The Summer of Me & You Read Online Free

deal.
    “Ashley? From school?”
    She paused for a moment then said, “Yeah,” deflated. “I also went out with you a couple of nights ago?”
    I didn't say anything so she elaborated upon hearing my silence. “Well, anyway, there's a party down at the lake, I thought you might want to come.”
    I inhaled, then exhaled smoke. “Might consider it. Who's all there?” Nothing much was going on otherwise, wouldn't hurt to check it out.
    “Everyone's here.” There was a good chance Kayleigh would be there. She didn't go to other parties, but since it was a gathering at the lake, she might show up.
    “On my way now,” I said, then hung up. My house was only about a mile or two up the road from the junkyard. I'd walk back and get Stephen's car, since I didn't have my own anymore, and drive down to the lake. Stephen didn't trust me with his car, and my mom didn't want to get me another one. Walking everywhere sucked, but I took Stephen's car whenever I got a chance. He barely drove it anyway. He was on the road all the time, since he was a trucker, and he was tired by the time he got home. He was gone for weeks at a time. I was free to use the car whenever I wanted. It was my car anyway. The insurance from the wrecked car paid for the new one, but since Stephen had paid the insurance, he claimed the car that Brian had gotten me for my sixteenth birthday.
    I pulled off my jeans, decided to leave them behind in my junkyard car, along with my cigarettes. I'd get them later. My black swim trunks were underneath my jeans and since it was so hot outside, I didn't feel like wearing much. I needed a tan anyway.
    I slipped underneath the fence, and left the wasteland behind, trailing my way back down the road to my house. I pulled off my shirt, too, tossed it over my shoulder.
    By the time I made it home, the sun had nearly scorched my back. Hitting into that water would be like splashing out of hell and into heaven. I burned. I hopped up onto the porch in one long stride, jerked open the screen, barreled into the backdoor, and landed in the kitchen.
    “Dammit, it's fucking scorching outside. Probably like a hundred degrees.” I lurched the refrigerator door open, looking for bottled water or Gatorade.”
    Mom sat at the table. She threw a spearmint at me. It bounced off my neck. “What the hell?” I spun around. She covered the receiver and made a face. I'm on the phone, she mouthed.  
    Geez Louise. I reached over onto the table, grabbing up the keys. “I'll bring the car back before midnight.” But before I could lift that silver jingle up and away, her hand clamped down on mine and stopped me. She wrestled with me as she tried to pry them out of my grasp. “Stop,” I said, swatting her away.
    Defeated, she gave up, lifted her hand off mine. “Thank you,” I said.
    “Hey, can I call you back later? Kaleb's home,” she emphasized my name, as though that should explain everything —about why she had to get off the phone. “Yes, that's right,” she laughed. “Couldn't have said it better myself. I'll call you right back.” Guess she didn't intend on fighting with me too long today. She hung up the phone and glared at me.  
    “What? What did I do this time?”
    “You busted through the backdoor using profanity while I was on the phone, young man.”
    “Look, why do you and I have to go through this every single time. I'm not four, mom. I just need the car. Who were you on the phone with anyway. Mrs. Gossip Bitch?”  
    “Turn around,” she said.
    “Why?” I twisted halfway. It was my back. She noticed it was turning red.
    “Kaleb,” she said my name with a whine, the way she always did, in that wannabe parental voice that made her sound like she was disappointed in me. “I told you to wear sunscreen!”
    “Seriously? I gotta go. They're waiting on me.”
    “Who is?”
    “Friends.”
    “You have imaginary friends now?”
    “Bye,” I said, as I passed her, headed back out the door with the  keys in