Firefly

16: the edgewater lake

Chapter 16: Edgewater lake.

Elena

"Hello, Summer," He says as I open the door. 

"Hi," I say noting the leather seat. 

Tristen Roberts. Five-eight, center player, light brown hair, and light blue eyes. I peek around the seat, searching for anything unusual that I don't want to find in the middle of the drive—used/unused condoms, condom wrappers, light brown hair strands, hair ties or scrunchies, panties, anything. 

But I'm rather blessed. I find nothing. Justin cleaned up well. I plant myself in the seat and settle in. He gives me a probing look as I fasten my seatbelt. "Searching for bombs? Guns? Knives?"

The floral scent hits me instead of the wood, green, and leather. A smile appears on my lips as I shake my head. I don't answer. He heaves before he drives. Dylan wasn't home today. Even though my door was locked from the inside, I had a nervous feeling while I got out that he'd catch me mid-way. 

"How was the date?" He watches the empty road like a hawk. So we were talking now. I appreciated his effort to initiate because I didn't want to sit in silence tonight. 

I laughed to myself. "What date? It was a thank-you-coffee. Just because we had coffee, and there were red roses--"

"--and he asked you to be his date," Justin helps. His lips curl and my mind goes blank. Of course, Caleb would have told him. He didn't ask to know, he asked to tease. 

"For homecoming," I stated. "Doesn't mean it was a date." I look outside the window. We were going South again. Maybe he was finishing all places in one boundary first before moving to the next one. 

"Thank-you-coffee." Justin whiffs. "Sure." 

I know I should've thanked him instead of Caleb, but muttering gratitude is all I can afford for this guy. It's a surprise we're talking today, I can't just buy him coffee out of the blue. 

I focus my gaze outside the window he's left rolled down today. There's excitement in the air between us today. I can't stop smiling. I don't know if it's because of what happened with Caleb at Starbucks, or the fact that I got four career shortlists, or if it's because Justin is not being a jerk. I'm happier today. 

Justin seems happier too. He's relaxed and talkative, and if I tilt my head and see him from a particular angle, he even appears to be smiling a little. Very little. But that's still progress. Maybe because he had sex with Tristen today. I so want to tease him but I just might spoil his happy mood so I refrain from touching that nerve or that topic. 

"Why did you say yes to Caleb, Summer?" His question comes out of the blue. I need to brace myself, replay it in my head, understand it, and frown because what does he even mean by that question? 

"I'm sorry?" I wait but he doesn't repeat. He knows I've heard it the first time. "It's none of your business." 

"I'm curious." Either he didn't hear my desertion or he's chosen to disregard it. 

I say the topmost thought on my mind. "Because he's sweet?" 

Justin steals a look at me before retracing back to the road. "You're going to homecoming as his date because he's sweet?" 

When he puts it like that, it sounds unsettling. "And because I like him. He makes me happy. I can relate to most of the things he says and I like his company. We hit off well." There. A well-suited answer on why I'm going to homecoming as Caleb Reed's date. 

"You like him as what?" His questions are so specific and dug deep in areas I'm trying to avoid. He's got this hack from his mother, I'm sure. 

"A special friend. Why are you asking me all these questions?" It's baseless.