“Summer! Summer, what?” He asked, matching her tone. He grinned, to make it known that he was teasing.
That made her snort out a laugh. “Jesse is — was — my first boyfriend. My only boyfriend, ever. Before I met you. He, um, he found out something about me that made him hate me, and — but I can’t just avoid him. We have classes together.”
“So, he’s a giant sack of dicks is what you’re telling me?” he asked, even though the question was clearly rhetorical. “You don’t have to give someone attention just because you share a class together. Ignore that bastard.”
“Why does nobody believe me when I say that he’s not a bad person?” Summer muttered, burying her face in her hands again. “I /don’t/ pay attention to him, but he seems to want to occasionally pay attention to me.”
“Summer! Summer, what?” He asked, matching her tone. He grinned, to make it known that he was teasing.
“That assumes that he likes me back,” she muttered, bitterness rising in her throat. “What if — what if Jesse is right, and I’m just not — I don’t deserve … what if I’m not good enough?” She rubbed her hands over her face and took another deep breath. “No, sorry, skip that. Ignore me. I’ll — I’ll text him tonight. After I get back from the library.”
“You’re never going to know if you don’t actually balls up and ask him,” Stiles said, eyebrows raised. “I don’t know who Jesse is, but he sounds like a dick and you should probably just ignore him,” he said, face serious. “That’s the spirit!”
That made her snort out a laugh. “Jesse is — was — my first boyfriend. My only boyfriend, ever. Before I met you. He, um, he found out something about me that made him hate me, and — but I can’t just avoid him. We have classes together.”
“Summer! Summer, what?” He asked, matching her tone. He grinned, to make it known that he was teasing.
“Is that how it works? I mean, do you guys really think about things like that?” When she thought about calling Isaac, it was like a pit formed in her stomach, heavy wth fear. He’d seemed so nice, so genuine and sweet and trustable, but she didn’t trust her memories. What if he regretted following Helios? What if he resented the way she’d butted into his life, promising to fix his phobia?
Stiles sighed as he regarded his friend. He felt a weight of guilt for making her feel like she couldn’t approach another guy. He knew he was probably being too self-centered, this was supposed to be about Summer… and Isaac. “I can honestly tell you that I can remember the exact moment I met my long time crush. And that was 8 years ago, Summer.”
“That assumes that he likes me back,” she muttered, bitterness rising in her throat. “What if — what if Jesse is right, and I’m just not — I don’t deserve … what if I’m not good enough?” She rubbed her hands over her face and took another deep breath. “No, sorry, skip that. Ignore me. I’ll — I’ll text him tonight. After I get back from the library.”
“Summer! Summer, what?” He asked, matching her tone. He grinned, to make it known that he was teasing.
She made herself take a deep breath, like Stiles said, and let it out in a sigh as she regretfully noticed that his touching her didn’t give her quite the same secret thrill anymore. She wasn’t quite sure she believed his reassurances, though. Small and a little sad, she said, “I don’t want to make the same mistake with him that I made with you. I’m so tired of being alone, Stiles.”
“Okay, trust me, I get that, Summer,” Stiles said, looking into her eyes. “But you can’t let that experience hold you back forever. That’s not healthy and it’s not fair to yourself. Just be confident and call him,” he stopped and thought for a second. “Okay, here’s a simple test. If you tell him who you are and give him a very vague description of how you met and he remembers, then you know he’s been thinking about it, too?” It was a question because he wasn’t quite sure how she would take that.
“Is that how it works? I mean, do you guys really think about things like that?” When she thought about calling Isaac, it was like a pit formed in her stomach, heavy wth fear. He’d seemed so nice, so genuine and sweet and trustable, but she didn’t trust her memories. What if he regretted following Helios? What if he resented the way she’d butted into his life, promising to fix his phobia?
“Summer! Summer, what?” He asked, matching her tone. He grinned, to make it known that he was teasing.
“I’m asking you, Stiles, please don’t tell him. That I’m — that I like him. Like that. He doesn’t need some crazy girl throwing herself at him — we’ve met /once/. /Once/,” she stressed. “I just need to know how long I should wait so I don’t seem desperate or clingy.”
“Summer, okay, I get it. Calm. Down,” he said, taking a light grip on her shoulders before miming taking a deep breath in indication for her to follow. “I don’t talk to Isaac that often, so you have nothing to worry about,” he assured her. “But I’ll let you in on a secret: if a guy gives you his number, he wants you to use it. Probably immediately. As long as you’re not professing your undying love to him, he probably won’t think you’re being clingy.”
She made herself take a deep breath, like Stiles said, and let it out in a sigh as she regretfully noticed that his touching her didn’t give her quite the same secret thrill anymore. She wasn’t quite sure she believed his reassurances, though. Small and a little sad, she said, “I don’t want to make the same mistake with him that I made with you. I’m so tired of being alone, Stiles.”
She narrowed her eyes and contemplated him, up and down. “Hmmm. Are you sure you’re not too small? I might need to do a full inspection.” She wriggled, as if in anticipation.
“You said we couldn’t do things like that on the beach,” he stated in a deadpan tone, amusement dancing in his eyes as he shifted at her roaming eyes. “But I wouldn’t say no to that?”
“Oh, well, if you have other things in mind, I can wait.” She shrugged, carelessly, but the sparkle in her eyes matched his. Dismounting his body, she moved another foot or so up the sand and began again to play, constructing a swirling, slightly sloppy sand castle and checking pretend-sneakily on him every few minutes.
“Summer! Summer, what?” He asked, matching her tone. He grinned, to make it known that he was teasing.
“No! Don’t do that, Stiles, please don’t do that.” She grabbed at his arm and shook it. “I’m pretty sure if he knows I’ll never see him again. He doesn’t like touch, so if I — so — besides. The last two times I was interested in someone it didn’t go so well.”
Stiles sighed and looked down to the red head. “Okay, I know about Isaac. He’s a… I would say friend, but I know him. Pretty well,” he explained, patting her hand. “Just talk to him or let me talk to him. You’re taking this too seriously.”
“I’m asking you, Stiles, please don’t tell him. That I’m — that I like him. Like that. He doesn’t need some crazy girl throwing herself at him — we’ve met /once/. /Once/,” she stressed. “I just need to know how long I should wait so I don’t seem desperate or clingy.”
She faked a growl at him, scrambled up in the shallow water, and pushed him over, giggling. “I will capture you this way! Muahaha.” Sitting on top of him, she leaned forward and pretended to bite him. “Hmm, this one might be too small. I might have to throw it back.”
Faking a gasp as he lay back on the wet sand and gazed up at her, he eyed her with fond amusement and allowed his eyes to darken slightly, to show that two could play at that game. “Small? Me? You are joking, right?”
She narrowed her eyes and contemplated him, up and down. “Hmmm. Are you sure you’re not too small? I might need to do a full inspection.” She wriggled, as if in anticipation.
