Get-Together Summer by Lotus Oakes Page B

got to
actually love them with everything I've got."
    Haley blushed, but though she ducked her head a
little, she didn't protest. He leaned over and tucked wet strands
of hair behind her ear, letting his fingers trail over her cheek
briefly. For a moment Simon thought they would kiss, right there,
right in front of him, and he pointedly cleared his throat. Though
they didn't jump apart like he half hoped, Dirk did lean back,
picking the newspaper back up. "I told you that part already,
though. I'm serious about this."
    "Were you two talking about that?" Haley looked at
Simon.
    "Just a little," Dirk said, before Simon could. "Your
cousin worries about you a lot."
    She huffed, but her tone was affectionate, even
through its edge of exasperation. "Simon!"
    He sank lower in his chair,
embarrassed. He hadn't actually wanted her to know , and hearing it said aloud like
this, it felt all the more childishly jealous. "I was just
worried," he mumbled. "It's not like I don't have any interest in
your well-being or anything."
    "He's a good defender of your honor," Dirk said.
"Interrogated me about my intentions and everything. You're lucky
to have someone who cares that much."
    "He's mine, just so you know," Haley said. "My
cousin, he takes my side. Right, Simon?"
    Simon froze for a moment, unsure of
what to do or say. Mine , she'd said, so casually, and it made something warm and
uncertain curl in his belly. "Uh--"
    "Guys gotta stick together," Dirk said. He draped an
arm over Simon's shoulders and waggled his eyebrows. "Right,
prettyboy?"
    "It's Simon ," he said again, though less
heatedly than before. His head was swimming from the unexpected
contact. "I guess I'd side with Haley, though--"
    "Hah!" She pumped a fist, smirking
when Dirk dropped his arm away from Simon's shoulders and affected
dramatic hurt. " We have to stick together, after all."
    "Right ..." Simon ducked his head a little, his ears
burning and his throat tight. "I guess -- we have to do that,
yeah."
    From the corner of one eye, he saw Haley shift
towards him a moment before her hand touched his shoulder, almost
too light to feel. He could sense her though, so close that if he
just shifted a tiny bit, they would be pressed together. It was
suddenly too much and not enough, the last straw on the camel's
back.
    "Simon?" Haley said, and he took a deep shaky
breath.
    "Sorry," he said in a sudden rush, taking a step
back, so that her hand fell away from his shoulder. "Sorry, I just
-- sorry. I need to--" He made a vague gesture, acutely aware of
the way they both were staring at him. "I need to just. Go out for
a bit. Sorry!"
    "Wait, Simon--!"
    Simon ignored Haley's startled call, bolting for the
door. He jammed his feet into his shoes, not bothering to even get
them on all the way, threw the door open, and headed out. He didn't
bother to slam the door behind him, letting it swing in the wake of
his passing. Outside it was already beginning to get hot, the
summer sun high in the pale blue sky. Without really paying
attention to which way he was going, he began to walk, his hands in
his pockets.
    He made it a few blocks, at least,
staring at his feet, when he heard the sound of running footsteps
from behind him. For a moment he contemplated running, too -- no
matter what insinuations some of his classmates might make, he
wasn't soft -- but
he gave that up for useless, and continued just walking at his same
slow pace.
    Haley pulled to a stop beside him and grabbed his
arm. Simon continued a few more steps, then stopped as his arm was
tugged out. He turned towards her, but didn't look her in the
face.
    "What was that all about?" she demanded, a little
breathless, a little shrill. "What the hell, Simon? You scared
me!"
    "Sorry," he muttered, still not lifting his head.
    "Talk to me," she said, pleading, and punctuated it
with a shake of his arm. Simon, listless, let the movement jolt his
entire body. She tried to lean into his field of vision, but he
kept turning to avoid her.