Cipher

An hour later, Kendall declared it good enough for today, bringing practice to an end. “You wanna come hang out at my house?” she asked Summer as they walked off the gym floor.

Summer couldn’t stop thinking about a way to get Ashlyn to stop hating her so she could do her supposed job and get on with her life. She was going straight home and reading that brochure Gabriella had left for her to read, hoping it held all the answers she’d need. “Not tonight. I’ve got tons of homework. Plus, my dad wants me home since I was out all weekend.”

“But you were home on Sunday,” Kendall whined.

Summer readjusted the strap on her backpack so it wouldn’t keep pulling her hair. “I know. But you know how parents can be.”

Kendall rolled her eyes. “Such a pain sometimes. Can you at least give me a ride home? My brother’s got my car.”

Summer nodded and hit the unlock button so they could both climb in. She took the familiar roads toward her best friend’s house, mind still focused on Ashlyn. Every time she thought about her, her limbs filled with that same frantic energy she’d felt the other night at the beach. Do something! her body seemed to be saying.

“Have you seen the size of Georgia’s butt lately?” Kendall asked. “It’s getting bigger by the day. Someone needs to tell her that carbs are so not her friend.”

“Stay in your lane, buddy,” Summer said to the car next to her before turning her attention to one that just cut ahead. “And how about using a blinker next time you decide to switch lanes?”

“You know they can’t hear you, right?”

“I wish they could. They could use some driving advice from someone like me, who so obviously excels at it.”

“You’re being weird again.” Kendall gave Summer the I’m-getting-annoyed look.

Kendall also hated when she talked to the radio. Like when she groaned, “Not this song again.” Or said, “Maybe we’ll come back to you if we can’t find a better song.” Or when the DJs told her to keep it locked to their station, and she’d say, “I will if you shut up and play some music.”

Since Kendall viewed all those comments as unacceptable, Summer drove without saying anything, the radio the only sound breaking up the silence. She’d hook up her phone to play through her speakers—she was still trying to convince Dad she needed SiriusXM—but she and Kendall didn’t like the same kind of music either.

“So how are things with you and Cody now?” Kendall asked. “You guys get it all worked out?”

Now this was a subject she could use Kendall’s advice on. Maybe talking about it would help her sort it out for herself. “Things have been rough lately. Do you ever feel like Jack doesn’t understand you? Or even know anything about you?”

“Sure. Boys are clueless. It would be that way with any boy. You know the saying—can’t live with ‘em; can’t live without ‘em.” Kendall pulled down the visor and applied some lip gloss. “Since Jack and I took things to another level, things have actually been going really good. He’s happier, and it’s just easier.”

Is Kendall suggesting I do whatever it takes to make Cody happy? What about keeping myself happy? Part of her wanted to give in—to just get sex over with and see if things got better between them. But another part urged her to be strong.

She lifted her chin and gripped the steering wheel tighter. She wasn’t going to be bullied into losing her virginity, whether or not her boyfriend dumped her because of it. “I’m not sure I’m ready for sex, and I’m not doing anything I don’t want to do.”

“I’m not suggesting that you do.” Kendall flipped the visor back into place and twisted in her seat to face her. “I’m only suggesting you give the boy a break. He’s the quarterback, he’s cute, and he loves you. He’s a catch, and you’d have a hard time finding a better boyfriend. Let’s not forget that he shut down Jenna Cambell. No one says no to that skank. Except Jack, of course. The boy simply adores me.” She put her hand on Summer’s shoulder. “But if you want to wreck your relationship and hate Cody, you know I’ll be on your side. I just think you should remember all the good stuff before making a decision you’ll regret.”

Kendall was right, of course. Cody did have lots of good qualities, and she’d miss him like crazy if they broke up. But were his good qualities enough to make up for the fact he didn’t respect her decision to wait? And what about the fact that he didn’t understand her?

No one really knows me. Not Cody, not Kendall, not anybody. They all knew the shell of the person she used to be. These days, she wasn’t even sure she knew who she was anymore. All day she’d been thinking how sad it was she didn’t have someone she could confide in. No one would believe she’d been visited by the freakin’ Angel of Death—she hardly believed it herself. And she couldn’t tell anyone that she saw people’s deaths before they happened. She couldn’t even tell her own dad. Summer feared he’d never forgive her if she told him her darkest secret.

“Remember how sad you were when you first moved here?” Kendall asked, her voice soft. “I could tell you needed a friend. Now you’ve got the dance squad, you’ve got me, and you’ve got Cody. People would kill to be in your shoes. Especially since you’ve upgraded shoes,” she joked. “You’re happier now, right?”

Depression had weighed her down when she’d first moved here. It still tugged at her now and then, but for the most part, she kept it contained to a crying breakdown in her bedroom every now and then. Part of the reason she could deal better now was because Kendall had gotten her mind onto brighter, happier things. She’d plugged Summer into the highest social circles. Getting back into dancing had also helped. And the fact that she simply refused to think about the past when it came knocking.

“I am happier,” Summer said. “I guess I forgot how bad I used to be.”

“Plus you had those out-of-control curls. Someone needed to introduce you to anti-frizz serum.” Kendall poked at Summer’s hair. “Way better.”

Summer pulled up to Kendall’s house and threw the car in park.

Kendall gathered her multiple bags—handbag, book bag, and gym bag. “Thanks for the ride. Call me if you need me.”

Yeah, Kendall was a little shallow. But she meant well. Even if her main contribution to society involved doling out fashion and hair advice.

* * *

Summer sat on her bed, reading her Repairing Friendships and Mending Broken Relationships brochure.

Communication is Key - Open the lines. Nothing can happen unless you tell them how you feel and ask how they feel. Do it in a courteous, calm way.

Swallow Your Pride - Try seeing things from the other person’s perspective.

Apologize - You might think that you were wronged as well, but that doesn’t mean you can’t apologize.

Take action - Put yourself out there and do something nice.

Summer groaned. It all seemed so basic. Stuff people would’ve done if they were at all interested in repairing a relationship. She tossed the brochure onto her nightstand.

When she turned back, Gabriella stood at the end of her bed.

Summer jumped, clutching her chest to make sure her heart didn’t escape. “Geez!”

“I’ve come to check on your progress,” Gabriella said.

After she got over the initial shock, relief filled her at seeing Gabriella again, looking identical to the way she remembered her. It meant she wasn’t crazy. Or maybe she was crazy enough to see the same person over and over again and had surpassed all help. That kind of crazy seemed more blissful than the in-between kind.

“Listen,” Summer said, “I’m glad you’re here, because you need to pick someone else for this job. Ashlyn hates me.”

“Oh, I’m sure she doesn’t hate you.”

“She does. I tried to meet her today and—”

“You barely met her today?” Gabriella frowned and started pacing, pink skirt rustling every time she spun in the opposite direction. “Have you at least made plans with her? I said that you have longer than most, but that doesn’t mean you have time to dilly dally.”