Crushing Summer

by C. M. Stunich

  “Is that so?” she asked, pursing her lips. The flirtation she'd had in her voice the night of The Assignment was gone. In fact, she looked downright pissed. “Well, I happen to like Justin Haldeman.” She smiled again, and this time, it did reach her eyes. She flicked her gaze over to me. “Actually, I really like Justin Haldeman. I was even considering taking him as my date to the concert on Friday.”

  “Really?” Cage asked, voice still calm and even. “Because last I spoke to you, you'd asked me to go.” He didn't sound jealous so much as he did curious. I wet my lips with my tongue and fought the urge to run far, far away from here. I wasn't a fan of school politics; I never participated. I was like Switzerland in the world of San Aplastar. I didn't sign peace treaties, and I didn't declare wars. I just lived. The Assignment was going to change all that, I could feel it.

  “Now that you and Chloe are an item?” she asked innocently, batting her long eyelashes at us. “I wouldn't dream of it.”

  “We're not an item,” I blurted and they both jumped. I was aware that there were dozens, if not hundreds, of eyes on us in that moment, and by saying what I'd just said, I was opening myself up to trouble. But I couldn't help it. My mind kept circling around and around, going back to Casper and his pretty green eyes, the tattoo on his wrist, and his dark hair. “We're just friends.”

  Shayla threw her head back then and laughed, white teeth reflecting back the flickering lights around us. When she was finished, she dropped her chin to her chest and shook her head.

  “Oh?” she asked innocently, her voice low, like the tinkling of wind chimes from the corner of the shop closest to me. “Is there someone else?” I just stared back at her, my eyes scanning the crowd, looking for familiar faces. I saw Don Ortega making inappropriate gestures to Shayla's right, and CC Marion sneaking out of the taffy shop with bulging pockets, but I didn't catch the eyes of anyone who might be an ally. It was Cage or bust at that point.

  I wrapped my fingers around his arm and scooted close enough that I could feel the heat radiating out from his body. It wasn't the searing warmth that Casper gave off, but it was comforting in its own way.

  “We don't even know each other yet,” I said, and my voice rang out sharp and clear across the suddenly still air. The silence really bothered me. I mean, with this many people, The Walk should've been swarming with sound – laughing, crying, screaming, singing. But instead, it was dead silent. Everyone was standing around listening, gazing at us like we were gods. It was a cheap thrill, something that would fade faster than the tan lines we'd get this summer. It was the precise reason why I hadn't wanted to participate. I didn't feel like I was making memories here, not real ones. It was like watching a movie you'd forget all about the next day, a world made up of costumes and sets, stage lights and scripts.

  “Well, good luck with that,” Shayla said, eyes darkening for just a moment. “Because most of the time, no matter how long or hard you try, you never really do.” And then she spun away and sound returned in snippets of conversation and hushed whispers. Students were interpreting our words, trying to decide how best to act. Everyone wanted to prove themselves to someone. I guess it just depended on whose side you were on.

  “Sorry about that,” Cage said, making me jump. When I looked up at him, I saw he was trying to smile. “She can be a bit … difficult sometimes. Don't worry about her.” I nodded, but I wasn't sure that was a good idea. I had a feeling that keeping an eye out for Shayla might very well be in my best interest. If she was gunning for me, I'd have to keep an eye out. Don't want to end up like Tatiana, my brain supplied before I could clamp down on the thought.

  “Yeah, no problem,” I said, gaze darting around the group for an escape route. It seemed like everyone was dividing into two groups – one following Shayla and the other standing around watching us. I hazarded a guess that most of the shops would be empty. It was worth a try anyway. I pulled out a smile of my own. “Well, we're here,” I told him. “Might as well make the best of it, right?”

  “Might as well,” he replied, but he was smiling, his full lips twisted up at each corner. “Do you have something in mind?” I licked my lips, tasting a hint of sea. The breeze was blowing straight off the water, bringing the cries of gulls and the whisper of the waves with it.

