Cipher (The Cipher Series) (18 page)

Chapter Seventeen

Summer walked across the cafeteria and sat down in her usual spot next to Marcie. “This day’s been hell.”

“The girls aren’t playing nice?” Ashlyn asked.

“That’s an understatement. I’ve been called things I’m not even sure what are, some I wished I didn’t know what were, and I feel like I’m wearing a Give Me Evil Glares sign.” Summer twisted so Marcie and Ashlyn could see her back. “I’m not, right?”

“No sign, so they must’ve passed it through the Air Heads ‘R’ Us Network earlier.”

“Okay, that? That deserves a high-five.” Summer lunged across the table and smacked Ashlyn’s hand.

Out of the corner of her eye,
Summer saw Troy heading their way. Her heart beat picked up speed, each beat tripping over itself, anticipation swirling through her stomach.

Then that stupid volleyball-player girl that kept popping up everywhere cut him off. Summer shoved a handful of Cheetos in her mouth, chewing as she stared at the two of them together. “Who’s the girl Troy’s talking to?” she asked, trying to sound casual, as if jealousy wasn’t stirring in her stomach, ruining her nuclear orange lunch.

Ashlyn peeked around Summer’s head. “Not sure. Marcie, do you know who Troy’s talking to?”

Marcie craned her neck to see them. “Um, I’m pretty sure her name is Cara.”

“She’s pretty,” Summer said, wishing she wasn’t. When she’d asked Troy about Lexi, he’d said he liked someone else. No doubt Cara was the someone else. “She and Troy seem to hang out a lot. Seems like there might be something else going on there, too.”

Ashlyn raised an eyebrow. “I was wondering about you two, actually.”

“Me and Troy?”

Ashlyn nodded. “I thought I caught a vibe.”

“Anytime he’s around, there’s definitely a vibe,” Marcie said, a dreamy edge to her words. The two girls leaned in, looking like they were waiting for Summer to give them the scoop.

Lately, she got this strange tugging sensation in her heart whenever she was around Troy. Or looked at him.
Or thought of him. Which she’d been doing a lot. But that was crazy. They were just friends. If they were going to be more, it would’ve happened already.

Ashlyn and Marcie were still staring, eyebrows raised.

“I just don’t want him to get a girlfriend right now,” Summer said, trying to convince herself that was all there was to it. “His last girlfriend hated me, then I started dating Cody, and Troy and I stopped hanging out. I really don’t want to go back to not hanging out.” She glanced back at Troy and Cara—still talking, ugh—then looked at Ashlyn. “Speaking of boys, how are things with Matt? Is Spanish class
muy caliente
?”

Ashlyn tried to act like she didn’t care, but her smile betrayed her. “I talked to him a little bit, but I keep hesitating. Because of how things happened with my last boyfriend.”

“And that was…?”

Ashlyn looked around,
then whispered, “Not here. We’ll have to discuss him later.”

***

“So spill,” Summer said, flopping down on the bed next to Ashlyn. After practice she’d needed a friend, so she’d driven over to finish the chat they’d started over lunch. “I want to know why you’re not planning a hot date with Matt.”

“Okay, so I told you how my last boyfriend kept pressuring me to have sex.”

Summer nodded. “Yeah. I got that feeling, anyway, though you didn’t exactly spell it out.”

“I wasn’t sure I was ready for the next step, but he definitely was. It wasn’t like I had other boys knocking down my door either, so I went ahead and had sex with him, thinking I had to get it over with sometime.”

“And how was it?”

“Well, it was a bit awkward at first. Mother’s made me plenty paranoid about my body, so I was mostly terrified about that. But you know, once we got going, it was nice.” Ashlyn’s cheeks turned pink and she suddenly became very interested in a fuzzy piece of lint on her bedspread. “And it was even better the next time. But then we broke up a few weeks later, and I felt used. It seemed like he was only in it for that one thing, got what he wanted, and then I was history. I wish I would’ve been stronger, like you were.”

“Like at the party when I almost kissed Cody? Obviously, I’m not that strong.” Summer covered Ashlyn’s hand with hers. “And you’re stronger than you think. When I first tried to hang out with you and the rest of The Misfits, you set me straight. You made sure to let me know I couldn’t mess with your friends.”

Ashlyn wrinkled her nose. “I was kind of mean.”

“But you had a good reason. I admire you. You’re strong, but sometimes”—Summer bumped her shoulder into Ashlyn’s—“you’ve got to be willing to put yourself out there.”

