CHAPTER ONE: LOVE HAUNTS.

Summer's Tale

Chapter One: Love Haunts.

I opened my eyes and gasped for air. Seconds later, tears were streaming down my cheeks.

Another nightmare. I wiped away the tears and tried to shake away the horrible feeling.

I couldn’t sleep anymore. Sighed.

After so many months, why does it just keep coming back to me?

…

“Summer, can you stop showing your damn face?” My best friend, Kate suddenly exploded with harsh words, “Get over him! Sweetie, accept the fact! Besides, you’re the one who dumped him! Look at him, how happy he’s with his life, he don’t give a damn about you anymore! And look at yourself, how lifeless are you? How long had you been stuck in this depressed soul of yours, Summer?” “I’m sorry Kate, I had a bad night yesterday.” “Don’t be sorry to me, sorry to yourself.”

I know this will be another bad day. Well, just like how it had been for the last, 285 days since I left him. I gave Kate a fake smile and shrugged off to my next class. I heard her mumbled something under her breath.

I couldn’t blame Kate. I knew I had driven her crazy. Besides, she helped me through the darkest time I’ve ever lived through. Despite all the harsh words she might throw at me from time to time, I knew Kate was just worried about me and she was praying every day that she could see the old time Summer come back again, the one who used to laugh so much and being so cheerful and optimistic more than anyone else.

I am Summer Darren. And this is a story about me, a pathetic girl trying to find her long lost love.

…

“Summer Darren, please report at the office immediately, Mrs. Yale wants to talk to you, and it’s urgent.” Wait. Did I just hear my name? “Summer! Summer! So, the old hag wants to talk to you, what you’ve done? Flirted her husband?” Sean laughed at his own joke. “Cut it off, Sean.” I stared at him. Sean sensed that I wasn’t in a good mood for jokes, stopped laughing immediately. “This isn’t one of your best days huh?” “No. Sorry Sean.” Looking at Sean’s gloomy face made me felt so guilty. I gave him an apologetic look and headed towards Mrs. Yale’s office.

Sean knew what I was going through and he had always been there for me, even though I ignored him most of the time. But to be truth, he does make things felt better for me when things had gone so wrong. As if even the world comes down, it also didn’t matters. I guess that’s one of his talents huh. I know Sean wasn’t feeling any better than me, seeing me so torn apart. I know Sean had felt so broken hearted, looking at me, through my teary eyes.

Mrs. Yale is still waiting for me. I better hurry.

“Mrs. Yale?” “Yes. Summer.” “I heard that you wanted to talk to me?” “Yes. Summer.” There was an awkward silence between us. She was humming an unknown melody and turning her pencil with her fingers. I looked around her office, wondering what’s on Mrs. Yale’s mind and why is it taking her such a long time to talk? Doesn’t she know I have class later? Mr. Finnegan’s class! How can I miss Chemistry? Oh why isn’t she talking? Should I say something now? …

“Summer.” Her voice startled me. “Yes, Mrs. Yale?” “There had been quite a lot going on your mind isn’t?” “Yeah sure. Assignments, exams.” “I’ve been hearing a lot of comments from the teachers.” “Oh.” Oh boy, this isn’t good. “To be specific, it’s more of complaints than just comments. Summer, what had you been doing lately?” “Umm, still assignments, exams.” Oh let me out of this weird situation please. “But you haven’t been doing well.” “Yes I know, Mrs. Yale. I’ve been having a lot of problems lately. But still, I’ll try to keep up as much as possible.” “Hopefully. Summer, you know a lot of teachers have high hopes on you. They know you’ll have a bright future, so don’t let them down.” “I understand Mrs. Yale, I’ll do my best in the coming on final exam.” “I’m sure you will, Summer. Alright, you can go back to your class now.” “Goodbye Mrs. Yale.” I walked out of the office, and tried hard not to knock anything down.

Among the teachers, I am the type of smart girl, or genius you can say. They always expect a lot from me, expecting me to always be the best and most outstanding ones among the other students, expecting that I would succeed in life, expecting that I would be different. But come on, beneath I’m nothing but another normal human. With all the crying at nights, waking up in the middle of the night by the terrify nightmares, you couldn’t possibly still expect me to get my head into all the assignments and exams right?

I couldn’t get him out of my mind.

He used to come over my house everyday after school. We would spend time studying together. We would sit by the porch outside as we memorize mathematic formulas together. We would lay behind the garden with the sunflowers around us as we write an English essay together. We were such a great match really. Both of us were smart and we were bright kids …

Summer, you have to stop. That was half year ago. I know, but who could have stop love from coming? Everyone thought that we were gonna last forever. Even we thought it would. But who knew it would all end up this badly? Sighed.

“Summer, is everything alright?” I’m pretty sure Corinne had notice the frown on my face. “Yeah, as always.” “Oh, don’t be sarcastic. Mrs. Yale couldn’t be that bad right?” So what now? Even my friends think that my condition is that worse, even the school wants to kick me out? Gee. “Nothing really, just some extra classes she asked if I wanted to join.” I’m good at lying, by anyways. “Oh I see, okay then. Things would be fine, Summer. Catch you later.” “Sure.”

After Corinne left, I heard the lunch break bell rang and so I started walking towards the canteen. Suddenly, there was a familiar laughter coming from somewhere near. He passed by me and his smooth skin touches mine. My heart started racing, but as I was about to turn over and say hi, he was gone. I doubt he even realized I was there. To him, I would have been categorized in the strangers group I guess. “Oh well ... hi.” That wasn’t the first time anyway. So I just continued walking towards the café with all the crowds.

“Summer, you joining us?” Sean asked me hopefully, even though I’m sure partly he already knew what my answer would be. I shook my head and mouthed, sorry. I skipped my lunch break most of the time. My friends were all nice and kind people but I bet ten to one that they wouldn’t want me there, with my sad look and all. I don’t wanna get them in more pain now. So I decided it might be better for me to disappear by myself.

I got up to my favorite hiding spot. Where I can get away from all the sadness and tears, get away from the crowds. This is the only place I can enjoy being with myself, enjoy with the silence.

“Sometimes silence can be so nice isn’t?” Ah, the familiar voice. Still so tender, still so real. I turned around even though I’m ninety nine point nine percent sure that he wouldn’t be there. Sighed, I’m having hallucination again. Well, it’s better than nothing. And so, eventually time flies as I rewind back to those blissful days.

…

“Summer, let’s ditch Mr. Kin’s class.” “Carter, the teachers are going to call the police searching all over the town for us.” He laughed. I love it a lot when he laughs. The sound just keeps on ringing in my head over and over again. “Too bad we’re the brightest kids in class isn’t?” “Yeah, that’s why Mrs. Yale always keeps an eye on us.” “You meant two eyes.” Carter truly knows how to make me laugh. “Alright you lazy bum, we have to keep moving now.” “Both of us know that we’re capable enough to skip Mr. Kin’s class.” “Yes Carter, I have no doubt that even Mr. Kin knows that. But he would love us to be there to pick out his mistakes.” “You’re right honey, better run now!” And we ran hand in hand, laughing together.

…

The bell rang and it brought me back to reality. I rather live in my dreamland, reality always seem cruel and evil to me. And, Carter’s love still haunts me.