Michael let Mick know that we want to visit his house tomorrow if we can't get over there today. Robert and Andy set a strict procession order for walking back to the cottage: Michael and I side by side in the middle, Robert in front of us, and Andy behind. My bet is that they saw something like this in a game and saw an opportunity for replicating it. Apparently there was some kind of beach volleyball competition at the beach today so it's not the most pleasant place to be, and our families decided to come back early from their outing. Andy also let me know there would be food soon, which is always a priority for him.
When we get back, Michael hands me the candy he picked up for me at the convenience store, and I go to Ann's room to hide it in my stuff in the dresser, while he puts his in his room. My parents probably wouldn't be too excited by the idea that I have a bunch of candy stashed away. I'm glad to find that he got me a good assortment of soft and hard candy that will be a nice treat sometime.
I head back out to the kitchen to find Alice unpacking the groceries that Robert and Michael brought back. I have a feeling they are part of a special meal planned for tomorrow, our last night at the cottage. Marc prepares a sandwich bar that is pretty well-stocked, and I help myself. I also pick up some of Alice's potato salad. All of us sit outside on the deck, enjoying the sunshine from the porch instead of the sand. After a brief complaint session about the volleyball competition –partly Jean's annoyance that he isn't participating– everyone settles down. Michael lets his parents know that we ran into Mick, and I learn that the Lyons are on good terms with Mick's family, who live here year round. I have the feeling my mother is happy to hear Michael and I weren't just alone. Andy says he saw the Fab Four talking, which confuses Marc and Alice a lot at first. Luckily my parents jump in to explain about my friend group's Beatles interest, and I fill out their explanation to make sure my friends seem like more than just Beatles fans. Michael also adds a couple things as I talk, and I see Alice listening and understanding how well Michael knows my friends whom he has never met.
After lunch I decide it's time for me to test the Lyon's skills at soccer and run inside to get my ball. It takes me mere seconds to fully inflate it –that might be due to the amount of help I get from the Lyon boys. I put aside the pump and kick the ball into the backyard.
We fashion a make-do field with Frisbee goal posts at either end –a very small field considering the size of a backyard. We divide ourselves into teams. Our parents volunteer to watch and ref instead of play, forcing Ann to join in to make the teams even. Since four of us play regularly, or used to in Ann's case, we want to try to split the teams evenly. We decide Andy, Robert, and I will face off against Jean, Michael, and Ann.
"We're gonna kick their butts," I say, one arm around Andy and the other around Robert in the huddle by our goalposts. The grass feels like it'll be the perfect length to run on.
Andy, having seen me play soccer, grins and says confidently, "Sure thing, sis."
Robert, on the other hand, looks kind of questionably at me, and says worriedly, "Uh...yea, sure thing, Mandy."
I laugh along with Andy. "Just wait 'til you see her," Andy says encouragingly, "You won't regret being on this team."
"Okay," I say, silliness gone, replaced with a seriousness I gain only by playing soccer. "What position?" I ask Andy.
"Not goalie," he says, his tone firm, "but anywhere else is fine." His smile is back by the end of the sentence –my brother really needs to learn how to be serious, this is soccer.
"Keeper?" I ask Robert hesitantly.
"Yes," he says, looking a little relieved. "I'm no good anywhere else." Lucky for me, since the only place I'd rather not be is in the net.
"Alright, we'll play midfield," I tell Andy, "You stay defensive and I'll play offensive. Okay?"
"Okay," Andy says, doing a brief stretch and nodding in my direction to say he's ready. We split up after that and the rest is history.
Jean and I flip a coin to see who will have first ball, and he gets it. He passes the ball over to Michael –they unwisely placed Ann in net– and they complete a quick give-and-go that Marc and my dad clap about. Andy kicks it out of Jean' possession, and I capture it, quickly making a run for it down the field towards Ann. Alice and my mom cheer me on, but I don't make it to the net before Michael catches up and kicks the call away from me. We don't play with boundaries, or handballs, since it's just for fun, so Jean finds the ball on the edge of the lawn and sends it flying toward our net. Unfortunately Robert takes that moment to stop paying attention and the ball flies past him. The ball begins again in the middle, and I have it in my possession. I pass it to Andy, who passes it back to Robert, and he sends it vaguely in my direction. I turn it and score, taking advantage of my sister's not-so-quick reflexes –well, not as quick as mine.
