Falling for Summer (9 page)

Drew is already completely dressed, obviously used to speed dressing after having one of his one-night stands with the girls from his past. He’s staring at me, his eyes shining bright. “That dress looks amazing on you, Sum,” he says.

He moves to touch me, to try to hold me in his arms. “Summer…Nat and Rachel’s here.”

“I know. We can’t let them know what just happened between us,” I say. “Rachel’ll be angry, and Nat…I don’t know how he’ll feel, but…oh God. I’m sorry, what did I just do?”

Drew held me in his arms and started stroking my back. “It’s okay, Summer. I moved too quickly with the physical part. That’s what I know what to do, that’s how I know how to relate to girls.”

“But I wanted all that, Drew. I want…” my voice trails off as the door to my room open, and Rachel comes in carrying a large duffle bag. She looks just as surprise to see us, as we are in seeing her. But why should either of us be surprised? Rachel and I have always shared this room at the Pad. Why should it be any different?

Chapter
9

Summer

R
achel sees me and lets out a squeal. “Summer!” She runs over to me and pushes Drew out of the way to hug me. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. Happy Birthday!” She squeezes me tightly before stepping back to look at me.

“I didn’t think it’s possible for you to look prettier than last summer, but here you are, absolutely gorgeous.”

“Just more volleyball and being too busy with school and the academy to eat,” I say. “I can say the same about you, though.” Rachel has her hair jet black like Drew’s, but instead of having purple streaks in her hair, they’re blue now, and it highlights her blue eyes. She’s lost weight too, and her clothes are tighter, showing off her toned body. “Whoa, where did you get that body?”

Rachel laughs and glances over at Drew. “Blame it on Drew. And you. Since coming home to San Francisco, he gets up early in the morning, and drags me out of bed to go jogging. I think he misses those early morning jogs with you, so he had to find someone to jog with, and well…I’d do anything to get out of the house for a while since Mom is still acting moody. Dad’s better than before, but that doesn’t say that he’ll continue with the divorce at any time.”

Rachel pokes a finger into Drew’s chest. “Why didn’t you tell me you were getting a scholarship to USC, and moving out early?” She looks hurt. “That’s pretty big news, Drew. I can’t believe you’d keep that news from your own twin.”

“It’s rather sudden news, Rach,” Drew says. “I just found out a few days ago, and I had to make a quick decision right away. I wasn’t even sure of it until yesterday.”

“Well, that’ll give you an excuse to move out of the house and to Malibu. I assume you’re going to stay here while you commute to USC?”

“Working out the arrangement with Summer right now,” Drew says, looking at me. “Staying here would be the ideal situation for me.”

Rachel nods looking from Drew to me and then back to Drew again. “I bet it would be,” she says.

“Hey,” Nat appears at the doorway. For someone who has barely slept and has flown twice back and forth between San Francisco and LA in one day, he looks remarkable. He still looks like a rock star with his freshly washed brown with copper highlights hair falling over his green eyes. He’s dressed in a black cashmere sweater that hugs his muscular but lean frame, and dark jeans that ends right at the top of a pair of black leather boots. He’s hot in a sophisticated and gentlemanly way, looking every inch like the prodigal son of a billionaire internet mogul.

“Nat,” Rachel says. “Looks like Summer and Drew are dressed up to go out. Did you guys eat already? I would have at this time of night…”

“Been waiting for Nat to show,” I say. “And there you are being very sneaky.”

“What?” Nat asks. “Why am I sneaky?”

“Because you brought Rachel over. Best birthday present ever.”

“So all of us can be here for your birthday and for the weekend,” Nat says.

“Looks like we are all here, but that’s nothing compare to my gift to you, Summer,” Rachel says.

“Oh, you have me curious now,” I laugh. “What is it?”

Rachel grins as she looks around her. “I get to teach one of your classes.”

Chapter
10

Summer

I
redeem Rachel’s birthday gift to me by having her teach a class at the Academy the Monday after my birthday weekend with the Donovans. With everyone back together at the Pad, we had a great time catching up with the last several months while enjoying our weekends barbequing on the beach or playing beach volleyball, jogging, or surfing.

