Stairways | A Surviving Summer FanFiction

Part 53 - Mood

"So, you really laid into Poppy back there," Ari says as the both of you begin making the first descent down the coast path. "And Marlon, now that I think about it. Should I go ahead and tell Summer you're coming?" He jokes, and you can't help but smile slightly. Yes, maybe you shouldn't have been so hard on Poppy, but Marlon had it coming - none of them could see that they're tearing the team apart.

"Maybe tomorrow everything will go back to normal. After this freaking party is over." you mutter. How did this night go so wrong? You shouldn't be ending the night so bitter about a party which should have been so enjoyable.

You and Ari reach the turning for the path that reaches up to Stairway, and you feel a wave of deja vu being back there. It's getting dark now, and the wind has picked up, blowing your hair in your face as you meet it head on down the path leading to the sea. When you reach the opening and feel the ground beneath your feet replaced with worn-down rock, you take a look around. Summer is nowhere to be found.

"Summer?!" Ari yells over the wind, but you can't see anyone out on the rocks.

"Maybe we should try circling round? See if she started heading back along the beach?" You offer, but just as you turn around you see Summer is standing there, just hidden in the trees speaking furiously into her phone which is pinned to her ear. You only manage to pick up certain words: leave, listen, mum. She eventually appears to finish the conversation, pressing the hang up button with a frustrated sigh. She turns around and sees you and Ari standing there, and it's clear from her face that she's concerned about how much you heard.

Ari lets out a relieved sigh and shakes his head. "Summer, we've been looking for you!"

"Who were you speaking to?" You ask, trying to be more gentle than you were with Marlon and Poppy - your anger seems to be getting the better of you a lot recently.

"Just my mum. She's coming to get me in a few days; guess they don't trust me on a plane by myself." She laughs half-heartedly, taking a seat on the trunk of a fallen tree.

"Why'd you leave the party?" You ask, and you and Ari sit either side of her, although you can tell she's trying not to make eye contact.

"Just needed some alone time, y'know?" She shrugs. "And, there was just some stuff at the party I...didn't really want to see."

Your brow furrows in confusion - what does she mean? You don't have time to question what exactly she was implying by her last sentence, as Ari jumps in.

"Well, why don't we go back with you. I'm sure Bodhi doesn't appreciate us leaving her alone with the Anchor Coves." he offers, and you feel maybe this was too rushed - you need to talk to Summer some more.

But she simply nods. However, something tells you going back is the last thing she wants to do.

______________

When you arrive back at the club, there's no music playing, no dancing, and for a moment you think the party's been shut down or everyone's left, until you see a large group huddled around the campfire, all seemingly engrossed by something Griff is saying (Poppy among them, of course).

As you edge nearer to the crowd, you notice Bodhi standing on the outside, watching disapprovingly with her arms folded and a drink in one hand.

"Hey, Bodhs, what's going on?" You whisper, still watching Griff as he addresses the group.

"Griff appears to be laying out the rules for a little game called truth or dare," she huffs, crossing her arms. "Which you would know, if you'd been here." She says sharply.

You recoil at her remark, slightly confused. "I'm sorry, we just had to go find Summer, she-"

"Yes, I'm sure Summer was top of your list when you were walking along the coast path at a snail's pace with Ari, not to mention you had time to make out with him earlier.."

"What? I-"

"I'm sorry that my party was so bad that Poppy felt inviting our rivals would lighten the mood, and you were obviously so bored that you left halfway through."

You understand why she's angry. But what you don't understand is why she's taking it out on you.

"Bodhi, I'm sorry we left but we really did only go to find Summer." you say, trying to sound as genuine as possible, but Bodhi doesn't look convinced.

"I'm sure she loved that." she replies, not meeting your eye.

You shoot her a confused glance, and she looks at you from the corner of her eye before sighing, like she's having to explain simple things over and over when really she's not making any sense.

"Summer told me she was leaving the party for a bit because she saw you two being all...together," she struggles for the right words. "And she didn't wanna see it. So she left."

"Why does she mind?" You ask, and Bodhi shrugs, looking straight ahead. "Do you mind?" You ask suddenly. Maybe Ari was wrong to think it would be a good idea to go public now.

Bodhi shakes her head dismissively. "All I can say is I hope this doesn't hurt the team." She shrugs and gives you a final patronising glance as she walks towards the bar.

Shit. Why can't you seem to do anything right?

You turn and see Summer and Ari, deep in their own conversation behind you. Summer's smiling and chatting away, a stark contrast to her mood earlier, which makes you think: was her bad mood down to you?

No, surely not. It was because of her mum, right? Nothing else. And yet she still seems completely at ease with Ari, and totally on edge with you.

Maybe that's why when Griff calls you all over, you grab them both by the arm and pull them into the crowd, desperate, for some reason, to stop them talking. Maybe this is what jealousy feels like, you think.