Canโt Go Back Part 24
A/N: Guess whoโs back! Thank you for stickingย with me. Itโs been a rough several months and I think things are finally getting to a point where I can focus on my hobbies again. As always, feedback is appreciated andย Characterย Q&As areย open. Much Love -Em
Iย had finished the last book on my To Read shelf by mid-May. Hopping off my bed, I went over to my bookshelf. There was only one shelf of space left. The stack to shelve had gotten a tad out of hand. Sighing to myself, I sat down to start reorganizing. I pulled the books from H to Z down to fit the new additions to my collection in. My dad poked his head in when the stack fell over.
โEverything okay in here?โ I was surrounded by books. Dad tried not to laugh as he took the scene in. Grabbing books, I turned back to the shelf.
โPerfect. Totally meant to sit in a sea of books this afternoon.โ
โSure. You have fun with that. I have to head into the office for a while. Tell your mother I probably wonโt be home for dinner.โ
โWill do.โ I nodded, not turning my attention back to him.
Monty texted me shortly after I had finished the Mโs. What are you up to today?
Organizing my bookshelf. I finished my TBR so now they go in the permanent collection.
Only my girlfriend would make a permanent book collection and a separate section for books that arenโt done.
Hey! Lots of people do this.
Yes honey.
What are you up to today?
Trying to study for my last History test. Itโs very boring.
Iโm sure it is. If youโre free Saturday, how about a get out of studying free card?
Oh? What did you have in mind Doll? I rolled my eyes and grinned. Of course he thought I meant something dirty.
Cool your jets Monty. I was going to see if you wanted to go to the bookstore with me?
I can make that happen. What time?
I think Clay and I are getting lunch to go over our study guide for the Math final. I could do like 1?
Sounds good. Do you want me to meet you at the bookstore?
Sure. I go to the B&N at the Everglade.
Itโs a date.
I smiled and went back to my books.
When it was done, I snapped a picture and sent it to Justin. I finished my TBR! You know what that means?
Oh no. More books?
More books!
Do I have to come with you?
No. The parents gave me a limit of 10 books this time.
Only 10?
I have points saved up. And 10 is a perfectly reasonable amount of new books.
For you? Yes. For normal people? No.
Oh shhh, or Iโll make you come with me.
Okay, okay. Itโs reasonable lol. I texted Monty a picture of my bookshelf too. He responded with a laughing emoji.
Teachers were beginning to wrap up final units and hand out study guides for finals. Justin was still mad about summer school so he kept up his not giving a shit attitude. I rolled my eyes whenever he sighed or complained about finals. And I stopped offering to help him. If he wanted to do more work in summer school, that was fine by me. It gave me more time to spend with Monty.
On Saturday, I met Clay at Rosieโs and we both got milkshakes. I wasnโt very hungry, and I didnโt want burger breath later. โSo Clay, howโs Hannah doing?โ
โI donโt know. We have hung out a few times, and I see her at work, but I donโt think we have hung out hung out.โ
โYou still havenโt asked her out?โ
โI mean, we went to Jeffโs place not together, but we were both there, and I feel like maybe we connected?โ
โConnected?โ
โWell, we were doingโฆ stuffโฆ and we talked.โ My eyes widened.
โClay Jensen did you do drugs in Jeffโs basement?โ
โMaybe?โ I was stunned.
โWell, Iโll be damned. Clay Jensen, having fun. I never thought Iโd see the day.โ
โHa ha.โ He joked.
โIโm kidding! But seriously. Take the risk Clay.โ
โIโll think about it. Can we look at this study guide now?โ I sighed and pulled it out of my bag. We both shuddered. This is not going to be a pretty exam.
By the time Clay and I called it an afternoon, it was 12:30. That gave me just enough time to get to the city. We packed our notes and headed outside. โMan, I really need a car.โ Clay sighed, unlocking his bike.
โYour parents said no?โ
โI have a bike.โ He waved towards the bike.
โThat you do. I would offer you a ride, but Iโm headed into the city for the afternoon.โ
โNo worries, Addy.โ He smiled. We waved goodbye and I watched as he biked down the street. I started my car and texted Monty. Leaving Rosieโs now. Might be a little late. Drive safe.
Sounds good, drive safe Doll.
I stopped at Starbucks when I got to the mall and got an iced coffee to sip while I browse and a coffee for Montgomery. He was waiting outside Barnes & Noble for me. โHey handsome. Fancy seeing you here.โ I winked as I walked up to him.
โHey gorgeous. What can I say, thought it would be a good way to find a girl. You know what they say about the readers.โ
โI have a feeling I do.โ I laughed and handed him his coffee. โSomething to do with being high strung, overachievers with daddy issues?โ
โSomethinโ like that.โ Monty took my hand and let me lead him into the bookstore. I decided I would keep my ten-book limit to myself. I knew how many points I had, and I still had birthday money left from last year.
He chuckled as I practically dragged him towards the YA section. I didnโt stop to look at the romance displays or the cookbooks or the journals. I was on a mission. There were books to buy. I sipped my coffee as I browsed. As usual, I made my way up and down the aisles quickly once to see if anything immediately caught my eye. A couple of books did, so I grabbed them to look over after I was done my power walk. โI donโt know if Iโve ever seen you move that fast.โ
โAss.โ I laughed as I read over the synopsizes of the two books. Neither of them was my cup of tea in the end, so I decided to put them back. I could feel Montgomery watching me as I looked at the shelves. โWhat?โ I asked as I pulled a book down and skimmed the back.
โNothinโ. Youโre just cute is all.โ
โOh?โ
โYeah. And those shorts are very nice.โ I blushed and smiled softly.
โThanks.โ I handed him the book.
โOh, I see. You needed someone to carry the books.โ
โWell, who else would I have asked, when I have my strong, athletic boyfriend to follow me around the store?โ He only laughed in response. I grabbed a few more books as I sipped at my coffee. Once in a while, I would notice him watching me and turn to smile at him.
There were six books in Montyโs hands before he finished his coffee. โIโm going to throw this out. Try to leave some books for the next person, okay Bookworm?โ
โIโll try. No promises though.โ I mused. By the time he came back, I had three more books. I looked up when I heard him laugh. I grinned at him and held out the books. He took them, tucked them under his arm, and stepped towards me. My brow furrowed and he reached to tuck my hair behind my ear, trailing his hand down to cup the back of my neck, and pull me towards him to kiss me. I kissed him back softly. It was nice to be able to kiss in public. I liked our little bubble. It felt like we were the only two people in the world. He pulled away first.
We continued to peruse the store for a while and stole kisses and glances along the way. Monty slid his hand in my back pocket as we walked. I grabbed another couple of books and sighed. โWhatโs up?โ
โI guess thatโs enough books for a little while.โ
โFor a little while? Addison. Thereโs like,โ he paused to count, โsixteen books here.โ
โYeah. And that isnโt even all of what is on my TBR still. And itโs buy one get one half off all books.โ I shrugged.
โJesus. Crazy woman.โ He muttered softly and kissed the side of my head. I sighed and turned to head for the till. After discounts, points, and birthday money, my total was twenty-five dollars.
โNow to figure out how to sneak the extra six books into the house.โ I muttered as we left.
โThe extra what whats?โ
โUhโฆ nothing.โ I smiled sheepishly. He shook his head playfully. โOh, hey. Pretzels. Split one?โ
โNice change of subject. Sure. Pretzel sounds good.โ He rubbed my hand as he held it. This is nice.
In late June, just as finals week was hitting its peak, tragedy struck our little group of jocks. The boys were at Bryceโs trying to blow off some steam. I was trying to be nice to him and make an effort for Justin, so I tagged along. The way his family approached and flaunted their money always took me by surprise. I wasnโt oblivious. I knew my family had more money than most. More than I liked to consider or admit. But it was never flashed around the way it was with the Walkers. I came from old money on my dadโs side, like his mom. But unlike him, I wasnโt exposed to it on a daily basis. The concept of a twice a week maid was enough to widen my eyes. The only time my family had a maid come was when Gran was coming to stay with us, or we were hosting Christmas back when all my grandparents lived state-side, so a very deep clean was needed. The fact that they had a chef come in once a week to meal prep for them wasโฆ almost incomprehensible. The only time I met a chef was when I found a hair in my food when my family went out one night.
