Spring Fling by Sabrina James Read Free Book Online Page B

It‟s been over a month, Ava. Don‟t you think it‟s time to move on?”

    “I really don‟t want to talk about this.” There was a warning tone in Ava‟s voice, but Lindsey ignored it.

    “You never want to talk about it! You‟re pretending like nothing has happened, when something major did happen.”

    “I‟m not ready to start dating again.”

    “I bet Josh has started dating again.”

    Hearing her ex-boyfriend‟s name, Ava glared at Lindsey.

    “What!” Lindsey exclaimed. “Don‟t give me the evil eye. You know you‟re thinking the exact same thing. Danielle, don‟t you think Josh is already dating?”

    “Don‟t drag me into the middle of this!” Danielle stated. “You know talking about Josh is off-limits.”

    A frustrated Lindsey threw her hands up. “How is she supposed to move on if she doesn’t talk about it! Are we never supposed to mention Josh‟s name again? Pretend like he doesn‟t exist?”

    Ava knew that would be impossible. Josh O‟Donnell had been her boyfriend for close to a year. They‟d started dating last spring after accidentally running into each other in the hallway at school. Ava had been late for her first class and hadn‟t watched where she was going. She slammed into Josh, and her books went flying everywhere, including her sketchbook for art class. When he stopped to help her pick everything up, he noticed her sketches and told her how good he thought they were. A flattered Ava had blushed, collected her sketches, and then hurried off. When she slid into her seat in first period, she realized she hadn‟t thanked Josh for helping her.

    After school, after asking a senior for directions, she found Josh at his locker and apologized for not thanking him that morning. Josh pretended his feelings were hurt and then told Ava she could make it up to him by going with him to the Burger Hut.

    Ava said yes.

    After that, they were joined at the hip, spending all their time together after school and on the weekends. Josh even took her as his date to the senior prom at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan. Most of the girls at the prom were seniors; Ava was one of the few underclassmen. The fact that Josh had wanted to take her made her feel special.

    Over the summer, when they weren‟t working at their part-time jobs, they went to the beach and amusement parks. Josh loved all the daring rides and was always able to coax Ava into riding them, no matter how hard she protested. But then, that was always the way it was with Josh. He made her push herself and try things she wouldn‟t ordinarily do.
    Sometimes she liked it—like the time they went skydiving!—and sometimes she didn‟t—like the time they ate sushi. Blech!

    Being with Josh was different from being with the other guys she had dated in the past. It could be because he was two years older and that made him more mature. More confident and self-assured. Ava really didn‟t know. All she knew was that she loved spending time with him.

    Everything was perfect.

    Until Josh had to leave to start his freshman year at Cornell.

    Ava had known this day would be coming, but she hadn‟t expected it to come so fast.

    The hardest thing Ava ever had to do was say good-bye to Josh when he left at the end of August. She‟d wanted to cry but she didn‟t. Well, at least not in front of him. She knew how excited he was to be going off to college and she didn‟t want to spoil the experience for him. She didn‟t want him to think his girlfriend was falling to pieces. So she kept her tears bottled up and let them out in front of Danielle and Lindsey once Josh and his parents drove away.

    Things only got harder when classes resumed at North Ridge High in September.
    Everywhere Ava looked, she had a memory of Josh. In the hallways. In the cafeteria.
    Outside the school. There were so many reminders of him! It only made her miss him that much more.

    At first, Ava and Josh kept in touch by phone. As much as Ava wanted to call