done it impulsively, thinking about what Jeremy had said. My features smoothed, plastering a smile on my lips. "I only made $215 tonight. I deserve that Coke."

My attempt at a joke seemed lost on him, until he recovered with a crack of a smile. "Fine, May Everett. Have it your way."

He relaxed, and resumed watching the movie. The sun was falling beneath the trees, setting them on fire. Watching the sky paint itself with brilliant colors was infinitely more entertaining than the movie, and when the sun finally set, I began feeling bored. Against my innate ability to resist, I craned my neck to check on Summer. The football field was illuminated by only the projector screen. When I finally found her, I gasped.

Jeremy was already looking at me. It filled me with the most unfamiliar feeling. I forced half my lip to curve at him, and returned to the movie. A rush of heat filled my cheeks, and I was questioningly embarrassed. A moment feels like an eternity when you lock eyes with a person, but I felt so hot all over that I was almost convinced I'd broken out in hives.

From just one glance, I stole the notion that he was checking in on me, too. He wasn't just looking in pass, he was craning his neck in my direction. Just like me. The foreign instinct to pull my legs back to my own chair fell on my shoulders like a wave.