I had been to his house before of course. I was friends with Justin. We shared custody of him most weeks. Even still, I found myself hanging back and watching the boys socialize. Or I was trying to at least. Bryce thrusting a bottle of water in my hand startled me. I jumped slightly. โThanks.โ I muttered.
โDonโt mention it.โ He chuckled. He settled himself next to me and leaned back against the counter.
โHi.โ
โHi. You know that they will talk to you, right? They know you.โ
โI know.โ
โOkay. Iโll talk to you then.โ Great. Just what I want.
โSure Bryce.โ
โHow are finals treating you?โ
โI cried before my honours English final yesterday.โ
โI almost forgot about my math final.โ
โSo, we are basically in the same boat.โ
โBasically. You had bio and history today?โ
โYeah.โ
โHow were they?โ
โI think I did fairly okay. Can you imagine what my mum would do if I bombed the history final?โ He stared off into space with me and shivered.
โI would say something nice about you at your funeral.โ
โThanks Walker. Killing me does seem like a lot of hassle for that though. Like it seems like it would just inconvenience them. Maybe locked in my room to study until Iโm forty?โ
โTrue. I would text you news updates. Keep you updated in all things Bryce and the boys.โ
โPrefect. Make isolation at least a little bit bearable.โ He was actually kind of nice sometimes. Maybe. If I squinted.
โYeah. My dad would have freaked if I missed my math final.โ
โHow could you take over the family business if you fail tenth grade math Bryce?โ
โNo idea. Not like he doesnโt pay someone to do all that math for him. Speaking of, he wanted me to ask you if your dad is taking on any new clients now that tax season is winding down?โ
โI donโt know. I donโt think he is, but I can get him to email your dad.โ I donโt think heโs going to take your dad on.
โIโll let him know.โ
โWhere are you off to this summer?โ
โI think we are summering in Fiji?โ
โBecause California isnโt summer-y enough?โ
โMom thinks the sun feels different. More sunny. I tan better in tropical environments.โ
โSure, you do.โ
โWhat are your familyโs plans?โ
โWe have our annual family trip to Boston at the end of July into the first week of August. Dad pushed his vacation time this year.โ
โDoesnโt he own the company?โ
โYeah. But his associate wanted to take vacation in mid-July. Sheโs taking her kids to Disney World.โ
โAgain, doesnโt he own the company?โ
โAgain, yes. Why?โ
โShouldnโt he get first pick?โ
โWell, our vacation basically costs us airfare, food, and spending money. Hers and everyone elseโs costs a lot more. And requires more planning. So, he lets them have first pick and takes whateverโs left for the most part. Because of that, people are more willing to pick fairly.โ
โInteresting.โ
โAre you two going to come outside or not?โ Justin called from the back yard. Bryce and I looked up and found the house empty. All the boys had moved to the back. We shrugged and joined them. I needed to pass the sniff test so I didnโt dare go in the pool house. Anders and Dylan were in the pool house enjoying Bryceโs stash. It was already nearing eighty degrees in the daytime. We were in for a hot summer. Justin pulled off his shirt, dropped his pants, and jumped in the pool. Shaking my head, I followed Bryce outside.
I sat on the edge of the pool and dipped my feet in the water. Monty was trying to be discreet and swim backwards towards me. He stopped just shy of me and shared a look with Zach. I pretended not to notice. It looked like I was busy watching Justin goof off with Bryce and Garrison. I was watching my boyfriend out of the corner of my eye though. I felt a wave close to my foot. โMontgomery. If you touch my foot, Iโm not responsible for what happens to your face.โ His hand stopped and his eyes widened. Justin laughed and called from across the pool.
โShe isnโt wrong dude. She kicked me in the face when I was trying to bug her one time.โ
โI wasnโt going toโฆ.โ Monty trailed off.
โSure, you werenโt.โ I shook my head and moved to stand up. I pulled my tank top over my head. The shorts I was wearing were fine to go in the water.
Seeing as we had to keep up appearances, I couldnโt very well ask Monty to tighten the tie on my bikini top. That would be too much. The boys would question that. Joking around and talking to each other in a group was okay. Touching was not. โHey Justin, do you mind?โ I gestured to my back, not looking at the pool.
โHeโs a little busy.โ Bryce said. I could hear splashing behind me.
โZach?โ
โSure.โ He climbed out of the pool and untied the bottom strings. He pulled them tighter in a knot and doubled the bow. โGood?โ
โYeah.โ I turned around. โThanks.โ Bryce whistled. Gross.
โWhy are you keeping her all to yourself again?โ He asked Justin. I flipped him off. Why am I being nice to you again?
โIโm not. Itโs Addison. Even if I was, I donโt share Bryce.โ He seemed to shut the conversation down. Only I could pick up on the stern undertone in his voice. Just as quickly as it came, it was gone, and they were back to goofing off again.
I slipped in the pool and noticing Justin was distracted, I swam over to him and jumped on his back. I may have accidentally splashed Monty in my jumping. I snuck a peek at him and he was rolling his eyes and laughing. โChicken?โ Justin asked. His hands went to my thighs unconsciously.
โNo. You dropped me last time. Though it would be entertaining trying to watch the rest of you lift each other.โ
โWeโre strong.โ The boys around me protested. They all made a show of flexing.
โYes, yes. Youโre all strong and hot. With superior athletic abilities. Go you.โ I laughed.
โHa! I told you she thinks Iโm hot.โ Bryce pointed at Justin.
โIt doesnโt count if youโre objectively attractive Walker. I also think the blond guy from the Percy Jackson movie is hot. Because he is objectively attractive.โ
โObjectively attractive?โ
โYouโre lucky youโre rich.โ I muttered. Justin choked. โYouโre a very pretty man Bryce Walker.โ
โDo we get called pretty too Addison?โ Monty asked.
โIf you donโt call me by my full name again then sure Monty. You are also pretty. Foley, I swear if you drop me, youโre sleeping on the floor tonight.โ His hand tightened around my thigh.
The group of us hung out for a while. At some point Scott joined us. Even though we werenโt friends per say, he was still nice to me when I was around. He swam over to my corner of the pool. โIโm supposed to ask you if you think Iโm pretty?โ
โScott. If you donโt know youโre pretty, I donโt know what to say to you.โ
โAlright then. Why was I supposed to ask?โ
โI acknowledged Bryce is objectively attractive and the children felt left out.โ
โI see. Why are you hiding in a corner?โ
โHiding from Justin. Heโs trying to get me to play chicken. But I donโt feel like getting dropped again.โ
โAnd why does he think youโd get to play with anyone else?โ
โI think the attempt would be very entertaining actually.โ There was a ringing over by the table.
โSomeoneโs phone is ringing.โ I called. The ringing stopped and started again immediately. Zach looked up. It was his phone.
โItโs probably his mommy calling to tell him he has to come home before it gets dark.โ Bryce teased. The boys laughed. I even chuckled a little to myself. Oh, how bad I would feel about that chuckle in a few hours. Zach splashed him. By the time the phone began its second round of ringing again, Zach was out of the pool and grabbing it. He was smiling when he answered it.
โHey Mom. Iโm com-.โ It was quiet. โYeah, Iโll be right home.โ He hung up and quickly pulled on his pants, over his wet swim trucks. He threw on his shirt and practically sprinted back in the house. He didnโt say a word to any of us as he left.
โWhatโs going on with him?โ Bryce said. We all stared after him.
A few hours after I got home, I got a text from Bryce. Justin got the same text. Zachโs dad died. Justin and I sat and looked at each other at the table, shocked. We sat there for a solid ten minutes, trying to absorb the information we had been given. I was sure our friends were in the same position. How did you respond to something like that? None of us had ever lost a parent. Sure, I had lost a couple of grandparents. I probably wasnโt the only one. But theyโre sort of expected to die. Theyโre old. Theyโve lived. Our parents werenโt old. Not old enough to die yet anyway. I picked my phone back up and texted Zach the only thing I could think to say. He would hear the words a lot in the next few months. I am so sorry. I knew he wouldnโt answer.
