Cipher

Chapter Sixteen

Things between Summer and her old group of friends got progressively worse with each passing day. Practice was a battlefield. Girls glared, insulted, and made it clear how much they didn’t want to be around her.

“Nice moves,” Kendall said to Summer as she gathered her stuff. Only the way she said it didn’t seem like a compliment. “Looks like you’ve been putting a little too much effort into being a nerd and not enough into dancing.”

Something inside of Summer finally broke—that last shred that cared about salvaging her friendship with Kendall. Her getting-walked-over-days were over as of now. “I was on with the rest of you.”

“You call those spastic movements on? Maybe you were on beat, but you looked ridiculous.”

Summer lowered her voice and leaned in. “Kendall, why are you doing this? It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“Why do you think? You made your choice, and your choice was to snub me, so yeah, it does have to be this way.”

“I didn’t snub you. I still want to be your friend. Not as much now that you’re being such a…” Summer clenched her jaw and shook her head, barely catching herself in time.

“A what?” Kendall asked. “Go ahead and say it.”

“Fine. A huge bitch!” Summer had intended to hold it in, no matter how hard Kendall pushed, but apparently her mouth didn’t get the memo.

The girls all around gasped in horror. Kendall’s nostrils flared as she narrowed her eyes on Summer. “Did you guys know that Summer scrapes most of her clothing from the bottom of an outlet clearance bin? All her shoes are knock-offs.”

Summer rolled her eyes. “Really, Kendall? Who gives a crap about that stuff?”

“Outlets are icky,” Lexi said.

“I think it’s dumb to pay ridiculously high prices, when you can get it for cheaper somewhere else. In fact, I don’t even care about name-brand stuff.”

“Because you can’t afford it,” Kendall said.

Shouldering her bag, Summer faced the circle of girls that had gathered behind Kendall. “Did you ever think that there are more important things than name-brand clothes and perfect hair?”

Kendall shot her a smile that was all ice, not even a hint of warmth to it. “That’s what poor people with frizzy hair say.”

I give up. Biting back all the retorts she had ready to fire off, Summer headed toward the gym’s exit, making sure to hold her head high.

“Are you just going to run away now?” Kendall asked. “Don’t act like you’re above all this. You’ve sat gossiping with me tons of times. Lexi, Summer thinks you’re a malicious gossip with nothing better to do than discuss other people’s lives. And Georgia, Summer said that your dance moves are rubbery and awkward looking.”

Summer swiveled back, mouth hanging open. She shouldn’t be surprised. A few months ago, Kendall had pushed Alyssa out of the group because she’d had the nerve to disagree with her. Summer had been naïve, thinking it wouldn’t happen to her. Thinking that she and Kendall were too close. And instead of helping Alyssa, Summer had watched it happen, just like the rest of the girls were doing now. The entire team glared at her, shaking their heads and acting like they’d never said anything bad about anyone in their lives.

Kendall had made most of the derogatory comments when she and Summer had their gossip sessions, but she doubted anyone would believe that now. Besides, she’d joined in. Guilt mixed in with the rage heating her veins.

Kendall stepped toward Summer, a smug look on her face. “Don’t bother coming back. We’ll find someone to fill your spot.”

“You can’t throw me off the team,” Summer said. “You can be mean and judgmental, say whatever you’re going to say about me, but I’m here to stay. I can dance as good as you, if not better, and I won’t be pushed around.”

Summer pushed out the gym doors, hoping the loud noise would give her the same satisfaction it had before. She wanted to feel strong. Proud that she’d just stood up for herself.

But all she really felt like doing was breaking down and crying.

By the time she’d made the drive home, she’d shed a few tears and was considering letting loose a few more. She turned up the Metric pumping through her speakers and closed her eyes. Then she realized she could cry and feel sorry for herself or she could call reinforcements.

Troy had somehow got control of the remote and flipped to one of those shows that played shocking videos. Ashlyn seemed pretty into it, too, so they watched people fall, wreck their skateboards and end up with bones sticking out at wrong angles, and suffer all sorts of other catastrophes that ended with someone holding their crotch or bleeding.

“If Nelson’s video gets enough hits, then Darren could end up on this show,” Troy said, as if that’d be the coolest thing ever. Darren, who now had a cast on his broken right hand, probably ranked higher in the social hierarchy than Summer did. The video of his death-defying leap (accidental plunge) had circulated the net, and he was obsessed with checking the comments now. They almost made him happy enough to be okay with Aaron taking his place in his upcoming chess tournament.

During the commercial break, a preview for a movie came on. The voiceover had all the normal praise that they like to pepper throughout them. One reviewer claimed it was “The best movie I’ve seen all year.”

