A Girl Named Summer (10 page)

“You look like a runner now. Come on, it’s time to begin,” Regina said. “I’m going to ride my bike next to you and cheer you on.”

It sounded so fun and so simple. Halfway around the park Summer had a whole new appreciation for the runners of the world. They were all crazy!

“My side,” she panted. “Regina, has my left side fallen off?”

“No. You’re doing fine. Ignore the pain.”

“That’s easy for you to say, perched up there on your ten-speed. I’m dying and you tell me to ignore the pain. Sadist.”

Summer ran a total of one and a half miles before her legs turned into rubber and she collapsed. Regina,
bless her heart, didn’t laugh. She helped Summer home but couldn’t get her any further than the swing on the front porch.

“Now you’re a real runner, Summer. You’re all sweaty.”

“If that was meant as a compliment, you can forget it.”

“How did it go, girls?” Grandpa’s smiling face peeked around the screen door. Summer’s groan brought a chuckle. He came to sit beside her and gently patted her hand. “Never said it would be easy, honey. How far did you get? The corner?”

“A mile and a half,” Regina answered. “I kind of clocked her. She’s real slow and her pace is sporadic, but it was a good start all the same, don’t you think?”

“Mile and a half, you say?” Grandpa rubbed his chin. “Why, that’s a mighty good start. Now you have to add a quarter of a mile every other day as I see it.” He drummed his fingertips on the railing in an absentminded manner and then added, “Yep, quarter mile every other day and you’ll be up to eight miles in no time.”

It would have taken too much effort to yell or scream. The two of them were discussing her as though she were a contender for the Kentucky Derby.

“No way,” Summer muttered. “I’m going to be dead in a matter of minutes, so don’t make too many plans for me. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is a mess.”

“Going to get worse before it gets better,” her
grandfather predicted with a hint of smugness. “Come morning and you’ll be as stiff as your mother’s ironing board. Got some liniment for you, and the sooner you get some of those aching muscles soothed, the better.”

“Just like a horse,” Summer said. “Except I don’t feel like an expensive quarter horse now. More like a swaybacked old nag.”

“Go and soak in the tub,” Regina suggested, “while your grandfather and I discuss your training schedule.”

The hot bathwater soothed Summer’s screaming muscles, but nothing could calm her shattered thoughts. It was all so hopeless. Defeat enveloped her just as the bubbles in her bath had, and salty tears began to roll down her cheeks.

She was going to lose David. Summer was sure of that, and not because she couldn’t make it as a runner, but because she had lied to him. What kind of meaningful relationship could she hope for, based on deceit? It was too late to explain the entire situation to him. She had told too many fibs now.
I’ve learned my lesson well
, she thought. Never, never would she try to be something she wasn’t. No matter what.
Take me as I am, David Marshall, or not at all
. Not at all! That was what was going to happen as soon as he found out the truth. Summer visualized his expression when he learned she had deceived him. Then she pictured Ann Logan telling him, and that did the trick. “No way,” she snapped. “Grandpa is right. I can do it! No,” she corrected, “I have to do it.” She grimaced
as she gingerly lifted one leg out of the water. “Legs, you’ve won this battle, but I will win the war.” It was a vow she would repeat again and again.

Morning brought a fresh wave of pain. Grandpa appeared at her bedroom door with the first light of dawn and announced that it was time to get up.

“It’s only six o’clock,” Summer squealed when she was able to focus on the digital clock.

“Best time of day,” her grandfather insisted. “Now, get dressed and meet me in the basement. I’ve got a little surprise for you.”

It was useless to argue. She wanted it all to be just a bad dream, but her grandfather was serious. The gray sweat suit he was wearing was ample testimony to that fact.

She was in a foul mood by the time she’d dressed and stumbled down the basement steps.

The surprise turned out to be a new exercise mat placed in the center of the room. “This is where you can do your limbering-up exercises before you run. You can hurt yourself if you don’t stretch those muscles a bit. Can’t start running right off.”

Now he tells me
, Summer thought.

“Look at the pictures in this exercise book. See? Now, I want you to do these five exercises.”

Summer knew better than to argue. Her grandfather was far more stubborn than she was, and had a temper early in the morning that rivaled a number eight on
the Richter scale. She decided to give in now because he would get his way eventually.

Better to get it over with. Summer forced herself not to gag when she opened the bottle of liniment her grandfather handed her, but the aroma was enough to knock her off her feet. She applied a liberal amount to her legs before she started the exercises. Her grandfather sat on his workbench, a stopwatch in his hand, and a whistle tied to a shoestring around his neck.

With each leg lift, Summer’s mind screamed the words
I hate this
. It might have been childish, but it did take her mind off her protesting muscles.

Twenty minutes later, she had to admit that she did feel a little more limber. Grandpa shouted words of encouragement when he pushed her out the front door. “Remember, at least one mile and a half today, and a tad more if you’re up to it.”

She didn’t experience the wall that she had read about, but by the time she staggered into her house, she felt as if she had been run over by a very large truck.

If only she could quit, or break a leg—anything to get out of this mess. She didn’t believe for one minute her grandfather’s promise that it would get easier. It had to be a myth. Anyone who actually enjoyed running just wasn’t playing with a full deck. Except David, of course. He was the exception. Besides, everyone was allowed to have at least two faults, and David’s weren’t so terribly bad. So what if he liked running and telling bad jokes? He was entitled.

Chapter
10

T
he next two weeks flew by. Each and every morning, no matter how late Summer went to bed, Grandpa appeared at her door at six sharp. She experienced a full range of reactions to the early morning ritual, from outright hatred to benign acceptance. One morning it dawned on her that her grandfather also was making a sacrifice by getting up so early. And he always had a word of encouragement for her, no matter how grumpy she was. “Your cup is always half empty, Summer. Think of it in terms of being half full.”

