I Do Until I Don't

Chapter 59

 My favourite day of the year is August 17th because that's Julia's birthday and it's also the End of the Summer BBQ. These two celebrations are huge things in our family. It helps that Julia always wants her birthday to be, and I quote, ''so awesome people die''. Usually, we celebrate at our house and invite a bunch of people to swim at our pool, and Dad does burgers and hot dogs and corn on the cob, and Mom does lasagna and three types of cakes. This year, though, since we're in Florida, and Mélanie isn't here to tell us that we're eating way too much sugar and stuff (thank God for the honeymoon), Mom and Dad are going all out.

"I am going to destroy you!" Julia warns me, walking on the sand with a bucket filled with water. She's wearing a polka dot bikini and red high-waisted shorts with big sunglasses and a red floppy hat.

"You forget that I am the queen master of sandcastles," I remind her, as I finish my second tower. I'm going to do an entire kingdom of sand.

"I'm not so sure about that," Sabrina says. She's trying to make a sand mermaid. She's wearing a green sundress with white flowers printed on it, but now it's covered in sand. "I won the last time we competed."

Julia wanted to organize a sandcastle competition to start of her day to then go swimming in the ocean and then eating and then talking around a campfire to top it all off with fireworks. I can't even begin to imagine what her wedding will look like.

"That was three years ago," I remind her. "I've improved. A lot.''

"Sure you have.''

I throw her a handful of sand.

"You started without us?" someone says behind me, sending chills all over my arms.

I'm still wearing a red one-piece bathing suit. I don't think I ever will be able to walk in a bikini, but I don't have the urge to hide behind a blanket as I turn around and see Alex and Fannar grinning and taking a seat in the sand next to me. Fannar kisses me on the cheek, and my face turns red.

We've been dating officially for a week now and, since Fannar quit Shooters to spend the last week with his friends instead of at work, we have had many opportunities to kiss and drink milkshakes and talk under the stars. Yet, even if we have kissed many times, I'm still not used to his taste and how my stomach feels like it's going to explode. I hope I will never get used to it. I hope I never start taking him for granted. I hope we will still look at each other like we're magic when we're eighty.

"We waited and waited, but you never came," Sabrina explains, giving a small bucket to Alex and a bigger one to Fannar. "Here, you may start."

"We may start or we june start?" Max says, Julia's almost-boyfriend. Julia rolls her eyes but smiles. I guess Max is the kind of guy who makes horrible dad jokes. I like that.

Julia puts on some music, oldies, songs from musicals and, when Beauty School Dropout starts, Julia and I sing to the top of our lungs: it's our song. Well, Mel, Julia and me. Even if she's probably eating fancy food or sleeping in with Nia, it still feels like she's with me. I was a fool to be terrified she will forget about me. She's my sister: she never will. She'll always be with me.

"I'm totally winning this!" Sabrina says, taking a step back from her mermaid. Alex, who's running with water, trips and lands on the mermaid. "I am going to MURDER YOU!" Sabrina shots, throwing her bucket on Alex's face who's bursting into laughter.

"Oh wait!" Alex raises his hands in the air, still on the sand. "You're serious?"

Sabrina crosses her arms and nods. Alex's eyes widen, and he gets up quickly and starts running to the ocean. Sabrina follows him, running like her life depends on it.