Sugar

chapter 3

Fate has a funny way of changing people's lives.

It changed Tyler for the better, when his brother left our town to go to college. It changed Emily, when the most popular girl in her grade accepted her into her 'clique' or whatever. And it changed Brandon, when he stopped being friends with me and then became the most popular guy in high school.

"So we're supposed to hang out for the rest of the summer? Us, together?" Brandon asks, moving his brown hair off his forehead.

I nod, grimly. "At least that's what our families want us to do." I would give up anything not to spend my summer with him. Well, anything except books. And chocolate.

"Why are they doing this to us? We can't hang out together. We're so different," he groaned.

I agreed with him. "When are you leaving anyway?"

"Ouch, that was polite. I'm leaving on the eighth of July," Brandon replied.

"That's great. I'm leaving on the sixth," I sighed, burying my face in my hands. This was the most I had spoken to him in three years.

"I can see where they're coming from. I mean, we go to the same school, and we used to be friends. Of course they'd tell us to hang out!" He says.

"Why did we stop being friends?" I asked, softly, searching his face for any sign of guilt.

Brandon exhaled heavily, "I don't know."

That pissed me off. Of course he knew; he was the one who suddenly stopped talking to me one day and treated me like I was the gum stuck onto his shoe the next.

Before I could say anything, he continued, "I guess I was figuring things out, and I didn't want to hurt you in any way."

The silence resumed for about a minute. "I think I should go," I said, getting off the chair. Brandon nodded.

"I'll see you at dinner?" He asked, almost hopefully. Maybe he isn't that much of a jerk I thought he was.

"No. Max and I are heading out for the evening, and we won't be back until late," I replied.

I didn't wait for a reaction from him. I quickly walked back to my room, grabbing the cordless phone off its handle.

Once I was safely inside with the door locked, I dialled home. "Hi, Em," I said, when my sister picked up the phone.

"Natalie! How's the lake?" She asked, and I could hear her chewing on a piece of gum.

"It's... okay. Brandon Chase and his family are staying here for the summer too," I replied.

Emily was either shocked or had walked away from the phone. "Are you serious? That's horrible! You haven't spoken to him in years, and now you'll be living with him for almost two months," she said.

Well, if you put it that way, it sounded like a nightmare.

"And his parents and Aunt Barbara thought it would be a nice idea if we both hung out together for the summer," I groaned.

Emily laughed gleefully. "Call me up sometime soon again and tell me everything," she said, when I was about to hang up.

These are the times I wish Emily had come with me. How much ever she annoys me, she's always ready to listen to my stupid stories.

"Max? Are you ready to leave?" I asked, knocking on his door. He said he needed five more minutes, so I switched on the TV in hopes of entertaining myself.

"Natalie, let's leave," Max said after he came downstairs ten minutes later, like I was the one making him wait.

I chose not to say anything, and we trooped out the house to my car. "Don't say anything about it, okay? I know my car is a mess," I warned him, as he sat down in the seat next to mine.