EXTRAORDINARY WAY

CHAPTER 19

By eight o'clock Summer and I were in work mode. I was sitting cross-legged on my carpet on the floor while Summer was pacing thru and fro beside me as she answered her phone. At the moment, I'm doing my research paper in Literature that was due tomorrow afternoon. This week is exam week and on top of that, V-tro is happening tomorrow night. So much for hectic schedule.

Summer answered a new call for the 10th time tonight. Even during dinner, she took two phone calls then and a third when we were climbing the stairs. It was scary how she calmly deals with all of this managerial stuff. I couldn't possibly handle that kind of pressure, and not to mention the things that she had to deal with in the council, being the Vice president and all. Summer really is something all together.

She sat in front of me with a heavy sigh and returned to her history notes to study. She was wearing a blue fitted t-shirt with the words 'Twinkle' on it and paired it with a black boy shorts. Her hair was in a high pony tail and she was wearing what seems to be a big pair of reading glasses. On the other hand I was wearing my light white tank top paired with my red silk pajamas with my hair braided.

"Are you finished with your research paper?" She asked lightly.

"Almost." She looked up from her notes to look at me. Her glance crawled towards the walls around my room. I knew what she was thinking, I was really getting impatient as to why hasn't she been bombarding me with questions already. If it was Ella, she would have demanded answers the moment she had me alone. But that's the difference between Summer and Ella, Summer doesn't pry or care enough to pry.

"Your room is. . . . . so cool." She finally stated. Whew, at least that's one thing out of her that I was waiting for. But her choice of words was not right, my room was weird, not cool, at least to me. "Where did you get the inspiration to do that?" She asked while staring at the walls.

"Nothing really, just doodles." I told her as I stare at my own work on my walls. I finished my paper after that and sighed inwardly at the thought of finally having a break from typing. Summer was now done with reviewing , I saw her writing on her planner while punching numbers on her calculator. I was hoping no calls would come in the next five minutes, I took a deep breath.

"Hey Sum." I started.

"Hmm?"

"What are your thoughts about a girl asking a guy out?" She stopped writing upon hearing that. I waited for her reaction and was dumbfounded when she just stared at me after removing her glasses. "I mean, is that too weird?"

"That depends on who you're going to ask." She explained and I listened intently. "If it's Frankie, then yes it is weird." I grinned and rolled my eyes. "If it's Billy, then you're weird." She continued.

"Summer!" I complained.

"Asking a guy out is pretty normal these days." She seriously said while returning her attention towards her planner. "There's nothing really wrong about it." Silence engulfed us both.

"You really think so?"

"Unless it's Freddy we're talking about."

"No!" I complained with a smile.

She looks up at me, amused. "If it's Zack-" I held my breath. "-then I guess it's really great." She added genuinely. "Really Av, you don't need to ask me. I think It's good that you two we're hitting it off." She declared with a smile.

"Oh?" I moved closer to her, enjoying the exchange of words and where the topic was heading. "Since when?"

"Well, I thought it was weird that Mooneyham seated with us at lunch today." She admitted. "You know, leaving the band outside, leaving Freddy." She added with a meaningful stare.

"What do you mean weird?" I tried to say. "Lawrence sat with us plenty of times before."

"Yeah, But Lawrence doesn't spend all his time gawking at you or stealing glances at you." She pointed out with a smile. "Lawrence doesn't stare at you when his playing during band practices and he doesn't brighten up when he sees you every morning. Zack on the other hand, does. He must really like you." She concluded.

I blushed madly at her words. She asked about the way I feel about the guitarist and was glad to know that I was interested too. I told her about the time when he walked me to class even though he was already late for his class. I also shared to her the moment we had when we were walking home the other day with Katie, as well as the incident this afternoon by the door. She blushed when I repeated to her the exact word Zack told me, and we ended up giggling for a couple of seconds. It was great talking to Summer about this stuff. She knows the right things to say and she isn't too touchy about it either.

She told me stories about Zack when they were younger and how incredibly shy he was back then. According to her, he was mostly seen sitting alone on his desk, reading comic books all day. That he was rarely caught in trouble and how timid he is with everyone else. I called him Emo and Summer thought it was way more that. She explained how Dewey's arrival changed most of his personality for the better. How the School of Rock gave way to his musical passion and how he and Freddy developed their friendship up to the point when the two of them we're inseparable by 7th grade. Since then the two boys we're always together, according to Summer. I asked her about it, intrigued on how two completely opposite person, ended up in being friends.

"It's extraordinary really." She begun. "I think it's that oppositeness that somehow made them friends. Since the band began, the two of them we're not that close. But as the years passed, they developed a brotherhood relationship; music had a big effect on it." She told me and I was entranced.

"How?" I whispered and Summer smiled knowingly.

"Well, we're required to practice every day, you already know that." She gave me a look.

"But still, that doesn't explain how their personalities could possibly tolerate each other." I mean Freddy could easily be annoyed with Zack's gentle nature and how could Zack bear to watch Freddy shower heart aches to different girls every week? Summer thought about it before speaking.

"Well Zack acts as a moral guidance to Freddy who is the daring one between the two, while Freddy brings spontaneity and fun in Zack's supposedly normal life." Somehow, I understand the logic in that. "Zack hates it when Freddy's being lazy, obnoxious or irresponsible." She rolled her eyes.

"Don't we all?" I responded.

"And it drives Freddy mad when Zack refuses to go clubbing with him or being too uptight to do the stuff that Freddy thinks fun." She mentioned. "But even though that being said, they still hang out with each other. Zack would still help Freddy on his failing subject even though it irritates him and Freddy would find something else to do that Zack would approve of, no matter how lame he thinks Zack is. It's a fair exchange." She shrugged. "At some point, they ended up becoming best buds or something. They won't admit it of course, but we all know." She marveled. And I understood it perfectly, their relationship was balanced, not one sided like others would think.

Somehow this story had Summer talking about the times when the two of them fought, which was very rare according to her. She said it was usually Freddy who apologizes to Zack.

"That's impossible!" I laughed.

"No! it's true." She pressed. "We all thought it was really funny Out of all of us Frankie was the only one brave enough to joke about it, at least when Freddy's around." I laughed and agreed.

She also shared a time when the two proved their friendship to everyone. Like how Zack intentionally flunked a test when he heard that Freddie's parents we're furious that their only son was the only one flunking in class. Summer commented that she would never have done anything like that if she was in Zack's shoes. Grades we're something never to be risked, according to Summer. After that, she mention something that peaked my interest.

"Oh, and that time when Zack went into a musical depression over Ashley, he didn't touch the guitar for a week." My eyes widen at that, Sum didn't notice because she was too caught up with the story telling. "And Freddy refused to play the Drums unless Zack was there, playing along with them." She laughed at the memory.

"Ashley who?" I asked, trying not to sound too demanding. Summer halted, realizing her words.

"Oh, that's right. You never had a chance to meet her." Summer explained, and i kept my cool. "Ashley Hale is Zack's ex-girlfriend, possibly his first love." She told me.

I couldn't speak.

Okay, it was still long. Lol but i hope you liked it. And don't worry, i am not getting confused about The main pairing of this story, we are just going through some twists. It will come together by the right time. It's sad that the fandom is dead, but i still want to write and finish this.

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