Crushing Summer

by C. M. Stunich

  “You never answered the question,” Casper said, striking a match on the box and watching it burn down nearly to his finger before he buried it in the sand to put it out. “Who was the lucky guy?” I sighed. Not my favorite story to tell.

  “How long were you with your ex?” I asked instead, trying to distract him.

  “Almost a year, she was an okay kisser, and no, I don't miss her. She was toxic as hell and mean to Julie.” Casper curled his fingers up around the bottle and then forced himself to relax them. “Now, who was it? It wasn't Cage, right?” I chuckled.

  “No, it wasn't Cage.”

  “Then who?”

  I sighed.

  “Pat.”

  “Pat?” Casper asked, and I had to remind myself that he didn't know everyone like I did.

  “Patrick Carrob, the Heartthrob,” I said, thinking about our brief time together. It felt like a long, long time ago. Ancient history. “Though I'm pleased to say that it looks like he's been shaving lately.” I shrugged. Casper just laughed, passing the bottle back to me.

  “The surfer guy? You dated him and all you did was kiss?” I looked up at Casper and gave him my meanest glare, the one I usually reserved for Kaitlyn.

  “He might've touched my boob,” I said and he laughed so hard he was snorting. “Through the shirt.”

  “I bet that sleaze has a dozen V cards in his pockets. What a walking STD. Gross.”

  I scooped a handful of sand and tossed it at Casper. It hit his shirt, but did nothing to stop him from laughing at me.

  “Yeah, well, now you know why I let you kiss me after four days. I was starved for it.” I leaned forward and grabbed the matches, striking one against the side of the box and setting fire to the piece of cardboard I'd tossed into the pit.

  Casper laid on his side and propped his head up on his hand, watching me carefully.

  “He's a player for sure,” he said. “I saw him at the store yesterday before the party. I was there grabbing some stuff for the house, and I heard him talking about it with a blonde chick. Next thing I knew, he was in the soda aisle kissing a brunette. By the time I actually got out to my car, he was tonguing it with a redhead. Somebody's enjoying their Assignment, I guess.” I took a sip of the champagne, letting the bubbles trickle across my tongue before I gave it back to him. “That's the only reason I even knew there was a party. I kind of crashed it.” He shrugged again. “I didn't meant to drag you into it. I sent you that text without even really thinking about it. I guess I just … maybe I wanted to see you.”

  I smiled at him, enjoying the way the growing flame was lighting up his face.

  “You should be able to enjoy a high school party if you want to,” I told him. “It isn't fair.” Casper raised his dark brows.

  “Fair? No, I guess not. I mean, I don't really give a crap about high school parties, but I hate that I'm scared just to sit here with you, wondering who's going to stop by and rain on our parade. Besides, did you see that one kid? He obviously didn't want everyone trashing his house.”

  “Guy Sills,” I said with a sigh. “And you're right. He looked miserable last night.”

  We both sat in silence for a moment, watching as the fire climbed higher and higher, until our own tiny dancers emerged as embers from the orange tips, drifting over the blanket and across the rocky cliffs.

  “Any word from Julie or your parents?” I asked and Casper shook his head.

  “No news is good news.” I smiled.

  “At least when she gets back, some of the initial excitement will have worn off. Maybe we can even sneak in a movie or something together?” I was trying to be funny, but Casper didn't smile. He was looking past the flames at the group of people closest to us. With the fire blazing and the moonlight non-existent, it was impossible for me to see anything, but when I strained, I could hear familiar voices. The waves blocked a lot of their words out, but I could catch enough of the conversation to know who was over there.

  Justin Haldeman.

  Shayla Harold.

  Cage Lawrence.

  I almost stood up, but Casper grabbed my arm and yanked me towards him, spilling the rest of the champagne with the motion. There wasn't a whole lot left anyway; I could tell by the way my head sloshed and tilted as Casper gripped me against his body.

  “Shh,” he said, hooking his fingers in my hair. His mouth grazed mine when he spoke and his body was as warm as always. It was impossible for me to touch the boy without feeling like I was going to burst into flames. “If you listen carefully, you can make out some of what they're saying.”

