The next afternoon Summer met Regina and Gregg at the Pizza Paddle. She wished with all her heart that it would start raining so that David wouldn’t have to work, and he could join them.
The Pizza Paddle was crowded, and the aroma of pepperoni and spicy Italian sausage reminded Summer of just how hungry she was. She sat down between Gregg and Regina and the three of them devoured an extra-large pizza in record time. She was just finishing her Coke when Regina whispered in a furious voice, “Don’t look up.”
The temptation was too great. The look on Regina’s face alerted Summer that something was terribly wrong, and she promptly ignored her advice and quickly turned toward the door. All color drained from her face. David was standing in the doorway. And he wasn’t alone. Ann Logan was right beside him. Her brightly polished fingernails, those tentacles of ownership, were cemented to David’s arm.
“What are you going to do?” Regina’s question brought Summer’s confused gaze back to her. Summer tried to smile.
“I don’t know. Try to act natural, I guess. Got any better ideas?”
“What’s going on?” mumbled Gregg, his mouth full of pizza.
“Summer’s boyfriend just walked in with Ann Logan. Don’t look,” Regina demanded. To Summer she added, “He hasn’t spotted you yet. Want to make a run for the back door?”
“Absolutely not. If David prefers Ann’s company, then so be it. It doesn’t make sense, though. He said he had to work! And I thought I was his girlfriend. I guess I was wrong. I mean, he never said we weren’t supposed to see anyone else, but I thought…after he showed me his drawings…”
“Summer, you’re rambling,” Regina interrupted.
“I don’t care,” she whispered. She said the words with a negligent shrug. Inside, she felt as though she were dying. She prayed that she wouldn’t burst into tears and took a deep breath to gain some control.
“I’ve got an idea,” Regina said. “Gregg, put your arm around the back of Summer’s chair.”
“Why?” Gregg wanted to know.
“Just do it,” Regina ordered. “If Ann is David’s date, then you’re Summer’s date, got that?”
“What?” Now it was Summer who wanted to know what was going on.
“If David is with Ann, then you’re with Gregg. Gregg, act like you’re crazy about Summer. And don’t argue. You still owe me twenty dollars, remember?”
“Does this cancel the debt?”
“Yes. Now, do it. Summer, move closer.”
“Look, we should find out if David has a date with Ann before we—”
“Open your eyes, Summer. That much is obvious,” Regina said. “All boys are slime.”
“Here they come,” Gregg said. “Give me your hand, Summer.”
“What?” She was so miserable she just wanted to crawl into the nearest hole.
“Hi, Summer!” David’s voice sounded so cheerful, and that confused her even more.
“Hi, everyone!” To Summer’s ears, the high-pitched voice of delight sounded just like a fingernail sliding down a chalkboard.
“Hello, David. Hi, Ann.” Her voice was flat and totally devoid of any emotion, but it was the best she could do.
David couldn’t seem to look directly at her. He kept his eyes focused on Gregg’s arm around Summer’s shoulders. And he suddenly seemed very embarrassed. His face got all red and blotchy.
Why, oh, why did it have to be Ann Logan? Summer wailed to herself. It proved that David was no better than all the other stupid males in the city. He, too, had fallen under Ann’s spell. The baser side of Summer wanted to yell and scream at the injustice of it all or, at the very least, growl a little, but she decided to present the picture of serene dignity.
Introductions were made, and Gregg suggested that David and Ann join them. David seemed a little reluctant but finally pulled up two chairs and sat down right across from Summer and Gregg. Regina played the hostess at the head of the table.
“David’s been telling me the funniest jokes on the way over here,” Ann said, giggling.
“Let’s order another pizza,” Gregg suggested. “I’m still hungry.”
“Why don’t we get a jumbo and all split it?” David suggested. “Everyone like anchovies?”
“I hate them. They make me gag,” Summer said before she could stop herself.
“Oh, I just love them,” Ann interjected.
David leaned toward Summer. “I called you, and your mom said you were here, so I…She didn’t tell me you had a date,” he added in a halting voice.
Gregg had just taken hold of Summer’s hand, but she tried to pull away. Gregg was having none of it. A tug-of-war was the result, and Summer lost. She gave Regina a look that demanded help, but Regina was talking to Ann and didn’t notice.
She continued to pull and snapped at David, “But you had one anyway, so what’s the difference?”
David looked so hurt that Summer felt like crying, until Ann returned her attention to her date. Then Summer got good and mad. Why should she feel guilty when he was the one with the actual date? “I didn’t know you were dating Ann,” Summer said as soon as Regina dragged Ann over to the old jukebox.
