Cherry Red Summer (Emely and Elyas Book 1)

by Bartsch, Carina

  I grabbed my backpack and at lightning speed crammed everything I’d need into it. Clothes, toothpaste, hairbrush, cell phone—I chucked it all in.

  I scribbled a message to Eva on a sticky note and stuck it to her computer, since I hadn’t had a chance to let her know where I would be. I threw my backpack over my shoulder, grabbed my sleeping bag, stormed down the stairs, and stumbled on my way out the front door, but managed to keep from falling.

  I had hardly made it outside when the bus pulled up to the stop, a few yards ahead. I started running, arms flailing, and just made it. I was breathing hard as the doors closed behind me.

  I got off ten minutes later and took a few steps, but then slowed down. A big blue Jeep and three black motorcycles were parked in front of Alex’s building.

  Motorcycles?

  I continued walking, but with a queasy feeling in my gut. No sign of Alex, Sebastian, Elyas, or most of the others. I only saw Andy and Sophie, who were putting bags into the back of the Jeep. Well, Andy was loading the Jeep; Sophie stood next to him with her arms crossed, watching where he put every bag.

  When I passed the first motorcycle, I noticed Domenic kneeling in the street with a screwdriver, working on something.

  “Hello,” I said.

  He looked up. “Emely,” he said, smiling. He wiped his oil-smeared fingers on a rag next to him and stood up. “I heard you were coming. How ya been?”

  “Pretty good—until now,” I said. “Once I caught sight of these big black jobs, I started wondering what you guys have planned.”

  “Riding these,” he said with a smirk. “Believe me—the second you’ve sat on one, you won’t ever want to get off again.”

  I studied the motorcycles. “I doubt that . . . ,” I mumbled. “Whose are they, anyway? Yours?”

  “This one’s mine,” he said. It was big and heavy, with two exhaust pipes. It said “Streetfighter” on the black paint, and it looked like one, too. I gulped.

  “That one over there is Sebastian’s; Alex is riding with him on it,” he said, pointing. “And the enduro behind it is Andy’s.” It looked like it was more for racing than touring.

  “Where’s my assigned seat?” I asked, looking at the vehicles.

  “Andy’s driving the Jeep, because Sophie won’t ride the bike. She’s worried about her hair,” he said, rolling his eyes. “But that’s not bad, since it’s easier to haul the tents and everything in it.”

  Riding in the Jeep would have been my first choice, but since I hadn’t finalized my thoughts about Sophie yet, I wasn’t sure the Jeep was the right choice.

  “Who’s riding with you?” I asked.

  “How about you?” he said.

  “Me?” My eyes grew wide. “I-I . . . I don’t know if I want to ride on that thing.”

  “I’ve been riding bikes since I was sixteen. You don’t need to worry.”

  I bit my lip and tried to smile. “Can I think about it first, at least?”

  “Of course—we have to wait for everyone else anyway.” He winked at me. “Why don’t you put your bag into the Jeep. Then I’ll introduce you to my wife.”

  “Your wife?”

  He grinned and nodded at his motorcycle.

  I rolled my eyes. Every day, my theory that guys entered the world with brain defects was confirmed a little more.

  I looked back at the Jeep and at Sophie. How is it that German kids study all kinds of crap in school but not the really important things in life—like how to meet new people and strike up friendly conversations?

  I sighed. Alex was never around when I needed her.

  With my hands inside the pockets of my hoodie, I walked over to Andy and Sophie.

  “You call that loading the car?” Sophie whined to Andy.

  “Yes, I do. I’ve got a system; you just can’t see it.”

  “Where did you learn this system? From a three-year-old?” Sophie put her hands on her hips.

  “Hi,” I cautiously interrupted. “I don’t want to intrude. Domenic just thought I should—”

  “Oh, hey, Emely,” Andy said, interrupting me as he pulled his head out of the car. “Hand me your bag.” Before I could reply, he took my backpack and sleeping bag out of my hands.

