Ashlyn gave an exaggerated sigh. “What could you possibly have in your life that’s rough? You’re on the dance squad, and your boyfriend’s a football star and one of the best-looking guys in school. Forgive me if I doubt your problems are real problems.”
Summer kept trying to tell herself she didn’t need Cody, but her heart still clenched whenever she thought of her recently-exed-boyfriend. “For your information, my boyfriend and I broke up because I wouldn’t have sex with him. So maybe it’s not a life-threatening problem, but it sucks, and I’m trying to have fun tonight if that’s all right with you.”
Summer spun around and almost bumped into Troy. His jaw was clenched and he looked ready for a fight, fists clenched at his sides. She lowered her eyebrows. “Why do you look so mad?”
“What did you just tell Ashlyn?” he asked. “Tell me I heard that wrong.”
“It’s nothing. And it doesn’t matter anyway. Any boy would be the same way.”
“That’s not true,” Troy said. “That guy’s just a loser.”
“Actually, it’s pretty true,” Ashlyn said, and Summer whipped her head back to the girl, her mouth hanging open. “Come on. You’re supposed to be a dancer, right?” She motioned to the dance floor, where several people were moving to the beat of the music they played during intermission. “Let’s go dance.”
Summer followed Ashlyn as she moved through the crowd to the center of the room. The next song started and they moved to the beat. The bass line vibrated through Summer until her body hummed with it. The music, the dancing, the fact that Ashlyn wasn’t scowling—tension leaked out of Summer’s body, until she felt floaty and light.
That was the magic of music and dance. They were a language all their own. Speaking of dancing, Ashlyn knew how to move.
“You’re a good dancer,” Summer said. “The squad’s full right now, but we’re going to add a few more girls for basketball season. You should…” It hit Summer then. Ashlyn might not have that long.
Ashlyn cupped her ear. “What? I can’t hear over the music.”
Summer raised her voice. “I said you’re a good dancer.”
Ashlyn swung her head from side to side. “Unicorn Stench’s new stuff was so awesome, right? I’m totally buying a CD before we leave.”
“Me, too. You’ll have to let me know which song is the most poseur-like, so it can be my favorite.” Summer grinned to let Ashlyn know she was kidding.
Ashlyn’s smile lit up her face. “You know, I think I misjudged you. You might just be okay.”
It wasn’t exactly where she needed to be for her supposed job, but she’d take it.
Troy parked his Jeep alongside the curb of Summer’s house. “Hey, Sunshine? You’re not going to get back together with Cody, are you?”
Summer shook her head. “Definitely not. It’s over for good this time.”
“Good. Then you won’t mind when I kick his ass.”
“Don’t. Seriously, Troy. Just leave it alone. I didn’t even want you to find out why. I didn’t want anyone to know, actually. I just kind of blurted it out.”
The streetlight came through the windshield, illuminating Troy’s green eyes. He looked at her, the stripe of light shifting to his cheekbone and jaw. “I never could figure out why you were with him.”
“Oh, he wasn’t all bad,” Summer said. “Besides, it’s not like you’re an expert at picking gems, either. Kristen was mean. Like punch-you-in-the-face mean. I had no idea why you were with her. Or most any of the girls you date for that matter.”
“I broke up with Kristen a long time ago.”
“Right. And I broke up with Cody.” Summer tucked her leg under her as she twisted in her seat to face Troy. “Now, promise me you won’t do anything. It’s bad enough, and I just want it to be over. I’m done with guys, relationships—the whole stupid mess. I have enough other stuff going on anyway.”
Troy continued to stare out at the street, his posture still rigid.
“Please leave it alone,” she said. “For me.”
“Fine.”
“This night was exactly what I needed. I got to hear awesome music, got a new CD”—she held up the signed case—“and I made progress with Ashlyn.” She placed her free hand on top of Troy’s bicep. “Thanks for letting me come, and picking me up, and being my friend. All that good stuff.”
Troy’s expression softened as he looked at her. “You call me anytime you need me. Tonight reminded me how much fun we used to have together.”
“I was thinking that, too. And now it’ll be even better because there won’t be other people getting in the way, getting mad anytime we try to do stuff together.” Summer glanced at the house and saw Dad’s outline in his bedroom window. “I better go.”
She lunged across the console and gave Troy a quick hug. “Later.” She climbed out of the vehicle and walked up the sidewalk. As she approached the house, she replayed the night, from dancing with Ashlyn, Unicorn Stench ending their killer show with Obligatory, and being able to spend time outside of school with Troy again. For the first time in a week, she didn’t feel completely crappy.
But then she remembered that, according to the Angel of Death, the girl Summer was starting to really like was going to die.
Chapter Eight
The man holds his phone up to his ear and opens the back door of the cab with the other hand. If he gets in, he’s going to be crushed inside, his last breaths spent on that call. One foot in the car.
Somebody has to stop him.
The other foot in.
Somebody has to tell him.
He sits inside. The door begins to swing shut.
Summer shot up in bed. “Don’t get in the cab! You’re going to die!” She gulped for air, trying to get some of it into her straining lungs. It took a moment for her to realize that she was in her bedroom, that she wasn’t fourteen anymore. It was only a dream.
Of course, her dream had really happened. And now she knew the truth. The man had died that night.
Summer lay back down and put her pillow over her head, but she couldn’t block out the image of that man crushed in a car. That had been the first time it’d happened. If it’d been the last, she could’ve gone through life totally blissful, still thinking the image was what she got for watching too many violent action movies with Dad.
Stupid truth.
What seemed like only a few minutes later, the ringing started. Then stopped. Then immediately started again. Summer opened her eyes and looked at her clock. It can’t seriously be one already. Can it?
At last the ringing finally stopped, leaving the house in blessed silence. Summer got up and decided to head down to the kitchen for breakfast. Or lunch. Either way, she was starving.
She poured herself a bowl of Lucky Charms and sat cross-legged in front of the TV. When the phone rang again, Summer decided she should answer it. Whoever it was, wasn’t giving up. She set her bowl of cereal on the coffee table, walked into the kitchen, and picked up the cordless. “Hello?”
“Where are you?” Kendall sounded mad.
Summer thought it was pretty obvious that she was home. Didn’t answering her home phone clue Kendall in? “I’m hanging out, doing a whole lot of nothing.”
“You were supposed to meet me at the mall this morning, and then we were supposed to have lunch with the girls. You missed it.”
“I completely forgot.” Lunch today was supposed to help smooth over all the lunches Summer had skipped out on during the week.