Page 72 of Something Like Summer
“Benjamin?”
His skin tingled at thesound of that voice, shivers running up his spine to the base ofhis skull. Ben turned around. And there he was. Tim Wyman, floatingthrough the café’s jumbled tables and chairs like a ghost from thepast. He looked exactly the same, and yet completely different. Histeenage body had given way to manhood, accentuating every handsomefeature. The jaw was stronger, the cheeks more defined. The bodybeneath the tight, artificially aged T-shirt solidified intosomething showcased in fashion catalogs and porn magazines. Worstof all, those damnable silver eyes were already smiling athim.
“It’s really you, isn’tit?” Tim had reached the table and put his hand on Ben’sshoulder.
At his touch, Ben wasseventeen again, clutching the grass while watching Tim walk awayfrom him and knowing the damage was irreparable, that no matter howmuch he begged or pleaded, no matter how badly he wanted to feelTim’s touch again, he never would. Their time together was over.Except, here he was again.
“Yeah,” Ben responded, noteven remembering the question anymore. His chest was so tight hecould barely speak a single word. He shrugged Tim’s hand away, anact that probably seemed cold, but his only other option was toscream.
The light in Tim’s eyesflickered with uncertainty. “Man. So are you just visiting orwhat?”
“I’m enrolled here,” Benanswered, heart thudding in his ears.
“Since when? I thought youwere in Chicago?”
As one, Tim and Ben bothlooked to Allison. She gave Tim a blank look before turning to Ben.Her eyes said “Don’t be mad at me,” and Ben understood. She hadpreviously run into Tim and had told him Ben was in Chicago. Maybehe actually had been at the time, but she had never mentioned theencounter to Ben, which could only mean one thing.
“I’m guessing we go to thesame school?” Ben asked, his focus still on his bestfriend.
“Yeah,” sheconfirmed.
“Jesus,” Tim said, sittingdown at the table.
This was too much. “I haveto go.” Ben stood clumsily, the chair almost tipping over behindhim and was out the door before anyone could say anything to stophim.
“You should have told me!”he heard Tim scolding Allison before the door of the coffee shopclosed.
Ben headed down the streetat a pace desperate to become a run. He was heading toward Jace’sapartment until he remembered Jace would be out of town for threemore days. Home was in the other direction, which would mean havingto walk back by the coffee shop. Ben turned and saw Tim runningdown the sidewalk toward him.
“Wait,” Tim called out.“Please.”
Ben looked down at hisfeet, half-expecting to see the same dopey Smashing PumpkinsT-shirt that he was wearing the night that Tim had jogged pasthim.
“Hey,” Tim panted as hecame to a stop. It sounded so casual, as if they were two friendswho regularly saw each other.
“What do you want?” Benshook his head, unable to imagine the answer.
“I don’t know,” Tim said.“I just want to talk to you, I guess.”
Ben breathed in heavily,the smell of Tim filling his nose and tingling on his tongue. Thiswasn’t happening. “I can’t.”
“I know you’re mad at me,”Tim said, stooping to catch Ben’s eye and failing. “Look, takethis.”
A cell phone was pressedinto Ben’s hand.
“I’ll call tonight, okay?We’re both in shock right now and need time to think, but I stillwant to talk to you. Cool?”
Ben nodded. Why the hellnot? He could always dump the phone somewhere if he changed hismind.
“All right. I’m goingnow,” Tim started to walk away, but hesitated. “You were right,Benjamin.”
Ben finally raised hishead. “About what?”
“About a lot of things.See you around!”
Tim flashed his winner’ssmile and left. Ben watched him walk down the street, expecting himto disappear any moment like a phantom.
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