The Boys of Summer (The Summer Series) (Volume 1)

by C.J Duggan

  ***

  Ellie sat opposite me in the restaurant, before we officially started our shift. She had just listened intently to my play by play of the night's events: from the encounter behind the DJ station, to the kiss, to Toby's disappearance. I retold it beautifully, played it out to full dramatic effect.

  Not once did she interrupt me or look shocked or even happy for me. Instead, she listened with a pained expression on her face and an uncharacteristic silence.

  Quite frankly, it wasn't the reaction I had expected.

  I fidgeted in my seat. "What? What is it?"

  "Nothing." She couldn't even bring herself to look at me as she smoothed out invisible creases in her black apron.

  I frowned. I didn't get it. Last night, she had been my own personal cheer squad, told me to seek out Toby because she had inside information that went in my favour. What had changed?

  "Nothing?" I repeated. "Well, THAT'S crap!"

  Ellie sighed and finally spoke. "I just don't ?" She broke off as if picking her words carefully.

  "You just don't what?" My patience was wearing thin. "Out with it."

  She gave me a sad smile. "I just don't ? I don't want you to do what I do."

  I crossed my arms defensively. "And what's that exactly?"

  Ellie shifted in her chair. "I don't want you to jump in the deep end with him. Hold back a little."

  "That's not what you were chanting last night."

  "I know, but take it from someone who knows."

  "Knows what?" I said. "Has Stan said something?"

  "No! No I don't even think he knows anything. We haven't even talked about last night."

  Didn't surprise me, I seriously doubted they could speak much with their tongues in each other's mouths all the time.

  Ellie grabbed for my hand and gave it a squeeze. "Just don't let yourself be the rebound girl."

  "The rebound girl?"

  "Tess," she continued carefully, "he only just broke up with Angela after dating for over a year."

  I took a deep, calming breath. I didn't want to hear this.

  "Just don't expect too much, okay? Just take a step back."

  I pulled my hand away and pushed my seat back. It gave an ear-piercing scrape against the polished floorboards.

  "Noted," I said, "thanks for the pep talk." I got up to walk towards the kitchen. If I didn't move now, I would say something I would regret.

  "Tess, wait." Ellie caught my arm, jolting me to a stop. "I'm sorry, that's great, I mean really great. I'm excited for you. I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all."

  "You mean you just don't want me to have a life," I bit out.

  Hurt flashed across Ellie's face. "That's not true."

  "Isn't it? Well, maybe if you'd thought outside your little world for one moment, you could have saved me from making such a huge mistake."

  I spun back around towards the kitchen, tears threatening to overflow from my eyes. She wasn't allowed to see them, she wasn't. This time she let me go; she didn't call out. This time she didn't say a word.

  I had wanted Ellie to squeal and hug me and help me with my next outfit to dazzle Toby in, to keep me filled in on the Onslow Boys' next social event. But as we worked together in silence for the whole shift, I knew it wouldn't happen. As much as I fought against it, Ellie's words rang in my ears and fed into my paranoia. Why did he kiss me and then just leave? Maybe he wasn't into it. No, no he was definitely into it. A myriad of thoughts crowded my overworked mind; it was a full-time job pushing my doubts aside. As if that wasn't bad enough, my heart all but stopped when I heard the front door screech open and familiar laughter filled the front bar. I found an excuse to go to my bag behind the door so I could peer inside at the boys as they pulled up their bar stools.

  Sean, Stan and Ringer looked over the menu.

  No Toby.

  I loitered a little longer and eavesdropped on their conversation.

  "Where's young Tobias?" Chris asked, handing over their drinks.

  I pressed myself against the wall, hanging onto every word, and peeked through the crack in the restaurant divider.

  "I dare say he is probably facedown in a world of pain right about now," Sean said with an evil smile.

  "He was pretty wasted," Chris laughed.

  "'Coronas are the devil's brew', I believe he said?" added Ringer.

  They all shuddered and laughed. "I doubt we'll even see him today. Serves him right."

  Their conversation shifted to lunch, and I made my way back to the restaurant before Chris saw me. He hadn't seemed that drunk to me, but what did I know? 'Devil's brew' and 'wasted' ran through my head as I pictured Toby at home, feeling sick and sorry for himself and the stupid things he'd done the night before. Like kissing the rebound girl.

  I felt sick. I told Ellie as I passed her that the boys were in the bar and made my way, once again, to the refuge of the ladies' toilets.