Zach wasnโt at school for the rest of the week. Not that he should have been. He had been excused from all of his other exams. Because of course he should have been. I didnโt see him until I was walking home from a date with Monty over the weekend. He was justโฆ walking around town. He didnโt see me at first. When he noticed me standing up the street, he waved a little. I waved back and slowly walked over to him. Even though Zach Dempsey and I werenโt really friends, we were friendly. Thatโs why it didnโt feel weird when the only thing my brain said to do, was hug him. He didnโt cry. He didnโt say anything. He just hugged me back. We didnโt talk about that random, silent hug on the street again. Not for a long time at least. We simply nodded as we parted ways. He walked one way and I walked the other.
July changed a lot of things. Bryce left town with his family a few days after Zachโs dadโs funeral. Seth was back in town too. That meant Justin spent most of the first couple of weeks of July at my house. He was right. My parents were not happy about him doing summer school. As his not-mom my mum had a strict โno fun until homework is done and checkedโ rule. At first, I spent my time with Monty during school hours. We werenโt really sure what the summer meant for our relationship. Those first few dates, we mostly talked about that.
โWell, I donโt want to not see you.โ Monty said, between kisses in the backseat of my car. We had parked at a secluded clearing overlooking the river.
โI donโt want to not see you either. Itโs going to be hard though.โ
โDonโt talk about hard right now Doll. Please.โ I pulled away and looked at him wide-eyed. โYou donโt strike me as a public sex kind of girl. And I donโt want to get a public indecency charge.โ
โYeah. Iโm not.โ I sat up. โJustin being at my place complicates things.โ
โOh, I know.โ He ground out as he adjusted his jeans. I could tell my cheeks were flushed.
โWe knew we couldnโt see each other every day.โ
โBut itโs not easy not seeing you.โ
โI know itโs not.โ
โWhy does this have to be so hard?โ He sat back.
โI donโt know.โ Neither of us were ready nor willing to have the โtell other peopleโ talk. Even though it had been almost a year. And probably needed to happen.
โSeeing each other while school is in, isnโt such a bad thing, is it?โ
โNo.โ
โAnd I do have other friends. I could say Iโm going to the city with Alex or something. Give us some more time?โ
โThatโs true.โ
I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. โI could take you to the bookstore.โ He blinked at me. โWhat?โ
โThe bookstore?โ
โItโs air conditioned.โ I shrugged and climbed into his lap. His hands instinctively found their way to my hips.
โYou just need someone to carry your books again.โ
โI have no idea what youโre talking about.โ I smirked.
There was something different about Justin since he started summer school. I couldnโt put my finger on it. He wasโฆ distracted. I noticed he spent more time on his phone after homework than paying attention to what we were doing. Which was fine when it was show re-runs or my momโs pick for movie night. But when youโre trying to play Ticket to Ride with a guy, itโs much easier when they are paying attention. โHey. Earth to Justin. Hello?โ
โHuh?โ He looked up from his phone.
โItโs been your turn for the past five minutes.โ
โShit, sorry.โ He looked at his cards and the map. Picking up a red and a pink from the pile, he settled back in his chair. Interesting. I frowned at the board, trying to figure out what he was doing. I came back with nothing. His phone buzzed again. I glanced at it. So did he. Then my phone buzzed. He glanced at it. So, did I. It was like we were waiting to see who would grab their phone first. After a few beats, his hand went to his phone. He smirked a little and put it down. I didnโt check mine.
I came home from a date with Monty a little late on Thursday. It was nearing five when I walked in the door, after I fixed my hair. I dropped my purse and stopped dead in my tracks. Justin had company. Company in the form of Jessica Davis. Who was currently sitting in his lap. On my couch. Making out with him. On my couch. They had their hands up each otherโs shirts. On my couch. I cleared my throat. Jessica pulled away and turned towards me. โOh, hey Addy.โ She greeted, like this was normal.
โHey Addy. Youโreโฆ just getting home?โ His speech was slowed. Are you shitting me?
โYeah. Whatโs going on?โ
โYour parents said I could have a friend over after class.โ
โOkay.โ I blinked. She was still perched in his lap. I glanced at the clock. โI suggest you fix your shirts because they should be home soon. And I donโt think they want to see, uh, this.โ I motioned in their general direction. Jessica laughed and climbed off Justin.
โOh, donโt be such a priss, Addison.โ
โIโm not being a priss. I just wasnโt expecting to come home to people making out on my couch.โ She rolled her eyes. โGreat to see you too. Hey, Justin. Can I steal you for a sec?โ I waved upstairs. โThereโs snacks in the cupboard, Jess.โ
Justin followed me upstairs, trying not to giggle at, assumingly, the fact that he didnโt get caught by my parents. I shut the door when we got to my room. โWhat the fuck Justin?โ
โWhat?โ He shrugged.
โWhat do you mean what?โ
โWhat?โ
โMaking out with a girl on our couch?โ He was trying to avoid eye contact. My parents are going to kill him.
โNo one was home. Itโs not a big deal.โ
โHow long has this been going on?โ
โI donโt know, a couple weeks?โ I blinked at him. He was still trying to look away from me. I grabbed his face and made him look at me.
โAre you fucking high right now?โ
โNo? What? Why would you ask that?โ His eyes were bloodshot. He was acting very much like Justin when Justin has been indulging in Bryceโs stash.
โDonโt lie to me Justin Foley. You know my parentโs rules. Do you want them to freak out?โ
โOh, come on Addison. It was a little weed. Itโs not that big of a deal.โ I sighed heavily.
โYou know what, whatever. You obviously donโt care. So, I suggest you tell your girlfriend to leave or figure out a way to sober up before they get home. And if that fails, tell her to leave, and come hide in here until youโre sober enough to face them.โ I grabbed a book off my shelf and went back downstairs. I nodded at Jessica, who had made herself some crackers and dip. Sitting at the table, I texted Monty.
Justin and Jessica? Did you know about this? He responded a couple of minutes later.
No? Actually?
Yeah. They were making out on my couch when I got home. And to make things even more awkward and complicated, theyโre both high.
I mean, to be fair, weed isnโt really that bad.
Yeah. I know. But thatโs not the point. My parents are going to freak. Now is really not the time to be pissing them off.
Oh crap. You guys leave for Boston soon, donโt you?
Next week. And if Justin canโt keep his shit togetherโฆ I left the unspoken implication hang in cyberspace. Are you really just going to ignore the fact that they were on the couch?
I was hoping to just ignore that fact.
Our make out spots are becoming fewer and further between.
We could just stay in your bed, Doll.
But the couch has the TV. So we can not watch a movie without worrying about my laptop falling.
โWho you texting so much?โ Jessica asked, trying to peer at my phone.
โFriend from Boston.โ I said, locking my phone.
โOh, friend from Boston, you say? Is he cute?โ
โI guess? His girlfriend probably thinks so.โ
โOh. Not a secret long distance lover then?โ
โNo. And we grew up together. It would be weird.โ I slipped my phone in my pocket and grabbed some cereal. We both looked up when my parents got home. I took that as my cue to go get Justin. I practically kicked him downstairs so he could go entertain his girlfriend with my parents and I could have some time to process how I missed it. Probably the same way he has missed me having a boyfriend forโฆ almost a year.
The day before we left for Boston, Justin and I were running around like mad men. I had plans with Monty and Justin had plans with Jessica tonight, so I didnโt want to be too long packing. Unfortunately, neither of us could find anything we wanted to bring. It was going to be nice so I wanted to bring some dresses. We had a few things planned, but like with our other trips, there would be plenty of time to lounge around the house.
โHave you seen my pink and green dress?โ
โThe one with the stripes? No. Have you seen my blue shirt?โ
โI think mum put it in the wash.โ
โOkay.โ Justin went down the hall to the bathroom. โHas anyone seen my shampoo?โ He called.
โItโs in here.โ My dad called from their room. I was busy ripping apart my closet. I groaned in frustration.
โYou know, itโs just Boston. We go every year.โ
โI know Justin. I just like to be prepared for every eventuality.โ
โYeah. Waitโฆ are you trying to impress Adrian?โ Justin laughed. I turned and he was leaning against the doorframe.
โNo. Absolutely not. Besides, he has a girlfriend.โ A girlfriend I happen to like.
