Summer's Ember

Chappie Six

Just a warning: things don't end very happily.

🔥🔥🔥Chapter Six🔥🔥🔥

The rest of the day is spent lounging around. Me and Summer had gone exploring in the forest and found a grassy clearing where we laid down.

He asked little facts about me.

"What's your favorite colour?"

"Purple." I'm laying on my side, his arm around my waist. My head is resting on his chest and my finger drawing circles on his stomach.

"What's your favorite fruit?"

I smile at that, "Strawberries. What's your favorite season?"

"Winter. Yours?"

"I like spring. Especially when it storms."

"Why?"

"It's beautiful. The sky is grey but bright. My street has these pink-flowered trees and green lawns. There are pink petals all over the place so when it rains its makes little pink rivers. I wish you could see it." I sigh and so does he, mine of happiness and his of longing.

"Maybe I will."

Then we lay in silence for a bit.

"Summer, did you have any big things happen to you?" I sit up and put his head in my lap. He closed his eyes and puts his hands on his stomach.

"Yeah, I was bullied." He does this kind of twitch in his left eye, right before he opens them.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I kiss his forehead and continue playing with his hair.

He sighs and says nothing for a couple minutes. I give him little braids and comb them out with my fingers. He watches my face, I can feel his gaze on me.

"It started in fifth grade. Little things, a punch here and harsh word there. It continued like that through sixth grade. In seventh, I was reading in the courtyard of my school. I used to skip lunch because I had no friends to sit with and that was a perfect opportunity. This boy, Drake, had had it out for me since I've known him. He was taunting me, took the book and threw it somewhere. I remember there being a crowd and wondering if someone was going to step in. They didn't of course.

When he got tired of teasing, he punched me. Right in the jaw, dislocating it," Summer chuckled bitterly and closed his eyes, "My mom was so worried when I came home. I just said I fell and hit a stair. Lucky for me, the nurse knew how to fix my jaw so my mom didn't have to pick me up from the hospital.

That's how it started. In the locker rooms, they would take my stuff. In the halls, they would push me around. After school, I would get regular beat downs."

He stopped talking, his jaw clenched.

"You said 'bullied' as in past tense." I chimed in, moving to lay next to him again.

"Yeah. Last year, I beat Drake up, broke his arm. I got charges pressed against me but they were dropped after the police found out it was 'self-defense.'"

I propped myself up on one elbow to see his face. This didn't look like a boy who was bullied and broke someone's arm.

"Don't do that." He whispered, after opening his eyes and closing them again.

"What?" I whispered back.

"Don't look at me like that. It's makes me feel like a monster. I went far past self-defense and I know it. Don't regret it though."

I smiled lightly, "I don't think you're a monster. He got what he deserved. Karma."

Summer opened his eyes and layer on his side, mimicking me.

"Ember. Just..." He was smiling when he said this so I know he didn't mean it negatively.

"Don't do that." I pushed his shoulder lightly and I laid my head on his chest again.

"What?"

"Don't look at me like that. It makes me feel loved. I don't want my feelings screwed with."

We didn't say anything after that. We have so many silent moments but they are so loud.

"Sammy, Sammy!" Kenzie ran to us, panting with tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" He shot up, taking me with him.

"It's Mom. She's having an attack." Kenzie gasps.

Summer sprints off, leaving me with a sobbing girl.

"Come here." I hug her and she wraps her arms around my waist, sobbing into my t-shirt.