Last Summer Part 14

**First of all, I just want to say that I am so, so sorry for the wait!! I truly had no idea it would take me this long. And...it's Spring Break down here, so I'm sure about two more chapters will be published by then. Okay, and to answer some questions.

You will find out why he didn't call her, but it's going to be a few chapters. Why is it taking so long? Because this story isn't just about that. Yes, it's mainly about that but there are other aspects of the story. Be patient my friends =D

Mandy- You seem so confused :) There is a reason he's crying and it isn't just because he didn't answer her calls. Okay, and for his name coming up a lot. Imagine yourself falling (hard) for a seemingly perfect guy who promised you that he would call you during the school year. And then he didn't. Then imagine you coming back, seeing him, and having him mess around with your feelings. Do you think he'd come up a lot in your thoughts? Hope you're not as confused! :)

2534x- When I said that, I meant that no one would know firsthand what she went through. Does that make sense?? :)

Okay, so I hope I've answered everything! Hope you enjoy this chapter-it's long!!**

When Tiffany finally got home, she seemed triumphant. A smile took permanent hold of her face and it actually made me a little nervous. What had she been doing? Or more importantly, who? "Honey, I’m home!" she called, and then laughed at her own joke. She must have met a guy.

I walked into foyer where she was placing her shoes and asked, "Why so happy? Did you meet someone?"

"No one new," she said, and then smiled as if she had made a little joke. What was that supposed to mean? My best friend could be so confusing sometimes. But what really baffled me was the fact that she looked like she had been crying or had been really close to crying. Her eyes were slightly rimmed in red.

"Okay," I said, not wanting her to elaborate on what she had done. It was probably better if I didn’t know anyways. "What movies did you get?"

She took her sunglasses off of her forehead and placed them onto the little shelve by the door. She informed me, "The Dark Knight, The Happening, and Prom Night. I know the Dark Knight isn’t exactly scary but this one guy was telling me that The Joker is like really disturbing."

"Great!" I exclaimed and then grabbed the DVDs off of the shelf. I brought them into the den and then placed them on top of the entertainment center. She walked into the den behind me and I asked her, "Did you find the place okay?"

She said, "Yeah, I asked some guys with surfboards."

I rolled my eyes and then asked, "Were they cute?"

She shook her head and joked, "Done better, but they had to do. Oh well! Tonight is a girl’s night anyways. When do you want to start the movies? I added them all up in my head and it’s close to like six hours and it’s already seven."

I then remembered that I was going to call my grandparents. I really needed to tell them. Besides, they had seemed so nervous about the way I had been acting, so I needed to reassure them that I was perfectly okay. I told Tiffany, "Let me go call my grandparents and take a shower and then we can start."

She smiled, "Alright. Tell the oldies I say ‘hi’!"

I assured her I would and then ran up the stairs and into my attic. My little cell phone light was blinking which meant that I had missed a call. But who would call me now? I had already talked to Todd and I was about to call my grandparents. But they didn’t know that so maybe they had called me first.

After the phone call with my grandparents, I took a shower and to tell you the truth, I was feeling quite cheerful. Even with the whole Caleb mishap earlier, my best friend and talking to my grandparents totally made my day better.

When the shower had run cold, I got out and slid into my most comfy pajamas. Tiffany loved to braid my hair so I would let her while we watched one of the movies. I rubbed some moisturizer on my face and then made my way down the stairs. Tiffany was already in her pajamas and snacking on a huge tub of popcorn. She had laid multiple blankets and pillows on the floor and was currently watching a rerun of What I Like About You.

She heard me enter and then smiled, "Yay! I get to braid your hair."

I rolled my eyes and her enthusiastic behavior and then sat down in front of her on the floor. She informed me, "We’re watching Prom Night first, just so you know." She then picked up the remote and then pressed the play button.

She started braiding my hair and asked, "Did you call your grandparents?"

"Yeah, but guess who called me at the beach."

"Who?!" she exclaimed, a bit of nervousness in her tone. She kept on braiding my hair though; accidentally pulling a couple of my small hairs. I winced at the pain, but never said anything.

"That guy from the bar…" I told her and then waited for her reaction. I was actually kind of nervous to hear what she had to say.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed and then pulled hard on a strand of hair a little too hard for my liking.

"Ow!" I yelled in protest.

If it was at all possible, I could hear her eyes rolling in her cranium. She squealed, "Shut up! What did he say? Did he ask you out?" She didn’t even take a breath as she asked me these questions.

"He asked me out for tomorrow at seven," I told her matter-of-factly, feeling quite proud of myself. I had gotten myself a date and I was darn proud of it. I never would have thought this day would come. Guys didn’t like me; it was like some unspoken guy rule. Maybe Todd hadn’t been informed of this rule, though.

"I’m so proud of you, Nikki! I’m so helping you get ready too, just so you know." She laughed and then I noticed the movie had started and neither of us was paying attention.

"That’s what you think," I pointed out, even though I knew for a fact she was going to force me to let her help me get ready. She was just that evil.

She pulled on my hair again, but this time it was on purpose. "Hey!" I exclaimed and then slapped her leg which was folded right by my side.

