Roller Coaster Summer

~Chapter Thiry-Six~

     I pulled the key out of the lock and wrapped my cardigan a little tighter around my body once the night air hit me. Summer was soon coming to an end and now the chilliness entered the night air. The street lights were fully on and there were no people on the streets as I started heading my way through town towards the bridge that brought me over to New Hope, and to Jake.

     It was around ten o'clock at night and I did not mean to stay at my house that long so I knew I would have to text or call Jake once I got on the bridge or else he was going to think up the worse scenarios.

     Suddenly I heard a russle of paper down the street and I turned my head slightly to see I man walking behind me, very far behind but still. I didn't think anything of it because I was in Lambertville walking over to New Hope, one of the safest, boring towns in New Jersey. I didn't quicken my pace at all but when I looked back again, I saw that the guy was closer. My instincts kicked in and I then started to walk faster across the bridge. I could have sworn that the bridge wasn't that long of a distance.

     I pulled my phone out and asked Jake where he was in a text. Not even a minute later, I received a text back from him saying that he was in the store and asking where I was. When I looked behind me for the third time, the guy was literally a few meters behind me and that's when I started freaking out. I ran up the bridge and heard a loud noise and saw that it was my phone; I dropped it. I didn't think about twice so I kept running because whoever that guy was, I had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.

     Of course when I arrived at Jake's store, the door was locked and I looked behind me while banging on the glass doors and saw that the guy wasn't there, so then I started shaking the door even more and wondered the hell Jake was! My heart started to pound even more and I regretted looking the last time because then he was running up the street toward my direction.

     Then, thank the Heavens, the door pulled opened and I practically fell into Jake's arms.  I started sobbing against his chest and his arms were protectively around me and he kept asking me what was wrong and why I didn't reply to him before and where the heck I was and why I wasn't answering him because he was starting to get really worried about me.

     "I dropped my phone because I was running across the bridge and someone was after me and I- I don't even know why it happened." He pushed me away at arms length and then looked at me. He brushed my tears away and looked into my eyes, probably trying to figure out all that I was saying.

     "Elena, its Lambertville and New Hope, nothing happens here. Now, I'm going to call up the guys just to make sure and go find your phone on the bridge." When he was saying that to me, he pulled out his phone and started opening the door while I was continuously trying to convince him otherwise. Before he had both of his feet on the cemented ground, something crashed to the ground and we both looked down.

     There it was... my cell phone lying on the sidewalk, not a crack or scratch. Jake bent down and picked it up then turning around to look at me. He held his hand out and expected my to take my phone back but I really didn't want to touch it.

     "It must have fallen out of your pocket when you were being hysterical at the door."

     "You don't believe me, do you, Jake?" I asked him in a doleful voice.

     "Elena," He started while cupping my face in his hands. "its not that I don't believe you, its just you and I both know that nothing bad happens around here. Are you okay?"

     From the convincing monotone of his voice, I glanced down and said, "I'm not so sure at the moment."

~*~*~

     "Do you ever get that feeling that someone's following you or something?" I asked Summer when we were walking about Stockton, looking into the little shops and just spending some time together since we always seemed to be with the guys at all times. Actually, I couldn't remember the last time it was just the two of us, she was either with Chris or I was with Jake. This summer was dwindling rapidly and soon we'd both be off to college with our guys still in town waiting for us when the holidays and summers come again. Now, we were just trying to be with each other before she goes to Florida and I go up to Massachusetts.

     "Of course all the time... I'm just that gorgeous." She said and then winked at me. I didn't joke back and then she just looked at me with a perplexed look on her face. "Do you really feel that way?"

     I nodded at her and just sighed because I bet she wouldn't believe me either like Jake. Heck, if I was either of them, I wouldn't believe myself because it was Lambertville and New Hope and nothing bad happened there. So it was logical.

     "Elena, I bet you're just nervous about college, its  understandable." I didn't say anything as we climbed into Jake's truck since he let me borrow it for the ride because he was just staying the store for the day, teaching little kids the art of playing the guitar. Once we got into Frenchtown, we hoped out and walked around that town next. Summer pulled me into a little antique store that looked very vintage.

     "But Summer, the thing is, I'm not nervous at all. I'm actually excited about college, minus the fact that I won't see Jake all that much but y'know. If it were nerves, you'd be feeling the same way as I am."

     "This is the cutest dress I've ever seen but it would look so much better on you than me because you're a blonde. Here, you must try it on." Before I even got a chance to say anything, she put the dress into my arms and then guided me to the dressing rooms; which were just little closets with a curtain as the door. I did as she said and then walked out, not really looking at how it looked on my body, but when Summer saw me and gasped, I knew she was probably right that it was perfect for me. Summer has always had an eye for fashion.

     I turned around to look at the full body-length mirror and had to admit that it was an adorable dress and accented my body perfectly. It was a strapless dress with a princess chest cut and it went right to my knees. It had a floral pattern on it and it was light pink; the dress looked like it stepped right out of the 1950's... in a good way.

     "Elena, you're getting that dress whether you like it or not." Summer said as she put her hands on my shoulders and met my eyes through the mirror.

     "Psh, of course, Summer! You're amazing. Now we just have to find you something and then we can call it a day."

     "Oh, I looked all over and there's nothing that catches my eye..." She said with a distastful look on her face.

     "I doubt you looked all over, I know you well enough, Summer Tronson."

     She rolled her eyes as I looked through the racks of clothes and then found a dress that stuck out to me for some reason; maybe it was because of all the lace or maybe it was just because it was very graceful, even on the hanger.

     "Here." I gave it to her and then pushed her into the dressing room that I was in before even though my clothes were still there since I didn't change out of my dress.

     When she came out, I knew she loved it because she just had a glow over her whole body and the dressed just seemed like it was a part of her and was destined to be worn by her. "Elena, I think we have found our dresses for the End-of-Summer Ball." The dress I gave her was a simple cream-colored lace and had white silk underneathe so it wasn't see-through. It too was strapless but the skirt went all the way down to her feet so she would probably just have to wear white flats.

     That day ended well but I still felt as if someone were watching my every step, even when there didn't seem to be anyone else in that store.