“You think I should go for Matt?”

“I do. But actually, I’m talking about your mom. Tell her how you feel.”

Ashlyn frowned. “Why are you so obsessed with making things right with me and my mom?”

“I guess it’s because I don’t have my mom here to talk to anymore.” The familiar ache rose up. She hadn’t really realized it before, but now she’d said it, she realized there was truth to it.

Ashlyn’s face dropped. “I’m sorry,
Summer. I didn’t think about it like that. I swear, I’ll try to give my mother a break. Just for you.”

Summer smiled, thrilled she’d made progress. Where was Gabriella now? Strike that; she didn’t want her to come barging in right now. She’d only say it wasn’t good enough.

“Oh, I love this song.” Ashlyn jumped up, using her thumb for a microphone and belting out the words along with the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs.

Summer joined in and they danced and sang around the room. By the chorus,
Summer was laughing too hard to continue singing. She dropped onto Ashlyn’s bed and grinned at her friend. “You know what’s so awesome about you?”

“Everything?” Ashlyn asked with a laugh,
then sat next to Summer. “Kidding, of course.”

“No, you’re right. It’s everything. But I especially love that we could be doing absolutely nothing and I still have a blast. I’m going to go ahead and get all gushy. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”

Ashlyn broke into a wide, open smile. “Aw, thanks. You’re my best friend, too.”

Warmth filled
Summer’s chest as she returned Ashlyn’s smile. Then came the painful, lung-crushing realization that her best friend was going to die.

Chapter Eighteen

Troy walked up beside
Summer and stuck his surfboard in the sand. Water dripped from his hair and eyelashes. “You’re doing pretty good out there, Sunshine.”

Summer tipped her head forward and wrung the water out of her hair. “I feel like I got worked over. You and Ashlyn caught tons of waves, and all I did was flail around in the water. I think I’m actually getting worse. I kinda thought if I could replace dancing with surfing, I could quit the dance team.”

“Things still that bad?”

“Nothing I can’t handle. But let’s just say they’re far from pleasant.”

Ashlyn walked over to them, surfboard tucked under her arm. “So, my house is the closest, but my mother only makes egg white omelets.”

Troy jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “There’s a breakfast place on the corner that’s really good. It’s cheap, tastes good, and even better, they give you tons of food. I say we go there.”

They secured their surfboards on Ashlyn’s car and slipped T-shirts and shorts over the top of their wet swimsuits. The day had hit eighty degrees—warm for mid-October, and perfect for playing in the ocean.

As they made their way down the boardwalk,
Summer drifted left. There was a large crowd in that direction, but it was like her feet didn’t belong to her anymore. This was the
only
direction she could possibly go. She scanned faces as they parted around her, trying to figure out who or what was compelling her. As she came out of the larger group, there was a dark-haired man who refused to move one way or the other, simply striding toward her. Sure he was going to plow into her, Summer started to move to the side. The man stepped directly in front of her. She moved the other way at the same time he did.

They stood in limbo for a minute before he reached out and gripped her shoulder. “Choose a way already.”

“Get out of my house!” a gray-haired lady shouts.

The man turns, arms loaded with electronics. The outline of a gun is visible under his shirt, where it’s tucked into his pants. He drops the items to reach for his weapon. The lady already has a gun in her hand. She whips it up and fires, once. Twice. The impact sends him back into the counter. He slides down to the floor, leaving a bloody trail as he gasps for air.

Blood pools around his body, his limp arms flop to the floor, and a wet, strangled noise escapes his mouth.

Then he stops breathing altogether.

“Back off,” Troy said, pushing his way between Summer and the man.

He turned his angry gaze on Troy. “You kids need to get out of my way.”

Paralyzed by what she’d seen, Summer couldn’t do anything but stare for a moment. Her gaze drifted to the place she’d seen the gun. There, underneath the man’s shirt, was the outline of the weapon. Summer grabbed Troy’s arm. “Just let it go.” Her voice came out so shaky, she was worried Troy didn’t hear.

The man glared at her for a second. Then he pushed past her and Troy and charged down the sidewalk.

“You okay?” Troy asked, two creases forming between his eyebrows. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Almost. He’ll be a ghost soon.

Ashlyn stopped in front of her. “What happened? What’s wrong?”

Summer shook her head.
Two in a matter of weeks? Most of the time she went months between occurrences. And while Gabriella scolded her for trying to save the guy she bumped into in North Park, Summer didn’t want to warn the man she’d just encountered. She wanted him to get what was coming to him. Still, she worried she should call the cops to make sure the elderly lady was okay.