After the weekend, though, Drew and Nat had to fly back home to work, while Rachel remained here for the rest of Winter Break. That was when I found out about her secret desire to follow in Aunt Sookie’s footsteps. She wanted to become an actress, so I said, “Let’s see how you are acting in front of a crowd, why don’t you teach one of my classes today?” She’s nervous at first because it’s her first time teaching, and although she’s decided she loves acting and wants to pursue it as a career, she’s unsure of herself.

“Don’t worry Rach,” I say, driving us to the Academy. “If there’s anything you know you have to get used to as an actor, it’s being in front of people. This is a safe, secure place where it’s all right to be yourself. Aunt Sookie has made the Academy a place where people can feel safe, secure and welcomed enough to bring themselves out. That’s what we use as actors. Our experiences, our memories, and our influences to pull out the emotions we need to get into character. I think you’ll be great at this, Rach. Plus, this class you’re teaching is probably going to be one of the easiest set of audience you’ll ever get – the Elementary Set – ages five to seven.”

Rachel’s eyes bug out for a second before she says, “So what will I be teaching?”

“How about something you do a lot of in real life,” I smirk. “Improv. Get them to pretend to be someone or something else for the hour. Stretch their imagination, ask them to think about all the things they would have to know, in order to become that thing. A hippo, for example, or a ballerina. What do they eat? Where do they live? Who do they live with? You know, background stuff.”

Rachel’s mouth opens into a big O. “You have to know all those things when you get into character? Five to seven year-olds?”

“Yup,” I say. “If you want to build out a well-rounded character. There’s more to looks, you know,” I joke.

“I should say the same about you, Summer. You’re surrounded by hotness all the time, and I don’t mean my brothers.”

“Oh, you mean Astor,” I say. “Well, not all the time. That was the problem.”

“Did you and he…” Rachel asks.

I blush. Rachel is my best friend since childhood, besides Drew and Nat, but I don’t want to be one of those girls who tell everyone everything. “Rachel, um, I’d like to keep that between Astor and me. I’m sorry, but Astor already has so many people wanting stuff from him, that even that little bit of info, if it leaks out, would cause him and me some embarrassment whether we did or not.”

Rachel licks her lips. “Oh, sorry, Summer, I don’t mean to pry. Just curious between girlfriends, that’s all.”

“I trust you Rach, it’s just that I don’t want to talk about that. You know Astor and I broke up, don’t you?” I take a breath. “I mean, I wasn’t even sure we were going with each other exclusively, but the schedule, the far away distance, the jealousy of having to see him kiss and get passionate with his co-star, the paparazzi, the fans…it’s too much for me right now. Maybe someday, when I’m back on my feet, but right now, I don’t need all that in my life.”

Rachel looks at me then with a sympathetic face. “Oh, Summer. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you actually broke up broke up with him. He’s so nice, and he clearly loves you. But like you said, if it comes with all that, then I can’t blame you. You have to live your life for you, Summer. Not for anyone else. Including me, who would be totally trying to get your number for Astor and seeing if…Ow! That hurt!”

“Rachel…not helping,” I say.

“Sorry, not that I have a chance with him, especially after you. But tell you what? Let’s get the teaching thing I have to do, over, and afterwards, let’s go out for some ice cream or shopping…my favorite pick me up. Maybe a manicure, and we can get all those new crazy colors, or maybe we can even put in some highlights in your hair.”

“Purple?”

“Pink.”

“Um, no. Maybe when I don’t have to be meeting parents and trying to get a scholarship to USC.”

“Okay,” Rachel says. “But live a little, Summer. I know you do, and you did when Aunt Sookie was alive. But just because she’s not, doesn’t mean you have to die, too.”

“Rachel!” I say. I know what she means, and I know it’s well-meaning, but right now her words sound a bit harsh to me. “I am living. Just not the way I was before with Aunt Sookie. Before I was a kid. Now, I have responsibilities, I have bills to pay, a school to run, trying to get a scholarship or find my way to pay for college, and…”

“Okay,” Rachel says. “Enough stressing, let’s get working. Then afterwards, let’s go have some girl time fun.”

“Girl time fun?” I ask, raising my eyebrows. “You’ve been hanging with the guys too long.”

“Can’t get rid of them, Summer. You know, I’m related to them and all.”

