The Sweetest Summer

Chapter Sixteen - Salt

"How was the sexfest?" Collins' snarky voice called from the kitchen as I dropped my backpack onto the floor. "I'm surprised you can even walk, from what I've heard Elijah West is packing some serious heat-" Her voice cut off immediately when she saw my tear stained cheeks.

"I need my keys." I choked and she immediately grabbed the small black fob from the pocket of her shorts and handed it to me.

"What happened?" Her voice dripped with concern, an emotion so foreign to Collins Sarah Adams, that it made me feel impossibly worse. I didn't need my sixteen year old sister's pity for my love life.

"Nothing happened." I responded numbly and turned, walking back toward the front of the house. I knew Eli would come after me, his eyes had said as much, and I didn't want to be here when he climbed the trellis to my bedroom window.

"I'll be back later." I called and climbed into my car, tossing a pair of lacy women's underwear out the drivers side window. It was bad enough I wasn't having sex, but he fact that Collins was...in my car was the cherry on top.

I quickly turned the radio station from the hip hop explicit station to the equally as explicit alternative station and Popular Monster soothed me. Barely. I felt my sorrow shift to something far more cathartic...anger. How dare Eli act as though he wanted me?! He'd said he wanted more, and that we were no longer friends, but he still insisted on treating me like one. What a sadistic, narcissistic, asshole.

Before I knew it, I was pulling up to Marissa's modest split level home in the outskirts of Malibu. Her small gold Mercedes sedan was parked in the driveway and I rolled my shoulders back, wiping my cheeks as I walked to the front door. Marissa's Vietnamese parents would see right through any bullshit, so I needed to play my best game.

I pulled the heavy brass knocker and let it fall twice against the black wooden door. The sound of footsteps against tile resounded from within and I waited patiently, praying her mother Anh wouldn't answer. For the second time today, my prayers would fall on deaf ears as the door swung open and there stood Anh Le. All 4'9" of terrifying woman. Her black eyebrows knitted together, and her hands found her slender hips, already oozing disapproval, despite the fact that I hadn't uttered a word.

"Good to see you Mrs. Le." I lied. "Is Marissa home?"

"Why?" She barked and I glanced past her into the house. I was half tempted to start screaming for Marissa, but I knew all that would buy me is a door in my face.

"Because I wanted to see if she would like to go shopping."

"She doesn't need anything." Mrs. Le began closing the door, but I reached a hand out holding it open, surprising us both.

"Please, Mrs. Le. I've had a terrible morning and I need some time with my best friend. Tell me you understand." I plead and she studied me for another long moment.

"Fine. You have to promise me you won't let her buy anything. She has too much clothing already. Selfish girl." She muttered, turning back to fetch Marissa who looked adorable in a yellow floral romper and white wedge high heels.

"Avery!" She smiled widely, a stark contrast to the rest of the darkness that lived in her house. "This is a nice surprise." She always sounded so annoyingly proper in her mother's presence.

"Yes, Marissa. I was hoping you could accompany me to a few boutiques to find a new Sunday church dress." I replied, batting my eyelashes and laying it on extra thick, and Anh seemed pleased by my response.

"Of course." Marissa looked to her mother. "As long as you're okay with that, mother..."

Anh looked to her daughter sternly before there was a slight crack in her exterior. "Okay. You girls have fun." Marissa smiled wininngly and followed me to my car.