"Hey!" She yelled and then pulled again. We both started cracking up laughing and I couldn’t help but wonder if all the bad were behind me. Maybe Caleb today was rock bottom and then everything after that would be good.

*

The next day, at around nine that morning, the house phone started ringing. Tiffany was dead asleep right next to me. We had both fallen asleep during The Dark Knight which had been the third movie. I knew for a fact that Tiffany was a hard sleeper, so I was sure the ringing wouldn’t wake her.

I quickly stretched my arms over my head and then ran over to the kitchen where the house phone was located. I picked it up and yawned, "Hello?"

"Nikki!" Billy’s childish voice exclaimed on the other line. I smiled to myself; of course Billy would be the one who called me. He’s the only person I haven’t talked to in a while.

"Hey, Billy! What you doing, bud?" I asked him.

"Come over please!" he squealed and then I heard him protest when someone took the phone from him.

"Hey, Nikki," his grandma’s soothing voice greeted me on the other line of the phone.

"Hey Mrs. Edna," I said politely. What was going on? Had Billy really just asked me to go over to his house?

She sighed and apologized, "I’m so sorry for the early call, but I have a favor to ask of you. You see, my husband and I are going to this art exhibit and Billy won’t exactly…"

"Billy and art don’t mix, got it," I pointed out, earning a laugh from the elderly lady.

She agreed, "Exactly. You see, I would ask Caleb to watch him, but something has Caleb upset and he hasn’t come out of his room since yesterday afternoon. So, would you mind?"

"Of course not," I told her truthfully. As long as I didn’t have to see Caleb, I would be fine. I did feel bad, though. What had Caleb so upset? Caleb was rarely ever upset and for him not to even see Billy, it had to be major.

She told Billy, "She can come, sweetie." I smiled when I heard Billy squeal with excitement. She then told me, "Thanks so much, Nikki. We’re leaving in an hour. Is that alright?"

"That’s perfectly fine. I just need to be home by five." It would only take about two hours for me to get ready for my date, right? Did I really need that much work on my appearance? I mean, I knew I would never be as gorgeous as Tiffany, but did I really need a construction crew to work on my face? Probably.

"Oh, we’ll definitely be home by then. Thanks so much, darling. See you in an hour."

*

Fifty-five minutes later, I walked into the kitchen and saw Tiffany snacking on a banana. Even with her hair in disarray and her tattered pajamas, she looked gorgeous. I hated her. With a full mouth, she greeted, "Morning, Nikki; why do you look like you’re about to go somewhere?"

"Because I am," I said with a smile. She had just woken up, yet I was already going somewhere. It was usually the opposite. "Edna across the street asked me to watch Billy for a few hours today."

That caught Tiffany’s attention. "Wait…you’re going across the street? Is Caleb going to be there?" For some reason, she looked alarmed. I knew she didn’t like Caleb because of what he had done to me, but did she really think I was so helpless? Even if Caleb would be there, I would be able to take care of myself.

"Probably, but his grandma said he something’s got him upset and he hasn’t left his room since yesterday afternoon. I doubt he’ll come downstairs." Even though I wasn’t happy he was upset, at least I wouldn’t have to see him.

She laughed and then motioned towards their house with her banana. "Have fun," she teased and then giggled to herself. Why did she think Caleb being upset was so funny? I mean, she had a heart, right?

I grabbed my bag off of the coat hanger by the front door and slung it over my shoulder. My hand grabbed the cool metal of the doorknob and then jerked open the white wooden door. The Florida heat hit me full force in the face and I thanked God I was wearing a white camisole and black gym shorts. It was scorching outside and I was just about positive Billy would want to play outside.

The trek across the road was a weird one seeing as how I was wondering whether or not Caleb was watching me walk over to his house. I was scared to look at the window I knew was his, because the truth was, I wanted him to be watching me. The steps up to the front door seemed longer than normal because I wanted to be in the house already.

I wanted to see Billy and have him smiling widely at me. He could always make my day. I pressed the doorbell and heard it chime throughout the familiar house. It took a minute or two, but I finally saw his grandma make her way to the front door.

She opened the door and then wrapped her arms around me in a friendly hug. "Hey sweetie. Thanks so much for doing this! Billy’s so excited to see you again."

I broke out into a true smile and then pulled away from the friendly old lady that I had seen so much of last summer. "I’m excited to see him too," I told her truthfully. I loved Billy to tears; he made life seem so simple. Instead of having to deal with heartbreak and drama, he dealt with kindergarten naps and Hot Wheels toy cars.

She led me into the house and then said, "Billy’s taking a nap right now; he didn’t feel too good earlier. He should wake up in about an hour. I’m sure you can find something to do around the house." I was so surprised that she didn’t add "like make up with my grandson" at the end of that little statement. Somehow, I had a feeling that watching Billy was just a set up.

It was almost as if I was over here to cheer up Caleb. I didn’t even know what was wrong with him and I had a feeling that I didn’t want to know. It probably dealt with Ava or something. She probably cheated on him; she did look like a cheater. And I wasn’t going to comfort him about someone leaving him when he left me like that. No way in hell was I going to do that.

