Path to Deciduous (Sequel to Road to Evergreen) | #Wattys2018

t w e n t y - f o u r

"Lesley, can you help us with the castle? It keeps falling off," he pouts. A smile stretches on her face as she gets up from her chair. "Wear it," I say between my teeth as I hand her my shirt, again. She rolls her eyes and grabs it. It goes just above her knees and I stare at her, not quite full from the view. She holds Max's hand and walks away, dropping in the sand as they reach Harry.

I lay back, watching all three of them laugh at something Harry said. I feel my heart quench.

They are a family.

Even without them knowing who the other person is, they act as if they do know. And I'm holding it all back. I'm keeping this from them. I want this to end. When I was taking permission from Max's parents to join us to the beach, I was relieved that Trenton wasn't there. However, when I came face to face with Maria, I felt every hate serum from my body. She shot Lesley. She deprived Lesley and Harry from their father. She kept everything hidden. She betrayed Lesley's mother. She's keeping Max away. Why am I still quite?

Because when you tell her, she'll leave.

"I'm so jealous of you." Megan catches me off guard. "I've been knocking on every door, searching for a job and I got nothing. And you, have it all laid out before even graduating. Lucky bastard." She pulls her shades down and leans back.

"I know someone if you want," Barry interjects. She slides her shades down her nose and eyes him curiously. "What's in it for you?"

He shrugs. "NHHS is searching for an art teacher for middle school. I can get a word out for you."

She laughs. "You're crazy if you think that after all these years of studying art and analyzing it, that I'd be caught teaching how to draw a sun on the corner of the paper for middle schoolers."

"You could collaborate with Spencer." I offer.

"That's a great idea, Adam," she says with almost fake enthusiasm. "Why didn't you think of that, Barry?" I hold back a laugh as he flushes.

"Where's Spencer, anyways. Didn't you invite him?" She asks me.

"I don't know. Ask Lis. She was the one who came up with it." I tell her.

"Who's ready for a contest?" Someone screams over a microphone and we all jerk or head in the direction. "The winner gets free lunch for a month at South Ring Bistro." I strike my eyebrows up at Megan who seems indulged in the idea aswell.

A colorful wheel is placed within the middle of the sand where people are gathering around it forming a crowd. A DJ is on the side pulling some tracks.  "No matter what the category says, it has a to be a duet. You got that, chica?" He says to a blonde. "And the first category is..." He turns the ferris wheel and seconds later it slows down to a stop. "Art Splash!"

I see Lesley running her way toward us. "Megan, you got to do it. You and Harry. Come on." Before Megan can argue she grabs her from her hand and guides her toward the crowd, after debating with Harry. Barry and I follow.

"The rules are simple. And keep this in mind that this is an amateur game. There's a timer, and each ten seconds, the player should switch whatever he's doing with his partner, and when it hits zero, each team should present what you're given to draw," he says.

"And now for round one, we have Tyler and Taylor versus Megan and Harry." The crowd erupts to an applause. I step closer in the sand to the circle formed. Megan and Harry are standing behind a table, each having a pencil and block in hand and so is the other team facing them.

"For the first challenge. You have to draw... Drum roll please," he says as the DJ plays a track of it. "...Me!" He sounds so stupid. The crowd laughs. I near Lesley and slip my hand around her waist, pulling her close. She tightens her grip at Max who's on the other side.