Cipher (The Cipher Series) by Cindi Madsen

she’d miss him like crazy if they broke up. But were his good qualities enough to make up for the fact he didn’t respect her decision to wait? And what about the fact that he didn’t understand her?
    No one really knows me. Not Cody, not Kendall, not anybody. They all knew the shell of the person she used to be. These days, she wasn’t even sure she knew who she was anymore. All day she’d been thinking how sad it was she didn’t have someone she could confide in. No one would believe she’d been visited by the freakin’ Angel of Death—she hardly believed it herself. And she couldn’t tell anyone that she saw people’s deaths before they happened. She couldn’t even tell her own dad. Summer feared he’d never forgive her if she told him her darkest secret.
    “Remember how sad you were when you first moved here?” Kendall asked, her voice soft. “I could tell you needed a friend. Now you’ve got the dance squad, you’ve got me, and you’ve got Cody. People would kill to be in your shoes. Especially since you’ve upgraded shoes,” she joked. “You’re happier now, right?”
    Depression had weighed her down when she’d first moved here. It still tugged at her now and then, but for the most part, she kept it contained to a crying breakdown in her bedroom every now and then. Part of the reason she could deal better now was because Kendall had gotten her mind onto brighter, happier things. She’d plugged Summer into the highest social circles. Getting back into dancing had also helped. And the fact that she simply refused to think about the past when it came knocking.
    “I am happier,” Summer said. “I guess I forgot how bad I used to be.”
    “Plus you had those out-of-control curls. Someone needed to introduce you to anti-frizz serum.” Kendall poked at Summer’s hair. “Way better.”
    Summer pulled up to Kendall’s house and threw the car in park.
    Kendall gathered her multiple bags—handbag, book bag, and gym bag. “Thanks for the ride. Call me if you need me.”
    Yeah, Kendall was a little shallow. But she meant well. Even if her main contribution to society involved doling out fashion and hair advice.
    ***
    Summer sat on her bed, reading her Repairing Friendships and Mending Broken Relationships brochure.
    Communication is Key - Open the lines. Nothing can happen unless you tell them how you feel and ask how they feel. Do it in a courteous, calm way.
    Swallow Your Pride - Try seeing things from the other person’s perspective.
    Apologize - You might think that you were wronged as well, but that doesn’t mean you can’t apologize.
    Take action - Put yourself out there and do something nice.
    Summer groaned. It all seemed so basic. Stuff people would’ve done if they were at all interested in repairing a relationship. She tossed the brochure onto her nightstand.
    When she turned back, Gabriella stood at the end of her bed.
    Summer jumped, clutching her chest to make sure her heart didn’t escape. “Geez!”
    “I’ve come to check on your progress,” Gabriella said.
    After she got over the initial shock, relief filled her at seeing Gabriella again, looking identical to the way she remembered her. It meant she wasn’t crazy. Or maybe she was crazy enough to see the same person over and over again and had surpassed all help. That kind of crazy seemed more blissful than the in-between kind.
    “Listen,” Summer said, “I’m glad you’re here, because you need to pick someone else for this job. Ashlyn hates me.”
    “Oh, I’m sure she doesn’t hate you.”
    “She does. I tried to meet her today and—”
    “You barely met her today?” Gabriella frowned and started pacing, pink skirt rustling every time she spun in the opposite direction. “Have you at least made plans with her? I said that you have longer than most, but that doesn’t mean you have time to dilly dally.”
    Summer hung her head. “I’ve had a lot going on.”
    Gabriella halted her pacing and put a fist on