โIf you say so.โ He smirked. I rolled my eyes and flipped him off as he went back to packing his bag. I gave up on my closet and decided to tackle our toiletries. I wasnโt too concerned with travel sizes because it was all going in my checked luggage.
โDecide what book youโre taking with you Addy?โ
โDonโt you mean books, plural? It is a 6-hour flight after all.โ He laughed.
โOkay, okay. Books?โ
โIโm happy you asked.โ I grinned as I pulled out the Barnes & Noble bag from under my bed. His jaw dropped. I shrugged.
โYour parents are going to freak.โ
โThey know I went book shopping.โ
After a very long day of packing, Justin left to go meet Jessica. I texted Monty to let him know I would be leaving in about fifteen minutes. โIโm going to hang out with Alex and Clay for a bit.โ I told my parents.
โJust remember we leave early tomorrow for the airport Addison.โ My dad said, not looking up from his list. My mom was emptying the fridge.
โI will.โ
When I got to the cliffside where we agreed to meet, Monty was waiting for me. I couldnโt help myself. I ran and held onto him like it was the last time I would ever see him. โYouโre only leaving for two weeks Addison.โ He grunted at the impact.
โIโm going to miss you.โ
โIโll miss you too.โ He kissed the top of my head. We stood like that for a few more minutes before finally separating. I took his hand and led him up the trail. It was good for both of us to be walking the trails. He was starting summer training with the boys while we were gone, and I was going to be sitting for around 8 hours straight tomorrow. Provided our flight wasnโt delayed, of course. It was just starting to get dark, and I stopped along the way to take in the townโs skyline in the evening dusk. Monty rested his chin on top of my head, and I sighed, leaning back into him. It was so peaceful. I looked up and him and noticed a small bruise forming on his jaw. Not wanting to start a fight right before I left for two weeks, I pretended I hadnโt seen it. I smiled sadly to myself still. I wish he would just talk to me about it.
After a few hours, wandering around and soaking in the last time we would have for a couple of weeks, which feels like an eternity when youโre 16, we knew it was time to say goodbye. When we got to the parking lot, he made me turn around at his Jeep. I furrowed my brow. Before I could ask, he twirled his finger in the air. I clamped my mouth closed and turned. He rummaged around for a minute. โWhat are you doing?โ
โYouโll see. Just wait a minute.โ I huffed. He chuckled. โAh.โ He muttered. He tapped me on the shoulder. I turned. He held out a small Barnes and Noble bag. I was taken aback. I wasnโt expecting anything. I pointed at the bag and then at me.
โF-for me?โ
โItโs not much so donโt start.โ He smiled, shyly.
โOkay.โ I took the bag.
โI canโt wrap stuff worth shit, so the bag is as good as youโre going to get.โ I laughed and shrugged. It was a fair enough explanation. I opened the bag and pulled out a spiralbound notebook. The cover was pink with the titles of all the classics on it. I smiled. โYou wonโt be here for your birthday, and I know your notebook is getting full soโฆ.โ Monty trailed off.
โThank you. This is really sweet.โ I flipped it open and gasped. On the first page, he had drawn a book like on the cover, and titled it The Next Classic and written Hawthorne at the bottom where the authorโs last name sometimes appears.
โHappy birthday, Addison.โ
โOh.โ I smiled. My eyes had started to tear up. This was the sweetest gift anyone had ever given me. I closed the gap between us and kissed him. He pulled me closer to him and I deepened the kiss just a little. Not too much, just enough to make him remember me while I was gone.I had finished the last book on my To Read shelf by mid-May. Hopping off my bed, I went over to my bookshelf. There was only one shelf of space left. The stack to shelve had gotten a tad out of hand. Sighing to myself, I sat down to start reorganizing. I pulled the books from H to Z down to fit the new additions to my collection in. My dad poked his head in when the stack fell over. โEverything okay in here?โ I was surrounded by books. Dad tried not to laugh as he took the scene in. Grabbing books, I turned back to the shelf.โPerfect. Totally meant to sit in a sea of books this afternoon.โ โSure. You have fun with that. I have to head into the office for a while. Tell your mother I probably wonโt be home for dinner.โ โWill do.โ I nodded, not turning my attention back to him. Monty texted me shortly after I had finished the Mโs. What are you up to today? Organizing my bookshelf. I finished my TBR so now they go in the permanent collection. Only my girlfriend would make a permanent book collection and a separate section for books that arenโt done. Hey! Lots of people do this. Yes honey. What are you up to today? Trying to study for my last History test. Itโs very boring. Iโm sure it is. If youโre free Saturday, how about a get out of studying free card? Oh? What did you have in mind Doll? I rolled my eyes and grinned. Of course he thought I meant something dirty. Cool your jets Monty. I was going to see if you wanted to go to the bookstore with me?I can make that happen. What time? I think Clay and I are getting lunch to go over our study guide for the Math final. I could do like 1?Sounds good. Do you want me to meet you at the bookstore? Sure. I go to the B&N at the Everglade. Itโs a date. I smiled and went back to my books. When it was done, I snapped a picture and sent it to Justin. I finished my TBR! You know what that means?Oh no. More books? More books! Do I have to come with you?No. The parents gave me a limit of 10 books this time. Only 10?I have points saved up. And 10 is a perfectly reasonable amount of new books. For you? Yes. For normal people? No. Oh shhh, or Iโll make you come with me. Okay, okay. Itโs reasonable lol. I texted Monty a picture of my bookshelf too. He responded with a laughing emoji. Teachers were beginning to wrap up final units and hand out study guides for finals. Justin was still mad about summer school so he kept up his not giving a shit attitude. I rolled my eyes whenever he sighed or complained about finals. And I stopped offering to help him. If he wanted to do more work in summer school, that was fine by me. It gave me more time to spend with Monty. On Saturday, I met Clay at Rosieโs and we both got milkshakes. I wasnโt very hungry, and I didnโt want burger breath later. โSo Clay, howโs Hannah doing?โ โI donโt know. We have hung out a few times, and I see her at work, but I donโt think we have hung out hung out.โ โYou still havenโt asked her out?โ โI mean, we went to Jeffโs place not together, but we were both there, and I feel like maybe we connected?โ โConnected?โ โWell, we were doingโฆ stuffโฆ and we talked.โ My eyes widened. โClay Jensen did you do drugs in Jeffโs basement?โ โMaybe?โ I was stunned. โWell, Iโll be damned. Clay Jensen, having fun. I never thought Iโd see the day.โโHa ha.โ He joked. โIโm kidding! But seriously. Take the risk Clay.โ โIโll think about it. Can we look at this study guide now?โ I sighed and pulled it out of my bag. We both shuddered. This is not going to be a pretty exam.By the time Clay and I called it an afternoon, it was 12:30. That gave me just enough time to get to the city. We packed our notes and headed outside. โMan, I really need a car.โ Clay sighed, unlocking his bike. โYour parents said no?โ โI have a bike.โ He waved towards the bike. โThat you do. I would offer you a ride, but Iโm headed into the city for the afternoon.โ โNo worries, Addy.โ He smiled. We waved goodbye and I watched as he biked down the street. I started my car and texted Monty. Leaving Rosieโs now. Might be a little late. Drive safe. Sounds good, drive safe Doll. I stopped at Starbucks when I got to the mall and got an iced coffee to sip while I browse and a coffee for Montgomery. He was waiting outside Barnes & Noble for me. โHey handsome. Fancy seeing you here.โ I winked as I walked up to him.โHey gorgeous. What can I say, thought it would be a good way to find a girl. You know what they say about the readers.โ โI have a feeling I do.โ I laughed and handed him his coffee. โSomething to do with being high strung, overachievers with daddy issues?โ โSomethinโ like that.โ Monty took my hand and let me lead him into the bookstore. I decided I would keep my ten-book limit to myself. I knew how many points I had, and I still had birthday money left from last year. He chuckled as I practically dragged him towards the YA section. I didnโt stop to look at the romance displays or the cookbooks or the journals. I was on a mission. There were books to buy. I sipped my coffee as I browsed. As usual, I made my way up and down the aisles quickly once to see if anything immediately caught my eye. A couple of books did, so I grabbed them to look over after I was done my power walk. โI donโt know if Iโve ever seen you move that fast.