SUMMER'S PRETTY LITTLE TRICKS
2536 Words
[Storme’s POV]
At the assembly hall . . .
Students are slowly gathering inside the hall. Some milliseconds passed by the hall is full of students chattering. Everyone is talking at the same time. I can’t hear what Stella was whispering to me. Then I heard Summer’s voice on the stage . . .
“Good Afternoon my fellow students, dear faculty staff, and board members. Welcome to our annual Freshmen and Transferees Student Assembly. Everybody, please settle down. This meeting wouldn't take long. The student council has made our acquaintance party a little different this year. To start our school year with a bang. Are you ready to witness the first performance of the Halo Band?”
The crowd was screaming loudly,”Halo Band! Halo Band! We love you Red!”
All of the people's names I need to hear, I heard Jared. Jared Villaluna again.
“I’d like to call upon the stage my bandmates “the Halos.”
Students went uproar louder than earlier.
“Quiet down, please. Do you want to know our little surprise?”
“Yes! Yes!” the students roared.
“Let us all welcome, our newest member of the group, our new keyboardist—” she paused.
“Are you guys ready to know who this mystery student is? Take a guess?”
“Zedrick is back?”
“Mikael?”
“Mickey!”
“Kellen? Kenz is back?”
Those names were being screamed out loud by the students. Zedrick and Mikael seemed familiar to me. Kellen? Is he the Kellen I know?
“Hey, Stella? Mikael? Is it Mikael Vega?”
“Yeah, Kael is our student council president. He is still in New York part of EAU’s exchange student program. He should be back before the acquaintance party in three weeks' time.”
“Oh, how about Kellen? Who is that?”
“Nadine’s ex-boyfriend.”
“Nadz? I thought she liked Red.”
“No! Kenz is Red’s best friend. Nadine and Red used to be best friends before Summer came into the picture. Nadine is my brother’s best friend. We all grew up together. But, things changed when my brother, Red, met Summer.”
“So, is this Kellen close to Summer, too?”
“Nah, not too close but they're friends too. Kenz tried to court Summer before Nadz but Summer said she’s engaged. She basically tells every guy who likes her she’s engaged. So, when you said in the class you guys were engaged. We thought you're the boyfriend.”
“Then why is she aloof with me the first time we've met? She denied me to you guys. Didn’t she?”
“How did you know? Are you there?”
“Well, kind of? I did not leave the mall. I was stalking her. That’s how I found out about you guys staying in La Casa. “
“So, you mean that pranking? You intentionally pulled that childish thread snakes, frog, and centipede prank because Bestie denied the truth about you?”
“There is no reason to say no. Yes, I did because of that. I got mad at her.”
“That is so childish of you Stormie! You don’t know how many years my friend suffered. The struggles she went through being bullied in school before we met her. She is just having a carefree student life and you are here giving Summer a hell of a day.”
“Okay! I’m sorry about the spaghetti and the french fries.”
“Don’t apologize to me. I wasn’t the one you hurt. It’s Summer.”
“Tonight, I will make it up to her. We are meeting on the rooftop. Wish me luck!”
“I hope she shows up. Good luck to you. It might just be her prank—too. Here’s a thing. Summer forgives easily but don’t mess with her. She don’t avenge but she gets even. You better watch out Stormie!”
I heard Summer calling my name.
“Let us all welcome, Devin Storme Buenavente! He seems to be not listening and chatting with a friend. Devin Storme, please, come up to the stage. We don’t have forever to wait for you.”
The student’s started laughing. Summer called my name again. I stood up from the chair I was sitting in and walked to the stage. Just when I’m about to wave my hand to the crowd, I slipped on the floor. Oil was widely spread on the floor. Summer wears a devilish grin on her face.
“Oops! This ain’t a pond, Mr. Buenavente. Did you catch any fish?” she asked, laughing at me.
“Can you give me a hand?”
“Nah! Ah! I know what you are thinking.” She looked away and waved at Bren. “Help your poor master. He seems to be not paying attention to where he is walking. Brennen, if I were you. You should tail after him all the time. Oh! Put a collar and a leash on him too.”
“I’m not a canine!”
“Your attitude is.”
“Stop shaming me in the crowd, Sunshine. You have no difference with Professor Malaniton.”
“Oh! We differ Storme. I have given you a grand welcome. Isn’t this what you wanted?”
“Sunshine, please, stop!”
“Okay! You said so.” She handed her hands to help me up, but I pulled her down with me. She landed on my body and our lips almost touched. The students are in an uproar again.
To the rescue is her best friend, Red. When he is about to pull Summer up. I yanked her closer to me and held her tighter, our skin touching. I can hear her heartbeat. I can smell her fragrance. I can feel her warm, minty breath. I put my lips close to her ears and whispered,” Don’t you dare not show up tonight or I’ll kiss you in front of all these students.”
“Let me go. I’ll be there tonight. Let’s end everything at once. I want to get this over! Let me go, Storme.”
I loosen my grip on her. Red lifted her up.
“I apologize for that little show. Everyone, are you ready for the Halo?”
We played three songs. After that Summer announced the mechanics of the acquaintance.
Party.
“Every year we celebrate our acquaintance party with a formal event. This year we are celebrating our getting to know each other with a masquerade casual party. No fancy clothes. No expensive long gowns and tuxedos. Come to the party wearing you. Mascara’s will be given during the event. Let’s enjoy being in college and meeting new friends. Are you ready to party?”
“Yes, MISS VP!”
“Let’s give the Halo band a round of applause. That would be all for today's meeting. Again, welcome freshmen and transfer students to Elizabeth Almeda University. You are now officially Almedians! Thank you all for coming! See you at the party!”
