The Search

Chapter 3

After I walk in the house, Erika, our maid/chauffer comes running over, the blue duster in her hand.

"Summer! Charlotte and Ryan will be home tomorrow." She says, beginning to dust the staircase.

"Alright," I mutter.

Ugh. Charlotte and Ryan are my parents. Well, I guess they're more like cousins than parents. They don't treat me as their daughter ever, and they're almost always away from home, which isn't really a bad thing because it means I can do whatever I want... Except party, smoke cigarettes or weed, drink alcohol, and have sex, all of which I do anyways. Erika knows all of the things I do, although she would never tell Charlotte or Ryan. I never call them mom and dad. They've been Charlotte and Ryan to me for as long as I can remember. I'm lucky if they're home once in three months, but I like it that way.

"Where were you last night?" Erika asks.

"At a party," I respond from the kitchen, swallowing an aspirin with some water.

Erika just nods, continuing with her dusting. I walk upstairs and collapse on my bed, welcoming the raspberry scent coming from the air freshener on my oak dresser. I kick off last night's heels and put them in my large, lime green walk-in closet. Then I take off my skirt and tanktop, throwing them in a laundry hamper. I select some grey yoga pants and a black Abercrombie&Fitch v-neck t-shirt from my closet and throw my hair into a messy bun. Lazy day!

Ugh, it's hot outside again. When will this heat wave end? It's horrible.

When I put the v-neck on, I feel a sticky note fall off of the side of my stomach where Ryder's arm once was. I bend down and pick it up, and then smile at the cute note. It reads, "Summer :) Text me! 604-226-1756. -Ryder."

I grab my white iPhone from my dresser's matching oak desk and enter my passcode. 5598. Then, I go to my contacts and enter the new one.

Name: Ryder(:

Mobile: 604-226-1756

Then, I click save and create a new message. My fingers fly across the screen as I type, "Hey Ryder! It's Summer(:"

I go downstairs to the main floor and into the kitchen. About 30 seconds later, I get a reply.

"Hey," it says.

"What's up?" I respond.

Ryder: "Nuthin much, just bored. You?"

Summer: "Same."

Ryder: "Wanna hang @ the park?"

Ryder replies fast. I like it.

Summer: "Sure! B there in 5."

I lock my phone and slip on my light blue flip flops.

"I'm going to the park, Erika." I wave goodbye to her, and she waves back.

"Have fun! Be safe."

I close the door behind me and jog all the way to the park. That aspirin  really worked.

When I get to the park, Ryder is waiting on a green metal bench. I take a seat beside him.

"Hey," he smiles at me, "how are you?"

I feel myself blush. What is happening to me? I can't let this happen...

---------------------------------------------------FLASHBACK----------------------------------------------------------

It was four years ago. Grade 8. I had been dating this boy for three months, and I was sure I loved him. We'd even had sex. But then, I found out that he had taken advantage of me. He had slept with my best friend at the time. And I've never been the same with love.

-----------------------------------------------NORMAL P.O.V.---------------------------------------------------------

"Summer?" Ryder asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Oh! Uh, I'm fine, how are you?" i reply.

"Good. So tell me, why do you feel the need to get drunk and laid and high all the time?" Ryder is just curious, so I answer him. My answer is all it takes for us to sit on the bench in the park until 11 PM, just talking... And all it takes for me to fall for him.

Let's just hope he'll be there to catch me.

---------------------------------------------

On Sunday afternoon, I'm standing in my front yard in the sun. I'm smoking, with my back to the street. Charlotte and Ryan are supposedly coming home tonight. I doubt they will actually be on time, but whatever.

"You shouldn't do that." The voice behind me startkes me out of my thoughs.

Ryder.

"Gosh! You scared me." I say after I mentally calm myself.

"Sorry!" Ryder laughs, "But seriously, Summer, you shouldn't smoke. Or get drunk. Or do weed." He says quietly, looking down at a rock which he's nervously kicking. His usually messy brown hair is spiked up. I think I like it better down.

I sigh, "It's kind of hard to stop when I'm already hooked on it. And anyways, I have nothing or no one motivating me to stop."

As if on cue, Mhari jogs up and drapes herself over Ryder.

Thank you for proving my point, Mhari.