โ โAss.โ I laughed as I read over the synopsizes of the two books. Neither of them was my cup of tea in the end, so I decided to put them back. I could feel Montgomery watching me as I looked at the shelves. โWhat?โ I asked as I pulled a book down and skimmed the back. โNothinโ. Youโre just cute is all.โ โOh?โ โYeah. And those shorts are very nice.โ I blushed and smiled softly. โThanks.โ I handed him the book. โOh, I see. You needed someone to carry the books.โโWell, who else would I have asked, when I have my strong, athletic boyfriend to follow me around the store?โ He only laughed in response. I grabbed a few more books as I sipped at my coffee. Once in a while, I would notice him watching me and turn to smile at him. There were six books in Montyโs hands before he finished his coffee. โIโm going to throw this out. Try to leave some books for the next person, okay Bookworm?โ โIโll try. No promises though.โ I mused. By the time he came back, I had three more books. I looked up when I heard him laugh. I grinned at him and held out the books. He took them, tucked them under his arm, and stepped towards me. My brow furrowed and he reached to tuck my hair behind my ear, trailing his hand down to cup the back of my neck, and pull me towards him to kiss me. I kissed him back softly. It was nice to be able to kiss in public. I liked our little bubble. It felt like we were the only two people in the world. He pulled away first. We continued to peruse the store for a while and stole kisses and glances along the way. Monty slid his hand in my back pocket as we walked. I grabbed another couple of books and sighed. โWhatโs up?โ โI guess thatโs enough books for a little while.โ โFor a little while? Addison. Thereโs like,โ he paused to count, โsixteen books here.โ โYeah. And that isnโt even all of what is on my TBR still. And itโs buy one get one half off all books.โ I shrugged. โJesus. Crazy woman.โ He muttered softly and kissed the side of my head. I sighed and turned to head for the till. After discounts, points, and birthday money, my total was twenty-five dollars. โNow to figure out how to sneak the extra six books into the house.โ I muttered as we left. โThe extra what whats?โ โUhโฆ nothing.โ I smiled sheepishly. He shook his head playfully. โOh, hey. Pretzels. Split one?โ โNice change of subject. Sure. Pretzel sounds good.โ He rubbed my hand as he held it. This is nice. In late June, just as finals week was hitting its peak, tragedy struck our little group of jocks. The boys were at Bryceโs trying to blow off some steam. I was trying to be nice to him and make an effort for Justin, so I tagged along. The way his family approached and flaunted their money always took me by surprise. I wasnโt oblivious. I knew my family had more money than most. More than I liked to consider or admit. But it was never flashed around the way it was with the Walkers. I came from old money on my dadโs side, like his mom. But unlike him, I wasnโt exposed to it on a daily basis. The concept of a twice a week maid was enough to widen my eyes. The only time my family had a maid come was when Gran was coming to stay with us, or we were hosting Christmas back when all my grandparents lived state-side, so a very deep clean was needed. The fact that they had a chef come in once a week to meal prep for them wasโฆ almost incomprehensible. The only time I met a chef was when I found a hair in my food when my family went out one night. I had been to his house before of course. I was friends with Justin. We shared custody of him most weeks. Even still, I found myself hanging back and watching the boys socialize. Or I was trying to at least. Bryce thrusting a bottle of water in my hand startled me. I jumped slightly. โThanks.โ I muttered. โDonโt mention it.โ He chuckled. He settled himself next to me and leaned back against the counter. โHi.โ โHi. You know that they will talk to you, right? They know you.โ โI know.โ โOkay. Iโll talk to you then.โ Great. Just what I want. โSure Bryce.โ โHow are finals treating you?โ โI cried before my honours English final yesterday.โ โI almost forgot about my math final.โ โSo, we are basically in the same boat.โ โBasically. You had bio and history today?โ โYeah.โ โHow were they?โ โI think I did fairly okay. Can you imagine what my mum would do if I bombed the history final?โ He stared off into space with me and shivered. โI would say something nice about you at your funeral.โ โThanks Walker. Killing me does seem like a lot of hassle for that though. Like it seems like it would just inconvenience them. Maybe locked in my room to study until Iโm forty?โ โTrue. I would text you news updates. Keep you updated in all things Bryce and the boys.โ โPrefect. Make isolation at least a little bit bearable.โ He was actually kind of nice sometimes. Maybe. If I squinted.โYeah. My dad would have freaked if I missed my math final.โ โHow could you take over the family business if you fail tenth grade math Bryce?โ โNo idea. Not like he doesnโt pay someone to do all that math for him. Speaking of, he wanted me to ask you if your dad is taking on any new clients now that tax season is winding down?โ โI donโt know. I donโt think he is, but I can get him to email your dad.โ I donโt think heโs going to take your dad on. โIโll let him know.โ โWhere are you off to this summer?โ โI think we are summering in Fiji?โ โBecause California isnโt summer-y enough?โ โMom thinks the sun feels different. More sunny. I tan better in tropical environments.โ โSure, you do.โโWhat are your familyโs plans?โ โWe have our annual family trip to Boston at the end of July into the first week of August. Dad pushed his vacation time this year.โ โDoesnโt he own the company?โ โYeah. But his associate wanted to take vacation in mid-July. Sheโs taking her kids to Disney World.โ โAgain, doesnโt he own the company?โโAgain, yes. Why?โ โShouldnโt he get first pick?โ โWell, our vacation basically costs us airfare, food, and spending money. Hers and everyone elseโs costs a lot more. And requires more planning. So, he lets them have first pick and takes whateverโs left for the most part. Because of that, people are more willing to pick fairly.โ โInteresting.โโAre you two going to come outside or not?โ Justin called from the back yard. Bryce and I looked up and found the house empty. All the boys had moved to the back. We shrugged and joined them. I needed to pass the sniff test so I didnโt dare go in the pool house. Anders and Dylan were in the pool house enjoying Bryceโs stash. It was already nearing eighty degrees in the daytime. We were in for a hot summer. Justin pulled off his shirt, dropped his pants, and jumped in the pool. Shaking my head, I followed Bryce outside. I sat on the edge of the pool and dipped my feet in the water. Monty was trying to be discreet and swim backwards towards me. He stopped just shy of me and shared a look with Zach. I pretended not to notice. It looked like I was busy watching Justin goof off with Bryce and Garrison. I was watching my boyfriend out of the corner of my eye though. I felt a wave close to my foot. โMontgomery. If you touch my foot, Iโm not responsible for what happens to your face.โ His hand stopped and his eyes widened. Justin laughed and called from across the pool. โShe isnโt wrong dude. She kicked me in the face when I was trying to bug her one time.โ โI wasnโt going toโฆ.โ Monty trailed off. โSure, you werenโt.โ I shook my head and moved to stand up. I pulled my tank top over my head. The shorts I was wearing were fine to go in the water. Seeing as we had to keep up appearances, I couldnโt very well ask Monty to tighten the tie on my bikini top. That would be too much. The boys would question that. Joking around and talking to each other in a group was okay. Touching was not. โHey Justin, do you mind?โ I gestured to my back, not looking at the pool. โHeโs a little busy.โ Bryce said. I could hear splashing behind me. โZach?โ โSure.โ He climbed out of the pool and untied the bottom strings. He pulled them tighter in a knot and doubled the bow. โGood?โ โYeah.โ I turned around. โThanks.โ Bryce whistled. Gross.โWhy are you keeping her all to yourself again?โ He asked Justin. I flipped him off. Why am I being nice to you again? โIโm not. Itโs Addison. Even if I was, I donโt share Bryce.โ He seemed to shut the conversation down. Only I could pick up on the stern undertone in his voice. Just as quickly as it came, it was gone, and they were back to goofing off again. I slipped in the pool and noticing Justin was distracted, I swam over to him and jumped on his back. I may have accidentally splashed Monty in my jumping. I snuck a peek at him and he was rolling his eyes and laughing. โChicken?โ Justin asked. His hands went to my thighs unconsciously. โNo. You dropped me last time. Though it would be entertaining trying to watch the rest of you lift each other.โ โWeโre strong.