I shove Rachel then. “And you’re complaining?”

“Summer, if I didn’t grow up with them and didn’t know all their flaws and imperfections…if I didn’t look like the female version of one of them…I might find them, um, hot, but…”

“It’s a good thing you don’t, Rach, or that will be kinda perverse. Although I grew up with them and know all their flaws and imperfections, yet I find them, um, very hot.”

“Eww, Summer, okay, that’s enough girl talk for now,” Rachel scrunches her face. With her long straight black hair, blue streaks, bangs, porcelain oval face, big blue eyes, little nose, and full lips, she looks like an anime doll. Wearing a short black and blue plaid skirt, black tights, and black combat boots, completing that look, I half expect her to stick out her tongue.

“You look adorable, BTW,” I say. “The kids will love you.”

“Cause I dress like one of them?” Rachel asks.

“Because you’re you. You’re fun, upbeat, cute with a little bit of crazy thrown in.”

Rachel laughs. “That’s me!” She checks her face in the mirror and say. “Five to seven year olds wouldn’t mind someone who has a mark on her neck, would they?”

I look over, and I can see a small purple and blue bruise on her neck. “A hickey? You should’ve put makeup on it to tone it down.”

“I didn’t think I would have one. I mean I barely felt it last night when Ryan and I were coming together. It was so intense that when he bit me, all I can feel was me exploding.”

“Um, Rachel, too much information,” I say. “But then again, I guess congratulations are in order that you and Ryan can get that far in your relationship and that you’re so happy together.” I think about Astor, and I’m a little bit sad about how things ended between us. But then I think about Nat and Drew…how I love each of them in their own way, and how I desire both of them in a mind-blowingly passionate way, too. Either one of them would be great with in bed…but am I ready to take that step and risk hurting one of them?

“We’re here!” Rachel says as we parked my SUV, another inheritance I received from Aunt Sookie. “So what should I say about this hickey? Should I put makeup on it, like you said?”

“Maybe, just in case you get any questions from the parents. And if you get any questions from the kids, just say…”

Rachel cuts me off and smiles widely. “That my boyfriend and I were playing vampires last night, and he took it too far, biting me for real that I actually got teeth marks.”

I nod, “Yup, that’ll do.” I shut off the engine, and opened my door. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Rachel responds, and we head into class.

*****

Rachel is grinning from head to toe, so pleased with her first time teaching. “I didn’t know it’d be so fun,” she says. “I mean, what a bright group of kids. What they came up with is so imaginative. Even funny! It was like they were entertaining me instead of me entertaining them.”

“Told you you’d like it,” I say, locking up the doors of the Academy and walking with Rachel to my car. “So what girlie thing do you want to do? Ice cream, a manicure, streaks in hair, or shopping or…”

“Hey, let’s leave the car here and walk over to that cute shopping area near the beach. They have an ice cream shop there, a beauty salon, and some cute boutique stores,” Rachel says. “Maybe we can get all of those things in today.”

“Maybe…if there’s no wait, but if not, then what do you really want to do?”

“Oh, it doesn’t matter,” Rachel says. “The important thing is, I’m here, back in Malibu, with my best friend, and being here with you is all that matters.”

“Aw,” I stop and hug her. “Thank you, Rachel. I’m just happy being here with you, too. I wish you were back here all the time, like when we were kids.”

“I know, me too. I think Drew and Nat feel the same way. Only, unlike me, they’re actually doing something about it.”

“Hey,” I say, “just because you’re a girl doesn’t mean you can’t too. If you want to be here, you’ll find a way. Plus, if you really like acting and want to pursue it, you should be here. You can always help me out with the Academy…”

Rachel’s eyes light up. “That would be perfect, Summer. After I graduate from high school, I can try to get into college around here, major in Drama, help you teach classes at the Academy, and see Ryan all the time. Oh, I’m so excited about this! Why didn’t I think about that?”

“Because I think you always had things planned for you. Because you’re the kid sister, the youngest one, and no one expects anything from you. It’s just the opposite with me where I’ve always been taught by Aunt Sookie and my mom to be self-sufficient, to be independent, to take care of myself.”

“To grow up too soon?” Rachel asks.

“Maybe, and now I’m really feeling it since Aunt Sookie’s gone.”