  “Haunted maze?” I asked, nodding my chin at the ridiculous skeleton cutout behind Cage, the one wearing a pink and yellow bikini. I tried to keep my voice down, using the murmur of the crowd to keep our destination secret. It wouldn't stay that way for long, but it was worth a try. Anyway, I didn't care if anyone followed behind us. Good luck keeping up. Our Haunted Maze was infamous. Three times last year, the employees had to go in with a map to find some missing teens. True story. It was quiet, dark, and easy to get lost. Like the caves, I knew the Haunted Maze like the back of my hand. One of the routes would take us straight around to the other side of The Walk where all the games were.

  “Your wish is my command,” Cage said, putting a hand to his blue T-shirt. “And besides,” he reached out a finger towards my cheek, pulling back just shy of touching my skin. “I kind of owe you one. Anything you want tonight, just let me know, okay?”

  “Do you mind if I ask what you and Justin were arguing about?” I asked as we started forward. Cage didn't owe me anything as far as I was concerned, but I figured it was worth a shot to ask. I thought he would be vague about it, or even lie, but instead, he just blurted it out.

  “Tatiana Marcham,” he said easily. My brows rose, but I held my questions until after we passed by the entrance (again, without paying) and melted into the shadows of the maze. The walls here were made of concrete and painted black, and the only lights were christmas lights strung from the ceilings. Half of them were out and the remaining ones covered in a healthy layer of dust and cobwebs that I'm not entirely certain were part of the decorating scheme.

  “What about?” I asked, hoping I wasn't prying too much into something that wasn't my business. It was just … with Tatiana being last year's Crush, I felt like we were connected somehow in a way I hadn't felt before.

  Cage paused at a fork in the maze, the sound of laughter echoing from behind us. I grabbed his hand, feeling his skin warm and dry against mine as I tugged him down the left side, past beach balls featuring grinning skeletons and surfboards painted with smiling sharks. Hey, I never said the Haunted Maze was cool. It was just a part of life in San Aplastar.

  Cage didn't say anything for awhile, and I started to wonder if I'd crossed a line, if he was going to clam up about it, but he didn't. Once again, he surprised me.

  “I think he killed her.”

  I stopped then, suddenly enough that Cage slammed into my back with a grunt.

  “Sorry,” he whispered as I turned around and tried to see his face in the dim lighting. Somewhere nearby, a fake wolf howl sounded.

  “What are you talking about?” I asked him, rising on my toes to check over his broad shoulders. I didn't want to get ambushed by Students in this tight space. “It was … an accident.” Truth be told, nobody, not even the cops, really knew how Tatiana had ended up in the ocean. What they did determine was that she was alive when she entered the water. I crossed my arms over my chest and gripped my bare upper arms, suddenly wishing I'd brought a jacket with me. It was chilly in here.

  “Just what I said,” Cage told me, fumbling around in his pockets for something. He came up with a box of cigarettes and held the box out to me. I shook my head and he put them back, saving one for himself. “I think Justin killed her. It's hard to explain, but I just … I just know it wasn't an accident. And it wasn't suicide either,” he added, glancing over his shoulder.

  “How do you know that?” I asked him. “And why, if you thought that, did you wait all this time to do something about it? Have you told the police?” Cage shrugged and stuck the cigarette in his mouth, but he didn't light up. For some odd reason, this made me think of Casper.

  “Nothing to tell the cops. Observations don't win cases
.” A shriek echoed over to us from back in the maze, and we both jumped.

  “Come on,” I said, turning back around and gesturing for Cage to follow me over to a massive pumpkin poster on the wall. I grabbed the corner and peeled it away, revealing a small tunnel in the concrete. He raised his brows at me, but didn't say anything, ducking his head and disappearing into the darkness as I scooted in behind him and did my best to put the poster back in place.

  “Where does this go?” he asked me, his voice muffled by the press of walls and dusty Halloween decorations. I shuffled behind Cage, head ducked, hair brushing against unmentionable things on the ceiling. I didn't want to know how many bugs I'd have in my hair by the time we got out of here.