โ The boys around me protested. They all made a show of flexing. โYes, yes. Youโre all strong and hot. With superior athletic abilities. Go you.โ I laughed. โHa! I told you she thinks Iโm hot.โ Bryce pointed at Justin. โIt doesnโt count if youโre objectively attractive Walker. I also think the blond guy from the Percy Jackson movie is hot. Because he is objectively attractive.โ โObjectively attractive?โ โYouโre lucky youโre rich.โ I muttered. Justin choked. โYouโre a very pretty man Bryce Walker.โ โDo we get called pretty too Addison?โ Monty asked.โIf you donโt call me by my full name again then sure Monty. You are also pretty. Foley, I swear if you drop me, youโre sleeping on the floor tonight.โ His hand tightened around my thigh. The group of us hung out for a while. At some point Scott joined us. Even though we werenโt friends per say, he was still nice to me when I was around. He swam over to my corner of the pool. โIโm supposed to ask you if you think Iโm pretty?โ โScott. If you donโt know youโre pretty, I donโt know what to say to you.โ โAlright then. Why was I supposed to ask?โ โI acknowledged Bryce is objectively attractive and the children felt left out.โ โI see. Why are you hiding in a corner?โ โHiding from Justin. Heโs trying to get me to play chicken. But I donโt feel like getting dropped again.โ โAnd why does he think youโd get to play with anyone else?โ โI think the attempt would be very entertaining actually.โ There was a ringing over by the table. โSomeoneโs phone is ringing.โ I called. The ringing stopped and started again immediately. Zach looked up. It was his phone. โItโs probably his mommy calling to tell him he has to come home before it gets dark.โ Bryce teased. The boys laughed. I even chuckled a little to myself. Oh, how bad I would feel about that chuckle in a few hours. Zach splashed him. By the time the phone began its second round of ringing again, Zach was out of the pool and grabbing it. He was smiling when he answered it. โHey Mom. Iโm com-.โ It was quiet. โYeah, Iโll be right home.โ He hung up and quickly pulled on his pants, over his wet swim trucks. He threw on his shirt and practically sprinted back in the house. He didnโt say a word to any of us as he left.โWhatโs going on with him?โ Bryce said. We all stared after him. A few hours after I got home, I got a text from Bryce. Justin got the same text. Zachโs dad died. Justin and I sat and looked at each other at the table, shocked. We sat there for a solid ten minutes, trying to absorb the information we had been given. I was sure our friends were in the same position. How did you respond to something like that? None of us had ever lost a parent. Sure, I had lost a couple of grandparents. I probably wasnโt the only one. But theyโre sort of expected to die. Theyโre old. Theyโve lived. Our parents werenโt old. Not old enough to die yet anyway. I picked my phone back up and texted Zach the only thing I could think to say. He would hear the words a lot in the next few months. I am so sorry. I knew he wouldnโt answer. Zach wasnโt at school for the rest of the week. Not that he should have been. He had been excused from all of his other exams. Because of course he should have been. I didnโt see him until I was walking home from a date with Monty over the weekend. He was justโฆ walking around town. He didnโt see me at first. When he noticed me standing up the street, he waved a little. I waved back and slowly walked over to him. Even though Zach Dempsey and I werenโt really friends, we were friendly. Thatโs why it didnโt feel weird when the only thing my brain said to do, was hug him. He didnโt cry. He didnโt say anything. He just hugged me back. We didnโt talk about that random, silent hug on the street again. Not for a long time at least. We simply nodded as we parted ways. He walked one way and I walked the other. July changed a lot of things. Bryce left town with his family a few days after Zachโs dadโs funeral. Seth was back in town too. That meant Justin spent most of the first couple of weeks of July at my house. He was right. My parents were not happy about him doing summer school. As his not-mom my mum had a strict โno fun until homework is done and checkedโ rule. At first, I spent my time with Monty during school hours. We werenโt really sure what the summer meant for our relationship. Those first few dates, we mostly talked about that. โWell, I donโt want to not see you.โ Monty said, between kisses in the backseat of my car. We had parked at a secluded clearing overlooking the river. โI donโt want to not see you either. Itโs going to be hard though.โ โDonโt talk about hard right now Doll. Please.โ I pulled away and looked at him wide-eyed. โYou donโt strike me as a public sex kind of girl. And I donโt want to get a public indecency charge.โ โYeah. Iโm not.โ I sat up. โJustin being at my place complicates things.โ โOh, I know.โ He ground out as he adjusted his jeans. I could tell my cheeks were flushed. โWe knew we couldnโt see each other every day.โ โBut itโs not easy not seeing you.โ โI know itโs not.โ โWhy does this have to be so hard?โ He sat back. โI donโt know.โ Neither of us were ready nor willing to have the โtell other peopleโ talk. Even though it had been almost a year. And probably needed to happen. โSeeing each other while school is in, isnโt such a bad thing, is it?โ โNo.โ โAnd I do have other friends. I could say Iโm going to the city with Alex or something. Give us some more time?โ โThatโs true.โ I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. โI could take you to the bookstore.โ He blinked at me. โWhat?โ โThe bookstore?โ โItโs air conditioned.โ I shrugged and climbed into his lap. His hands instinctively found their way to my hips. โYou just need someone to carry your books again.โ โI have no idea what youโre talking about.โ I smirked. There was something different about Justin since he started summer school. I couldnโt put my finger on it. He wasโฆ distracted. I noticed he spent more time on his phone after homework than paying attention to what we were doing. Which was fine when it was show re-runs or my momโs pick for movie night. But when youโre trying to play Ticket to Ride with a guy, itโs much easier when they are paying attention. โHey. Earth to Justin. Hello?โโHuh?โ He looked up from his phone. โItโs been your turn for the past five minutes.โ โShit, sorry.โ He looked at his cards and the map. Picking up a red and a pink from the pile, he settled back in his chair. Interesting. I frowned at the board, trying to figure out what he was doing. I came back with nothing. His phone buzzed again. I glanced at it. So did he. Then my phone buzzed. He glanced at it. So, did I. It was like we were waiting to see who would grab their phone first. After a few beats, his hand went to his phone. He smirked a little and put it down. I didnโt check mine. I came home from a date with Monty a little late on Thursday. It was nearing five when I walked in the door, after I fixed my hair. I dropped my purse and stopped dead in my tracks. Justin had company. Company in the form of Jessica Davis. Who was currently sitting in his lap. On my couch. Making out with him. On my couch. They had their hands up each otherโs shirts. On my couch. I cleared my throat. Jessica pulled away and turned towards me. โOh, hey Addy.โ She greeted, like this was normal. โHey Addy. Youโreโฆ just getting home?โ His speech was slowed. Are you shitting me? โYeah. Whatโs going on?โ โYour parents said I could have a friend over after class.โ โOkay.โ I blinked. She was still perched in his lap. I glanced at the clock. โI suggest you fix your shirts because they should be home soon. And I donโt think they want to see, uh, this.โ I motioned in their general direction. Jessica laughed and climbed off Justin. โOh, donโt be such a priss, Addison.โ โIโm not being a priss. I just wasnโt expecting to come home to people making out on my couch.โ She rolled her eyes. โGreat to see you too. Hey, Justin. Can I steal you for a sec?โ I waved upstairs. โThereโs snacks in the cupboard, Jess.โ Justin followed me upstairs, trying not to giggle at, assumingly, the fact that he didnโt get caught by my parents. I shut the door when we got to my room. โWhat the fuck Justin?โ โWhat?โ He shrugged. โWhat do you mean what?โ โWhat?โ โMaking out with a girl on our couch?โ He was trying to avoid eye contact. My parents are going to kill him. โNo one was home. Itโs not a big deal.โ โHow long has this been going on?โ โI donโt know, a couple weeks?โ I blinked at him. He was still trying to look away from me. I grabbed his face and made him look at me. โAre you fucking high right now?โ โNo? What? Why would you ask that?โ His eyes were bloodshot. He was acting very much like Justin when Justin has been indulging in Bryceโs stash. โDonโt lie to me Justin Foley. You know my parentโs rules. Do you want them to freak out?โ โOh, come on Addison. It was a little weed. Itโs not that big of a deal.