``Baby.´´

Phil stood rooted to the spot, deep in conversation with Dil. Susie directed her exasperated look at Kimi, who laid beside her on her own lounge chair.

``Sweetie.´´ she called again. Kimi giggled.

``Phillip!´´

Phil jumped. ``Huh?´´

``Move, you're blocking my sun.´´

Phil grinned goofily. ``Oh, come on. Everyone knows that black people don't tan.´´

``And the most politically incorrect statement of the day goes to--´´ chimed in Kimi.

``Me!´´ replied Phil, with apparent pride. He took a bow. Tommy walked by quite casually, pushing Phil in the pool as he passed. The girls erupted in a chorus of laughter. Lil raised her eyebrows as she walked through the gate to the pool. ``What's going on here?´´

Tommy turned, opened his mouth, but, as he faced his girlfriend, he forgot what he was about to say.

``Um, what is that?´´

Lil tossed her towel on an open lounge chair. ``What's what?´´

``That thing you're wearing.´´

Lil smiled and turned, modeling her bikini, which was emblazoned with the stars and stripes of Old Glory herself. ``It's cute, huh? I got it on sale after 4th of July.´´

``Cute? It's something, alright.´´ He looped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. ``God bless America!´´ he yelled loudly. A family on the other side of the pool was staring. He started nibbling at her neck and she shrieked, ``Tommmeee….´´ The mother of the family gave them a dirty look and covered her little boy's eyes with her hand.

``Don't they just make you sick?´´ asked Dil. From the pool, Phil made loud vomiting noises to show his agreement.

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Chuck kicked a rock down the sidewalk. He checked his cell phone once more to see if anyone had called him. No one. He sighed and put it back in his pocket. Everyone was probably having a great time. Obviously, no one was worried that he didn't show up to the party. Chuck shoved his hands in his pockets and suffered through an image of everyone gathered around the pool, laughing at one of Phil's jokes, unconcerned about him. He silently wished for a torrential downpour to ruin their fun but then frowned as he noticed the direction his thoughts were taking him. He wasn't usually vindictive in the least, but he hated that they were having a party without him. They just didn't understand. So what if Angelica wasn't there. He still couldn't be at her apartment, among all her things, with the scent of her perfumes and sprays lingering in the air, and not think of her.

He turned round a corner and stopped abruptly as he suddenly realized he had no idea where he was. He didn't recognize anything. How long had he been walking? He furrowed his brow and tried to remember where he had made a wrong turn. Normally, he would have worried himself sick, convinced that only the worst could happen. But, if the encounter with the book girl had taught him anything, it was that he was never going to get anywhere without taking a chance every now and then. He randomly chose left and walked on.

A moment later, he checked his phone again, just to make sure the volume was high enough. It was. He didn't even know why he was upset. He had made it very clear that he wanted everyone to leave him alone. Yet, he was a little hurt that no one cared enough to check on him. Lost in thought, he almost tripped but caught himself on the brick wall of a little drugstore. Looking down, he saw that his shoelaces had come untied again. They were constantly coming untied. Angelica used to threaten to make him wear shoes with Velcro snaps. He frowned. There she was, popping up in his head again. That had been happening a lot lately. It disconcerted him, especially since he'd managed to go a long time without thinking of her. He didn't know if he should think of her, or if he even wanted to. His thoughts and feelings were so jumbled lately. He didn't like feeling confused and sad. He was too old for this adolescent bullshit.

He couldn't help but think of her once he started, and the questions that he never dared to ask aloud flowed through his mind. He wanted to know what she was doing, how she was doing, and if she missed him, even if it was only a little bit, even if it was only on rainy afternoons (because on rainy afternoons they used to play Scrabble, which they're both horrible at, and would always end up just making out instead).

And it was a bit ironic that, as Chuck Finster replayed this memory in his mind, savored it as though he would die at any moment, the first raindrop of that afternoon's torrential downpour hit his head. And little did he know, that that was the last time he would think of Angelica for a while.