“Sort of,” David hedged, staring at Gregg’s death grip on Summer’s hand. “Ann’s father needs help with the run. He asked me to head the publicity part. It’s an important job, and I’ve already got it all figured out. Ann and I think we should make at least thirty posters and distribute them all over town. Mr. Logan showed me the T-shirts they’re going to sell, and they’re really great. Since all the money goes to charity, maybe the banks will help us out and put some on display. Ann thought it would be a good idea to sell them at the grocery stores, too. You know, set up a card table outside with a big sign and…” His voice trailed off, and he gave Summer a shrug.
“Would you like me to help?” She couldn’t keep the eagerness out of her voice.
“If you’re not too busy,” he replied. “I thought we could use your dining room table.…It’s so big, and we could do the posters there.” David went on to explain his strategy, and Summer began to feel a little better. When Gregg finally let go of her hand, she was able to lean forward, her chin resting on her hand, while she listened with rapt attention.
The feeling that things weren’t so bad didn’t last long, however. Ann came back to the table and scooted her chair closer to David and proceeded to have a whispered conversation with him.
Summer began to feel quite desperate, so she nudged Gregg. “Talk to David about something,” she demanded under her breath.
Gregg still had one arm draped around Summer’s chair. “If anyone sees me with you, I’ll leave town,” he whispered in her ear.
“Thanks, Gregg. I’m crazy about you, too,” she retaliated. She couldn’t look at him. Her eyes were glued to David, watching the way he smiled at Ann. Summer couldn’t remember him ever smiling at her that way! Ann took hold of David’s hand, and Summer was quick to notice that David didn’t seem to mind.
The pizza arrived, but she didn’t eat any. Her stomach was too upset. She didn’t have the heart to join in the conversation and was almost relieved when Gregg said, “Think we could leave now? One of my friends might walk in.”
“You really know how to flatter a girl,” she muttered. In a louder voice she said, “David, why don’t you bring the posters over tomorrow afternoon, and we’ll get started.”
Regina stayed at the Pizza Paddle helping her father, and Gregg and Summer walked out together. Gregg was nice enough to keep his mouth shut while he drove her home, and Summer was able to make it to her room before she started to cry.
David didn’t call the next morning but appeared at her front door instead, his arms loaded down with poster board and felt-tip markers. Michael was busy playing at the neighbor’s, and Grandpa had gone to the shopping center. David and Summer were all alone in the house, and it was the perfect time to clear the air. The problem was that he was being so cool and aloof.
“David, when we’re finished with the posters, I’d really like to talk to you about something,” Summer finally said.
David frowned and then nodded. “Gregg?”
“And Ann,” Summer added. “Okay?”
“Okay,” David replied. He smiled his first real smile, and Summer beamed in return.
The screen door opened, and Grandpa walked in, loaded down with packages he immediately carried to his room. Summer was disappointed. Not wanting to talk to David in front of her grandfather, she decided to hurry and resolve the problem immediately. “What did you mean by ‘sort of’ dating?” she asked, pretending great concentration on the poster in front of her.
The phone rang before David could reply. He answered it and called to her grandfather. Accepting that she would have to wait until after lunch to have her little talk with him, she stood up and stretched, and then headed for the kitchen to prepare lunch. Once Grandpa had eaten, he would probably take his nap, so the sooner the meal was done, the better. David went into the living room, sat down on the sofa, and began to thumb through the latest TV Guide.
A minute later, Summer pushed open the swinging door that connected the dining room with the kitchen and asked David to clear a spot on the table.
The next time she hurried into the room, she overheard her grandfather. He obviously didn’t realize how loud he was. He was bragging on the phone about her, making outrageous statements about what a fast runner she was, and Summer had to smile. Grandpa loved to brag. David looked up at Summer and winked, and she knew that he, too, was listening to her grandfather’s conversation.
Summer wasn’t gone more than five minutes, but when she came back to the dining room, David looked at her with a frown on his face. He seemed puzzled, Summer thought. Puzzled and irritated.
She returned to the kitchen for the pitcher of lemonade, but she could hear her grandfather talking. She paused and felt the blood drain from her face when she heard her grandfather explain how she had just started running.
Michael came skipping in the back door then, full of chatter. “Summer, I’ve got a rock—”
“Not now, Michael,” she said. Her mind was racing with excuses in case David realized that she had lied to him, but it was a wasted effort. The door swung open and there he stood, glaring at her.
