Remembering Summer

Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

I lay in bed thinking of her. For the past four years, "her" has been Emily. But now it isn't, and that scares me. I'm not ready to be with someone again, I'm just not. I can't seem to see anything but Summer, though. Summer's eyes, Summer's hair, her laugh and smile and comebacks and wit and self dependence. She is everything Emily wasn't but at the same time she is so close it scares me. I don't know what I'm going to do. So I do the one thing I can. I run.

It's 9:30 PM now and I'm still running. I've never run this far out without turning back. But now I just keep going. Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot. I can her the pavement beneath me. Slap, slap, slap, slap. Over and over. I'm looking at the pavement of the sidewalk. The guys who changed it left for another state or job I guess. It hasn't been maintained and there are cracks everywhere and plants growing in the crevices. I'm slowing down, and suddenly I stop. I sit there staring at the pavement, looking at how messed up it looks. How messed up it is, all because a couple guys left. But if still serves it's purpose,I can still run ok it, people still bike on it, walk their dogs and kids on it. I am the sidewalk. Broken, torn apart all because someone left. But I still work. And that has to be worth something.

(SUMMERS POV)

"Last time I checked, you only take about two inured to change." I roll my eyes. My dad was being overprotective. Again.

"I couldn't hook my bra."

"If you think that saying the word 'bra' is going to make me stop doubting, you're wrong," he laughs. He's flipping pancakes on the stove and scrambling eggs at the same time. I smile. He's always been good at this whole single parent thing. Ever since mom died, he's taken the reins and made sure I never had to live life as if mom wasn't here. He tried so hard, but there were some things you needed a mom for. Your period, first crush, prom. Dad was great, most of the time. But I couldn't do this without a mom. Especially when we fought. Like the day that we got here. Dad had told me I wasn't old enough to drive by myself. He'd also said that this year, my last year of school, I was not to focus on guys. Of course I had complained, I'm kust about seventeen. Guys aren't something I can ignore. I thought about Tyler. He seems nice, I just don't know him. He's very closed off, and I think it's because of the Emily girl.

"Hey dad, do you know much about the previous owners of the house." My dad's eyes suddenly got very tired looking.

"Yes, they're daughter, Emily...she, um...she took her own life."

"Do you know why?" I feel a bitterness in my stomach. This girl had everything. Good grades, friends, sports, and I'm 99% sure she was going steady with Tyler. She had everything a girl could've wanted. And she threw it away. And there were people out there, people like my mom, who didn't have much but smiled at what the did have. And yet, she didn't get the chance to live a full life. It was taken from her.

"The people around here are very closed off about it. It's like a wound that hasn't healed quite yet. So don't go picking at it, don't hurt anyone, Summer." I nod. I'll try not to hurt anyone. But I'm not promising I won't go picking.

I knock on Tyler's door and wait for an answer. His mom opens the door, and greets me with a smile.

"Summer! Oh, Tyler's not home right now he went out on a run."

"Um, actually I was here to talk to you if you don't mind." Her eyes light up and it's then that she notices the box in my hand. She let's me in without question. I walk into the family room and set the cardboard down on the carpet. It lands with a soft thunk.

"Mrs. Macon..." I start.

"You can call me Mrs. Heather, dear," she smiles. I smile back. She's exactly the kind of mom I imagined mine to be.