  I adjusted myself and watched as Casper squeezed his eyes shut tight. He could feel the warmth, too, I know he could.

  “Whatever, Cage,” Shayla giggled. Her laugh was nauseating, like spun sugar, saccharine sweet. I'd heard her real laugh before and this was not it. Either she was trying to flirt him or she was trying to convince someone else that she was in a good mood. It didn't work for me, and I hardly knew her. “Stop being so weird.”

  Casper let out a small breath that tickled my face and made me wish we weren't just using each other for cover, that we were kissing. Wow. Addicted much, Chloe? That sure was quick. And I'd have to remember that. I didn't know Casper, not really. I had to slow myself down and focus.

  “Heidi told them a lot,” Justin said, his voice just as sickening as Shayla's. He sounded irritated at Heidi, like she was a puppy who'd peed on the carpet. I didn't like the attitude. “About the Committee I think, but I'm not sure.”

  “So what?” Shayla snapped. “The Committee doesn't mean shit. It's over and done with. Everyone knows the votes are bull. They'd understand.”

  “I don't care. You're the one that cares,” Justin said, and I swear, it sounded like he was pouting. I wanted to know why he wasn't in jail. “It was your Committee and your choices.” There was bitterness there, and irritation. “All I care about right now is dealing with Heidi.”

  “What about Chloe?” Cage asked.

  “What about her? We have to find out if she knows or not,” Justin said, and the tone in his voice cooled the heat of Casper's body and gave me the chills. “If she does, we'll deal with it. Not a big deal.”

  “Your hard-on for her is really starting to get on my damn nerves,” Shayla said, and I had to risk it. I lifted my head and squinted through the smoke of the fire. She was standing on her toes, pressing her lips to Cage's. He had his hands on her upper arms, and he didn't look all that unhappy about it. I almost swallowed my heart when I saw that.

  As if they could sense me watching, their heads turned towards me.

  Immediately, Casper was grabbing me by the back of the head and pulling my lips against his. I didn't really feel this kiss; I was too busy trying to puzzle out what I was seeing.

  “Get an effing room,” Shayla said and I swear I could feel her attention falling away from me, like I'd just stepped out of a spotlight.

  “I don't want anything to happen to her,” Cage said, voice firm. It was the King speaking again.

  “What are you trying to get at, man?” Justin.

  “What I'm saying is,” Cage growled, and I could just imagine the two of them glaring at each other. “I don't want her to end up like Tatiana.”

  Casper and I roasted our marshmallows and watched the quiet sea roll in. We talked so long that the sun started to stain the sky with pink. I knew my parents would probably freak, but I couldn't seem to drag myself away. We came up with and dismissed a hundred theories that would explain that conversation, that would explain why Cage was there with Shayla, why he'd been spending so much time with me. Nothing quite made sense. I felt like I was missing a crucial part of the puzzle. I was going to have to talk to either Heidi or Cage himself if I wanted to get anymore information.

  We were the last people to leave the beach, dragging our sandy blanket behind us like a cloak, quiet as we passed by abandoned fires still crackling low and gentle in the morning air. A coast guard truck rolled slowly along the edge of
the beach where the waves met the shore, pausing occasionally to put out a fire. I'd made sure ours was cold before we'd left.

  “I like spending time with you,” Casper remarked absently as he unlocked the doors to his car. Miraculously, it remained untouched. Well, other than the eggs and the car paint that read Bio Hazard. Honestly, that was one of the nicest things I'd ever had anyone say to me.

  “Thanks,” I said around a yawn. “I like spending time with you, too.”

  He grinned at me and slid into the car, pulling up an entire playlist of piano music. Somehow, it matched the sunrise perfectly. I kept expecting him to play Evanescence or something with screaming in it. Guess it goes to show you should never judge a person. Casper wasn't anything like the stereotypical emo or Goth kids you read about it. He listened to hip hop, country, classical, pop, and screaming rock music.

  I leaned my head against the seat and watched with half-lidded eyes as Casper pulled us out of the parking lot and started up the road that would take us to the highway. I couldn't tell you how thankful I was that we weren't at Sea Ridge. That road gave me the creeps.

