PAST

Summer came sprinting over to my locker when she saw me. "CAM! CAM! CAM!" She grabbed hold of my arm as she bounced on the balls of her feet. Then she hit me with this radiant smile and damn.

Gosh, she was adorable. "Good morning, sunshine," I said coolly while I could feel my heartbeat doing everything but staying calm.

Summer was in a yellow chiffon blouse and a jean skirt with white converses. Pretty.

As per usual, her accessories were kept to a minimum, with a gold rope chain hanging from her neck. She told me once that it belonged to her father and she liked to wear it when she missed him, which was every day.

"We're getting out grades back today. And I predict we're getting an A." Summer grinned up at me confidently.

We did our presentation last Monday, and it went smoothly. Summer was a natural talking in front of everyone. I couldn't say the same, but I tried my best. We turned in our papers the day after that, and we're supposed to get them back today.

Reaching for my last textbook, I slammed my locker shut to give Summer my undivided attention. "Of course, we are. My partner is a historian, and I am..." I thought of something awesome to say.

Summer chimed in, "An all-around smarty pants."

I chuckled. "Nothing like that. I just like to study."

"So a nerd." She teased with a smirk.

I leveled my eyes with hers. "Well, it takes one to know one." I winked.

She snorted, covering her giggles with a cough.

If my buddy Vance were around, he would make a comment about us flirting, and he'd get an elbow in the ribs faster than I could run the mile. Vance was all for the teasing because his life must be too dull for anything else. That and he considered this payback for the time I told Lucy Kim that he had a crush on her back in middle school, and everyone poked fun at him mercilessly. To make matters worse, Suzy confronted him and said that he was too goofy and she was uninterested. His ego took a while to recover from that, and I felt like crap about it until now.

"Come on. I'll walk you to your first class." I held my elbow out, and Summer looped her arm around mine.

Yes, we were getting stares. People had been asking around about me and summer's relationship status for weeks, but I ignored them. It was none of their business.

Most people wanted something to gossip about, and others needed someone to turn their jealously towards when they realized they couldn't get my attention so easily.

I asked Summer how she did on her Pre-calculus homework last night after she texted a picture of an equation that had her completely stumped.

Immediately, I video called her, and we went over it together. We've gotten into a habit of doing that recently, and I loved it.

I wanted her to call me anytime, give me updates on her day or send an invitation to hang out. I'd take whatever time with Summer that I could get.

That rumor about me still hadn't been confirmed, and Summer had no problems pretending she didn't want to know anything.

Naturally, I've been dropping hints. But making a move to ask her out was a different story. I felt like I was waiting for the right time. Who knew when that would be.

"Thanks for walking with me. I'll see you later." Summer's hand cascaded down my forearm into my palm, where I held it.

"No problem." We stopped in front of her homeroom. That walk was too short, no matter how slow we had walked.

Summer looked down at our hands, and I saw a soft smile.

Say the words sunshine, and I'm yours. But alas, she slowly slipped out of my grip and waved goodbye.

"Yo!" I heard Vance call out from inside.

I peeked in, and that jerk was holding up an "L" on his forehead, and I gave him the middle finger.

What were best friends for? No, seriously. I needed to know because he was five seconds from being disowned.

I saw Kenny, Summer's bestie, slapped his bicep with her notebook. It wasn't hard, but it took him by surprise, so he jumped.

That's what you get.

Summer told me she was suspicious about those two. But so far, Vance hadn't said anything about Kenny besides that she was laid back and funny. A different breed from the girls he usually attracted.

When I heard the warning bell echoing throughout the school, I took off down the hall to my first class.

The hockey coach was also my psych teacher, and for every minute that we were late, he'd make us run laps after school.

I couldn't do that. Not when I had to catch the prettiest girl in school and convince her to let me give her a ride home.

***

After lunch, Summer and I walked to History together. Summer wasted no time asking Mrs. Koser for the research paper, but she said we wouldn't get them until the end of class. Summer mentioned how the suspense for the next hour would kill her, and Mrs. Koser laughed, sliding us our paper faced down.

"On three, we'll flip it!" I told her.

Summer counted with super speed and then nudged my hand to flip it over. We got a 94 percent.

Summer jumped, cheering and hugging me.

Mrs. Koser said our paper was well written, which was expected since all of Summer's research papers were excellent. Mrs. Koser told Summer she should think about majoring in journalism if she hadn't picked a college major yet.

I had to agree because I've been on her case about starting a blog. Now this made two people who taught Summer was more than capable of putting herself out there.

Summer gave me a pointed look as if to say, "Can it, St. James!" But I refused.

On the other hand, Rosie and Kenny thought Summer would make the perfect news anchor or museum curator like Wonder Woman. But I knew they'd support Summer regardless of what she chose.

Summer told Mrs. Koser she would think about it because she had time.

That also meant I had extra time to convince her to go for it.

History went by in a blur, and for the ninth period, Summer and I had to go to the opposite ends of the building, but I met up with her at the end of the day.

"Hey, Summer." She waved at me from Rosie's locker. "Can I take you home? We can stop at the diner for burgers if you'd like." I smiled, knowing bribery will get me everywhere.

"That sounds an awful lot like a date Cam?" Kenny said, peeping out from behind her.

"It's only a date if she wants it to be. But I think I could do better than a diner for our first time."

Summer's lips parted with a gasp.

"So the rumors were true," Kenny said, eliciting a grin from me. Sometimes I felt like she was the female version of Vance. A little mischievous but a whole lot of fun.

I hadn't planned on denying it. I just wanted Summer to ask me again so I could tell her the truth first.

"I think we should go!" Summer turned on her heels like speedy Gonzales, but the girls blocked her escape route. I knew I always liked them. Rosie spun her around to face me again, and then she leaned forward with her chin hovering over Summer's shoulder.

"So the rumors were true?" Rosie repeated Kenny's statement but in question form.

I watched the girls' faces as they tried to hold in their squeals of excitement while Summer fidgeted nervously, tugging on her backpack straps.

"You don't have to answer them!" Summer said, avoiding my gaze.

"Yes, he does. We wanna know!" Kenny swayed patted the top of her head. "What do you think of our girl Summer here, Cam? You two have been spending a lot of time together. I'm sure you've gotten to know one other well enough."

"True true."

"And?" The girls asked in unison.

"Summer?" I spoke her name, waiting for her to meet my gaze.

When those brown eyes landed on me, I said, "I like you. If you like me too, would you consider going out with me sometime? This whole diner thing wouldn't count, though. I have something better in mind."

"YES!" The girls answered for her.

Summer stood there staring at me unblinkingly in shock.

I stepped forward, and Rosie and Kenny gave us a little space.

"You know, I think we should get going. See you later, Summer." Kenny was the first to ditch us with Rosie following close behind.

Summer was still very much speechless.

"Text us later. Love ya'," Rosie whispered in her ear, and Summer nodded absentmindedly.

"I can't believe you just said that," Summer mumbled, hiding that gorgeous face with her hands and shaking her head.

"I would have told you eventually, but I was seizing the moment. I hope that was okay." I lifted her hands from her face, holding them in mine. "Did I embarrass you?"

I examined her incredulous expression.

"Of course not! No. I was in shock for a bit, but that's all."

I sighed with a half-grin. "So, can we talk about that date?" I needed to hear her answer. I knew this wasn't one-sided. I've picked up on that much, but I was worried that Summer would think I was moving too fast. We've been friends for over a month, but that didn't matter to me because I've liked her long before that.

"Yes. Let's talk about it over that burger you promised me." Summer's lips spanned into a grin.

I smiled so hard. I felt like my face could split in two. "I'd like that."