Chapter 1
July,1999
"You know what we should do?" Asked Summer as she handed him the bottle before reaching in her pocket and getting her lighter so she could light another cigarette. It was another typical summer day in England. It was humid and cloudy and cold enough that they both had to bring their sweaters. Emerson was sure some time during the evening Summer had made a jab about her parents cursing her into all this sadness by naming her that. Probably when they uncapped the second bottle. The cherry wine was of a very low quality. It tasted like acid and sugar and something bitter he couldn't identify. The patch it had burned down their throats as it rolled down to their stomach was probably going to be a permanent scar. It was the best they could buy from one of the senior students that morning with the money they saved all month. They got an entire box and had hidden four of them somewhere in Emerson's place back yard where no one went unless Erica was home and she wouldn't be till her summer program ends. Her teachers had deemed her too talented to stay in their small town so she was sent to a boarding school in London, getting ready to study art. He was happy for her. At least one of them made it out and she deserved it. He took a long swing from the bottle and swallowed it down slowly.
"What? " He asked. He lit a cigarette for himself hoping it would chase away the awful taste. Summer and he would usually come here to do they studies during the school year. A small space behind the bushes where the forest and town line faded into one another. It was far enough that no one would caught a pair of thirteen-years-olds drinking or smoking and close enough that they could ride back on their bikes. It was early that year that he noticed as long as his grades were good nobody would ask him where he went or for how long or with whom. Summer was his best friend since forever and they bond over their urge to leave this hellhole they were living in. So they did actually meet to study most of the times but sometimes like this, they just met, talked and drowned their pains in alcohol.
"We should make a pact. " She said. They were both leaning against a giant stone side by side. She put the bottle between them and pushed her cigarette in the muddy dirt they were sitting on. She held out her hand asking him for another. They took turns in bringing packs and it was his turn. "Here." He gave her one and even went as far as leaning forward and lighting it up using the small flame from his own. "A what?" He asked as he took it out of his mouth and held it loosely between his fingers.
"You know..." She started." One of those things you say let's do this if that happened." She shrugged.
"I ain't dumb Summer, " he said fondly. "I meant what about?" He asked and took another sip from the awful wine. He watched as she hummed softly, her right hand curled around her left forearm rubbing circles there with her thumb absent mindedly over the brown fabric. "You like fourteen Em?" She asked instead of answering.
"Sure, " he said nonchalantly, " fourteen sounds okay."
"Alright then. Here is the deal. " She said and sat straight crosslegged, halfway facing him. "We'll survive this shit show and we'll drink to it here next year. Same time."
He too turned to face her. He watched her closely, taking a note of her hands and her tone and the distant look in her eyes. The best answer would have been an immediate 'Sure.' they're just kids. But then he thought about this afternoon were he barely managed to walk out of the door before one of his father's empty scotch bottles smashed against the the wooden panel. So "And what if we don't?" Was what he asked instead. They weren't brilliant but they were perspective and they both knew between them it was a huge chance someone didn't, if not both of them. And he asked her because she was the better of the two.
"Then," she thought seriously. " The one who remained should live at least another fourteen years for the sake of the one who didn't. " She finished. It was smart. Making sure at least one of them made it into adulthood.
" Fair enough." He answered. "We should do some grand gesture or something." He offered.
" Here," she said and handed him a cigarette. One of her good ones, she picked them skillfully from the shop on their way. It was the good quality stuff, her dad's favourite. "A token of trust that we'll see it done." He took it and placed it behind his ear. Then he rolled his left sleeve up, revealing the handmade good luck bracelet that Erica had made for him before she left. He opened it and untangled a charm from between the strings. It was a bronze oak leaf, almost the size of a nickel. He handed it to her. "May the faith see us through." He said dramatically making her chuckle.
"I'll drink to that." She said before taking a long swing from the pink liquor and handing him the bottle so he could have the last bit. "Cheers." He said before drinking. She took off her locket necklace that she held a picture of her dad in and attached the charm to the chain before putting it back on. He took out his wallet and put the cigarette in there before putting it back in his pocket. "C'mon." She said, " let's burry the bottles and head home. I don't want to walk in on my mom and her new friend again." She said. Emerson could understand. They just always stayed long enough so his dad had gone to bed, but not long enough for Summer's mom having been back home. So that's what they did. Packing their stuffs, burying the bottles and hoping on their bikes. They took the long way home.