  “Well … ” I began, grunting as I dropped to my knees and ended up crawling after Cage in the narrowest part of the tunnel. I had a nice view of Cage's butt, that's true, but it was hard to appreciate it considering the circumstances. “I don't know how familiar you are with The Walk, but have you ever seen that red door that opens up behind the dunking booth?” There were so many rumors about that door – that it led into an underground sex club, that it housed an illegal street fighting ring, and even that it housed a drug ring. Of course, as with most rumors, the reality was a lot less exciting than the fantasy.

  “Yeah, I think so,” Cage said, his voice rough as he squeezed around a corner, scraping his expensive jacket and designer jeans against the wall. “Why?”

  “That's where we're going out,” I said, and I wished I could see the expression on his face. He paused for a moment and then chuckled, his laughter echoing around in the enclosed space. “They built this part of the maze for kids way back when, but covered it up after getting a lot of complaints about children getting lost or stuck.” It was my turn to laugh that time, and it felt good, too good. Some of the stress was leaking away, like I'd left it behind in the rest of the maze. “Including me.”

  “You got stuck down here?” Cage asked as the roof opened up above us, soaring into wooden rafters and more cobwebs. He rose to his feet with a grunt, brushing the dust off his pants before reaching out a hand to help me up. I took it with a smile, letting my eye wander around the barren walls and the vast cavern of empty space. The Walk was such a busy place, it was surprising to see that there was so much prime real estate unused down here. It was kind of nice though, a bubble of silence and peace in a sea of activity. I cringed a little at the question.

  “Not exactly,” I said, making sure my straps were in place. The lace on the bottom of the dress was a little dirty, but it was worth it. “More like I decided to hang out down here, and my mom freaked out.” I didn't mention that my mother was the reason they closed this part of the maze down. If Cage knew anything about me at all, he'd know Rhonda Summer was a force to be reckoned with.

  “So you were a rebel from a young age then?” Cage asked, the unlit cigarette still hanging out of his mouth. He smiled at me for a moment and then pulled out a lighter. I snorted.

  “I'm hardly a rebel,” I said as I watched his olive skin glow orange for a moment. The cigarette lit up red hot as he snapped the lighter closed and slipped it back in his pocket.

  “Not many people have the guts to skip out on The Assignment.” He inhaled and grinned at me, tiny wisps of smoke escaping from between his teeth.

  “But I didn't really skip out on it. I'm Crush for God's sake.” I tried not to sound disappointed when I said it, but there was a note of desperation in my voice I couldn't hold back. Cage sighed, sending whirls of white into the dark air. He dropped the cigarette on the ground and crushed it out with his shoe.

  “I know,” he said, keeping his gray eyes on the floor by my feet. “And I'm going to find out why.”

  When Cage and I emerged from the red door, there was already a massive line of people at the dunking booth. Fortunately, the decorative curtain they'd hung behind the tank kept us hidden, allowing us to slip out from the back of the booth and squeeze our way to the goldfish game.

  “Come one, come all!” Cage's brother shouted, leaping up onto the chair in the back of the tent and waving a flag around like a crazy person. “Step right up to win one of our fabulous prizes!” Cage and I exchanged a look as we slipped in under the edge of the tent and noticed the empty storefront. “Come pay a dollar to win a stupid effing goldfish,” he growled just before Cage spoke up and scared him off the chair.

  “Your marketing campaign is admittedly a little weak,” Cage said as his brother leapt up and hit his head on the top of the tent, falling to his butt on the ground with a grunt. His piercings flashed bright in the white glare from the bare bulbs that lined the walls on either side as he turned to glare and flip his younger brother off. When he saw me, he smiled quickly and rose to his feet.

  “I'm trying an old fashioned carnie technique here,” he said as he wiped muddy grass off his baggy black pants.

  “Owen, nobody likes carnies. That's your problem right there. Or maybe it's your nose ring,” Cage said, pointing to his face with a smirk. “I think that's, like, chick Kryptonite or something?” Cage's brother grinned at him and stepped forward, shoving his brother aside with his shoulder and reaching out a hand to me. It was covered in bright tattoos, flowers mostly. The trailed up his arm and wrapped around his shoulder. His eyes were gray like Cage's, but otherwise, that's where the similarities ended. Owen was covered from head to toe in ink and metal, dressed in a kilt and combat boots, and sporting a mop of green, curly hair.

