The End Of Summer

Chapter 1

Sage
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I sit in the hospital room with Scarlett and Andrew, staring at Aspens limp body.

It is only now that I realize I had forgotten to ask what happened.

As soon as I saw Andrew it had all happened to fast to wonder.

I cant believe that that Aspen ditched me! And so did Scarlett!

This party sucks without my friends, maybe I should just get a shower and go to bed.

I start walking home when Andrew runs out of the woods holding a limp Aspen.

"What happened!"

"She won't wake up!"

"What do you mean she won't wake up!"

"Wait a second... Andrew what happened?" I ask.

Andrew looks away quickly and blushes, making my eyes narrow. "Andrew... What happened."

"I don't think she wants you to know yet..." He says slowly as if inspecting each word before saying it.

"Oh my gosh, sage seriously? They are together. Can't you see it?" Says Scarlett annoyed.

"WHAT!? When did this happen? Why didn't you guys tell us? What the hell! We were supposed to be best friends and best friends tell each other when they start dating someone!" My mind tries to find a shift in the last month. When could this have happened?

"She thought you guys would freak out and I don't know we were going to tell you today."

"So how did she hit her head?" I ask slowly.

"Um... She fell off a rock." He answers carefully.

"There's more isn't there?" I ask already knowing there was.

Andrew sighs slowly "she... I... We were... I... IsaidIlovedherandthenshefelloffanditsallmyfault." He says looking away.

My stunned silence speaks my words. "You. Said that. You. Loved her?"

He blushes and nods, looking back to Aspen.

I had thought they were just friends. But then again where was she all those times she was alone. I hadn't thought of it, but maybe I should have.

I can't think about what would happen if she doesn't wake up.

She is one of my first real friends. I remember the day we met and how far she had come from that uptight, school obsessed girl. She is still obsessed with school, but at least now she is getting out there and becoming more social.

Wait. Was that happening to me too? I suddenly realized that it was.

Before this camp, I was at the barn every second, working my life away or on my phone texting people I hardly knew. I wasn't living I was merely existing. And that isn'thow I want to live.

I want to have fun, get in some trouble, get better grades, have good friends, go out. I want to live. Desperately. I want Aspen to live more too.

Of course I will still go to the barn and I can't go without my phone, but they aren't all that mattered.

I haven't seen a horse in over a month and I have hardly opened my phone either and I am happier than I have ever really been.

But now... Now that Aspen might not wake up? She might not wake up.

She might never walk down the isle.

She might never have kids.

She might never graduate high school.

She might never say I love you to a boy.

Tears are rushing, streaming down my face. And so I look over at the strongest of us, the one that never cries.

It is awful. Watching Scarlett O'Conner break. She is fine until she looks at me. I see her eyes darken. I see her heart break. I see her soul shatter.

It's worse to watch someone strong, break, than to see someone weak shatter.

Then the boys come.

Asher and Nathan walk in and see their friend.

Immediately they are at his side comforting him saying she will be fine, but I can't stand another minute in that hospital room.

I go down to the cafeteria and get a bowl of soup with Scarlett.

We eat in silence, knowing that their is nothing to say.

I'm pretty sure Nathan and Asher are stalking us. They come into the cafeteria and sit down opposite of us. Immediately me and Scarlett go to leave, but Nathan grabbed my arm.

"Get. Off. Of. Me." I whisper threateningly.

"Just wait a sec!" He says releasing me.

"What do you want?" Asks Scarlett.

Asher answers, "We wanted to say that we're sorry... About everything."

Nathan nods. "Yeah... I know it was wrong to hook up with Sabrina. I was an idiot and I'm sorry Sage... Look I know that you always liked me in school and I never liked you back until you started ignoring me this school year. I wanted you to like me, because I realized I liked you. I think I knew that you would figure out about Sabrina and I wanted to make you jealous and it was awful... Can you forgive me?" He explains looking me in the eye.

"I have a lot on my mind at the moment... I'll consider forgiving you... But that doesn't mean I'll consider going out with you again. You screwed up bad." With that I walk away and leave Scarlett to work her things with Asher out.

When I first decided to go to camp I thought, wow a whole summer with no drama, no responsibility, no anything but fun... Now my mind felt like it hasn't slept in a year.

When I get back to the room I sit down in one of the seats and tell Andrew to go eat something. He leaves soon after and I fall asleep with a million thoughts laying wait in my mind for when I wake up.