Chapter Twenty-Four

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Summer Danvers

I stand up immediately, walking over to that cameraman in particular.

"Um, sorry, excuse me, can I have a look at that newspaper if you don't mind?" I ask slowly.

"Oh! Miss Danvers! Sure. It's all yours."

"Thanks. I just need to check something." I give him a smile, and look at the front page of that newspaper. I was right. It was someone familiar, too familiar to miss. And all I can do is gasp when I see Raymond kissing Sophie - Sophie Reels in the photo. I read the words below.

Raymond Elliot 15 (left) and Sophie Reels 15 (right) have qualified for the national championships of surfing. Raymond denies that they have nothing going on but is there possibly a love connection going on here? A surfing romance?

I stop reading there. I can't read it anymore. So that's how it was. Raymond cheats on me and I was the one who told Sean that Ray would never do anything like that. But I was wrong. So wrong.

"We can forget it, but Sean, I have a boyfriend, and, I don't know, it just gets even more awkward between us, and it wouldn't be fair on my boyfriend. I can't imagine him doing anything like that with another girl."

I can't believe I even said that! As soon as I say that, he goes cheating on me. If he didn't like me anymore, he could've just broken up with me! Why did he have to go kissing someone else behind my back? I glance up at the date of when this was published, and it was published this morning. Okay, so the cameraman must've picked this up on the way here this morning. I walk back to the same cameraman, handing him back the newspaper.

"Thank you so much, you've really helped." I say, and the cameraman frowns at me, confused. If he hadn't picked up that newspaper this morning, I would've never found out about that. No one in my house really reads the newspaper, and even if they did, I don't take a second glance at it.

"Uh, you're welcome?" He says uncertainly and I give him a smile before heading back onto set.

***

"And thank you all surfers, it was awesome to see all of you out there, and no matter what happens, I would like you to be proud of yourselves." The man at the podium concludes, after his very long speech. Everyone claps, and finally, he gets into announcing who the winner is. I jitter with excitement and nervousness. "So now, to the important stuff. Who is the winner of the national championships of surfing this year? This really was a hard decision. And it came up to two people in particular, and those two people are......... Summer Danvers and Raymond Elliot! Will you two come up onto the stage?" I stand up from my seat, dumbstruck. Oh my god, did I actually, did I actually.....?

"Summer! Good job!" Jake gives me a thumbs up and I give him a smile and head up to the podium. When I get up onto the stage, I see Raymond's already up there.

"So. One of you two have won, and the other is the runner up." The announcer says to us. "Now, you're both from Addersdale, am I correct?"

"Yes. We are." Raymond says.

"And how do you feel right now, Summer?"

"Really amazing. This is my first time in nationals and yeah.... Really awesome." I say.

"What about you, Raymond?"

"I think Summer summed it up pretty well." He smiles at me, but I pretend I don't see. How could he smile at me after what he's done?

"Yes, yes you two are first timers, but to the person who's the runner up, we hope to see you again next year. Now, the winner, out of Summer Danvers, and Raymond Elliot. Who will win the title of the national championships of surfing this year as well as its prizes? Will it be first timer Summer Danvers, who got a special note from the judges in regionals that she was the most outstanding surfer there? Or will it be first timer Raymond Elliot, who made the front pages of their town newspaper?" The man pauses, and I can hear the thump of my heart beating so fast right now, I'm pretty sure Raymond and the announcer could hear it. "Summer Danvers! You are our winner of the national championships of surfing for this year! Congratulations!" Everyone erupts into cheers, and I stand there, totally stunned. "And the runner up this year, is Raymond Elliot. Congratulations."

***

"Congrats, Summer." Ray smiles and says to me as we walk off he stage, while we wait for all the winners of the other prizes. Like the person with the best surfboard, best coach, things like that. Apparently everyone who's won prizes has to stand on stage at the end and take a photo.

"Thanks. You too." I say, looking away. "So, Ray.... What was that about how you were in the newspaper?" I say, I decide to confront it with him, I just can't stand to see him pretend that nothing's happened.

"O-oh. That? U-um, about that...." He stutters.

"Did you think you could keep it from me?" I say.

"What?"

"Did you think you could keep it from me, Raymond." I look at him straight in the eyes.

"Summer... I-"

"If you didn't want to date me anymore, you could've just told me that we should brake up. Not kiss another girl and see what happens." I snap.

"No, Summer, it's not what it looks like...."

"That's what they all say, isn't it? In books, movies, and in real life. 'It's not what it looks like....' Well I can see perfectly what it looks like." I snap again.

"Summer, I have been trying to tell you, but it's not something that I can just slip into a conversation."

"When did you kiss her?"

"What?"

"I said," I bite my lip. "When did you kiss her?"

"Yesterday, at the beach." He sighs. "Summer-"

"Why didn't you just tell me that you wanted to break up with me?" I say, tears ringing in my eyes now.

"No, that's not-"

"It would've hurt less, Ray. If you just told me that you wanted to break up, we wouldn't be like this now." I say.

"Summer, I don't want to break up with you." Ray says, reaching out, and holding my hands in his. But I snatch them away, a few stray tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Then what? What was that in the picture? You call that not wanting to break up with me?"

"Summer, no, that's not.... You're taking it the wrong way." Ray says slowly.

"How else am I supposed to take it? Am I supposed to be like, 'oh, it's all fine. You're my boyfriend but you can just go around and kiss whoever you like.' Is that how I'm supposed to take it?"

"No, Summer, listen."

"No. I don't want to listen. I thought you actually liked me, Ray. But now I can tell the obvious." I say, tears rolling down my cheeks uncontrollably. "We're done, Ray." I say, almost in a whisper, and walk away from him.

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Awwwwww! I know I know, you guys hate me, but on the bright side, this book's got nearly 1K!!!! It would be soo awesome if you guys got this book there, and when we hit 1K, I'll update early :) Until next chapter <3

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