“Hi, David,” Michael said. “I’ve got a rock.”
“Hi, Mike. Summer, I just heard your grandfather say you’ve only been running for about a month.” He sounded surprised.
“Oh, you know Grandpa likes to exaggerate,” she replied, trying to sound blasé. “David, will you take this pitcher into the dining room. I’ll get the chips.”
“He said you started running after Ann Logan’s party, that Regina talked you into it.”
“Michael, go and wash your hands,” Summer stammered. “David, what’s the big deal about when I started to run?”
“The big deal? If it’s true, you lied to me,” David stated.
She tried to look disgusted and marched by David. She put the pitcher on the table and turned around, knowing that he was right behind her. She was stalling, trying to come up with a logical explanation that would appease him and not make her grandfather sound as if he had made the whole thing up.
“Summer, you know how important it is to me that we never, ever lie to each other. How can we build a good relationship if we can’t trust each other?” He looked hurt.
“You’re getting all upset over nothing,” she soothed.
“Just answer one question,” he demanded. “Did you or did you not lie to me?”
“Not exactly,” she hedged.
“What does ‘not exactly’ mean?” he asked sarcastically.
What was the use? she asked herself. She might as well admit the truth. “Oh, all right! Yes, I did lie. But it was a little, insignificant exaggeration, not an outright whopper,” she explained.
“Then it’s true? You really only started running after Ann’s party?”
He sounded incredulous. What did he want, blood? Honestly, he was being so self-righteous! Didn’t he ever tell a fib?
“Look, Summer, just tell me why? I want to understand,” he said. His voice was softer now.
How could she explain? She would die before she admitted that the entire reason was Ann Logan. He was dating her now, wasn’t he? How could he possibly understand? She shook her head. No, she couldn’t tell him. He would never, ever understand. Boys weren’t jealous like girls were—or were they?
“So what else have you lied to me about?”
The quietly stated question infuriated her. She turned around with fire in her eyes. “Nothing! Now, it’s up to you to decide if you believe me or not.”
“Ha!” he snorted.
It was the snort that did it. Summer fairly exploded. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she yelled. “Look, I could have lied and told you that I loved your jokes, but I didn’t. And the anchovies,” she suddenly remembered. “I could have said I loved them!” She ran out of the kitchen and into the dining room.
David was right on her heels. “Oh, yeah? Well some people love my jokes. Ann Logan appreciates them,” he added in a loud voice.
Summer felt as if she had just been stabbed. “And you believe her?”
“Sure,” David said. “She’s an honest person.”
“Anyone who laughs at your stupid jokes is not being honest,” Summer replied.
“So why didn’t you tell me you had a date with Gregg?” he asked, suddenly switching topics.
Summer countered his question with one of her own. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a date with Ann?”
“We don’t have an agreement or anything,” he muttered. “I mean, if you want to date other boys, it’s fine with me.”
“I didn’t have a date with Gregg,” Summer said. There, the truth was out.
David didn’t believe her. “Ha! Ann told me you were seeing Gregg. I didn’t believe her until yesterday. I didn’t think you’d lie about something like—”
“If you say ‘ha’ one more time, I’m going to scream,” she interrupted.
“You two having a difference of opinion?” Grandpa’s voice intruded on the heated argument, and both Summer and David blushed.
“And when I asked you if you wanted to run with me,” David continued, “I seem to remember that you said you liked to jog by yourself early in the morning so you could think things over.”
“What are you, a memory expert?” she snapped. She folded her arms and glared at him.
He was almost out the door when she called out, “I guess you’re going over to Ann’s house.”
“Maybe,” he called back.
“The perfect couple,” she muttered under her breath.
She couldn’t look at her grandfather, still too angry that he had accidentally told David about her exaggeration. Instead, she lifted Michael and put him in his chair. She shoved a sandwich in front of him and said, “Eat!”
Two hours later a phone call to Regina hadn’t made Summer feel any better. When she’d told her friend about the argument with David, Regina had said, “Couldn’t you have lied your way out of it?” Summer had been too miserable to argue or defend herself.
She was sick of lies. And sick of holding back the tears, too. She went up to her room right after dinner and cried until there weren’t any tears left, but the release didn’t make her feel any better, and she punched her pillow to vent some of her anger and frustration. The anger slowly receded, but in its stead, loneliness, aching and desolate, filled the void.
Snuggled in her blankets, she fell asleep with the thought that she wouldn’t have to get up at six tomorrow morning. Who wanted to run in a dumb race, anyway?