Under the Summer Sky by Michelle Stone (jenna bush book club TXT) 📖

let go but as soon as I sat down he took it back.
“Meet back to the house in 20?” Star said looking at Ramon. “And be careful.”
Star sped away and Ramon said as if she could hear “I’m always careful.”
Ramon took me around being careful as he promised. We sped around; I never felt something so exhilarating. The Shore was so far away and it didn’t look like Ramon ever wanted to go back.
Ramon took me around the lake a couple more times when we finally started going up to the house.
Star wasn’t there yet as Ramon helped me up on the dock and pulled the Jet Ski up on the Sandy beach. We both walked over to a little bench and sat there in silence for a few minutes.
Ramon suddenly broke the silence “Do you want to go over there in the woods and share a smoke? Her mom goes crazy when people smoke so we always have to hide it from her.” He said looking out at the lake.
“Sure.” Ramon stood up with me doing the same. We walked over to a line of Pine trees when in the middle of two there was a break which showed a small narrow trail. We walked in about 20 feet when Ramon pulled a pack of smokes out of a Ziploc bag that he had in his pocket. He grabbed his lighter and lit it. Ramon took a couple hits then handed it to me. I took it between my fingers and took a drag. I took a couple more hits and passed it back.
“So, when do you graduate?” Ramon asked taking a hit of the smoke.
“I graduate next year.” I said as he handed it back to me.
“Yea, me too.” He said looking at me.
Ramon didn’t look like any of the guys in my grade. He looked more mature like he’s been through more. I guess I really didn’t know, so I can’t really tell.
“So, how did you and Star meet?” I asked taking another hit.
Ramon all of a sudden looked uncomfortable as he wouldn’t look at me and refused the smoke when I tried to hand it back to him.
He can try all he wants but he is not avoiding this question.
“So?” I said looking at him and he kicked a pinecone on the ground around.
“It’s kind of a funny story. We dated freshman year. After we broke up Star started dating girls.” He said looking up meeting my eyes.
My eyebrows rose up as I finished off the smoke and stomped it out.
Ramon bent down and picked up the butt and flicked it deep in the woods.
I looked at Ramon as we started walking out of the little trail.
“I know what you’re thinking.” He said looking back at me as we finally made it back to the dock.
“Yea? And what’s that exactly?” I said not sure of where I was going with this.
“That I turned Star gay. It’s okay to make a joke. I’m pretty sure I heard it before anyways.” He said running his hands through his hair.
“I wasn’t thinking that. Although, since you said something…” I said laughing and nudged him with my shoulder.
Ramon’s eyes met mine, and I suddenly felt my face flush. Just then, Star came roaring up to the dock with her Jet Ski. I looked over at her as she turned it off and shook out her hair, which was dripping with water,
Star looked at Ramon pissed and then said “Thanks for looking for me.” And then shook out her hair, spraying us with lake water. She looked over at me and then stomped away. After I wiped my face from the water I looked over at Ramon who had his hands shoved in his pocket.
“Does she always act like that?” I said irritated.
“Not really. Something must really be bothering her.” Ramon started walking around the side of the house
I followed close behind him when we heard yelling coming from inside of the house. The yells slowly turned into screaming as Ramon looked at me pained. He took out his phone and texted something to someone and then walked back by the beach where the noises were mostly muffled by the sound of waves. I walked up slowly and sat down in the grass next to him and then he got up and brushed his bottom off and said “Are you ready to go?” I looked at him surprised and asked “What about Star?”
Ramon chuckled a little bit before saying “She’s going to meet us over at my house.” That must have been who he was texting.
Ramon leaned down and took my hand into his and my stomach started to jump a little. He pulled me onto my feet and without letting my hand go led me over to the side of his pickup truck. My face flushed when I looked down at our hands still holding. Ramon looked down at it too noticing when he quickly let go and went around to the other side of the truck and hopped in. I jumped up into it and buckled my seat belt. I slid as far away from Ramon as possible nervously not knowing what was going on.
I daydreamed the entire way to Ramon’s about what Star was doing at this moment when he looked over at me breaking me from my concentration. I realized the truck was already shut off which startled me. How long have we been sitting there quietly with him watching me.
I hopped out of the truck and waited for Ramon to lead me to where we were going. He took me in the front door and we walked down into the basement which was remodeled to look like a home theatre. Big plushy chairs invited me in as I walked over to one and sat down fidgeting with my fingers. Ramon sat down next to me which made my heart race a little bit more with each move he made.