What would I say, though? I think there’s going to be a break-in somewhere near the beach. Get the bad guy so the old woman doesn’t have to.
Feeling like she might vomit, Summer folded over, squeezing her eyes closed. The world was still spinning, so she dropped to her knees.

Troy and Ashlyn crouched down next to her.

Troy cupped her cheek, his hand warm against her skin. “Tell me what you need.”

Where to even begin? She needed the world to stop spinning. To not see people die.
To not know that Ashlyn was going to. Summer took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “I think I just need some food. I’m hungry, and it’s making me light headed.” She forced herself to her feet. “How far is this place?”

Troy put his arm around her waist to steady her and pointed to the blue building on the corner. “It’s right there.”

Summer was almost sure she could make it.

***

“Hey listen to this,” Dad said, calling Summer into the living room. “This guy tried to rob a little old lady, but she shot him when he reached for his gun. They think he’s been responsible for several break-ins down in the PB area.”

It was too big of a coincidence to be just that.

Summer sat on the couch and Dad un-paused the television.

“A man was shot today when he tried to rob an elderly resident,” the news anchor said, and the footage cut to one of their reporters. He held his microphone up to the gray-haired woman from
Summer’s vision, and ice spread through Summer’s veins.

“I heard something downstairs,” the woman said. “So I called 911 and got my gun. When I saw the man reach for his weapon, I fired.”

“That’s one tough lady,” the anchor commented when they cut back to him. “Cops arrived on the scene and took the body away. No charges will be pressed against the woman for defending herself…”

“That’s crazy, huh?” Dad said, turning the volume down a couple of clicks. “Maybe more criminals will think twice before they go take whatever they want now.”

“Yeah crazy,” Summer said, unable to take her eyes off the screen.
He deserved it,
she told herself over and over, trying to convince herself she’d done the right thing. A shudder went through her body. A cold so cold it burned, took hold of her insides. You’d think she’d be used to it by now. How do you get used to death, though? To seeing it happen before it really happens?

The answer was simple.

You don’t.

Chapter Nineteen

Bumping into someone with a dark soul brought on the worst nightmares
Summer had ever experienced. For two nights she saw montages of gruesome deaths. Blood, gasping for air, dead eyes. If that wasn’t bad enough, the nightmares last night featured Ashlyn dying in every possible way.

So, as
Summer sat at lunch on Monday, looking across the table at Ashlyn, her mind kept flashing to those images of her friend’s body, devoid of color and life.

Ashlyn took a sip of her Diet Coke and set it back on the table with a clink. “I had a genius idea. I know living at home when I go to college would be the cheaper way to go, since San Diego State is only a couple miles from my house, but I can’t wait to get out on my own.” She picked the tomatoes out of her sandwich and tossed them off to the side. “I was thinking that you and I should find a place and move in together. We’ll surf, even study on the rare occasion, and it’ll be a blast. What do you think?”

Summer thought about how much fun they’d have living together and about how nice it would be to meet people and go everywhere with Ash by her side. Since meeting Ashlyn, Summer didn’t feel so lost anymore. Little by little, she felt like the person she used to be. The person who laughed easily and was comfortable with who she was. The person who stood up for herself and wouldn’t keep going back to a boyfriend who didn’t treat her right. She’d missed this girl, and she didn’t want to go back to the way things had been before getting to know Ashlyn.

Most of all, she didn’t want Ashlyn to die. A giant lump formed in her throat. “It sounds like so much fun that I wish it was now.” Tears were threatening, and
Summer blinked, trying to keep them from spilling. She knew she should tell Ashlyn to make her life worthwhile now. Tell her to go spend time with her mom. But she couldn’t force out the words without having a complete breakdown.

Summer stood so quickly her thighs slammed into the table and scooted it a couple inches. “I just remembered I have to go do something before my next class. I’ll see you later, okay?”

She charged out of the cafeteria and headed to the quieter part of campus. Her knees felt like they were going to give way, and her heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. She reached out and steadied herself on the brick exterior of the band room. Warm tears slid down her cheeks. She crumpled to the ground, hugged her knees into her chest, and dropped her head on them. Then she went ahead and let go of all the emotions she’d been fighting back for days.

Losing Mom was bad enough. Why do I have to lose Ashlyn, too?

Grief and despair tore at her heart, making it impossible to breathe. She knew all too well what it was like to lose someone she loved. It had sent her into depression and made her numb for months. She couldn’t do it again. The hurt never quite healed, either. Not all the way.

