One Summer

Chapter 5

“Anyone want another burger?” Dad asked, as he plated up some more.

There was a collective groan and a chorus of no from around the table.

I stretched backwards in my chair. “I think I’ve eaten enough to last me a week.”

Chris rolled his eyes. “There’s a surprise.”

“Don’t be bitter ‘cause I eat you under the table.”

Alex muffled a snort. I looked at him and he smirked. I rolled my eyes when I understood what he was saying.

“You make me sick,” I told him.

“You love me anyway, sweet cheeks.”

I scoffed. “Like a hole in the head.”

“Why do you deny your feelings for me?” He placed his hand over his hand in a dramatic fashion. “You’re crushing me.”

I kicked him under the table and he grinned when I rolled my eyes at him.

I focused my attention to the other end of the table, where both sets of parents were grilling Chase and Ava about their college applications. Nicole caught my looking, and included me into the conversation.

“What about you, Lex? Where are you planning to go to college?”

I shrugged. “I’ve applied to mainly to colleges in California. I have applied to a few that aren’t, though.”

“California, huh?”

I nodded. “I love it here. I love being so close to the beach and feeling the sun on my skin. Going to college is my chance to move out of Chicago.”

“It’s funny. Most of the colleges Chase applied for are in California, too,” Rob butted in.

I did my best to keep my face blank of any emotions. “Is that so?”

My eyes flicked to Chase, who suddenly looked uncomfortable. He nodded.

“Don’t you want to go to a renowned college? You’re a bright girl,” Nicole asked.

“I don’t really care about that. I don’t think I could deal with the pressure of a well known college.”

It was at this point that Mum clapped her hands and asked who wanted dessert. I was thankful that the talk of college was suspended, at least for now, but it didn’t stop the scenarios that were running through my head. What if Chase and I attended the same college? How would I cope if I saw him all the time? A sharp kick to my shin brought me back to my senses. I glanced quizzically at Alex.

“If you concentrate anymore, your head will explode.”

“Stop tormenting yourself,” Casey added, under her breath.

“What?”

“It’s obvious what you were thinking about. Don’t do that to yourself, you’ll go crazy.”

I pouted at her. “I hate how well you know me sometimes.”

She laughed. “It has nothing to do with that. Your face is like an open book, anyone could know what was going on in your head, just by looking at your face.”

“She’s right,” Chris and Alex chimed at the same time.

“Of course she is,” I sighed.

“So, I need to go into town tomorrow? You wanna come?” Case asked me, digging into the homemade apple pie that Mum had just placed in front of us.

“What do you need?”

“Shopping therapy.”

I groaned. Casey’s idea of shopping was flitting in and out of stores, spending no less than half an hour in each, before going back to the first one and buying several items of clothing she had dismissed first time round. Not something I wanted to spend my day doing.