She did mention though, "Caleb came out of his room for breakfast and ate a little something, but he went straight up after that."

"Does he know I’m here?" I asked her, dreading the answer. On the one hand, I wanted him to know so that maybe he would choose not to talk to me. But what if he did want to talk to me? My being here would just reduce the trip across the street. On the other hand, if he didn’t know that I was here, there was a chance of him coming downstairs to get something and then seeing me. So basically, I was screwed either way.

She nodded and told me, "Billy told him when he was having breakfast. He didn’t seem angry if that’s what you’re wondering. To tell you the truth, he’s just been so upset ever since yesterday and it’s infuriating me not knowing what’s going on. I’m a nosy little booger when it comes to Caleb."

I laughed at the end statement even though I was hurting on the inside. What was so wrong with him? Caleb had always been so happy, so why was he now acting like the scary guys at my school who wore make-up? But why did I even care? You know what, I don’t care. I’m going to be a heartless wretch and just not even bother caring.

She called her husband over and then informed me, "We should be home by three, alright?"

The elderly couple was out of the house within moments and I found myself feeling awkward. What was I supposed to do at the house where I had basically lived last summer? When Caleb and I had been together, we would be watching a movie, playing on the beach, or hanging out in his room listening to music and staring at the sky.

But what was I supposed to do here by myself? There was a TV. Could I just vegetate on the couch until Billy woke up? I wasn’t in the mood to do that, though. I really wanted to be on the beach, but if Billy wasn’t feeling well, then he should not go on the beach.

I sighed to myself until I heard loud footsteps on the stairs. Billy wasn’t exactly capable of making sounds when he moved unless he was walking into random objects. Shit. That meant Caleb was now making his way down to where I was.

Before I could even move towards the den, Caleb murmured my name. I turned to see him and noticed that he was wearing a tattered T-shirt and pajama pants. That was what he wore when he was upset. His cheeks were covered with red patches and his eyes were rimmed in pink; obvious signs of crying. Wow, that Ava chick must have meant a lot to him. I had never seen him cry over me before. His hair was disheveled, but of course it looked unbelievably sexy on him.

"You okay?" I asked, not even in the mood to fight with him. He looked too upset to even say a harsh word too. Even though I had promised myself to be a heartless wretch towards him, I just couldn’t help being nice to him. He looked too much like a devastated little kid.

His face then turned confused; as if he was having a hard time believing I was being nice to him. If I had been him, I would have been confused too. He nodded and then stammered, "Yeah…have…my, um…my grandparents left?"

"Yeah, you just missed them," I told him. Why was he stammering? Did I make him that uncomfortable?

"Damn it," he muttered and then looked around the room. "I needed to ask them something." Woah. He has just said a sentence and it hadn’t been hurtful or teasing or annoying. Maybe the two of us were making progress not to be so awkward around each other.

"If you have plans, you can just leave. I’m watching Billy today."

He caught my eye and sent an inquisitive look my way. "What makes you think I have plans?" His lips were turning into a smirk and I caught myself smiling too. No! I couldn’t do that to myself! I was not going to even be friends with him again; it would just be way too dysfunctional.

"Well…youare Mr. Popularity now, right?" I asked, not bothering to cover the sarcasm in my voice. How I had gone from being nice to a sarcastic jerk in less then two minutes, I had no idea.

He rolled his eyes and said, "What are you talking about?"

"Does it even matter?" I asked harshly, placing my hand onto the kitchen counter behind me. I was bracing myself for a fight, and for once I was prepared. Maybe I could hold my own this time.

But even though I was prepared, there was no fight, not even close. Caleb took one look at my face and his stance relaxed. He murmured, "I’m going to go upstairs."

Before I could even stop myself, I scurried over to him and placed my hand on his forearm. Something was wrong with him and I couldn’t take it. Even though I wanted to hate him, I just wasn’t strong enough. Caleb was hurting and I needed to know why. His eyes widened when he looked down at me. I looked up at him and asked, "What’s wrong?"

He shook his head, but didn’t remove his arm from my grasp. The heat radiating off of his arm was familiar and pleasant-I could have stood there with my hand on his arm for hours and never tire of it. "Please tell me," I let out in a hoarse whisper. Being this close to him and enjoying it was boggling my brain. I wasn’t able to think straight; it was almost as if all of the air had been vacuumed out of my brain.

"Nikki…" he whispered and then moved closer to me. I thought that maybe he would try and kiss me like he had that day after I stood him up for ice-cream. The weird thing was that even if he did kiss me, I wouldn’t run away. I was exhausted and I didn’t have the power to run away from him. His emotional grip on me was far too tight.

My eyes fluttered closed, anticipating the kiss, but then something happened I hadn’t been expecting. His arm left the underside of my hand and I heard his footsteps running up the steps. Of course I had been rejected. Of course! Because now that Caleb had me all confused again, he would dart.

God, I hated that boy! My bet was on that he didn’t even have a problem. Maybe that had all just been a set up to get me here and to let me talk to him. Was his real name even Caleb? Did he just lie and lie and lie until he got everything he wanted and screwed everyone over?