Free Viral by Alex Van Tol Page B

roof—”
    She stopped short when she caught sight of me. A beer beside me, Scarlett in my lap, my hands on her hips.
    Lindsay’s eyes widened. Her lips parted and I heard the breath leave her body like she’d been kicked.
    I threw Scarlett off my lap and stood up.
    â€œNo. Linds,” I said. I spread my hands. Shook my head. “No. This isn’t…it’s not…I didn’t—”

    But she didn’t stay to listen.
    She turned and yanked open the door, one hand covering her mouth.
    And then she was gone.
    â€œLindsay!” I shouted. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Scarlett slink away.
    There was no way I’d ever be able to explain this.

Chapter Three
    Lindsay and I were supposed to have spent the summer together. Watching movies and going on walks. Sitting by the lake late into the night. You know. Parking.
    But after that night, she was as good as gone. She didn’t give me a chance to explain. I tried texting her from the party to explain. I wrote it and erased it three times. The words wouldn’t work. It just sounded like I was trying to cover something up. So I called, but she didn’t answer.
    I called a couple of more times that night. Straight to voicemail.
    I had to admit, the optics were pretty crappy. I wasn’t sure whether I could make her believe me.
    After that night, she packed up and took off to her grandparents’ resort on Chilver Lake. She’d spent summer vacations there before, helping out around the marina. Usually she went for a couple of weeks.
    This time, she was gone for the entire summer.
    I called a few times during those first days after the train wreck. I didn’t want to try to explain anything in an email.
    She didn’t answer. I was hoping she’d come around and maybe call me, or ask me to come down and help out on the long weekend like I had in other years. But she never did.
    My summer sucked. I spent my days slinging bundles of newspapers in the hot warehouse. Loading up the delivery vans. I didn’t want to see anyone from school. I missed hanging out with Lindsay. And I felt terrible for hurting her. But I figured we’d work it out when school started up in September.
    All I had to do was to get her alone. And explain.
    But now that school’s back in, talking to Lindsay seems more impossible than ever.
    I hardly know who she is now. When she walked into homeroom at the start of the year, I barely recognized her. Last spring, she was this kick-ass athlete with a super soft side. She cried once when she forgot her grandpa’s birthday. Another time it was because a dragonfly hit the windshield.
    Now that she’s back…I don’t know. She’s gone from lululemon and flipflops to short skirts and monster heels that could spear you with one kick. She’s thinner and blonder. Wearing tiny clothes. Showing a lot of skin. She’s smoking too. Hanging around with the popular girls outside at lunchtime.
    Her new BFFs. Although you can hardly call them friends. It’s a constant battle between them to see who’s got the best labels, who’s got the coolest nails, who ate the tiniest amount at their last meal. It’s stupid. But ever since the start of school, Lindsay has been hanging with that group. She must see something in them. I don’t know what though.
    It’s hard to imagine approaching this new version of Lindsay. I don’t feel like trying to wade into her little group of frenemies. How intimidating is that ?
    It’s weird that so much can change between two people so quickly. I mean, until a few months ago, Lindsay and I were pretty much inseparable. We spent countless Friday nights eating popcorn and watching movies. Talking about stuff. The guys she liked. The girls I dated. She used to tease me that I went through girls faster than a Super G racer through the slalom gates.
    That was before I realized the only one I wanted was her.
    We texted