Cipher

Ashlyn emphatically shook her head. “Not sad. I mean, it is sad as girls we feel like that—like we have to have someone or we must be failures. But I think everyone feels like that at one time or the other.”

“I got so sucked in, and without him…” Summer shrugged. “I guess I kind of lost myself. It’s like I finally snapped out of this daze I was in, and I can’t believe I let it get that far. It’s not me. It didn’t used to be, anyway. And even knowing all that, my heart still hurts when I see him with Jenna. Or when I can’t pick up the phone and call him like I used to.”

“Trust me, I know what you mean. I had this boyfriend, and even though he ended up being a huge ass, I was still crushed when we broke up.” Ashlyn shot Summer a consoling smile. “Eventually, it does get better. And I’ll help you out by constantly telling you how he doesn’t deserve you, and he’ll realize someday what an awesome girl he lost.”

“That’s right! I am awesome!” Summer half-exhaled, half-laughed. “Seriously, though, I’m not letting another guy do that to me. Ever. Guys are evil hormone-driven idiots, and I’m done.”

Skepticism clear on her features, Ashlyn said, “Uh-huh.”

“No, I am.”

The Burger King caught Summer’s eye. “Ooh. Fries and a Dr. Pepper sound amazing right now.” She switched lanes and turned into the drive-thru. “My dad makes fun of me because I skip the burger and instead get the largest thing of fries they have.”

Summer unrolled her window as they approached the speaker, then glanced at Ashlyn. “What do you want?”

“I’m good,” Ashlyn said.

“Oh, come on.” Summer waved a twenty in the air. “My treat.”

“I guess I’ll have a Diet Coke. A small one.”

Summer repeated the order into the speaker and turned to Ashlyn. “You’re sure you don’t want anything to eat?”

“I’m sure.”

Summer turned up the stereo as one of the new Unicorn Stench songs played through the speakers. She’d already listened to it several times today, but she couldn’t get enough of it.

“This is my favorite part,” Ashlyn said, singing along.

Summer joined in and bobbed her head to the beat as the music picked up. When she stopped at the window to pay for her food, the guy behind the register looked amused by her and Ashlyn’s song and dance. He was kind of cute, so Summer gave him a big smile as she handed over the money.

The guy grinned and handed her back her change. “You girls have a great day. And come again soon. I’d like to see another dance.”

“We’ll be sure to do that,” Summer said.

“I work until eleven. Swing by anytime.”

Summer smiled at him again before pulling away from the window.

“Weren’t you, only moments ago, saying that you were done with guys?” Ashlyn asked.

“I am. I’m keeping things to a strictly flirtatious level. It’s boyfriends that are the problem. They aren’t worth the pain they’ll inevitably cause you.”

“Yeah! Who needs a stupid boyfriend?”

“Solidarity, sister,” Summer said with a laugh. At the next window, she handed Ashlyn her soda, placed her own in the cup holder, and rigged the take-out bag so she could easily dig into her fries while driving.

As Summer pulled into traffic, Ashlyn squealed. “Aaah! Omigosh, omigosh, it’s pouring everywhere!” Diet Coke leaked out of the bottom of her cup onto her jeans. She put her hand under the cup and held it away from her. The brown liquid poured through her fingers, dripping onto the floor mat. “It’s getting worse!”

Fries sticking out of her mouth, Summer dug into the brown bag and tossed Ashlyn the single napkin in the bag. She slowed down, glancing back and forth from the traffic ahead of them to Ashlyn. The napkin was already soaked through and the liquid continued to pour from the bottom.

With her elbow, Ashlyn hit the button to unroll the window. She held her leaky cup out of it. “I think I jabbed my straw through the bottom. Geez, what a wussy cup.” Ashlyn glanced down and wiped at her pants. “Shit. I’m so sorry about your car. I think the floor mat and my jeans got most of it”

“No worries. Seriously, it’s not a big deal at all.” Summer grabbed her fries out of the bag, secured them between her thighs, and handed the bag over to Ashlyn. “Put this over it for now. Maybe it’ll help.”

Ashlyn dropped the cup in the bag, but it seeped through within a few seconds. “My pants and shirt are completely soaked.”

Summer took in Ashlyn’s wide-eyed expression, her wet clothes, and the way she was holding the cup out the window. And burst out laughing. “I’m sorry, I know you’re soaking and uncomfortable, but it’s…” Another wave of laughter hit her, and she couldn’t finish.

Ashlyn started giggling, too. “I think you better take me back home to change my clothes, because guy boycott or not, I can’t show my face in public like this.”

Summer checked her mirrors, made a frowned-upon U-turn, and headed back the way they’d come. Every few seconds she’d glance over at Ashlyn, and they’d both erupt in laughter. By the time they made it back to Ashlyn’s, Summer had chugged her soda and given the empty cup to Ashlyn, wondering why she hadn’t thought of it sooner.

Ashlyn flung open the door and stepped onto the curb. She turned around to close the door and her jaw dropped. “Um…”

Summer walked around to see what she was staring at. A sticky, brown stream ran across the right side of her silver Civic, all the way back to the gas tank.

“I’m so sorry,” Ashlyn said, wiping at the mess with the already soaked napkin. “I’ll clean it up. The inside, too.”

“I kind of like it. Ghetto racing stripes without the fuss of paying someone.” Ashlyn still looked worried, and Summer wanted to assure her she didn’t care. “Don’t worry about it. I laughed harder than I have in months, so it was totally worth it.”

“Come on in.” Ashlyn lifted her damp shirt away from her body. “I’ll change, and then we’ll see when the next movie is.”

Summer followed Ashlyn inside. They walked through the living room and into the kitchen. A woman with impeccable hair and makeup sat on one of the barstools, reading a magazine. She looked like an older, thinner version of Ashlyn.

The woman frowned when she saw them. “Ashlyn, you got fast food?”

“Just a soda, Mother.”

“Soda is all empty calories.”

“Well, it was diet, and it actually spilled all over before I got any of it down, so don’t worry; it was no calories.”

The woman’s gaze moved from Ashlyn to Summer. “Hi, I’m Pamela.”

“I’m Summer.”

“Summer, you don’t eat fast food do you? It’s horrible on your body, and I can tell that you like to keep in shape.”

“Mother’s a personal trainer,” Ashlyn said, like that explained everything. It kind of did, she supposed.

“Well, I just downed a large order of fries and a soda. My dad and I aren’t what you’d call”—Summer made air quotes—“culinary, so we eat out quite a bit. I don’t think I could survive without fast food.”

Pamela looked Summer up and down. “Hmm. I guess some people can get away with it. It’ll catch up when you’re older, though. I hope you’re at least exercising.”

“Summer’s on the dance team.” Ashlyn tossed her cup in the trash and turned to her mom. “Now, if you’re done with all your important questions, I’ve got to go change my clothes. They’re feeling more disgusting by the second.”

Summer followed Ashlyn down a long blue hall.