Summer Ended with a Storm - 8. Chapter 8

“So, what did your grampa say?” asked Andy sitting with his fishing pole in his hand.

“He said he was cool.”

“He said that he was cool?”

“Well, not in those exact words, but he said I could stay here with him.”

“Really! So you’re gonna stay!”

“Well, he said I also had the option of moving to Portland with my aunt Kat and her family. It would be awesome. I mean, I have three cousins there.”

“Oh,” Andy put his head down. “So, I guess that you’ll be better off there.”

“Are you joking? I could never leave you. Nope. Now, I don’t have to leave if I don’t want to and…I don’t want to.”

Andy smiled and got a tug on his pole. He quickly reeled it in and put it in the cooler. Thanks God he didn’t put it in my face again. I don’t think I could handle that.

I helped Andy row to the shore and we brought the boat in. As we were unloading the boat, Amanda came running out to us.

“Dylan!” she called as she ran. “Dylan! Come quick. It’s your grandfather!”

Andy and I looked at each other and then quickly ran, following Amanda. She led us to Doc Freidman’s.

“Hold on,” said the doctor. “You can’t see him just yet.”

“Doctor, that’s my grandfather. I need to see him!”

“I know, I know, but we’re still examining him right now. It’ll be a while before you can see him.”

“Can you at least tell me what happened to him.”

“Your grandfather suffered a severe heart attack. He’s still unconscious from the incident, but he’s expected to wake up soon. You can see him in a moment.”

I felt tears building up. I ran out of the doctors. I was way to upset to stay. Andy ran after me, but I paid no attention.

I ran and I ran until I couldn’t run anymore, or more like until Andy caught up to me and stopped me. I folded into his arms, overthrown with worry. Andy held me tight.

“Fuck, that’s fucking disgusting. Faggots!”

I turned my head and saw Blake walking away. I broke away from Andy, ran to Blake, turned him around and popped him in the face. He fell to the ground almost immediately.

“Fuck you asshole.” I said, bending over him.

Andy pulled me back. “Come on, Dylan. Your grampa needs you to be there for him right now.”

I followed Dylan back to Doc Freidman’s. There, I apologized to Amanda for ditching her and also thanked her, since she was the one to drive my grampa to the doctor.

Doc Freidman came out and walked up to me.

“I’m afraid that we don’t have the proper equipment here to take care of your grandfather. A helicopter from Mercy in Portland is on it’s way to take him, but I’m afraid no one can go with him. You’ll have to drive to Portland to see him.”

“Thank you doctor.”

“I can drive you.” said Amanda.

“That’s sweet Amanda, but I couldn’t ask you to do that. I’m just going to have to wait until he gets out to see him.”

“No, Dylan she offered to drive you. Let her do it. You should go with your grampa.”

“No, maybe I can dig up some money for a bus ticket.”

“Would you stop being so damn stubborn and accept some help for once!”

Andy wrapped his arms around me again and I took him in. “I know you’re scared. We’re all scared. Just let us help.” He whispered.

“Will you come with me?” I asked.

Andy looked to Amanda. “Is it okay?”

“Of course.” said Amanda.

On the way to Portland, I sat in the back with Andy as Amanda drove. I actually fell asleep on Andy’s shoulder.

When I woke up, Andy was stroking my hair. “Hey,” he whispered. “We’re here.”

I looked up at him and smiled. I squeezed him tighter and then we got out of the car. As soon as we told the nurse at the front desk who we were, she showed us to the proper department.

When I walked into my grampa’s hospital room, my aunt Kat was sitting by his side. My three cousins were in the corner. Kat looked up and me and wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Oh, Dylan. I wasn’t sure if you were going to be able to make it.”

“I got a ride from my friend. How is he?”

“He was awake earlier. He’s sleeping now.” said Kat. “He asked for you.”

She looked to my friends. “Oh, sorry, Kat this is Amanda and Andy. Guys, this is my aunt Kat.” Amanda and Andy politely waved.

“Thanks for bringing him here.” said Kat.

“What did the doctors say?” I asked.

“He said that he’ll be okay. He’ll just need to get some rest and go on a strict diet.”

“He’s not going to like that.” I said.

There was a knock at the door. We turned around and there was Nick.

“Nick? What’re you doing here?” asked Amanda.

“Sorry to interrupt. I went to your house and your mom told me about Mr. Summers. I was worried so I drove over here.” said Nick. He motioned to talk to me outside. I followed him. We talked in the hallway.

“Hey, thanks for coming, but you didn’t have to.” I said, leaning against the wall, still exhausted.

“My boyfriend’s grandfather is put in hospital and I don’t have to come. What world are you living in?”

“So…I’m your boyfriend?” I asked.

“Wasn’t that confirmed the other night?”

He inched closer to me and took my hand. “How’s your grampa? How are you?”

“Well, my grampa’s going to be fine. But…I’m still worried about him. It feels good to have you hear.” That wasn’t a complete lie, but it wasn’t the complete truth either.

Nick bent over me and kissed me softly. Then we heard, “Oh…Oh, I…”

We turned and saw Amanda.

