The Lovestruck Summer

Chapter Five

As soon as Stella saw Rusty kiss me, she jumped right off her chaise and bolted over to where we were standing.

She pulled Rusty off me and then she pushed me on the ground. "I knew it!" She seethed. "You were trying to steal him from me! Consider our friendship, terminated!"

I pulled myself up off the ground, growing angrier by the second. I gathered up all my courage and completely flipped my lid. "You're one to talk! You've been making fun of me ever since you started dating him! I knew you were mean, but you didn't have to call me a hobo!"

"When did I call you a hobo?" She snapped, glaring at me. "You're dreaming!"

"No I'm not. It was the day we went to the carnival! You came in a prom dress and I was wearing my normal, everyday t-shirt and jeans." I said. "You thought you looked good, but in reality, you just looked like a girl who was obsessed with her prom dress. From 8th grade!"

She blushed and I felt triumphant. Until she said this, "You're really obsessed with me, aren't you?"

Do what?! I had to fight the literal urge to smack the crap out of her. Literally. Luckily, Mira came to my rescue. "You know what, Stella? I think that you're obsessed with Tara. I mean you like the boy she used to like."

I gave her a death glare, but I already knew the damage was done. Stella heard what she said. It wasn't like I could hide it now. "Oh my gosh! I totally knew it! You were in love with Rusty from the get go, weren't you?" She grinned as though she'd succeeded in getting to me. News flash: She didn't.

"Rusty! Lil' Tara has something to share with you!"

Rusty came running over, looking back and forth between Stella and I. "What's up, T?"

Stella grinned at him. "A little birdy told me a wonderful secret."

He stared at her. "Ok, what's the secret?"

"Well, it appears to me that Tara here has a crush on you. Apparently she always has, since y'all first met."

Rusty's eyes bulged out as he turned to look at me. "Is that true, T? Is she telling me the truth?"

"Um, I, um." I could barely speak.

"All tongue tied now, are we?"

I had to blink back the tears as I ran off the beach and into the girls' bathroom. I leaned against the sink and sobbed.

I heard the door open, hesitantly. I turned to see who it was. I was surprised to see Rusty standing behind me, his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts.

"Is it true, T? That's all I really want to know. Do you like as more than a friend?"

Why lie now? I mean, lying has made my life so much complicated than it was before. "Yeah. It's true. Stella found out and decided to use it against me."

"I'm so sorry. I feel bad." He then leaned towards me and caught my lips in a sweet, loving kiss.

When we pulled apart, I felt like I was dreaming. "What about Stella?"

"What about her? I don't care what she does, where she goes, or who she dates. I'm through. I just dumped after I heard about what she did to you."

"You didn't have to do that, you know."

"I know. But I really needed to. Stella is toxic. Rather she knows it or not, she is."

"I know." I felt weird, mainly because he knew how I felt about him now. "So... I guess you know now."

"Yeah. But I think I feel the same." He said, grinning at me.

I couldn't help but blush. Is he serious? But just as I thought that, he answered me with a kiss.