โ I sighed heavily. โYou know what, whatever. You obviously donโt care. So, I suggest you tell your girlfriend to leave or figure out a way to sober up before they get home. And if that fails, tell her to leave, and come hide in here until youโre sober enough to face them.โ I grabbed a book off my shelf and went back downstairs. I nodded at Jessica, who had made herself some crackers and dip. Sitting at the table, I texted Monty. Justin and Jessica? Did you know about this? He responded a couple of minutes later. No? Actually?Yeah. They were making out on my couch when I got home. And to make things even more awkward and complicated, theyโre both high. I mean, to be fair, weed isnโt really that bad. Yeah. I know. But thatโs not the point. My parents are going to freak. Now is really not the time to be pissing them off. Oh crap. You guys leave for Boston soon, donโt you? Next week. And if Justin canโt keep his shit togetherโฆ I left the unspoken implication hang in cyberspace. Are you really just going to ignore the fact that they were on the couch?I was hoping to just ignore that fact. Our make out spots are becoming fewer and further between. We could just stay in your bed, Doll. But the couch has the TV. So we can not watch a movie without worrying about my laptop falling. โWho you texting so much?โ Jessica asked, trying to peer at my phone. โFriend from Boston.โ I said, locking my phone. โOh, friend from Boston, you say? Is he cute?โโI guess? His girlfriend probably thinks so.โ โOh. Not a secret long distance lover then?โโNo. And we grew up together. It would be weird.โ I slipped my phone in my pocket and grabbed some cereal. We both looked up when my parents got home. I took that as my cue to go get Justin. I practically kicked him downstairs so he could go entertain his girlfriend with my parents and I could have some time to process how I missed it. Probably the same way he has missed me having a boyfriend forโฆ almost a year. The day before we left for Boston, Justin and I were running around like mad men. I had plans with Monty and Justin had plans with Jessica tonight, so I didnโt want to be too long packing. Unfortunately, neither of us could find anything we wanted to bring. It was going to be nice so I wanted to bring some dresses. We had a few things planned, but like with our other trips, there would be plenty of time to lounge around the house. โHave you seen my pink and green dress?โ โThe one with the stripes? No. Have you seen my blue shirt?โโI think mum put it in the wash.โ โOkay.โ Justin went down the hall to the bathroom. โHas anyone seen my shampoo?โ He called. โItโs in here.โ My dad called from their room. I was busy ripping apart my closet. I groaned in frustration. โYou know, itโs just Boston. We go every year.โ โI know Justin. I just like to be prepared for every eventuality.โ โYeah. Waitโฆ are you trying to impress Adrian?โ Justin laughed. I turned and he was leaning against the doorframe. โNo. Absolutely not. Besides, he has a girlfriend.โ A girlfriend I happen to like. โIf you say so.โ He smirked. I rolled my eyes and flipped him off as he went back to packing his bag. I gave up on my closet and decided to tackle our toiletries. I wasnโt too concerned with travel sizes because it was all going in my checked luggage. โDecide what book youโre taking with you Addy?โ โDonโt you mean books, plural? It is a 6-hour flight after all.โ He laughed. โOkay, okay. Books?โ โIโm happy you asked.โ I grinned as I pulled out the Barnes & Noble bag from under my bed. His jaw dropped. I shrugged. โYour parents are going to freak.โ โThey know I went book shopping.โ After a very long day of packing, Justin left to go meet Jessica. I texted Monty to let him know I would be leaving in about fifteen minutes. โIโm going to hang out with Alex and Clay for a bit.โ I told my parents. โJust remember we leave early tomorrow for the airport Addison.โ My dad said, not looking up from his list. My mom was emptying the fridge. โI will.โ When I got to the cliffside where we agreed to meet, Monty was waiting for me. I couldnโt help myself. I ran and held onto him like it was the last time I would ever see him. โYouโre only leaving for two weeks Addison.โ He grunted at the impact. โIโm going to miss you.โ โIโll miss you too.โ He kissed the top of my head. We stood like that for a few more minutes before finally separating. I took his hand and led him up the trail. It was good for both of us to be walking the trails. He was starting summer training with the boys while we were gone, and I was going to be sitting for around 8 hours straight tomorrow. Provided our flight wasnโt delayed, of course. It was just starting to get dark, and I stopped along the way to take in the townโs skyline in the evening dusk. Monty rested his chin on top of my head, and I sighed, leaning back into him. It was so peaceful. I looked up and him and noticed a small bruise forming on his jaw. Not wanting to start a fight right before I left for two weeks, I pretended I hadnโt seen it. I smiled sadly to myself still. I wish he would just talk to me about it. After a few hours, wandering around and soaking in the last time we would have for a couple of weeks, which feels like an eternity when youโre 16, we knew it was time to say goodbye. When we got to the parking lot, he made me turn around at his Jeep. I furrowed my brow. Before I could ask, he twirled his finger in the air. I clamped my mouth closed and turned. He rummaged around for a minute. โWhat are you doing?โ โYouโll see. Just wait a minute.โ I huffed. He chuckled. โAh.โ He muttered. He tapped me on the shoulder. I turned. He held out a small Barnes and Noble bag. I was taken aback. I wasnโt expecting anything. I pointed at the bag and then at me. โF-for me?โ โItโs not much so donโt start.โ He smiled, shyly. โOkay.โ I took the bag. โI canโt wrap stuff worth shit, so the bag is as good as youโre going to get.โ I laughed and shrugged. It was a fair enough explanation. I opened the bag and pulled out a spiralbound notebook. The cover was pink with the titles of all the classics on it. I smiled. โYou wonโt be here for your birthday, and I know your notebook is getting full soโฆ.โ Monty trailed off. โThank you. This is really sweet.โ I flipped it open and gasped. On the first page, he had drawn a book like on the cover, and titled it The Next Classic and written Hawthorne at the bottom where the authorโs last name sometimes appears. โHappy birthday, Addison.โ โOh.โ I smiled. My eyes had started to tear up. This was the sweetest gift anyone had ever given me. I closed the gap between us and kissed him. He pulled me closer to him and I deepened the kiss just a little. Not too much, just enough to make him remember me while I was gone.ย
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Please .. move that out of my sight ๐บ
Don't ask me how i got that idea i don't even know ..sorry if i disturb some of you ๐
This takes places before Hannah, Jess and Alex came to the school.
Warning: Bryce and Monty are mentioned, cursing, peein?
Field Trips. Fun time.The whole Class together. In this case Liberty highโs students. More specific, the students who failed to play sick. Getting to know each other. Bounding. Discovering the team spirit while learning existential life lessons by spending time at a greek museum. That's what it is. Or at least that's what teachers wish it would be. Actually it's more Like some sweaty Old Lady explaining history to bored, tired and grumpy Teenagers. Not the Best Day to be a teacher.
Especially with a train breakdown on the way back Home. On a Bridge. Right above some wild river. In a rather antique train. What a lucky Day. Sounds Like a Bad movie huh?!
A whole Day full of cursing, screaming, disrespectful teens and now this. Poor Mrs. Carter. She was New at Liberty. And actually she looked Like a Student herself.
Coach Rick sure knew why he got the flu today. Smart guy.
At this point everyone seemed to be relatively relaxed. Some were talking, others played or watched stuff on their phones. Praise modern technology.ย
Penelopee and Monty shared a seat next to a sweet Old Lady. She smelled Like some weird Baby cream but she was really nice.
โAre You two a couple?! โ The baby cream Lady asked After they showed her some pictures of their Trip to asia. She told them sheโve never been out of the USA so both of Them decided to Show her some nice places in Thailand,Vietnam and Hawaii.
โUhm no Miss, we are just friends. More Like brother and sister actuallyโ, Montgomery cleared the Situation, scratching the back of his head.
Phee nodded.ย
โWe are very closeโ she added, showing the woman a picture of her, Jeff and Monty.โWe three are Best friends since a long timeโ, she smiled. โOur other Friend - Jeff managed to stay at Home today. Lucky Bastโฆย Bear.โ
โOh what a lovely Groupโ, she giggled. โYou are such lovely young people. It's nice to meet that well behaved Teenagers These days. That's really rare.โ she admitted.