“I’m gonna go get a soda.” said Nick.

Amanda slowly walked up to me.

“So, does Emily know that you and Nick are…?”

“No, I wanted him to tell her but he’s not ready.”

“Dylan…” Amanda sighed.

“I know…you don’t have to say it.”

We sat down in the lobby just a few steps away.

“Just…don’t give him a hard time about it, okay? He’s going through a lot.” I asked Amanda nicely.

“He’s my cousin, Dylan. He’ll think I’m giving him a hard time even if I’m not.” said Amanda. She started to giggle.

“What’s so funny?” I asked.

“Ever since I found out about you being gay and…and now Andy, I thought you two would end up together. You two are so close.”

“Andy told you?”

“Yes, he told me.” said Amanda.

“Well, we’re just friends.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Can you just say what you want to say and stop making me guess?” I asked. “I’m too exhausted to guess.”

“You and Andy are so close. You hold each other, you comfort each other. I’m just wondering if this thing you have with Nick is to cover up the feelings you have for Andy and I know that Andy has for you.”

“Andy and I are friends. I’ll never mean as much to him as he means me, though.”

“Oh come on, Dylan. A blind man could see that you two love each other.”

“Well, it’s too bad we won’t ever know if that’s for real because Nick and I are together.”

“Except, he’s also with Emily…who recently told me that Nick proposed to her.”

Nick came strolling in with three sodas in his hand and a horrible smirk on his face. “I thought you guys would want a soda.”

Amanda left and Nick sat down with me. Nick put the soda in my face. “Oh fuck off, Nick. I don’t want your damn soda.”

“Did I do something wrong? What did Amanda say to you?”

“I think you know.”

“She told you about the proposal.”

“When were you going to tell me?”

“Actually, I was going to tell you the other night at the lake, but…”

“But you decided to take my virginity instead.”

“I’m sorry, Dylan. I just…she asked if I was seeing someone else and, and I didn’t know what else to do.”

I felt tears streaming down my face now.

“Dylan, I…”

“Just leave…I don’t want you here.”

“Okay,” said Nick. He got up slowly and left the lobby. I walked back to grampa’s room.

“Oh my God, Dylan. What’s the matter?” asked Kat.

Andy walked up to me in worry. “Dylan…what’s wrong?”

“Oh nothing, my boyfriend’s just engaged.”

“Oh, Dylan, I’m so sorry.” said Andy. He wrapped his arms tightly around me and I cried on his shoulder. I didn’t know why I was so upset. It’s not like I had enough time to actually begin to love him? Or did I?

I broke from Andy’s hug and I looked at him, straight in the eyes. “I should’ve listened to you. I should’ve known that Nick would just, that he would just bring nothing but trouble.”

“You cared about him. You had to go with your instincts.”

“Which have turned out to be horrible.” I said, wiping my tears.

“Well, just forget about Nick. He was an asshole to you anyway.”

“What do you mean?” asked Amanda.

“Please don’t tell her.” I pleaded to Andy.

“Tell me what?” asked Amanda.

“Amanda, you don’t need to know this. This is between me and Andy.” I said.

“What did Nick do to you?” she asked again.

“So you’re really gay?” asked my cousin Jasper, the one that’s slightly older than me. His birthday being just a week before mine.

I looked at him weirdly. I thought that would be obvious by now. “Jas, of course I’m gay. What do you think-never mind.”

“I still want to know what Nick did to you that he’s suddenly an asshole besides the fact that he’s engaged to Emily.”

“You’re not going to leave this alone are you?” I asked.

“Dylan, you should just tell her?” said Andy.

“I-I can’t. I don’t want to talk about it. You can tell her if you want.”

“Remember a while back when Dylan got beaten?” asked Andy.

“Of course I do. He could barely walk for days.” said Amanda.

“Dylan you were beaten up?” asked Kat in her worried voice. I nodded.

“Nick is the one who beat him.”

“I-…I don’t believe you.” said Amanda, backing away. “Nick would never do anything that horrible.”

“Well, he did.” I said, feeling myself ready to tear up again. “Ask him yourself when you get back to Meek. He’ll tell you.”

Amanda sat down on the floor up against the wall. She was in utter shock.

“But…if Nick did that to you, why would you go out with him?” asked Amanda.

“I don’t know.” I answered. “Your cousin seems to have a strange hold on me.”

“You mean…that guy that was just in here…he was the one that beat you up?” asked Kat.

“Yes.” I simply answered.

“And you went out with him?” she asked again.

“Oh, we did much more than that.”

“Yuck,” said Sean. One of the twins.

“What’s all this racket?” we all looked over and saw grampa awake. “Dylan!” he exclaimed as powerful as he could, which wasn’t much.

I walked over to his bed. “Hey, grampa. I’m here.”

“I’m so glad you came. Oh, and Andy and Amanda are here too. How sweet of you all to visit an old geezer like me.”

“You gave us quite a scare there, Mr. Summers.” said Amanda.

“Oh, I’m okay. Just as long as no one fusses over me.”

I smiled and realized, I have my grampa back.