First Glance

The summer had gone by way too fast for Tommy's liking, though Chuckie never got a response from his letter to Lil before he left, Tommy had hoped that once he'd gotten home, they could talk things out. He thought about her a lot during the summer and his feelings were stronger than ever. He was sitting in his fathers car on the way home, good thing she lived next door, he could just go over and talk to her.

As they pulled into the drive way excitement filled Tommy's heart as he thought of what he would say to her. He got his bags out the car and took them inside the house. He went upstairs to set the things down on his bed and Dil came into his room.

"Hey Bro"

"Hey man I missed you this summer" Tommy said as he put some of his things away. Dil nodded and went to sit on Tommy's bed. "So how was your summer" Tommy asked genuinely, he knew that Dil didn't really hang out with Lil but maybe he'd heard something over the summer regarding Tommy's letter.

"It was different, but cool" said Dil

"Oh yea, how is everyone" Tommy asked dumping his bag on the bed. Dil shifted uncomfortably on Tommy's bed, he knew of Tommy's feelings for Lil, before any of the other guys did. "Um, their fine" he said slowly.

"Why the hesitation" Tommy asked noticing the nervous tone his brother spoke with. "Um what hesitation, anyway I have to go, I'm meeting Gwen somewhere" said Dil. Gwen was Dil's girlfriend of the past two years.

"Alright, we'll catch up later then"

Dil nodded as he got to the door. Yea you definitely have some catching up to do bro. He thought, oh well it was only a matter of time before Tommy found out, but Dil didn't want to have to be the one to tell him. After he finished unpacking, Tommy thought about calling but he decided to go over instead, that way they could talk in person.

So he went down stairs and saw his mom in the living room. He went over and gave her a hug "Hey mom" His mom smiled at him "Hey sweetie, I missed you so much this summer" she said squeezing him. Tommy smiled "I missed you too, but I'm gonna head over to Phil and Lil's and we'll catch up when I get back ok" He said

"Alright sweetie, don't stay over too late" said his mom. Tommy nodded and headed out the door. He walked across the sidewalk the slowest he's ever walked in his life. Then he finally got to the door and knocked, it seemed as if it took them an eternity to open it. When the door did open he was disappointed to find out that it was actually Phil instead of Lil.

"Hey Tommy, I didn't know you were home yet man" Phil greeted him with a manly hug. Tommy greeted him back "Yea just got back like an hour ago, but um, is Lil here" he asked kinda nervously.

"Oh no man, she's at the Java Lava, I'm actually headed that way to meet Kimi if you want a ride" he offered. Tommy smiled gratefully.

"Yea that'd be great" he said

"Cool, so how was football camp" Phil asked as they made their way out of the house. During the ride there Tommy told Phil all about camp and Phil told him that he had worked during the summer to save up for a new guitar. Tommy's excitement reached an all time high when they got to the Java Lava, but nothing could prepare him for what he was about to see.

They walked inside and Kimi immediately recognized them and came over, she kissed Phil on the cheek and then she greeted Tommy. "Hey Tommy, good to see you back" she said "Yea good to be back" said Tommy searching for Lil.

He spotted her, but she was sitting with some guy and holding said guys hand. Phil and Kimi both looked toward the direction that Tommy looked in. Jealousy filled Tommy as he tried to see if he could recognize the guy, but the guys back was turned to him and it didn't help that he was wearing a hat.

"Hey who's that guy with Lil" Tommy asked them. Phil and Kimi shared a look with each other, meanwhile The guy that was with Lil gave her a small peck on the lips then he went to got up to go get some drinks from the counter. Tommy realized who he was immediately.

"Chuckie" he asked half not wanting to believe it and half feeling betrayed.

