• 2 •

  "Hey Summer, Tomika and I are going out for ice cream, wanna come with?" asked Zack after school.

  "Umm.." she replied. Then Freddy suddenly tapped her shoulder. Summer turned around to glance at him then smiled on of her biggest smiles yet.

  "Wanna come hang around my place?" He asked, kinda nervous, but only Zack noticed it.

  "Umm.. Yeah, sure. Let me just give my mom a heads-up." She texted her mom and she agreed.

  "Umm.. Sorry Tomeeks, maybe next time." Summer continued.

  "Yeah. That's okay. Lawrence is with Esme, they're hanging out at the trampoline park. Anyways.. bye!" And Tomika walked off with Zack.

  "So, come on.." Freddy walked with Summer to his house. He had a strong urge to hold her hand, but didn't want it to be awkward. But Summer noticed his struggle, his face was reddening and was starting to get sweaty.

  "What's bothering you Freddy?"

  "Oh, it's just.. I never had someone in my house before, let alone, a girl." He said a truth, but lied cause this wasn't the answer to her question.

  "Oh, well I'm honored. To be the first person, and girl, to ever hang out with you at your house." She said, and they both chuckled.

      Once they were at the patio of Freddy's house, he opened the door and gestured Summer to come in first.

  "After you." he told her.

  "Thank you." She royally said.

She looked around Freddy's house while he closed the door behind them. The house looked very tidy and neat, and quite mansion-like. Summer thought that Freddy was very rich, no doubt that he was.

      Once you go inside the doorway, to the left was the living room, with a big couch and two solo ones. A big television was there, and an XBOX and consoles laying on the coffee table. To the right was the kitchen, there were so many countertops, one big fridge, an oven, a microwave, cupboards, a sink, it was quite complete, it just looked very modern. But the middle part of the house, you can't unsee it. A fine and kinda large staircase was going up to some rooms, and a huge chandelier was magnificently hanging and shimmering on the ceiling. Behind the staircase, below on the ground floor, was one face of the whole wall covered in glass windows and a sliding glass door in the middle, leading to the backyard.

      Back there was a huge swimming pool with a jacuzzi. An enormous waterslide was there too. A diving board and a lot of pool noodles and floaters (e.g. floating flamingos, swans, etc.) There was also a table with two chairs in it. A grill and fences surrounding the whole backyard so it'd be enclosed.

  "Wow.. Freddy.. This.. Omg." Summer was so astounded by what she has witnessed today. Jaw-dropped.

  "I'm not trying to show-off or anything by inviting you to come here, so.." Freddy looked embarrassed now.

  "No, not at all! Thanks for inviting me." She smiled her biggest smile yet.

  "You're welcome. It gets pretty lonely at times." He said, beaming at her. "Anyways, what do you wanna do first?" He continued.

She didn't know what to do next, it seemed like there was a whole lot of stuff to do. This included her confession of feelings to Freddy.

  "Let's watch a movie?" She finally decided.

  "Yeah. Sure. Come on, let's go upstairs." He gestured to go up the staircase.

  "Upstairs? But, isn't the TV down here?" She said, pointing at the living room.

  "Yeah I know. But, we usually watch movies in the movie room. You know, with a big white screen like in the theaters, and a projector in the back?"

  "And the seats are like in the cinemas too?" She went too overboard with excitement as she jumped up and down holding Freddy's wrists.

  "Calm down.. Yeah. Like those, but the room isn't as big as a cinema." he now held Summer's hands. "Come on, let's go upstairs." He continued. Then pulled Summer up the staircase, still holding one of her hands. She followed him eagerly with excitement written upon her face.

     Once they were up the staircase, Freddy turned right, Summer still following, both of them still holding hands. They entered the room, Freddy let go of Summer's hand while she jumped up and down once more and shrieking, she covered her mouth with both of her hands.

  "This is so frickin' awesome Freddy!" Summer hugged him ever so tightly. He reddened, up to his ears.

  "You.. You.. You're welcome." He stuttered, hugging Summer back. They just stood there, hugging. Summer reddened and calmed down. Then they pulled away.

  "Umm.. What movie should we watch?" Freddy asked, still red and feeling giddy. He rubbed the back of his neck, he never knew hugging Summer would feel like this.