The meeting was done at an exact half-hour. Amazed that she is on point with her meeting.
Summer is a little sarcastic and unruly, but I am amazed at how she is as a leader. You can’t truly judge a book by its cover.
“Do you have practice today, Beb?”
I heard Red asked Summer. He was helping her tidy up the stage. A group of students that seems to the clean-up committee hurriedly put all the chairs together and clean up the place quickly.
“Hey, guys! Thanks for today! I have snacks for you all waiting at the gymnasium. You guys go ahead. I’ll meet you guys there.”
“Thanks, Summer!”
“You're the best, Miss VP!”
“Don’t mention. Enjoy your snacks, guys. Oh, meeting next week for the party, okay? Kael should be back by then. We have to wrap up the plan for the intermission number, games, and prizes.”
“We’re here to support you, Miss!”
“Thanks! Go ahead! I’ll follow,” Summer said, gazing at me.
“What are you waiting for, Storme? You can go with them.”
“Can I stay here? Join you?”
“Up to you. We’ll take a while.”
“I’ll drop you off at your practice, Beb,” said Red to Summer.
“I don’t have a session today. You can take me there tomorrow, Beb.”
“You did great on the stage. Are you alright?”
“Yeah, totally fine.”
“You were not feeling nervous?”
“I am I mean I was but I to face my fear, Beb and you’re for me. I am fine. Really.”
I wonder what practice or session they are talking about, so I asked Nadine. I found out she is into martial arts, aside from being inclined with music. What else I don’t know about you, Summer?
An hour passed, I followed them to the gymnasium where a few students were waiting. They had little chatter that I don’t seem to ride on. I sat on the corner listening to the conversation. It was half-past six. Half an hour before our meeting time at the rooftop. I see Summer bid goodbye to the students.
“Toodles, Beshie!” said Nadine.
“Don’t stay too late, Bestie,” Stella reminded Summer.
“Call me, if anything comes up,” Red planted a kiss on Summer’s temple again.” Take care, Beb. Hope you guys patch things up.”
“I call you when something happens. Don’t worry, Beb, I can handle myself. See you in the morning!”
“Can you text me when you’re home?”
“Yeah, beb, I will. I promise!”
Nadine, Stella, Bren, and Jared hug her before they leave. After our performance, Dhrim left with Snow and Chantelle. I was waiting if I should follow her or I should go to the rooftop now. In the end, I waited and followed Summer after.
At the rooftop. . .
“You wanted to talk to me, speak up?”
“I’m sorry.”
“How many times are you going to apologize but then you do something stupid after?”
“Princess, I’m really, really sorry.”
“I gave you the access code, Vin, that means I am letting you in again in my life. No one else can enter this place except my best friends and The Halo. But, what did you do? You fuckin’ screwed it up! Now tell me. Tell me how can I trust you? Should I trust you?” I saw a teardrop fall on her face.
“I’m really sorry. Promise, I will be good to you.”
“How sure are you? The Pontiac? Isn’t that grandpa Liam’s car?”
“How did you—“
“I am not stupid, Devin.”
“Then, why did you kick the bumper and broke it?”
“Because your ugly girlfriend pissed me off!”
“She’s not my girlfriend.”
“Oh! Really?”
“What’s all these?” I don’t know how she managed to have copies of those pictures at the airport. “You guys are so sweet at the airport like lovebirds!”
“Skylene Summer, she’s my cousin! Chantelle is my cousin.”
“Cousin? Is there a cousin that hugs you like you're about to make out?”
“Are you jealous?”
“Goddammit! Answer my god damn question?”
“Okay, no! She’s not a blood-related cousin. My uncle adopted her. That makes her my cousin.”
“So, she likes you? But, you don’t pump her break?”
“Sunshine, believe me, Chantelle is just a cousin to me.”
“Agreeing to buy her One-Hundred-Thousand worth of Gucci sunglasses? Just a cousin?”
“Believe me, please.”
“I don’t want to see her around you. Near you. Close to you. Do you understand, Storme?”
“Why do we need to have this agreement?”
“Because you announced to everyone, I’m your girlfriend and we’re engaged.”
“I can take it back if you don’t want to.”
“Oh, no! Let’s play your game. I’m your girlfriend. You’re my boyfriend. We’re engaged.”
“Sunshine, it’s not a game.”
“Not a game? You are making me believe it’s not a game? Then why come back, Storme?”
“Don’t you want to see my back? Can’t we be friends again? I miss you. God knows how much I miss you, princess.”
“You miss me or you might miss what you can get from me?”
“What do you mean by saying that?”
“How much money is at stake, Storme? Thirty percent shares? Fifty Million? Billions?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I am not a puppet to my parents. The night you came over, I connected the dots and tied up everything. Your family business is about to go down the swamps, but my father saved La Casa.
I am supposed to marry Mikael Vega and then suddenly, things changed. You showed up. You tried to be close to me. Aunty Devina is like an angel, so nice to me. Don’t you think I should wonder why?”
“It’s not that, Sunshine.”
“Then what? Tell me? Do you love me? Because that’s baloney! Don’t make me believe with your poppycock! I am not a fool, Devin.”
“Why don't students know about you and Snow?”
“Don’t change the topic, Devin. It’s not your business to snoop on what I and my twin agreed upon.”
“I hate seeing you with Jared. I hate seeing you so sweet with each other.”
“Are you jealous?”
“No! I mean yes? No! I don’t know! I feel a sharp pain here,” I pointed my chest. “Does that mean I’m jealous? Perhaps, I love you still?”
“This conversation is over. Let’s go home. Tomorrow, your game begins.”
- Writer
