I ran through the streets with Chuckie and Phil on my heels as Lil and Kimi ran behind them.

"Wait up Tommy!" Kimi shouted. I stopped and looked back at her, breathing heavily, sweat was dripping down her face beneath her bangs that were plastering to her forehead. I chuckled and looked at Chuckie who smiled, his eyes twinkling beneath his glasses.

"Why?" I asked looking at Kimi again.

"Because I can't run as fast as you and my side is starting to hurt," she replied, rubbing her ribs slightly.

I shook my head slightly impatient, "I'm sorry Kimi but I'm not waiting," I replied before taking off again. I heard her let out an exasperated sigh before they started after me again.

I wasn't sure why they were following me, I had a special place I went to each day at the time, during the summer it was the only time I had alone. But today they seemed beyond curious and were downright probing.

I jumped over a low hedge and ran towards the park where the little creek was. It was a nice spot where sometimes teens would hang out and jump into the water.

Summer was our favorite time of the year. We didn't have any school, any deadlines, or anything else that would be saddening. In a few weeks we would be sent off to summer camp, all eight of us would be going, and so would our parents, to be sure to keep an eye on us.

But lately things for me had been slightly strained, especially when the other day things for me almost broke.

I got to the park without stopping I leapt straight into the creek, Phil and Lil came in behind me and Kimi and Chuckie sat up on the rocks watching. Chuckie pulled his glasses off before pulling off his shoes and socks and then slid slowly into the creek and swam over by me.

I felt his hand brush against mine, and I didn't bother controlling myself. I wrapped my fingers around his briefly before letting go. Then strangely enough he grabbed my hand, and held it tightly beneath the water.

I looked at him and he looked at me out of the corner of his eyes and gave me a small timid smile. I smiled back before looking at Phil and Lil as Kimi watched from the rocks still.

"Are you not joining us?" Lil asked, Kimi shook her head and smiled a little.

"No, I can't, I'm gonna be eating out with a couple friends so I can't get wet at the moment, but tomorrow we should have a race!" she suggested with a wild glint in her eyes and an excited smile lit up her face.

"I think that's possible," I replied grinning, I looked to Chuckie, "Are you in?" I asked.

He shook his head, "Nah, you know I'm not a good swimmer," he replied.

"Then I'm gonna have to change that this summer," I said smiling.

He chuckled, "Good luck with that."

Phil and Lil laughed, "I think it's a great idea, and we'll be at the camp most of the summer so you can practice there as well," Lil said smiling as Phil dived under the water. Chuckie released my fingers immediately and I felt a slight disappointment.

"That's true," Chuckie muttered, he sounded slightly shy when he spoke.

"Well then it's decided, I'll teach you how to swim," I said smiling, he nodded once as he wiped the water from the creek out of his eye as Phil reemerged, splashing us all.

"I'll try to learn, but you shouldn't waste your time," he replied.

I splashed him playfully and smiled, "I won't be wasting my time, because I guarantee you that by the end of the summer you will be able to swim greatly," I replied before starting to swim down the creek, the others followed; Chuckie seemed a little hesitant before coming after us.

I dived down underwater and watched the small fish swimming around us.

I saw the others as they submerged and followed me underwater. I grinned and went back up quickly for air as my lungs began to ache slightly.

I looked around and found us surrounded by Suzie and Angelica who were standing on the rocks. "Hey, change of plans kids," Angelica said snidely as she leaned down on the rocks to stare down at us all as the others reemerged.

"Yeah, turns out we're leaving next week for camp, so if I were you I'd start packing up, we're leaving Sunday morning," Suzie said smiling.

I looked at the others and Chuckie almost looked saddened by this news. "Okay, do our parents know?" I asked. Angelica nodded.

"Yep, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered coming down to tell you this, I only did it because Aunt Didi told me to," she said with a disgusted look on her face, she didn't like us, but I didn't know why, we hadn't done anything to her.