The door near her opened, and she buried her head deeper, hoping whoever it was would ignore her.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. “What are you doing here, Sunshine?”

Not Troy.
Anyone but him.
She sensed him sit down next to her.

“What’s going on?” he asked. “Is it Kendall and the rest of the girls? Are they getting to you?”

Unable to answer, she shook her head. There was no answer anyway. Nothing she could explain.
Well you see our friend Ashlyn is going to die and she’s a good person
.
And instead of making sure her death is filled with peace for her and her loved ones, I’m so selfish that I’m out here crying because
I
need her here with me.

That thought made her start crying all over again.

Troy draped his arm around her shoulders and she rolled toward him, crying against his shoulder. “You want me to go get Ashlyn?” he asked.

“No.” Her voice came out muffled, since her face was still buried in his shirt.

“You want to ditch the rest of school?”

Summer sniffed, struggling to get her emotions under control. “Yes, but I can’t. If I miss dance practice, the girls will kick me off for sure. And I don’t even want to think of the lecture I’d get from my dad.”

For a couple minutes they sat in silence. Summer kept her head against Troy’s shoulder as he ran his fingers up and down her back. It still felt like she had a rock in her gut, but with Troy next to her, everything seemed the tiniest bit better. The tears tapered off, and her breathing gradually returned to normal.

When Troy spoke, his voice was soft. “You want to go to a show tonight? There’s this band called Crusifictorious from Texas, and they’re supposed to be decent.”

“That sounds good. I’ll see if Ashlyn wants to come, too.” Summer lifted her head. The place was deserted, which meant she was already late for her next class. “Man, I’m a mess.” She straightened up and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“Maybe I could help if you told me what’s going on.”

“You already helped.” Summer stood, offered a hand to Troy, and pulled him to his feet. When she went to let go, he kept hold of her hand.

“Summer.” He so rarely said her name that hearing it from his lips pinned her in place, goose bumps scattering across her skin.

“Music will help,” she said when she finally found her voice again. “You always being there helps. That’s what I need the most right now.” She squeezed his hand, and this time he let her release it. “I’ll pick you up after I get done with practice.”

Troy reached into his jacket pocket and produced a pair of sunglasses. “Want these?”

Summer took them and put them on. They felt huge. “How do they look?”

The glasses slid down, and Troy pushed them back up on her nose. “You look like the Terminator.”

I feel like the Terminator. Not so much the tough part, but the killing part.
The smile she gave him was weak, but it was the best she could manage right now. “I’ll see you tonight.”

***

The door to Ashlyn’s house swung open, revealing Pamela. “Hello, Summer. I’ll get Ashlyn.”

Summer bit her lip, shifting her feet from side to side. “Um, actually, could I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sure. You need some advice on how to tone up those arms?”

Summer glanced at her arms, suddenly self-conscious of them. Then she remembered her mission. “You know, I used to judge people too harshly. The more open I am, the more I find out how many good people there are. It doesn’t matter what they look like, doesn’t matter if their interests are different than yours. You miss out if you don’t take the time to really get to know people.”

A crease formed between Pamela’s eyebrows as she looked at Summer. “Well, good for you then. For…figuring that out.”

“Ashlyn is one of the best people I’ve ever known. Her heart is gold. Your daughter is awesome.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

“I do think so.” Before her determination faltered, Summer straightened and plowed on with the rest. “But I also think she needs to hear it more. You letting her know how awesome she is would mean a lot, I know it would.”

Pamela’s nostrils flared. “I’m responsible for keeping her safe and making sure she’s got the best life possible. I always compliment her when she eats well and exercises. And I reward her when she gets good grades. I take care of my daughter.”

Pulse pounding through her head,
Summer met Pamela’s gaze. “Yeah, but you’re overlooking who she is as a person. She’s funny, sweet, and fiercely protective of her friends. She needs you to see who she is.”

Anger flickered through Pamela’s eyes. “We all express ourselves differently, and I don’t need you to tell me how to talk to my daughter.” Looking over her shoulder, she raised her voice. “Ashlyn,
Summer’s here!” Without another glance at Summer, Pamela walked away, leaving her standing in the empty doorway.

So much for being a natural at this job.

***

Troy walked across his yard and hopped in the backseat of the Civic. “What is this awful music?” he asked as they drove away.

“It’s good.” Summer turned it up, knowing how much Troy hated dance music.