“The best movie I’ve seen since yesterday,” Summer stated all announcer-like, mocking the preview.

“This movie has actors in it, and they say stuff,” Ashlyn said with a laugh.

Troy shook his head, but he was smiling. “You two have lost it.”

That only made Summer laugh more. Inviting over reinforcements had definitely been the right call—they’d both come, no questions asked. Since Summer still wasn’t sure what to do about her growing not-friendship feeling for Troy, she was glad to have Ashlyn there to help keep her mind off it. Though, he did look extra cute tonight.

Suddenly, the hairs on her arm pricked up, and it had nothing to do with Troy’s cuteness.

Gabriella filled in next to the television. She crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow at Summer. “I’m glad you’re having fun, Summer Dear, but aren’t you supposed to be repairing Ashlyn’s relationship with her mom?”

Summer glanced from Gabriella, to Troy, to Ashlyn, and back to the Angel of Death. Neither of her friends seemed to notice Gabriella’s presence. In fact, now that the video clips of people getting hurt were playing again, they both had their eyes glued to the screen. Seriously? I’m the only one who sees her?

“Look, I’m trying,” Summer mouthed.

Gabriella crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

Summer rolled her eyes and turned to Ashlyn. “So? How’s your mom doing?”

“Um, weird transition, dude.” Ashlyn shifted, leaning back against the armrest of the couch. “She is how she is. Condescending whenever I’m around.”

Summer glanced at Gabriella, who wasn’t offering any advice, but rolling her finger, telling her to keep going. “But that’s how moms are. She loves you. I can see it every time I go over there.”

Ashlyn’s eyebrows drew together. “Why do you keep bringing up my mother? I want to relax and enjoy the night without thinking about her. You said mindless fun, not Topics That Make You Feel Punchy.”

“Hey, when are we all going to go surfing together?” Troy asked, veering the conversation in a completely different direction. “I still want to see Sunshine out in the water,” he said, poking her in the side.

Gabriella dropped her head in her hands and shook it. “Do something,” she said. “You keep getting way off track.”

“I think we should go on Saturday,” Ashlyn said.

“I’m still waiting,” Gabriella said, her high-pitched voice grating Summer’s last nerve.

Summer shot off the couch. “I’ll be right back.” Once she was behind the couch where Ashlyn and Troy wouldn’t see, she jerked her head toward the hall, hoping Gabriella knew that meant she wanted her to follow her.

“What are you doing?” Summer whispered as soon as they were out of view of her friends. “I’m working on it, but you being here is totally throwing me off.”

“You’re not working fast enough. Since this is your first job, I’m trying to help you.”

“She doesn’t want to talk about her mom. I’ll work on it later.”

Gabriella’s fists went to her hips again. “You keep saying that, but pretty quick, there’s not going to be a later. Think about that while you’re laughing and talking. You might be having fun, but Pamela’s going to have a lot of guilt. Ashlyn will feel unfinished as well. But it’ll be too late because you wouldn’t listen.”

Then, with no warning or goodbye, Gabriella disappeared. Even after all other traces of her were gone, her disappointed expression remained burned in Summer’s mind. Summer walked back into the living room and flopped down on the couch. Once again she’d shifted moods, going from finally happy to irreversibly frustrated.

“Are you okay?’ Troy asked. “You seem a little crazier than usual tonight.”

She shot him a dirty look. “I’m not crazy.”

“You’re a little crazy,” Ashlyn said with a smile.

“I’m perfectly sane. Now just drop it!”

Troy and Ashlyn glanced at each other, eyes wide. Summer tried to think of something to say to fix the weirdness. If only there weren’t so many thoughts screaming for her attention first. Instead of getting better, she was getting worse. In fact, she felt like she was pushing Ashlyn and her mom apart rather than together. All Summer had wanted to do was sit down and relax, but she couldn’t do that with Gabriella’s warning running through her head.

Dad poked his head into the room. “Hope I’m not interrupting, but Tiffany made some brownies earlier, and I was thinking about busting them out. We’ve got soda in the kitchen, too.”

Might as well try to fix it with sugar. “I’m in.”

“Actually, I’ve got to get going.” Ashlyn scooted to the edge of the couch and stood.

“But it’s still early,” Summer said, standing as well. “Besides, you’ve got to have a brownie first.”

“I’m good. I’ll see you guys tomorrow. And surfing Saturday.” Ashlyn pointed to Summer. “You’re in, right?”

Asking if they could all hang out with Pamela seemed like the wrong move. “I’m in.” She’d have to figure out how to work her way in after the surf session. Maybe the fact that they were spending Saturday morning exercising would open Pamela’s mind enough for Summer to make progress.

It was a big maybe, but she needed something to hold on to.