Jumping Puddles by Rachael Brownell Read Free Book Online

bright. The sun was beating against my face. Blake and I were talking every day, and it felt like we were moving in the right direction. Then, the clouds moved in, and the rain came pouring down on me. The phone call that changed everything came only a week before Blake was supposed to come home. My heart shattered into a million pieces as the reality of his words sank in.
    “Hey, why are you calling so late? I thought you were supposed to be finishing up your final project so you could come home a day early.” I didn’t bother to hide the excitement in my voice at the thought of Blake coming home the next week. We were on Instant Messenger the day before, planning out most of the summer.
    “I am…working on my project, that is. But, Charlie, there’s something I have to tell you.”
    My stomach dropped, causing a dull pain to sink in. Something was wrong. I reached for it, rubbing the area where I believed the pain was stemming from to no avail.
    “What’s the matter? What happened?”
    “I got a phone call earlier. I applied for this internship a few months back, and when I never heard from them, I figured I didn’t get it. Turns out, I did.”
    “And…” This couldn’t be good.
    “And… I’m not going to be coming home right away.”
    “Where are you going?”
    “New York.”
    “Why?”
    “I got an internship studying under a photographer for a big fashion magazine.”
    This was a huge opportunity for him—an opportunity of a lifetime for anyone who wanted to break into the business of professional photography. I wanted to jump for joy and tell him how happy I was for him. I stared at my feet and willed them to leave the ground, but they didn’t. For me, this meant I wouldn’t get to spend as much time with him over the summer.
    “That’s amazing,” I managed to squeak out, holding back the tears.
    I knew he could hear the disappointment in my voice because I didn’t bother to hide it. He had to expect this. Especially after all the plans we’d been making. All those plans just went down the drain.
    “Charlie, it’s only for two months, maybe a little longer. I should be able to come home for at least a few weeks before I have to head back to school. I promise.”
    Promises, promises. He really should learn not to make promises he couldn’t keep. Especially where I was considered. I was beginning to think his promises are meant to be broken.
    “I get it, really I do. It’s awesome, the internship. You’ll be great and do great things and learn a lot. It’s going to give you an advantage and pad your resume.” My disappointment began to diminish, but it was being replaced by anger. I pushed it down, swallowed it, along with the lump that had formed in my throat.
    “I don’t really care about my resume right now. I’m more concerned with the sound of your voice and the fact I’m pretty sure you’re trying not to cry.”
    Leave it to Blake to see through the facade. “I’m fine. Promise.”
    There was that word again. Now, I was the one throwing it around like it meant nothing.
    “Look, as soon as I know when I’m coming home, you’ll be the first one I call.”
    “Okay. Sounds like a plan. I gotta let you go. I have homework I need to finish,” I lied as I twisted the cord around my finger, trying to focus on anything other than the news Blake had just broken to me.
    “Call me this weekend, okay?”
    “Sure. Later.”
    I hung up without waiting for him to say goodbye. I don’t like the word, I never have. Not since I lost my parents, anyway. There’s so much finality in it, yet it’s also filled with uncertainty. Is it goodbye for now or forever? How long before we talk again? Will we ever talk again?
    That night, as I lay in bed, tears streaming down my face and dripping onto my pillow, I thought about the time Blake and I were going to lose this summer. About the time my eyes began to close from exhaustion, I realized I was alone. For the first time since coming here,