Crushing Summer

I'm a girl. I met a boy. Why can't it stay that simple?

Here, in this town, summer doesn't just mean tiny bikinis and sunglasses, white toothed grins and lounging at the beach. It means pain. And loss. And false promises.

It means liars pretending to be saints, friends pretending to be enemies, rivals pretending to be lovers.

For me, it means being crushed. The Crush, actually. The one they all want simply because they were told to. It means being surrounded by beautiful faces and gorgeous bodies, sweet words and sizzling kisses.

It means being wanted and despised.

My name is Chloe Summer, and I'm afraid that if I'm not careful, this summer could be my last.