  “You’d better say good-bye to your things,” Sophie said, turning to me. “It’s unclear whether they can be extracted from the vehicle again with this ‘system.’”

  “You know what would be best of all?” Andy said. “If you just ignored Sophie. We’ve been together for four years, and believe me, I know what I’m talking about.”

  I grinned. They were both kind of funny.

  “Ask me sometime,” Sophie said with a snort. “I’ve got to put up with this world-champion baggage stacker every day.”

  Andy followed his own advice and ignored his girlfriend. He stayed loyal to his system and continued stowing bag after bag into the Jeep.

  “How far is it to the campground?” I asked.

  “About an hour,” Sophie answered.

  “Emely! You’re here already!” I turned around to find Alex jumping toward me to give me a hug.

  “Didn’t you take your pills this morning?” I asked.

  “Oh, you,” she said, dismissing my comment with a wave. “I’m just glad you’re here.”

  “Did I have a choice?” I grumbled.

  Alex grinned. “No.”

  Sebastian moseyed up behind her. “Hi, Emely,” he said.

  “Have you considered taking Alex back in and exchanging her?”

  He laughed and gave his girlfriend a peck on the cheek. “Not for all the money in the world,” he said. “And how do things look out here, Andy? Do you need any help?”

  “Everything’s optimally stowed,” Andy said.

  “Then I think we can get going!”

  “Yep, I think we’re ready.” Andy looked at Sophie, then me, and we confirmed with a nod. “We’re just missing a couple of people. Where are they?” he asked.

  “They’ll be right down,” Sebastian said.

  I sighed. Too bad Elyas hadn’t broken a leg or anything. That would have saved my weekend.

  “All right then,” Andy said. “Do you want to ride with us, Emely, or with Elyas?”

  With Elyas? Was he crazy? That would be way too much body contact.

  “I’m riding with D-D-Domenic,” I stammered. The moment I said it, everyone turned toward me in surprise.

  “What’s wrong with that?” I asked. “Isn’t he a good driver?”

  “Yeah. He’s a great driver, in fact,” Sebastian answered. As I surveyed the group, I noticed Schadenfreude taking the form of a smirk on Andy’s face.

  “Is there something I should know?” I frowned.

  “No, no worries. I think we’re all just imagining what Elyas’s reaction will be. Should be interesting.” He stifled a laugh.

  I crossed my arms. I should have known. Elyas had probably included me in this little trip ages go without bothering to ask me first. With that realization, my decision was final: I was definitely riding with Domenic.

  As promised, he introduced me to his “wife” and explained what I needed to do. Apart from holding on tight and leaning with him into curves, there wasn’t much else. It seemed like even I couldn’t do much wrong on the bike, so after my briefing I felt more relaxed about riding it.

  “Here,” Domenic said, holding out a black helmet.

  I moved the straps out of the way, tried it on, and realized it was heavy and unwieldy. The only advantage I could see was it made it harder for Elyas to kiss me. And I guessed it helped avoid that whole mushed-head thing if there was an accident.

  Those two features were enough to sell me, so I kept it on.

  “Does it fit?” Domenic asked as I snapped the clasps under my chin.

  I turned my head
in every direction to test it. “Yes, I think so.”

  “Good,” he said, sitting on the motorcycle. As I contemplated the best way to get on the bike, I noticed the front door of Alex’s building open. Elyas, Jessica, Yvonne, and Jan headed toward us. My stomach nervously contracted.

  Our “cheek sex” last week had tipped me over the edge. I no longer needed to imagine what it would be like to be close to him, because now I knew.

  “Is everyone here? Can we get going?” Andy asked.

  Elyas stood in front of the enduro and looked around. “We’re still missing Emely.”

  He was looking around for me?

  Good Lord, of course he was. He was always looking around for me. Why was I surprised? Well, because my brain fogged over anytime I encountered him.

  I rolled my eyes at myself.

  Andy pointed at me near Domenic’s bike. “Emely’s with Domenic.”

  Elyas looked over, his eyes lingering on the oversize helmet.