  “You want me to call you when I get up?” he asked casually. “I'm home all alone, you know, so there isn't much to do. Oh yeah, and half the town hates my guts and thinks I have the black plague.” He shrugged with one shoulder. “So if you want to hang out again, that's cool.”

  “Oh?” I asked. “How generous of you. I suppose with an offer like that, I can't refuse.” Casper laughed and glanced over at me for a second.

  “I really do want to come see your friend with you. What time are you going?” My eyes got wide. I'd almost forgotten about visiting Heidi. What the hell kind of friend was I? I sat up and squinted at the clock on the dashboard with tired eyes. Six thirty. If I went to sleep now, I'd never get up in time to make it to Heidi's for breakfast. Heidi's mom liked to get things done early. Before Heidi had her car, her mom used to wake her up at five to get ready for school. The day didn't start until eight thirty.

  “Maybe we should just go over there now?” I asked to no one in particular.

  “No curfew for me,” Casper said. “It's up to you.”

  I yawned again, feeling the pressure of the last few days wash over me. If I went to sleep now, I'd be lucky to get up four in the afternoon.

  “Yeah,” I said, stretching my arms over my head. “My parents are going to kill me anyway. I might as well head over there now.” Casper nodded and I instructed him to take the next right to get to Heidi's. Neither of us mentioned the fact that we might learning something about the Committee, why I was the Crush, why she signed that roster for me. Really, I just wanted to see my friend.

  I didn't expect to see her boyfriend's car out front.

  “What the hell?” I asked, leaning forward and tearing off my seat belt. The black Mustang was sitting in the driveway next to Heidi's white sedan like it had been there for awhile. Her mother's car was nowhere to be seen. “But I … he hit her with his car!” Casper didn't say anything as he pulled up to the curb. I was out the door before we were fully stopped, stumbling across the grass and scrambling at the knob. It was locked, of course.

  I stared at the doorbell for a moment, debating, and then decided to head around to the back to check the sliding glass doors. Heidi's bichon frise, Puddles, was waiting for me at the gate, yapping his head off. I ignored him and slipped inside, letting Casper in behind me.

  “What are we doing?” he asked me as we waded through the tall grass. Neither Heidi nor her mother were very adept at yard work. “Why not just ring the bell?”

  “I don't trust Justin,” I said flatly. My mind started spinning with horrible imagery, pictures of Heidi lying still and cold on the floor, covered in blood, Justin grinning over her body with a knife in hand. I mean, he'd hit her with his car, so it wasn't that big of a step to take. Looking at the vehicle now, I was certain that was the same one I'd seen that night. That Cage had said he'd seen. I didn't completely trust him anymore, especially after last night, but the hatred he held towards Justin was raw and real. Besides, when he'd talked about the car, about that night, he was dead serious. He might be lying about some things, but not that.

  I cringed as my foot squished into a pile of dog poop. Somehow, Puddles seemed pleased by this, smiling up at me as he raced in circles around my legs. At least he'd stopped barking to laugh at me. Stupid dog. I maneuvered around some old lawn furniture and up the steps to the porch, kicking off my shoes at the back door.

  “You sure this is a good idea?” Casper asked, reaching out a hand to grab my upper arm. From an open window upstairs, I could hear the distinct sounds of Heidi sobbing. A second later, Justin's voice cut in harsh and direct. I couldn't make out what he was saying – Heidi had “Hot Mess” playing again – but whatever it was, it wasn't I love you. “On second thought,” he said and I gave him a tight smile.

  The sliding door was unlocked, fortunately. I slid it open quietly, pushing Puddles aside with my foot. As soon as the door was closed behind us, he started barking again. I doubted either Heidi or Justin would notice however. The dog spent at least twenty hours out of every day going at it. I put a finger to my lips as we approached the stairs and grabbed onto the railing, hauling myself up and over the bottom two steps. They were always a little creaky. Heidi used the noise to keep track of what her mother was doing and while I didn't want to spy on my friend per se, I was afraid I might not get the whole truth if I didn't at least pick up what the conversation was about.

