𝐑𝐔𝐁𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐃, 𝙌𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙣, 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚𝘾𝙪𝙩

04.

four.

    "I don't see what you see in him." Amber points out as she leans against her close friend's locker; her eyes flickering from the girl in front of her to a tall teenage boy she'd often make fun of.

    "You know why." Summer sighs out, closing her locker and hooking an arm through Ambers. Amber lightly frowns at this, still not understanding what that has to do with her statement. "Okay but you could've gone for someone- I don't know- less.."

    "Douchey?" Amber grins as she finds the culprit who interrupted her sentence even though she was going to say the exact same thing. "Val, never a miss." Amber winks as she bumps hips with the tall girl who grins back at her, walking beside the duo.

     "Yeah well sorry I can't find someone as perfect as Brian!" Amber waves her hands around frantically at Summers exclaim. "Woah when did anywhere here say Brian is any better?"

      Val slaps Amber's arm causing her to wince playfully. "I'm joking. But seriously, there are plenty of people here. And plenty of those people would die to even catch a sliver of that attention of yours." Amber nudged her shoulder with Summer as she sighs, only to smile as wave at a group of girls that had called out her name.

     "Yeah like that one kid who follows you around like a puppy! What's his name? You know who I'm talking about!" Val exclaims in a half joking way as she peeks over Amber's head to speak to Summer who looks away in embarrassment. "He's totally into you. Doing your homework for you all the time and all." Val giggles as Summer nods along, a smile etching across her face.

     Amber furrows her eyebrows at this as she watches her two friends talk about who she could only assume is Quinn. Who she had been ignoring or he had been ignoring her- she wasn't sure. She is sure about how her heart quenches at the thought of Summer taking Val's advice.

    "Okay anyways," Amber clears her throat as the three make it outside. She unhooks her arm from Summers as she stands in front of them with a wide smile on her face. "This summer needs to be totally memorable. I'm talking; all day trip at the mall first, sleepover and most importantly-" Ambers rant is cut off by cheers of people surrounding her.

     Students piling out of the doors behind Summer and Val as Amber frowns at the commotion. "What is going on?"

   "Throw him in!"

    Amber's heart sinks as she watches Ethan, Brian and another guy Amber can't place a name on, carry a boy out to the dock near the school. Not just any other boy but Quinn; sweet, nerdy Quinn who doesn't deserve this treatment despite what he made Amber's heart go through.

    Students clap and cheer on the boys who tightly hold Quinn up in the air as he's yelling at them to stop, desperately trying to warn them that he can't swim.

    Amber begins to walk forward, weaving in between the crowd as her heart rate picks up feeling as if she's running out of time to make it over there. It isn't until she's in the front of the crowd that she's pushed out of the way harshly by another body. "Hey, leave him alone!"

   Amber's eyes flash to the voice finding a tall girl- somewhere around Val's height she assumes- marching angrily towards the four boys who let Quinn down as she rips Ethan's hands off him. Amber pierces her lips together as she watches the interaction, watches how the girl pushes Ethan to the ground only to stop arguing once the Principal shows up.

   Yet even when the students flee from the scene, Amber still stays.

   She doesn't know why but watching the new girl talk to Quinn irks her slightly. Deciding it's best to just leave it alone, Amber heads off to the sidewalk near the school, pausing slightly when she notices Emmy and Summer seem to have a heated conversation.

    "I'm sorry." Summers' voice breaks out to her as she approaches, Amber's feet picking up as she tries to catch up with Summer who flees off to the little lake house connected to the school. She knows Summer and Emmy have recently fallen out, it's all Summer talks about is trying to make it up to Emmy, but she doesn't understand why. It's the one thing she's kept in the dark about.

  "Hey! Hey summer-" Amber breathes out, a little out of breath as she enters the room only to find Summer rubbing her arms as if to cool herself down. Amber frowns at this.

    "Are you alright?" Summer shakes her head, bringing Amber in for a hug who happily accepts it, in hopes to cheer her friend up. "I don't really want to talk about it."

    Amber nods along, thinking it's best to not say anything and just let Summer be comforted at the moment. When Summer lets go, she's wiping her eyes lightly, her head is snapping to the back doorway when the double doors open. "Quinn."

     The name sends shivers down Amber's spine as she looks over to where Summer is looking, only to find the said boy with the new girl who looks oddly familiar. "Hey, Summer." Quinn smiles, his eyes flickering to Ambers for a split second just to fall back onto Summer who smiles back sweetly.

     It sickens Amber, her arms crossing as she looks between the two expectantly. "Hey, Quinn. I'm really sorry about Ethan. You know he's just messing around plus I totally dumped him. He's an asshole." Amber drops her arms as she looks at her best friend ridiculously, because no way did she just say that. "Yeah total douche." Amber lightly hits Summers shoulder who glares at her quickly before turning back to Quinn with the same sorrowful, sweet smile.

    "Um, did you do the chem homework?" Amber looks at Quinn who nods almost immediately. She doesn't understand him- just a few months ago he seemed so into her and now it's like she's not even crossing his mind once. Not like he has been with her.

     "Oh yeah it's at my house. Do you want it? I can bring it to you if you need it." Summer giggles softly, pressing her hand to her chest thankfully. "Yes, oh my god that would really save my life- thank you!" Summer looks over at the girl after a while, her eyebrows knotting in confusion. "Do I know you? You look really familiar."

     Amber thought the exact same, causing her to step forward slightly, maybe a little too close for the girl's comfort as she backs away from Amber. "Oh I know you!" Amber excitingly exclaims, her finger pointing at the girl as she looks over at Summer who has the same grin on her face. "Camp Deerkill. We were bunk mates weren't we?" Amber smiles at the girl who slowly nods to this causing Amber to cheer for herself for actually remembering someone that long ago.

     "Yeah, yeah I was there." The girl laughs awkwardly. "Yeah you were the girl that peed in the pool then denied it."

    Quinn chokes out a laugh at the now embarrassed girl as Amber nods frantically. "No, I remember that because I took the blame, remember?" Summer nods at her excited friend, patting her arm as she smiles at the two teens before them. "Well, excuse us. It was nice meeting you.."

   The girl catches on to Summer's vague sentence. "Lucy."

    "Lucy. That's my middle name." Summer laughs, before spinning on her heel and waving the two a goodbye.

      Amber wiggles her fingers at Lucy, a mischievous grin on her face. "You owe me one, Lucy." Amber's eyes find Quinn's for a moment as she's leaving, noticing how he had already been watching her.

      It causes her heart to jump start for a moment, offering him a small smile as she jogs after Summer.