The game passes in the same manner after that. Eventually most of us figure it's time the game ended, and the score sits ten to seven for my team. Michael defends his team by noting that André's absence makes the teams too lopsided –André, like Jean and me, plays a lot of sports. Jean and I kick the ball around between each other for a while, while everyone else takes a break and gets some water.
Andy disappears into the cottage and comes back with his nice, and slightly expensive camera. My parents got it for him last Christmas, and he's been obsessed ever since. Ann grumbles that her hair isn't nice enough for a photo, but Jean nicely comes to rescue her in time, by complimenting how the sun has brightened its colour. Ann beams and proceeds to ask Andy for a picture.
Michael, bringing me a glass of water, exchanges a look with me, and I wonder if something is going on with his brother and my sister. But I don't want to say anything in front of our parents. I take the glass and gulp it down.
"Should I go grab some cards?" Michael suggests.
"Yea sure," I agree, thinking back to Michael's comment about Crazy 8s in his last letter. "Oh, and could you please get me some more water?" I ask innocently, handing him the empty glass.
"Yes, we wouldn't want any more sunstroke fainting happening, would we?" he notes, and I realize the truth in his words.
Andy comes over as Michael walks away. "Hey, what's up?" I ask.
"Thought I'd get one of these flowers," Andy says, pointing to some orange and yellow flowers in a pot on the edge of the yard, which I am glad we didn't knock over during the soccer game earlier. Andy leans over to get a better angle, and takes a few photographs.
"Hey Andy!" Robert calls from the other side of the lawn. "There's a frog over here if you want to get a picture of it."
"Yuck," I mutter, but I know Andy heard when he glances at me. "Hey, I am just not a frog person," I defend myself.
"Good to know," Andy says slyly.
"You better not get any funny ideas, mister!" I cry as he wanders away toward Robert. Michael waves at me from the cottage door to come to the table so we can play cards. As I make my way up to the deck, Ann comes out with a novel to read, which I am sure she'll probably finish before the day is out –she's an incredibly fast reader.
"So what should we play?" Michael asks, taking a seat across the table from me and shuffling the cards prematurely.
"Crazy 8s?" I ask, wondering if he remembers writing about it.
"That depends," he says, narrowing his eyes. "What kind of silly rules do you use?"
"Me? I use the normal rules. It's everyone else who happens to use the ridiculous ones."
"What's the fuss over here?" Jean asks, as he slides into a chair next to me. He shakes his shaggy curls out of his eyes.
"Hey, no fair, none of my siblings can come to my rescue!" I tease, glancing over at Ann who is already lost in her novel.
"She was just about to explain the ridiculous rules the Franklins use for Crazy 8s," Michael explains, beginning to deal cards to the three of us.
"Well, don't worry Michael. It's two to one now, so she doesn't even get a say." Jean winks over at me.
"Oh dear," I say, pretending to be worried. Thinking back to three years ago, I'm glad about how things have changed for this round of Crazy 8s. In a relationship with Michael, knowing I'm not an immature twelve year-old...all good things.
"Maybe when you boys are done your game you could help your dad and Tony with the window," my mom says to Michael and Jean on her way inside with Alice. On my left, my dad and Marc are beginning to take apart the guest room window, which seems to have something wrong with it.
"I think your mom has more faith in my tool using abilities than she should," Michael says once my mother has gone out of earshot.
I laugh, but agree on the inside. Michael and Robert are probably the least likely to be helpful workers on a window. Jean and Andy on the other hand, would be fairly valuable –and André if he was here. My mom and Alice come back out of the cottage with a notebook and a stack of magazines. From the look of the covers, I have a feeling they are going to be looking through them for recipes. Maybe something delicious for me to eat in the future.
"Your turn Amanda." I pick up my cards and shuffle through, getting that regular Crazy 8s feeling that I have no idea if my hand is good or not. I put down a 4 of spades, and Michael quietly cheers as Jean misses his turn.
"Oh hey, I have that rule too!" I say.
"I'm beginning to wish it wasn't a rule," remarks Jean.
Although it's not a day at the beach, it's been a good one so far. I smile.