  I couldn’t say what kind of reaction I had expected. Angry, smug, or indifferent, maybe. I wouldn’t have expected the feeble, dull expression that I saw instead. His eyes went through me, and then he raised his hand and waved with a halfhearted smile.

  I reflexively returned the wave, but dropped my arm once I realized what I was doing.

  “Coming?” Domenic asked.

  I blinked and looked at him. “Yes.”

  I hadn’t yet solved the problem of how to get on. When Domenic scooted forward, I held onto his shoulder, and heaved myself up. Once on the seat, I realized people have to sit much closer than I had feared.

  Where exactly was I supposed to hold on? My eyes looked around for some kind of metal handle, but ended up on Domenic’s back. I guess this is the handle. Great.

  Domenic waited, so I finally wrapped my arms around his middle. He started the engine, and I turned pale. It was so loud I wished I could put my fingers in my ears—which would have looked silly, given the helmet.

  Maybe I should ride in the Jeep after all?

  I didn’t get a chance to rethink my decision because the two-wheeled monster moved forward without warning. Help! I silently yelled, holding on tighter to Domenic.

  The loudness, the lack of a chassis, the constant vibration under my butt, the airstream—this was all new territory for me. It took a few miles to get comfortable, but once I had overcome my panic, I started having fun. It was such a different feeling from riding in a car. On the one hand, I missed the security and safety of having a protective metal tank around me, but on the other hand, the absence of that tank made riding the bike so exciting. It was like flying.

  We zoomed down the main streets, which turned into country roads. For a moment I closed my eyes and thought about my dad. He would go through the roof if he saw me like this. He hated motorcycles. He used to volunteer with the fire department and had seen way too many motorcycle accidents.

  But I understood for the first time why someone would get carried away speeding on a bike: it was a major rush.

  The only thing keeping me on earth was Domenic’s smell. It was as penetrating as Elyas’s, but not nearly as pleasant. Domenic’s scent reminded me vaguely of the sourness of bark mulch that has begun to decay. I couldn’t say it made my heart beat any faster. Domenic and I led the caravan for a little while. About halfway there, a motorcycle raced past us, and soon there was no sign of it anymore. It had been Elyas; I recognized his shape for the brief instant we were shoulder to shoulder on the road. A girl sat behind him. Jessica or Yvonne, I presumed.

  My excitement clouded. The feeling of flying disappeared, replaced by a hazy, dull feeling that sapped the joy out of the ride.

  Twenty minutes later, we turned onto a paved road between some fields. We followed that road for a few miles. We were officially out in the middle of nowhere. I half expected to see a sign that said “Boondocks.” Eventually, a lake materialized before us, half-surrounded by a sea of autumn leaves and half by a huge green meadow. Way off at the edge of the meadow, I saw Elyas parking the enduro.

  The rest of us arrived and parked in the same area. I got off the monster, and took a moment to get used to standing on solid ground again. I took in the landscape, a pastoral scene as though from a painting.

  The place was new to Alex, too, and she came to stand beside me, as pleased with the setting as I was. Sebastian stood next to her, put his arm around her waist, and pulled her to him.

  Note to self: Beat Alex silly, throw Sebastian over my shoulder, and run away.

  The picturesque serenity of the setting came to an end when I heard a voice I’d be able to pick out among thousands.

  “Well, biker chick? Did you like it?” he asked.

  “I think I’ll join the Hells Angels next week,” I answered, turning to Elyas. He made a half-smirk and studied me.

  “Elyas!” Andy called. “Make your moves on her later. Right now, help me unload the Jeep!”

  Elyas sighed. “Boy, it’s great to have friends,” he grumbled as he returned to his buddy.

  Everyone helped unload. The only things left inside minutes later were some cases of beer. Andy had already hauled one of the three cases over to the camping site. Once Alex and I weren’t needed anymore, we picked out a nice spot and started setting up our tent. The others gradually proceeded to set up their own tents throughout the meadow. It looked like Elyas and Sebastian were sharing a tent. Sophie was with Andy, Jessica with Yvonne, and Jan with Domenic.