  "I.. Umm.. I don't know.. Beauty and The Beast the live-action one, I guess.." Summer could not have picked a more romantic movie. At first she regretted saying this as a first choice, that it might reveal that she likes Freddy, but then she thought of it again, she wanted to exploit Freddy, not herself. She didn't regret about it anymore and brushed the thought off.

  "Yeah. Ok. I think we could play that." he nervously replied. "Johnson?" He called for someone Summer didn't know who.

  "Yes sir?" An English butler appeared and came through the door. Summer didn't even notice Freddy had a butler ever since she walked in here, maybe she was too busy looking around, she thought to herself.

  "Do we have Beauty and The Beast 2017 in the player up there?" Freddy asked, pointing at where the projector was, in a room elevated from where they're standing right now.

  "Yes sir, we do." Johnson replied.

  "Good. Me and my -- friend here are gonna watch it later after we've made popcorn. Can you play it for us?" Freddy asked.

  "Certainly sir." Then Johnson went away.

  "You.. have -- a butler?!!" Summer asked, amused.

  "Yeah. My mom hired him four years ago.. Anyways, let's microwave some popcorn." Freddy pulled Summer by the hand again, and they headed to the kitchen.

He searched for microwavable popcorn in the cupboards, he got two bags and microwaved the other one first. While waiting, Summer thought she'd engage him in conversation.

  "So, Freddy.. Why did you want to hang out with me randomly?" She asked.

  "Umm.. I just thought -- that, umm.. hmm.." Freddy started shaking with nervousness. "I thought.. it just really felt lonely these past couple of weeks, you know? I haven't hung out with anyone yet, not even the guys." he continued.

  "Oh.. Why is that?" She asked.

  "Ever since the lock-in, Lawrence always wanted to hang out with Esme, then, remember a week ago Zack and Tomika wrote a song together? They're always hanging out since then.."

  "Yeah.. I noticed too.. And they're asking me to be a third-wheel.. not directly asking me to third-wheel, but yeah.. You get the idea.." Summer started to think Tomika's slowly bailing on her.

  "And, I haven't seen you hanging out with anyone for a while, I thought Asher would ask you out ever since the lock-in.." The first bag of popcorn was finished microwaving (there was a 'ding' sound.), Freddy took a bowl from one of the cupboards, opened he bag then filled the bowl.

  "Why'd you say that?" She asked.

  "Because.." He said, putting the second bag in the microwave and handing the bowl filled with popcorn to Summer.

  "Because what?" She ate a popcorn.

  "Because.. I saw the both of you on the rooftop, where I saw you and told you 'there's something different about you tonight.'. The moment I finally saw YOU. I saw the both of you there, I thought he liked you and you liked him back.." He now looked directly at Summer instead of the countertop.

  "And you thought we were gonna be dating?"

  "I assumed it, yeah."

  "I don't like him back, he did like me, but I treat him like a brother.. I don't know if that's weird or not but.."

  "It's.. It's not weird." Freddy said, grinning. Thinking that he might have a chance dating Summer.

  "I.. I like someone else.." Summer said, blushing.

  "Yeah? Who -- who?" Freddy stuttered, nervous that Summer might say a different name, he wishes she says that it's him.

  "I won't tell you.." Summer smiled mischievously, hiding the truth that she likes the person right in front of her.

  "Oh come on, I won't tell anybody." Freddy was really eager to know.

  "I know you won't.. But still, my answer is NO!" She playfully said in a kid's voice shouting out the word 'No'. She shrugged her shoulders and putting on a face like an angry kid.

  "Fine, then I'll just force it out of you!" Freddy wiggled his fingers from both hands, and gesturing it towards Summer, starting to tickle her.

  "No! Stop! Stop it--" She started laughing, Freddy did too. She put the popcorn on the countertop and ran away from the kitchen and directly into the living room. Freddy followed her, running as well.

  "Come back here, you!" Freddy shouted, both still laughing.

  "You'll never catch me, and you'll never know who my crush is!" shouted Summer. She hid behind one of the couches, then they ran around the living room, like two kids playing Ring-Around-The-Rosie.

• • •

Next chapter is gonna be good!! 😏😉💗 Hope you enjoyed this one!! 😊