Chapter 3 The library

When the bell rang for closing, summer still seated took out her phone and texted Elsie

[Be there in 10 minutes]

She got up and made her way to her locker, where she bumped into Angel. "Hey,"

Summer greeted, but Angel seemed lost in thought, staring off into the distance. Summer followed her gaze and spotted Jaden and Kate making out like they were the only two people in the world, totally oblivious to the fact that they were in a school.

At one point, Jaden even gave Kate a playful squeeze, and Summer noticed a few girls nearby watching them with wide eyes. Turning back to Angel, Summer waved her hand in front of her face to snap her out of it.

"Do you like Jaden?"

she asked, noticing how distracted her friend was. Angel shook her head.

"No, I have a crush already, but I don't think he knows I exist."

"What were you staring at them for, then?" Summer probed.

"Just imagining what it would be like if Dave did that with me-maybe even in the library,"

Angel replied, leaving Summer puzzled.

"The library?"

"Don't worry about me, let's just get packed up and head out."

Since their lockers were conveniently located next to each other, they chatted as they finished up. Once they closed their lockers, they stepped outside together, glancing around for Kate and Jaden, only to discover they had already left.

"Want to join me for a ride?" Angel asked as they reached her car.

"I've got my ride, just waiting for my sister" came Summer's response.

"Wait, you have a sister?!" Angel exclaimed, clearly surprised.

"What's her name, and what grade is she in?" Summer looked at Angel to gauge her excitement.

"She's a freshman. Her name is Elspeth, but everyone calls her Elsie."

Just then, they spotted Elsie walking out of school with a few girls who were laughing and chatting together.

When she spotted her sister, she quickly informed her friends that she needed to leave. Summer then said goodbye to Angel and made her way to her red motorbike.

"Hop on, let's hit the road," she called out, offering her a helmet.

"Did you make any friends? Why the hurry?"

"I did make some friends, but today was just too much. I really just want to lie down," she replied. As they continued their conversation, each holding a helmet, Jaden and Jackson stepped out of the school with Kate and Princess. Princess was the first to spot Summer.

"She looks really cool," she remarked to Jackson. The others turned to see what she was looking at and noticed Summer chatting with another girl who bore a striking resemblance to her, apart from a few differences like Elsie's hair was a deep, ink black.

As they stood there, their attention was drawn to a striking red motorbike parked nearby. The guys exchanged approving glances, while Kate kept quiet, biting her lip and revealing nothing about her thoughts.

"Let's move out, Elspeth."

"Sure, but I prefer Elsie," she replied.

"Maybe I'll stick with Elspeth until we get back home."

With a red helmet secured on her head, Elsie jumped on the bike right after Summer. The engine roared to life, and as they sped away, the vibrant red of the bike caught everyone's eye in the sunlight.

"Mum, Dad, are you here?"

No answer.

"Is anyone home?"

Elsie called out again, a hint of frustration in her voice as she glanced at Summer, who was already making her way toward the stairs. "Are you kidding me? They said they'd be back by the time we got here so we could share about our first day,"

she huffed, following Summer up. Summer turned around and silently mouthed, "Shh!" Just then, they heard the noise coming from their parents' room. It felt a bit awkward, but Summer quickly coughed to break the tension and said,

"They're busy, so-" She trailed off, unsure of what else to say, but Elsie, with a playful grin, chimed in, "Let's just wait by their door for them."