  After a half hour, there were four and a half tents up—Alex’s and mine being the half.

  I studied the tangle of poles in the grass. For the love of God, I didn’t want to build a model Eiffel Tower, just a stupid tent! It couldn’t be this hard.

  Jan walked past us on his way to the middle of the meadow, carrying a boom box under his arm. Music, food, beer—they had thought of everything.

  “I think this goes here,” Alex said, holding part of the rain fly up over her head.

  Her theory proved correct. I connected three of the pole segments and inserted them through the grommet. We did the same on the opposite side, and after a few more minutes our tent finally started to take shape.

  Ten minutes later, it was actually three-dimensional. I stepped back to take in our one-room villa, but somehow my foot was stuck. I flailed my arms to no avail, lost my balance, and tipped backward. Instead of the hard landing I expected, two arms appeared under my upper body to break my fall. I remained in that bridgelike position, not knowing what was going on.

  “You’re going to have to pay better attention, dearest,” Elyas whispered into my ear.

  I frantically, and pitifully, struggled to get back up on my feet, but Elyas only tightened his hold, helping me up. I pushed his strong arms off me the moment I was standing.

  Strong arms? Why had I picked that adjective? Just arms. Totally normal arms!

  Besides, where had Elyas come from all of a sudden? My cheeks flushed, and I tugged at my clothes to straighten them out. “Oh . . . yeah . . . I guess I should . . . ,” I mumbled.

  My eyes scanned for what I had tripped over, finally landing on my sleeping bag. My stupidity needed punishing—and here was my punishment.

  “Well, you showed it,” Elyas said with a grin.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Your sleeping bag. Given how you’re glaring at it, it’ll never dare to get in your way again.”

  “My angry looks don’t work on you, so what makes you think they’ll work on a sleeping bag?”

  “Sorry. Next time I’ll just let you fall on your shapely backside.” He raised an eyebrow.

  “That’s all I’m asking!”

  I kicked my sleeping bag. Then I picked it up and chucked it into my tent. Shapely backside . . . Ugh, who says that?

  I ignored Elyas and his silly comments, so he went to hang out with the
others, who had settled in the middle of the meadow. Alex and I joined them fifteen minutes later, and when the subject of a campfire came up, I offered to gather some wood. Alex decided she would “help” me, but I immediately sensed something was wrong. Places where you couldn’t wear high heels, such as in the woods looking for firewood, were not places you ever found Alex Schwarz.

  And I was right. We had gathered a little bouquet of twigs and sticks when she spit it out.

  “What’s up with you two?” she asked.

  “What do you mean?” I asked, bending to pick up another stick.

  “Elyas and you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Well, is there something going on?”

  “Yeah. He annoys the hell out of me, constantly,” I mumbled, adding the stick to the others. “Can you get him to stop?”

  “No. That’s not what I mean. I mean is there something more going on between you?”

  “How did you get that idea?” I avoided her eyes. Why was she bringing this up?

  “I’ve got eyes, haven’t I?”

  “Evidently you need glasses,” I said, trying to snap a brittle branch off a tree. It didn’t break, though. Instead it bounced back and scratched my hand.

  “Ow!” I yelled. I didn’t want to concede, so I tried again. The branch protested some more, but eventually I held it up triumphantly in my hand.

  “I don’t think it’s normal for you guys to spend so much time with each other,” Alex said.

  “You’re right—it’s not normal. But it’s not because of me,” I replied. I didn’t need her mistrust. Was it written across my face how crazy her stupid brother drove me? My stomach started to hurt. I didn’t want anyone to find out about the turmoil of feelings inside me. Especially not Alex. Try as she might, she could not keep her trap shut.

  “I asked him about you, you know?” she said, bending to pick up some wood.

  “About me?”

  “Yeah, but he won’t give me a real answer about what exactly he’s trying to achieve. I also sounded Sebastian out about the whole thing,” she added.