"Summer. Your mama wants you to come back inside. Summer, where are you?"
I didn't answer. I sat there, my blood racing, my pulse throbbing in my neck.
He called me again and then he started toward his own house, his head down. I sat back, my arms folded under my breasts and just stared down at the gazebo floor.
"I thought you were so sick," I heard. At first I thought I had imagined it.
When I turned. I saw no one for a moment or two, Then Harley moved out of the shadows toward me.
"Harley? What are you doing out here?"
"I could ask you the same thing, Summer. What's going on? I saw you come running out of your house. then I heard Roy screaming for you," he continued as he approached the gazebo. He paused at the railing and waited.
My tongue seemed pasted to the roof of my mouth. It had gone on str
ike if I dared to utter another lie. I thought.
"I didn't come home because I was sick. Harley. Not exactly," I added.
He continued to stare. Then he nodded.
"I know," he said. "I felt that when you spoke to me before and then. when Roy learned you were back. I saw how concerned he quickly became. Are you going to tell me the truth?"
"Yes," I said. "but its not easy to talk about it."
"Okay," he said. "I'll be patient."
He hopped over the railing and sat beside me.
"There's nothing you can do about it. Harley Arnold, so I don't want you rushing off on your motorcycle and make me feel terrible for telling you. I couldn't stand another troubled thought."
"Uh-huh," he said.
"I mean it. I want you to promise with all your heart and I want you to know that if you break your promise. I won't talk to you anymore or care about you or anything."
"Okay," he said.
"Okay. what? Do you promise?"
"I promise," he said with great reluctance.
"I did a bad thing. I went for a walk with a boy after curfew."
"That's it?" he asked quickly grimacing.
"No," I said.
"What else?"
"I was more stupid. I let him talk me into looking at his new van and when I got into it..."
"What?" My silence filled in the blanks very quickly. "He did something to you?"
I nodded.
"Remember your promise," I warned him. Even in the darkness. I could see his rage building. I certainly could feel the heat of it.
"Well, what did they do? I mean the school, the police?"