"Uh yeah, Tommy, their dating" said Phil. Wondering why Tommy looked as if his heart had just shattered to a million pieces

"We thought you knew" asked Kimi, as she shared a curious look with Phil. Who looked equally as curious. But shrugged all the same

"I uh, I have to go" said Tommy. He had to get out of their. "I'll call you later" he told Phil "And uh nice seeing you again Kimi" he said before leaving. He got to the end of the block and practically ran home. Kimi and Phil took a seat at another table, not wanting the couple.

"Hmm, that was weird" said Phil, "What do you think that was all about" Phil asked

"I don't know, but something doesn't feel right here" said Kimi as she looked at the couple who were completely oblivious to their existence.

Tommy ran home as fast as he could so that he could get to the garage where his father kept the old punching bag from his grandpa's days back in the Army, when he used to box, the thing was old, but it was just the kind of therapy he needed. He went into the house and ignored the calls of his mother and father put on some sweats taped up his hands and went into the garage and started pounding the crap out of the punching bag, hoping no one could hear him as he swore loudly.

"That fuckin son of a bitch, I can't believe he would do this shit to me" he swore as he strike the punching bag with a combo

"And I fuckin trusted him dammit" (Punch) he (punch) fuckin (punch) stole (punch) her (punch) from (punch) behind (punch) my (punch) back (punch, punch). Tommy continued to punch that punching bag until his knuckles started to bleed, but even that didn't take the pain away from his heart.

The last week of summer pasted much like that, he never left the house except for football practice, he'd talk to Phil for about a half an hour avoiding all topics of Lil and Chuckie, he ignored Chuckie's calls whom Phil had obviously told that he was back, he only ate breakfast and then he'd hit the punching bag, for couple hours and eventually pass out of exhaustion.

School started today, and he didn't even want to wake up, how could he ever face the one he called friend who would go behind his back and betray him like this. He got up at 6:30, showered, dressed and ate breakfast. Then he decided to walk to school, trying to prolong the moments until he saw them together again, all this week he couldn't get the image of the two of them kissing out of his mind, when he closed his eyes it was there, when he daydreamed it was of that, and when he ate all he saw in his mind was that kiss.

He dragged his feet to school, seeing as he was popular a couple of people gave him hi fives in the hall way, a couple of girls smiled seductively at him to welcome him back, but he barely noticed any of it, he walked to homeroom so he could get his locker assignment.

Since he wasn't really paying any attention to where he was going, he bumped into a girl knocking down her notebook out of her hands "Oh I'm so sorry" he said. Damn his clumsiness all he wanted to do was get to homeroom before he ran into Chuckie or Lil, because that would make the situation much more real. Unfortunately for him that was exactly what was going to happen today.

He picked up the notebook off the ground, and was going to hand it to the girl "I'm sorry" he repeated, then he looked at her "Lil" He gazed into her bright green eyes, and she gazed into his icy blue ones. She was so beautiful he thought. And she didn't know what was keeping her eyes glued to his, all she knew was that she didn't really want to stop looking at him.

There was so much passion in his eyes, and hurt, it hurt her to see it. She managed to tear her eyes away from his some how and took her notebook "Um thanks" she said "No problem, it was my fault anyway" he said still staring at her. She kept her eyes focused on the ground, she was afraid that he would read her like an open book if she stared at him any longer.

"I guess we both should watch where we're going huh" she smiled a little with her eyes still trained on the ground. "Yea, I guess" She was about to turn and walk away when he said "So I missed you this summer" she turned her gaze back to his which immediately regretted because she was sure that he could read her now and see the sadness in her eyes. She averted her gaze and saw Chuckie rounding the corner. He hadn't seen them yet.

"Um, I have to go Tommy, but maybe we can catch up later" she suggested

"Yea later" he said still staring" she turned and walked away but she could still feel his gaze penetrating her and it gave her thoughts and awoke feelings in her that she thought long gone. Tommy was still gazing in the direction she went when some one tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to see Chuckie, he rolled his eyes.

"Look man, we gotta talk" said Chuckie wondering how he was going to get himself out of this one. Tommy crossed his arms, glared at him and said "Well go on"