Summer barely began

 "Enough about the Fourth!" Harley yelled over all of Brick's coughing. He was sick. He'd been an idiot, running around with Mercer. "You were half naked when I found you!"

Of course, he was on his grandmother's couch now practically shaking. He had a fever too.

"I only had my shirt off," he shook his head, no, as if she was making it worse than it seemed.

"Where did you get all those fireworks?" She frowned as if she knew this was all her fault, but she'd been with her cousin Kimmy. It was the worst fourth ever. 

"I don't know," Brick swelled a frown. 

"If I hadn't found you two when I did, you could have been running down 370 and gotten ran over." She hugged herself as if he was just too much for her to handle.

"You wish," Brick wasn't helping her mood. "You were with Kimmy."

"I did the driving. And she left me. She found some guy and left me all by lonesome. I had to wear this outfit she wanted me to wear. I really felt so out of it. I just should  have been with  you." She melted into tears. He coughed harder.

Harley went to check his forehead, but he was already sweating.

"Don't get so close, you'll catch this cough, and it's no fun." He looked tired and a bit angry. She knew he was right, but this wasn't helping their short summer.

"Do you think Mercer's all right?"

"I dunno, I think he went off to Lincoln. You know, to move in with Izzy." He told her as he looked half asleep stretched out on the couch, leaving her an inch or two to sit.

"Izzy?" Why hadn't she seen Izzy this summer? "We have to go see them."

"When?" He coughed as if he might hack something up.

"When you feel better." Harley was serious. She wanted her summer back without Kimmy.

"Oh, you should talk to Cade?" It didn't feel right going behind his back like this. Izzy didn't mean to be in a tizzy. Mercer moved in with his dad's help.

They were busy getting everything situated in the apartment. Sure, she was happy to see Mercer's dad. It was for the best, or so Cowan assured her. He was right, but something was wrong. Izzy just knew. Mercer was being awful quiet.

"You haven't had a seizure, have you?"

Those big dark eyes of his were like a lost puppy. He shook his head no. "Just..guess..the Fourth got to me, that's all." He kind of smiled, but he looked so sad. Bit by bit he told her how he and Brick went off to see the fireworks.

"Brick!" She thought the worst. Had they done something they shouldn't have done together?

Mercer laughed at her."Izz, you gotta an imagination. We just had some fun. We wondered around. Somehow got split up." That's when he mentioned Ed. "God, I hadn't seen him since seventh grade. Didn't even know he was around. He was in from Sioux City, visiting. He'd been my best friend, back then. We walked back to my house and he ended up sleeping on the couch."

He looked a little lovelorn to Izzy. "Are you sure that's all it is? Did you even try to get in touch with Cade before you left?"

Mercer just sighed as if he had a lot on his mind. "We're fine."

She didn't believe him as he sat on the couch in their livingroom space. The sun shined brightly from the patio door. Cowan was in the kitchen making ham and cheese sandwiches.

"I dunno," he sighed. "I know things will be different for us, once summer is over." He was even lipped. "And then I remember how happy it was to see Ed." His bottom lip nursed his upper lip. He sniffed tears. "I dunno if..if Cade and I have that kind of friendship anymore. Maybe..maybe he just feels stuck with me." He knotted his fists and Izzy took both hands.

"You know, he loves you. Don't let this tear you apart," Izzy meant what she said. 

The doorbell rang. Izzy knew who it had to be.

"You go easy on him," she looked up at Cade. 

His face was a little sad too. "Why didn't he return any of my messages!" Cade practically pushed her out of his way. She was certain, he might shake him and what if Mercer had a seizure, she thought.

But Cade was gentle. He hugged him as if maybe Mercer had been through a ring of fire.