She thought about that old saying long and hard on her run. She was up to three and a half miles now. She noticed that the awful pain in her side had finally disappeared, and that her pace seemed to even out.

Mrs. Hobard, a spry sixty-five-year-old jogger, was
still passing her, but the gap was closing. The gray-haired lady had confided that although she had more experience and had been jogging for ten years, Summer had the advantage of youth on her side. She, too, promised running would get easier.

Another week passed and an even more amazing thing happened. Summer, though she would have died before she admitted it to her family, was actually beginning to enjoy her runs. Feelings of well-being and confidence were growing inside her. It was as if she was becoming in tune with her body, pushing it to a healthy limit.

In fact, her entire outlook began to change. The time spent running became her special time. She no longer thought about the discomfort but concentrated on the issues that were bothering her. Her views began to change, too. She began to see her family not as a zoo but as loving individuals. The notion that she was part of a very special family began to make a little sense. They could still embarrass her at times, but that thought didn’t bring chills to her insides the way it used to.

One morning a boy by the name of Luke paced alongside Summer and chatted with her a few minutes. She had noticed him a couple of times before, but thought that he was older…too old for Regina. When he mentioned that he was a transfer student and would be a senior next year at her high school, Summer’s radar picked up. Not only was Luke a nice-looking boy, but he also fit the most important requirement.
He was tall. She would do a good turn for her friend and introduce her to Luke, and she would enjoy a little friendly revenge on Carl Benson at the same time. How sweet it would be, Summer thought as she raced home.

“What do you mean I have to start running? Are you sick or something?” Regina’s screech was loud and clear over the phone. Summer forced the laughter out of her voice and let Regina rant and rave a good five minutes before she interrupted with vital information.

“We’re talking blond hair, dreamy hazel eyes with little gold flecks in them, deep sexy voice, nice personality, and, last but not least, exceptionally tall. I rest my case.”

“Will you go shopping with me?”

“What for?”

“New running clothes, of course.”

“Certainly.” Summer giggled. “And Regina, because I’m such a good friend, I’ll even let you borrow my special liniment.”

It was decided that Regina would spend the night so that Summer could get her up in the morning. She set the alarm for five-thirty, correctly assuming that Regina would need a good half hour to wake up and get with it.

Summer had already finished her warm-up exercises the next morning before Regina appeared at the kitchen doorway.

“I’m warning you, Summer, this guy better be worth it. I’m talking a cross between Leonardo DiCaprio and Chris O’Donnell.”

“He is, he is,” Summer replied. “You look great, Regina, even if your eyes are only half open.”

“Let’s eat and plan our strategy.”

“No,” Summer replied, “you shouldn’t run on a full stomach. Now, let’s get going. We don’t want to miss Luke.”

“Okay, I’ll meet you in the garage,” Regina said, turning.

“Why the garage?”

“To get our bikes, dummy.”

“Regina! The park is only two blocks away. We are going to run to the park. Got that?”

“What? And get all sweaty before I even meet him?”

“If you don’t work up a sweat, he’ll know you aren’t serious about running. All runners take it seriously. Trust me on this. Sweat is a definite asset.”

“Are you making fun of me?” Regina accused in a tight voice.

“Of course not,” Summer protested. “Now, come on.”

On the way to the park, Regina brought up the subject of David. “Is he still coming over every night?” Envy permeated her question.

“He’s coming over this afternoon.”

“Think your parents will let you come to the Pizza Paddle with me and Gregg tonight?”

“Can’t. Grandpa is having poker tonight, and Mom and Dad are going over to the Scanlons.”

“Okay.”

Summer heard the sense of rejection in Regina’s voice and immediately felt a little guilty. “But tomorrow afternoon I could go with you.”

“Good,” Regina said. “I’ll just switch it to tomorrow, then. If this Luke is as good as you say, and he goes absolutely crazy for me, then we can double-date, okay?”

Summer smiled and nodded. Regina certainly did like to plan ahead.

They reached the entrance to the park, and Regina whispered, “Be sure and nudge me when you get a glance at Luke.”

“Regina, you won’t be able to miss him. He’s the only giant in the park.”

A short time later, Luke appeared. Summer and Regina had just begun their run, so Regina gave a fairly good showing. She almost looked like a pro. Almost.

Summer introduced the two to each other, and Luke did seem more than politely interested in Regina. At least that was what Summer and Regina decided after he had waved good-bye and yelled, “See you both tomorrow.”

“This means I’m committed, right?” Regina groaned.

“Is he worth it?”

“Oh, Summer, the things we do for love. Of course he’s worth it.”

“Can I say I told you so?” Summer asked with a great show of smugness.

“Only if you want a fat lip,” Regina teased.

“Now that Luke’s gone, why don’t you take it easy and just jog around the park at a slow pace while I do my four miles.”

“I will. You go on.”

The run was exhilarating. When she finished, she was extremely proud of herself. She had made five miles today instead of her estimated four and felt wonderfully exhausted.

She saw David that afternoon.

He’d remembered that Michael had been invited to a birthday party and that Summer would be on her own for a few hours. He surprised her with a picnic lunch. She was thrilled.

She didn’t have time to get all worked up over the outing or agonize about what she should wear. She opened the screen door in her uniform, cutoff jeans and tank top, but David didn’t mind at all.

“Give me a couple of minutes to change,” she suggested.

“You look great,” David replied. “Just grab some shoes and let’s go. What time do you have to be back?”

“Michael will be home at two,” Summer told him.