โAw, that's really friendly Mโam, Thank Youโ Phee chuckled, squeezing Monty's Hand. Somehow people always assumed Jeff or Monty were her boyfriends. One time a girl thought Monty and Jeff were a couple. They played along the whole night. Funny night out for everyone.ย
Ok yeah sometimes it really looked that way. The Hand Holding. The cuddling. The hugs. Forehead Kisses. Cheek Kisses. Sleepovers. All those sweet little affections seemed Strange or even misplaced for some people. But that's just how friendship worked in their Group. Not just those three, also Zach and the rest of her friends. Even the boys held hands and kissed each others cheeks sometimes. They loved each other.ย As friends. Not more. For none of Them. Besides Justin and Penelopee hooking up sometimes but that's another Story.ย
โYo, guys join us!โ Justin screamed from across the train. Somehow he and Zach found an empty seat for four because the people who sat there before went to get food in another Part of the train.
โWell Miss, it was really nice to meet You, i Hope You get Home Safeโ, Monty said, smiling at her. Phee stood up from Montyโs lap and waved at the elderly Lady. โBye Mโam. It was a pleasureโย
The Lady wished them luck and waved as well. What a cutie.
As they joined their friends a woman's voice came out of the speakers.
โDear passengers. Unfortunately our journey will take another 45 minutes to continue since we are waiting for the engineer to fix our technical Problem. We are very sorry for your trouble. โ
Everyone sighed. What a drag.
The train hasnโt moved since 25 minutes by now. And it was really hot in this train. Sweating people everywhere.ย
โHonestly. I think i'm sweating all the way through my pants. The seat sure is soaked by nowโ Bryce whined from the neighbors seat.
โThank You, no one wanted to hear thatโ, Mrs. Carter mumbled, rolling her eyes slightly. She was right that nobody needed this Informationen but everybody could actually relate with him at this point. The young teacher looked really stressed. She was so done with her students by now. Every third one had asked her questions about what happened and how long it would take them to get Home. How would she know?! She obviously was no sidekick otherwise she probably would have gotten the flu as well.
Everyone was fed up really bad.ย
โThis can't get any worse guys..โ Justin sighed, using some piece of paper as Fan.
โOh it actually can... โ Penelopee interrupted him.
Sheri and her just came back from the Toilet. Both looked Kind of tensed, clenching their jaws.ย
โIt's brokenโ Sheri explained.
โAre You shitting me!?โย
โNo Justin. Why would we joke about anything Like this!?โ Phee asked with a Look that could have easily killed him.
She squeezed her tights together.ย
โFucks sake, i shouldn't have drank your Coke โ she mumbled, taking back her seat next to Monty.
โThatโs it guys. We are cursedโ Zach said.
โDonโt say that..โ Sheri begged while squeezing in between justin and Zach. She believed in things Like that.
When they were in 5th grade Sheri, Jeff, Bryce and Phee played with a ouija board once. Sheri saw spookie things that night. Probably just the neighbors cat, 20 years Old and already looking dead. But since that night she had been a little superstitious. This had happened exactly 6 years ago. What a coincident.
Justin patted her shoulder, Holding back his laughter.ย
โDear passengers. Please know that we are very sorry but the technical Problem can't be repaired right now. We need to wait for another train to drag us Home. Please take into consideration that the doors to other train compartments are out of Order as well and please stay away from the Windows,ย Thank Youโ.
โSee!?โ Sheri growled.
โFuck ..โ Mrs. Carter sighed.
โDid she just โฆsay the F word!?โ Zach asked in disbelief.
โGuess she's one of us nowโ Bryce laughed.
Sheri and Phee would normally have laughed about something like this but their bladders threatening to explode kept them from moving any muscle.
โ Did you check the other Toilettes!?โ Justin suggested.
โ Oh no we did not. How could we forget the obvious solution, idiot .. of course we did!! โ Phee scoffed sarcastically and slightly annoyed.
"Sorry .."
"Yeah so am .. because i'm going to pee all over that fucking seat any minute " she whined trying to squeeze her tights even more together. Which was almost Impossible. And this heat. Nerve wracking.
Sheri bounced her feed nervously. She looked almost as if she would cry.
Sheri and Penelopee by now sat next to each other. Not saying a word. Both just staring out of the window, holding hands as tight as they could.
Out of the sudden the train jerked forward without any warning. Half of the passengers that were standing in the halls fell over. The wagon was full of cursing, angry people. Yay.
"Dear Passengers. We are glad to inform you that our rescue train arrived and that we are now able to continue our journey." You don't say.
".. i don't know if i just pissed myself or if my panties are just soaked with sweat .." Phee noted a little annoyed. She stood up to check her seat. Just sweat. The poor seat was clean. At least as clean as those train seats are.
"No one would have noticed anyway, look at all that sweat stains everywhere and that smell .. smells like Bryce's feet after training .." mumbled a now shirtless Zach.
"Talking about him.. where did he go?" asked Sheri.
"Huh, good question .. BRYCE?!" Justin shouted through the whole train , earning a seriously fed up look from Mrs. Carter.ย
"I'm here don't panic man" Bryce laughed. He looked strangely satisfied. He placed a bottle with some yellowish liquit in front of the girls.
"Little early for a beer, isn't it?" Phee asked him in disbelief.
He laughed. He almost cried from laughing.ย
"Alcoholism is not that funny, honey.."ย
"Uhm yes, no it's not but actually .. i peed in it. The toilets still don't flush and are quite flooded so .. yeah, here you go" he explained.
The guys were rather impressed, debating why they had not thought of it. Sheri and Phee on the other hand just stared at him with. Kind of confused, kind of disgusted.
"Uhm โฆ no!" They both said slowly.
"Please .. move that out of my sight" Phee added.
Bryce just pulled up his shoulders as he put his Bottle of Joy away. Meanwhile the other boys all fetched themselves some bottles and rushed to the toilets.
"God i'm so glad the train is moving by now .. i'm not doing that" Sheri sighed.
The train jerked again, but not forward. The train was standing still again.
"Oh no, no no no โฆ i told you, we are cursed" Sheri panicked. Damn Ouija board. That thing is going to burn tonight.
"Dear Passengers, we are really sorry to inform you that the train tracks ahead of us are blocked. Please stay seated until the tracks are cleaned, thank you"
"Uhrg i wish we could just climb though thode windows, there are some bushes we could use as toilets.." sheri cried out.
They looked at each other, then they looked at Mrs. Carter.
"I'm not telling if you girls don't" she said. She was so done.
The girls did not wait another second, they both squeezed themselves out of that window in the speed of light, running behind some bushes.
God that had to be the best feeling ever.
As their bladders were empty they went back to the train.ย
"Huh .. how are we going to get back in now?!" Sheri asked the question of all questions.
The boys looked around.
"Well the doors still don't work.." Zach informed.
"Wait, i'm coming out there to lift you guys up .." Justin said, making his way on the outside. Good that he was there. The other boys wouldn't have fit through that very small window.ย
Unfortunately things went not as planned. He did not completely fit, so the boys shoved him through. He ended up falling right on the girls who thought pulling his arms was a good idea. Turned out not.
As they managed to get off the floor they heard a sharp squeaking. The trains breaks. It was moving forward.
The boys inside looked rather helpless. They couldn't do anything.
"Don't worry, we will figure something out .." Justin Yelled as loud as he could.
Shit.
"Ok, we are going to call Jeff to pick us up and then we are going to burn this fucking witchy piece of wood" Phee said as calm as she could, watching the train vanishing behind a Mountain. Sheri seemed pleased by that.
"Sure .. but where are we ..? " Justin pointed out a not completely irrelevant matter of fact.
"Uhg .. there are some Houses let's go ask .." Sheri suggested. Such a smart girl.
Turned out they were just half an hour away from Home. Good news. Who would have thought.
As Jeff was done laughing after the Situation was explained to him, he made his way to pick his friends up. Good thing it was Friday.
Back home they had a "Ouija Board Bonfire party". Monty even handcrafted a banner. Going to school next week almost seemed relaxing after a day like that. Maybe that's what field trips are for. Making school seem like the smaller evil. Yeah, that must be it.ย
I don't know if trains in America are the same as in Germany, but here you can actually climb through the windows ๐๐
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