“They say the same lyrics like five hundred times. The music is all computer generated—not even real music—meaning they’re not even real musicians. I still can’t believe you listen to this garbage.”

“But you can do this to it.” Summer danced as much as she could while driving.

Ashlyn laughed and danced along. “She’s right. It is good for dancing.”

“You’re going to wreck dancing to this,” Troy said.

“Nope. We’ve got to stop at this light.” Summer threw her car in park and made her dance moves bigger. “I’m not moving until you join in.” She twisted toward Troy. “Come on, Mister Bond. Dance.”

He rolled his eyes, then made a sorry, mini-throw-his-arms-up attempt at a dance move. “There. Are you happy?”

“Very.” Summer noticed they’d caught the attention of the car next to them. “Those guys are staring at you, Ash.”

“Still staring?” Ashlyn asked, her eyes on the road in front of her.

“Uh-huh.”

In one swift movement, Ashlyn twisted, flattening herself against the window. The guys in the car jumped. Summer laughed at their priceless wide-eyed expressions. The light turned green, and she shifted into drive and accelerated through the intersection. “You’re so awesome, Ash.”

“I know, right? There’s nothing quite like giving a bunch of frat boys a heart attack at a stoplight.”

Summer glanced at Troy in the rearview mirror. “Now, since you showed us your awesome dance moves, Mister Bond, I’ll find a happy medium. Music you can dance to that’s still genuine music.” She switched to her Paramore playlist and continued bobbing her head—as hard as it was not to go all out and do a little head banging, she’d promised both Gabriella and Dad she wouldn’t get into any more trouble with the cops.

The parking lot of Equinox was surprisingly full for a Monday night. Summer finally managed to find a parking space, and they headed inside the club. “I can’t believe how crowded it is,”
Summer said as they squeezed in with the rest of the people waiting for the show.

They forced their way to the front as the band took the stage.
An electric guitar rung out, one note, then another. Drums mixed in, slow at first before gradually picking up speed. A pale kid with a lot of freckles and red hair stepped up to the microphone. Everything sped up, including the lights swinging around the room.

Then there was only the music and the energy hanging in the air, seeping into her skin until it was pumping through her veins as well.

In the middle of the second song, Troy leaned in. “So, what do you think?” he shouted over the music.

“Why are they yelling at me?” Summer shouted back.

“I think that’s supposed to be singing.”

“Oh,” she said with a laugh. “That explains a lot.”

Troy put his hand on the small of Summer’s back and his warm breath hit her neck. “But look at the drummer. He’s really good.”

The drummer’s arms flung through the air in lightning fast movements, and he had this intense look of concentration on his face.

“He’s cute, too,” she said.

“Yeah, that’s why I pointed him out,” Troy said, his words dripping with sarcasm.

Summer gave him a side hug, wrapping one arm around his waist. “Thanks for getting me out tonight. Practice was hell again and I needed this. Even if the lead singer is yelling at me.”

Troy smiled down at her, and her heart jumped into her throat. The lights turned his skin colors. Red, green, blue. Glimpses of every shade of Troy, and they all looked good. The song ended, and the world seemed to stop, just her and Troy, standing in the middle of the floor.

Ashlyn grabbed Summer’s free hand. “I’m in dire need of a Diet Coke.”

Before
Summer could figure out if she and Troy were having a moment, she was yanked away and being tugged through the crowd. A tall guy bumped into her, and Summer tightened her grip on Ashlyn’s hand so she wouldn’t get lost in the sea of people.

When they came out into an open area, there he was.

Cody’s eyes met hers before she could decide whether to say hi or hurry away.

“Just a second.” Summer pulled Ashlyn toward her ex-boyfriend. It seemed like a good idea to say hi, but now that she was standing in front of him, it was more awkward than anything. “Hey. What are you doing here?”

Cody stared at her for a moment, brows drawn low over his eyes. Then he gestured to the guy standing next to him. “This is my brother, Tyler. He’s in town for a few days, so we decided to catch a show.”

Summer nodded at his brother, who had the same blue eyes, blond hair, and handsome features as Cody. She knew Tyler played football for a college somewhere—Arizona? New Mexico? Somewhere cactusy. She never could remember. “Nice to meet you.” She waved an arm at Ashlyn. “Um, you know Ashlyn right?”

Cody looked at Ashlyn, his eyebrows pulling together even more. She couldn’t quite place the strange expression on his face. It was similar to the one he made when memorizing confusing football plays. “You were at Kendall’s party,” he said to Ashlyn. “And you and Summer have been hanging out a lot lately.”