  “You have room to talk, huh? You haven't even introduced me to your beautiful date.” Cage tried to push his brother aside, but Owen held his ground. I smile and reached out a hand to shake his.

  “Chloe Summer,” I said. “Nice to meet you.” Unconsciously, my eyes slid towards the front of the booth and the mash of people hovering there, trying to force their way through the crowd. Lines from the kissing booth snaked up and around by us, blocking the goldfish game from any prospective players. Guess a free smooch was worth more than a goldfish to a group of crazy teenagers.

  “Ah, the Crush,” Owen said, making me cringe. I don't think he noticed, but I saw Cage's eyes flash for a second. “How does it feel to be the most desired woman in San Aplastar?” I tried to keep the smile on my face, but it wasn't easy. How did it feel? It felt like a lie, that's what.

  “Um,” I began, but I didn't get a chance to answer. Just then, a person stepped up to the counter wearing a masquerade mask and a band T-shirt. He placed a dollar on the counter as I squinted and tried to see if I could place him. It didn't take me as long as I thought. Those full lips, that pale skin, the chains hanging off his pants … there's only one person that could be: Casper Alice.

  Without realizing it, my smile turned up a notch.

  I'd known the guy for three days and already, I could recognize him from his mouth alone. I wasn't sure what to make of that.

  “Chloe!” a voice called out, and I cringed again. Fortunately, the live music was already underway on the beach stage and the booming of the bass was drowning out most everything, including half my thoughts. A small figure, also in a masquerade mask, stepped forward and gave me a wave. Julie was harder to recognize as she'd ditched her Wednesday dress for a pink sundress. Smart choice. She lifted the purple mask for just a moment to wink at me. “Funny running into you here,” she said with a snicker. Casper elbowed her in the side and she snorted. He, on the other hand, did not take off his mask. The green of his eyes was enhanced by the turquoise glitter, making his gaze almost piercing as he stared at me through the tiny eyeholes.

  “One please,” he said as Owen skipped over to the counter and handed him a bucket of balls. Cage's brother tucked the money into his apron and stood back with a flourish of his hand.

  “Have at it, son,” he said to Casper. Cage moved forward and leaned against the edge of the counter, putting his elbows down and resting his chin on his hands.

  “Are you having a good time?” he asked, looking at Julie and not Casper. There was
a weird tension in the air now, one that I didn't like. I moved forward, too, but I wasn't sure what to say, so I said nothing. I watched as Casper licked his lips and threw a ball. The first one bounced off the rim of a bowl and hit Owen in the face. Cage snorted, but he didn't take his eyes off the Alice siblings.

  “I am actually, thank you,” Julie said with a small smile. “Being new in town does have its advantages. Nobody knows us, so the masks are just enough to keep the tomatoes back.” Cage laughed, but Casper remained stoic, face frozen in a neutral position. He wasn't looking at me anymore, keeping his attention of the orange flashes of fish in their glass prisons. “My question to you would be, why aren't you throwing any?” Julie asked him point blank, putting her hands on her hips.

  Cage bit his lower lip like he was thinking and then shrugged.

  “I'm the King, right? I can do whatever I want.” And then he tossed her a wink and stood up straight, turning to watch Casper throw another ball at the bowls. This one pinged off and hit me in the boob. I yelped, but only out of surprise, putting my hands over my chest.

  “S-shit,” Casper said, grimacing. “Sorry about that.” I just smiled back at him and crossed my arms. He had another ball in hand, but he wasn't looking at the fish anymore. He was staring straight at me, locking me into his gaze and closing my mind off from the people around us, the press of the crowd, the raging blast of the music, Cage's drop dead gorgeous face. I had tunnel vision in that moment, like I was looking at the world through a telescope, zooming in on Casper's face, the gold lace on the edges of his mask, his fall of raven hair.

  He reached up slowly and pushed the mask away from his face, up to his forehead and over his bangs. They flopped back in his eyes immediately and his lips parted gently.