"Alright, when we head home we'll pack up," I replied slightly irritable.

"I'd head out now," Angelica said snidely, "You know how Aunt Didi can get," for once her argument sense. My mom had the tendency to get rather insensitive, especially with the divorce pending…

I sighed and nodded. "Yeah okay," I muttered, Chuckie swam closer and placed his hand on my shoulder, I glanced at him and smiled slightly before it flashed away.

"I guess we should be getting back," Kimi said looking up at the sky where storm clouds had begun to gather. I swallowed and bit my lip; during storms mom and dad argued more and more until ended with one of them walking out and going to stay with a friend, leaving the other to be drowned with alcohol.

I sighed and nodded, "Yeah, let's head back," I said swimming back to the shore and looked down at my clothes which were dripping with water and were clinging to my soaked skin.

I looked over at Chuckie as he put on his socks and shoes and glasses again before wringing out his dripping clothes that also clung to his body.

We started walking back to our homes, "I'm gonna head back with Tommy," Chuckie told Kimi, "I'll be home later," he said. Kimi was silent for a moment, I knew she was staring at my now emotionless face, but I knew she was looking below the surface and could see the regret and pain stirring beneath it, hiding in my eyes.

"Okay, I'll let mom and dad know," she said as she took off running towards her home.

"We'll see you tomorrow guys!" Phil and Lil said before taking off home, Chuckie then hurried up to my side and looked at me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, I nodded once before looking over at him and plastering a plastic smile onto my face.

"Yeah, everyone has a bump in their life, they just need to get past it being strong," I said, I wished desperately I could follow this advice of my own, to just grin and bear it as my life fell apart around me.

"Things aren't getting much better at your place are they," he asked, I sighed and shook my head, I looked down at the ground as a few splatters of rain fell against the concrete street.

"No, they're still fighting as much as ever," I replied as we got to the walkway to my door and we started walking up, I noticed myself slowing down as I walked, I could already hear them yelling from outside, Chuckie put his hand on my shoulder and smiled a little. His bright red hair hung over his freckled face and blue eyes.

"Its okay, Tommy," he whispered, I nodded and opened the door and stood aside for him to enter.

"God Stu! Honestly I thought you'd grow up by now! But you're more immature than Dil was when he was an infant!" mom yelled with her shrill, nasally voice.

"Ha! You're one to talk Didi, you act like you're the shit in this town, and you practically worship that Lip-whatever-his-name-is! God you respect him more than you do me!" dad retorted; I could hear the malice in his voice.

I looked at Chuckie, "Wait here," I muttered, he nodded as I walked into the living room where they were glaring at each other, "Mom, dad?" I asked; they both looked at me.

"What is it Tommy," dad asked, I could hear the strain in his words as he tried to keep his composure in front of me.

"Well, I was just wondering if the upcoming trip to the camp was gonna be a problem since you guys still haven't really settled things between the two of you," I mumbled.

Mom shook her head with a forced smile, "Of course not sweetie, why don't you run upstairs and pack," she said, I could see the tears swimming in her eyes.

"Okay, oh, and Chuckie's here as well," I said jabbing my thumb over my shoulder to point at the front door entryway where he was concealed just behind the frame.

"Okay," Mom said smiling.

I nodded and walked back to Chuckie and motioned for him to follow me to my room.

Once in my room I shut the door and sighed, leaning against it slightly, I looked up and found Chuckie really close to me, merely inches away from my body. I swallowed and bit my tongue slightly, attempting to stay silent.

"Are you doing okay? With all this happening it's got to be tough," he said, trying to express sympathy to me.

I shook my head and sighed and walked past him to the closet where I pulled out a couple duffle bags and started shoving clothes in it. I could feel him standing behind me, I turned around to say something but his eyes caught me off guard, it was almost like he was attempting to tell me something without words. I wanted desperately to know what it was, I wanted so badly to know what to tell him.

I wanted…him.