  Casper followed suite. I had to admit, he was being a good sport about all of this. We were on day five and he was already breaking and entering for me. How special is that?

  “She's dead,” Heidi whimpered, her voice so shrill it cut through the bass, slipping and sliding over the rhythm and crushing me with pain. Whatever she was talking about, it was hurting her deep. “Because of you, she's dead.” I almost gagged, turning to give Casper a wide-eyed look over my shoulder.

  “I told you it wasn't me!” Justin screamed, the sound echoing down the hallway. I held up my hand for Casper to stop and paused a few feet from her open door.

  “They saw you!” Heidi yelled back. A pregnant pause followed. “I saw you.” I almost didn't hear this last part, it was so quiet.

  “If that's true, then how did the cops get twenty people to confirm that I was with them that night? You sound ridiculous and you know it.”

  “You're a bloody liar,” Heidi growled back at him. “A filthy, sodding liar. If I never see your face again, it'll be too damn soon. Get out.”

  “You're just tired. You don't mean that. Think it over and give me a call tomorrow, after you spill the beans to your preppy ass friend.”

  “I really loved you, you know? Nobody what anybody said, I stood up for you. Now I'm not so sure that you're not guilty of everything they say.”

  There was the sound of something slamming and then Justin's voice, as mean as I'd ever heard it.

  “That's an effing lie. It's a lie! I didn't touch one hair on that girl's body, Heidi.”

  That was it. I couldn't take it anymore. I took a few steps back and cupped my hands around my mouth.

  “Heidi!” I shouted. “I'm coming up!” If they were discussing what I thought they were discussing, it was absolutely paramount I get in there now. Tatiana. I felt a thread of connection drifting between her memory and me, something pushing me forward, begging me to find the full truth. She deserved that much, at least.

  I heard scrambling and then Justin came barreling past me, head down, blonde hair tousled and dirty. Casper reached out a hand like he was going to grab Justin, but I shook my head. He had nowhere to go. San Aplastar was a small town. Sometimes, that was a positive rather than a negative. Casper back away and leaned against the wall.

  “I'll wait here,” he whispered and I smiled. I had the strangest urge to reach out and touch his cheek. I wanted to weave my fingers in his hair and kiss him. I'd never felt like this around any other guy befo
re, especially not after such a short time. It was a little scary and a whole lot of fun. Sometimes you find love, and sometimes it finds you. Not that I thought I was in love, of course. Just sayin'.

  “Heidi?” I asked, peering around the doorframe. My friend was sitting up in bed, head hanging low, her perfect Barbie blonde hair draped over her face. The cast on her arm was still white and perfect, no signatures yet. She'd have no problem collecting them. Everybody liked Heidi. “Can I come in?” No answer. I tip-toed forward, inching my way towards her computer to turn the music down.

  “Don't even think about it,” she said and I paused, turning to face her. She was staring at me, face scratched up and bruised. Her nose actually looked an awful lot like mine had, swollen and red. “The music's all I have. Just leave it.” When she spoke, I could see the spots of black where her teeth were missing. God, poor Heidi. My eyes filled up with tears. “Please don't bawl right now. If you do, I will, too, and then everything'll just go to shit.”

  I walked over to her bed and sat down on the edge, reaching out one of my hands for hers.

  “Saved you the first spot,” she said, wiggling her cast around a bit. “Thought you might want it. I hope it makes up a little for me being a crap friend.”

  “You're not a crap friend,” I said automatically, and she rolled her eyes. It was weird seeing her without makeup. I'd only witnessed it a few times in all the years I'd known her. During sleepovers, she'd wake up before me and sneak into the bathroom to apply it. I thought it might have something to do with her insecurity, so I never mentioned it. I made sure not to stare too much.

  “I wrote your name down, Chloe. Did you hear me?” I shook my head. Sitting here with her, seeing her eyes all puffy and her cheeks pink, I didn't feel like that mattered so much anymore. “I put you in danger, don't you understand? I didn't actually think you'd get picked. I just wanted you to be a Student with me. If I'd known, I never would've signed you up.”