Twenty-Nine
I never thought that things had a way of working themselves out. After Cade’s passing, I felt like everything was wrong in the world, and I couldn’t ever get over what happened. But as my parents call me down from the lighthouse just before their party starts, I had a feeling that somehow, this journey was going to work itself out.
“We have a surprise,” Mom says with a smile. She clasps her hands together nervously and her eyes sparkle. My dad’s expression is nearly the same.
“We’ve been keeping it a secret for a few weeks,” he continues for her, “and thought we would wait until tonight to tell you before you start packing your things.”
My body feels like it’s filled with warmth at the thought of what they’re about to say. Not once had I thought that they would consider something so amazing, something that could just be the thing to make this lack of depression permanent.
“We are going to buy the cottage.” Mom steps towards me, her feel creating small padding noises on the kitchen floor. “That is, if you’re okay with living here. There would still be details to work out like your education and things back home, but we could do it. If you want to.”
I have to cover my mouth with my hand to keep myself from grinning so widely. Despite everything, I wrap my mother in my arms, unsure of what else to do.
“But what about Dad’s job?” I ask, looking up at him
He hugs me for a moment and pulls back. “I can transfer here full time, but will have to go back home on the weekends. So we won’t be selling the house soon.”
“But,” Mom adds, “We need to go back and bring a few things here. I wouldn’t mind having the couches or the end tables.”
The three of us hug once again and even though the summer is officially about to end, it doesn’t feel like it. This feels like only the beginning.
“Oh my God.” I grab a lock of Hadley’s hair and meet her eyes. I feel like I’m staring at someone I know but haven’t seen in a long time. “Your hair.”
“Do you like it?” She runs her fingers through the light brown strands and smiles. “I thought it was time for change since summers over. My mom thinks with sun it might lighten and look a bit blonde.”
I drop my hand and smile at her. “I love it.”
When Evan arrives, I can finally tell my friends the news. We sit on the back porch as my parent’s friends begin arriving and Hadley puts her feet up. I cross my legs and lean forward.
“So I have something to tell you guys.”
“Don’t tell me,” Hadley replies. “You’re giving us signed copies of your book?”
I swat her on the shoulder and grin. “No, it’s even better.”
“So what is it?” Evan puts his backpack on the ground beside him and I already know what’s inside.
“I’m staying.”
“Well, we wouldn’t exactly want you to ditch as at your own party,” Hadley mutters. This time Evan smacks her arm. “Hey, what was that for?”
As she rubs her arm I roll my eyes and look at her. “I mean I’m staying in Mermaid. Full time.”
She squeals at the top of her lungs, so loud that I’m concerned about what our guests think, but before I can react, she’s burying her head in my shoulder and squeezing me tightly. “I can’t believe this!”
“Neither can I,” Evan says, rising to his feet. He runs his fingers through his dark hair and walks over. “This is amazing.”
As he approaches me, Hadley looks up and narrows her eyes. “Don’t even think about hijacking my hug, boy.”
He holds his hands in the air like he’s calming a wild animal and I laugh. Instead of pulling from Hadley, I sit up higher and gently touch my lips to Evan’s.
“This is perfect,” he says as he plants another one on my forehead. “This is the best day of the summer.”
After saying hi to a few of the familiar guests and giving Cade’s parents - a surprise invite from my own – a big hug, Hadley, Evan and I head out into my backyard and I help her down the rocks Evan and I had descended so many times.
“I’m just finding out about this now?” she asks, holding onto the sleeve of my sweater as she stumbles on a stone. “Not fair, guys. Not fair.”
When we reach the bottom, we stand with our toes in the sand and watch the big waves blow in from the ocean.
“It’s beautiful,” I say quietly to myself.
Evan wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls me into him. He softly kisses my cheek. “It’s even more beautiful with you,” he murmurs.
I wasn’t entirely talking about the view, but I grin anyways.
“Okay, enough lovey-dovey stuff,” Hadley snorts. She pulls off her t-shirt to reveal a blue bikini and whips it onto a rock. “This is the last official swim of the summer. Last one into the water is a rotten egg!”
She’s already jumping out of her shorts by the time I’m stripping my beige, knitted sweater, the only thing I’m wearing over my bathing suit. It isn’t until it’s off, balled up into one hand, that I realize this is the first time I haven’t hesitated.
Evan scoops me into my arms and places me sweater onto a rock. He sets down his own shirt as he presses me into his chest, grinning.
“How do you feel about rotten eggs?”
I give my best thinking expression and tap my cheek for emphasis. “You know, I can’t say I like them.”
“Hmm, neither can I.”
He sprints towards the surf, carrying me in his arms along the way and splashes into the cool waves, causing me to scream with delight.
“Well, that’s a shame,” he calls to Hadley. “I guess no one is a rotten egg!”
“You cheaters!” she yells, rushing towards us in the shallow water. As the waves rush in she splashes us, completely soaking me within seconds. When she reaches us, she jumps, and before we know it, the three of us are falling into the water.
The water is loud as it fills my ears and I when I stand up, the water is at my stomach.
“Are you okay?” Evan asks, brushing his wet hair away from my face. With both hands I pull back my own and burst out laughing.
Hadley’s holding back her own laughter. “What is it?”
I smile at them both and hold my hands out so that my arms are spread and my fingertips touch the top of the water. “This is the best day of the summer,” I say before Hadley lunges and we both get swallowed into the surf.
YOU ARE READING
As I Am
Teen Fiction"Do you want to talk? You know, about everything?" Evan asks. He's staring up at the star-covered sky as he holds our brown bag of French fries. I finish my sip of my vanilla milkshake despite not wanting to stop and follow his gaze. The stars twin...