“So, what do you want to do?” he looked at me waiting for a response.
I shrugged my shoulders unable to talk from being so nervous. Here we were in a dark room with him right next to me asking me what I wanted to do.
“We can watch a movie?” he looked over at me and smiled “Or we can talk, or if you want we can go for a walk.”
The heat outside was at its height and I felt like if I went out there I would sweat and make myself look like a fool. So, instead of talking because I was incapable of making any noises with my mouth at that point I pointed to the screen that was covering the entire wall.
“Movie it is then.” He said as he got up and popped something into a DVD player off to the side.
Ramon put on some comedy about a couple who were working on their marriage. I didn’t pay much attention to it being so occupied with Ramon sitting so close.
Ramon turned to me and asked “So, what do you do for fun?”
I looked at him closer and noticed he had a scar that trailed from the edge of his lip under his chin. What made a scar like that? I wondered.
Ramon nudged me as I said “Softball.”
He smiled at me as he turned back to the movie. “I love softball,” he said.
I was still staring at the scar when I suddenly had to use the restroom.
“Where’s the bathroom?” I said shyly still looking at the scar.
“Up the stairs go through the kitchen and there’s a hallway. All the way at the end of the hallways is the restroom.” He smiled as I got up and walked upstairs.
Once I got into the kitchen there were pictures everywhere on the fridge. Some of the pictures were of Ramon when he was younger, with a bunch of older boys standing around wearing baseball caps and team shirts. There was a picture of Star and Ramon that looked like it was taken a couple years ago. It seemed like the entire Fridge was covered in memories. There were pictures of older people and some that looked like his parents. I stared at the pictures for what seemed like only moments when someone came up behind me and whispered in my ear “Miss me?” I turned around to see Star smiling like nothing happened.
“Are you alright?” I asked concerned.
She stared back confused “I’m fine.” She smiled again.
“Well, what do you want to do?” I asked her.
Star walked over to a cabinet above the stove and shuffled through some liquor bottles plucking flavored vodka from the back. She walked over to another cabinet grabbing a cup and pouring herself a shot and chugging it down. She did that 3 times.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” I looked at her concerned.
“Myra, I’m fine. Give it a rest.” She looked back to her empty cup and refilled it.
I walked back through the halls where Ramon said the bathroom was at and used it. When I came back out Ramon was standing next to Star whispering something into her ear as she sipped at another yet another cup of straight vodka.
My stomach turned thinking about drinking again. I was still suffering a small amount due to my hang over.
Star looked up at me and Ramon quickly turned to see who was behind him. He saw me standing there, and then cleared his throat.
“I’ll meet you downstairs Star.” He said looking down at his feet as he walked back down to the basement.
I walked over to Star while she chugged the last of her cup and looked up at me dizzyingly.
“What was that about?” I felt my heart flutter at the thought that maybe Star told him I liked him.
“It was nothing,” She said while twirling her finger around the brim of her glass looking teary eyed.
I came up behind her and put my arm around her, the feeling of comforting her felt natural. She leaned her head onto my shoulder as I brushed the sticky hair out of her face. Her breath stunk of alcohol but at the same time it smelled sweet, like strawberries, drawing me in.
After a while Star got up and put her cup in the sink and put away the flavored vodka. I followed her back downstairs where Ramon was asleep on one of the chairs. Star walked over to him and woke him up. Ramon sat up rubbing his face as Star and I walked over to the chairs and sat down next to him.
“So, how are you feeling?” Ramon said looking over at Star.
“Drunk.” She said laying her head on one of the arms on the chair.
Ramon smirked at this and patted her leg. He looked at the clock on the wall that read 9:22 pm and jumped up.
“My parents are going to be home. Where are your keys at Star, so I can take you guys home?”
Star dug in her pocket, pulled out a ring of keys and handed it to Ramon still teary eyed.

**

I walked into the cabin to see my family sitting at the dining room table playing scrabble. It was a beautiful night; Stars high up in the sky. I was surprised to see them gathered together fitting the perfect little family standards.
“Hey honey, why don’t you come and pull up a chair?” Her mother called after her. All I wanted to do was lie down