The Uneventful Life of Harvey Mackler

c h a p t e r | t w e n t y - f i v e

It makes it easier to fake my confidence when I reply, "And I will be there. The flights haven't been cancelled yet, have they? The forecast says the storm will be in the morning. I checked earlier and the one scheduled after ours should still be safe to take. It's a bit of a tighter time squeeze and I might end up being a little late — but you can explain that part to Finn for me."

Hunter opens his mouth, ready to retort, except no words come out. "Fine," he eventually manages to say in a reluctant tone, "if you say so."

"So are we all in agreement?" Mom asks, eyes drifting between the three of us.

"I guess?" Hayden sends me another questioning look, scratching the back of his head as he nods slowly in Mom's direction.

Hunter looks like he still wants to protest, interrogate me some more on why I am so adamant to stay behind, but he holds himself back, dropping the subject until an hour and a half later, when Uncle Manuel goes to retrieve his car keys so he can drop them off at the ferry port.

Hunter and Hayden leaving early has put a stopper in Hollis's birthday celebration — a fact that only seems to fully dawn on Hunter when Aunt Kamila is setting the Hawaiian themed feast out on a long beechwood table.

"Sorry about leaving your birthday early, bud," Hunter apologises, ruffling Hollis's brown locks. "I promise to make up for it when you guys get home too."

"That's alright," Hollis shrugs, pulling Hunter's hand away from his head with a smile. "It just means more food for me."

Hunter laughs in response, arching round to look at the luau spread. "That's if Hayden doesn't take all of it with him."

"What?" Hollis's eyes widen with alarm as he spots Hayden by Aunt Kamila, filling up two sets of Tupperware with food.

"Hayden, hurry up and stop being a pig. We can't take all of it back with us anyway," Hunter says.

"I can try," Hayden replies childishly, hurrying to scoop up another portion of shoyu chicken before Hollis comes racing towards him.

While Hayden and Hollis are arguing over Hayden's portion sizes, Hunter turns to me to say, "You know those websites are never a hundred percent accurate when it comes to local services. There're probably still some seats available. You should just come with us."

I wrap my arms around myself, tucking one arm beneath the other as I shrug in response. "Finn will do fine whether I'm there or not. There's no reason why we should all waste our plane tickets by getting the ferry, and I don't mind going by plane."

"I suppose you're right," Hunter concedes.

Uncle Mani returns to the living room at that moment, jangling his car keys. "Everyone ready?"

"Looks like it," Dad replies, looking to Hunter and Hayden. "Boys?"

Hayden and Hunter nod in confirmation, but Hunter keeps his eyes on me, quirking an eyebrow as if to say "Now or never, Harvey".

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," I say with a confident smile, waving goodbye as Uncle Mani ushers Hayden and Hunter out the door.

><{{{(•>

I wake up the next morning with a loud thrumming in my ears and an uncomfortable crick in my neck; a result of spending two nights on Noelani's bedroom floor with nothing but a pillow, blanket and a leaky air bed Noelani had 'accidentally' punctured two hours into the first night.

I roll my neck to ease the stiffness that spreads across my shoulders, when suddenly, a brief flash of light illuminates Noelani's pitch black room, followed shortly by a roll of thunder.