I shovel in the last spoonful of cereal. “Summer.”
“The Barnes girl?”
The crease becomes deeper and I take my bowl over to the sink, rinsing it under the water. “Yes, Mom. You know she’s back.”
“Why is she taking care of Whit?”
I haven’t told my parents everything about our relationship with Summer. Not only wouldn’t they understand, they would also be terrified she’d be a distraction from my future. That was one of the reasons we made the pact back in high school. Get out of Ocean Beach. I just didn’t realize the reason for staying here would roll up in a shiny, Airstream trailer.
My mother’s fear of me knocking up some local girl or tourist vanished, but were replaced by a new horror of me chasing a girl too interested in my best friends.
“Because she had the time and she’s a nice person, Mother.” She rolls her eyes at my use of the word “mother.” She deserves it. “I’ve got a busy day. I’ll see you later, okay?”
She nods and I kiss her forehead. Her tense expression softens but I still see traces of worry in her eyes. She touches my hand. “You be careful.”
“I will,” I tell her, and I don’t know if this is her standard request for my safety or something more—most likely involving my heart. What she doesn’t understand is that it’s in good hands. The safest hands, and I’ve never felt so motivated or focused in my life.
Before I leave the driveway, I text Summer.
P-Need anything? How’s the patient? How are you?
A few moments later, a text rolls through.
S-Whit had a long, fever-filled night. Sleeping now. Could you stop by the trailer and get me some clothes?
P-Yep. Headed there now.
The drive to the trailer park is short. When I was in high school I could walk or ride my bike over—it’s one reason I started working here. I park by Anita’s and walk down the pathway to Summer’s trailer. It’s early enough that I’m surprised to see someone on the path, double surprised to see that it’s Avery.
“Hey, man,” I say as we get closer to one another. He hadn’t noticed me yet and jumps a little.
“Oh, Pete, hey.” He rubs the back of his neck. “You working this early?”
“Nah, just grabbing something for a friend.”
“Cool, cool. Well, I better get home.” He glances over his shoulder. “I fell asleep at a friend’s last night.”
Avery needed some friends—one’s that aren’t still in high school. Hopefully he found someone. I say goodbye and continue down the path to Summer’s trailer. Ms. Barnes gave me a key to maintain the unit while she was gone. I rarely come by, maybe once every few weeks to check on things, but with Anita and Bobby nearby it hasn’t been a worry.
I unlock the door and step inside the trailer. I’ve been here enough with Summer to have a vague idea of where to find her clothes. I walk to the tiny bedroom and bend down to the cabinets. I find a familiar-looking shirt and some shorts I’ve seen her wear. The underwear drawer is already partially open and again, I pick a pair I’ve seen. When I stand, I glance at the floral-patterned bedspread and frown. In the middle of the pillows is a bunch of yellow daisies, torn to shreds.
“What the hell?” I mutter, realizing I missed it the first time because of the pattern of the quilt. I glance around the room but nothing else seems out of place. I gather the clothes and leave them on the kitchen table and walk through the rest of the trailer. In the bathroom is a small window left partially open. The screen is cut. Shit. It was probably an animal. I slide the window closed and secure it with the latch, making sure it’s locked, then go back to the bedroom to clean up the mess on the bed, checking for any other disturbance. I don’t see any and there’s no evidence of an animal still in the house. Summer keeps her food secure in the cabinets. The flowers were probably the only thing they could find.
In the kitchen I find two old grocery bags. In one I put Summer’s clothes. In the other, the flower mess. I’ll come back later to fix the screen.
I’m securing the door when I hear a car roll up on the gravel. A woman, dressed way nicer than any of the local residents or e
ven tourists, steps out of the driver’s side. She smiles when she sees me.
“Hi, I’m Shay, is Summer here?”
It clicks that this must be the reporter she’s been spending time with. “Sorry, no. I just came by to get something for her.”
“Oh, bummer. I tried calling her this morning and she didn’t answer.”
“She’s with a friend of ours who isn’t feeling well. Spent the night there so she may still be asleep.”
“Oh.” She looks a little lost but focuses her gaze back at me. “So, you’re one of her friends?”