A L E C
I'd been out on a few dates with Ella. We'd gone to a superhero movie, hung out at the beach, and even driven to a national park about an hour away to go hiking. It was easy to be with Ella. Almost as easy as it was to be with Reagan. As I readied myself for a barbeque at Ella's guilt washed over me. In the last two weeks, I had neglected Reagan.
We had seen each other, of course. I climbed through her window, she climbed through mine, but what had once been a daily occurrence had faltered. We'd spent only a few days together since that first date with Ella. I didn't want to be the guy who abandoned his friend for a girlfriend.
I grabbed my phone and texted Ella.
Sorry, short notice, but could I bring Reagan tonight? Dating bliss had turned me into a bad friend.
My phone chimed. OMG of course! Ella responded and included a series of emojis dancing and in party hats. I sent her a kissy face back and quickly opened a text for Reagan. BBQ tonight. UR coming
I stared at the screen, expecting an immediate reply. She had seen it. She kept typing, stopping, and then typing again. Finally, her response lit up my screen. No.
I want you there, Ella wants you there. I didn't want to make her angry. That had been her default mood lately. I wanted to tell her it wasn't my fault her date had gone sour but refrained. I didn't need her screaming at me.
Free food. Swimming. Games. Did I mention free food?
No. I'm tired.
Tired. She was always tired these days. It was clear code for she didn't want to hear about my dating life anymore. I wasn't going to buy that excuse today.
If you don't come, I'll tell your mom you need a mother-daughter weekend. As if Mrs. Bell would do it, but the threat worked. I received a text almost immediately after, Fine.
Bring a swimsuit, I instructed.
After I finished getting ready I went to Helen's room. She sat on her bed reading a celebrity magazine.
"You ready?" I asked. My whole family had been invited. My parents had left early to get some fancy Bundt cakes to bring. They insisted it was the polite thing to do. That left me with ferrying Helen to the party.
"Are you?" She looked up. "You've been hogging the bathroom long enough." She wore a baby blue wrap skirt and a bikini top.
"I hope you put sunscreen on," I said pointing to her bare midriff.
"Yes, Mom." She stuck her tongue out. "You afraid Mom and Dad will embarrass you in front of your new lady?"
"Not as much I am that you will."
"I don't think you're ready for the lifestyles of the wealthy."
Helen put a hand over her heart, feigning shock. "Dear brother, how could you think such things? I am always the perfect young lady."
I threw a stuffed hippo from her dresser at her. "Sure you are. Finish getting ready. Bathroom's free."
Helen moved past me, the smell of sunscreen and strawberry body spray wafting by with her.
My phone chirped at me. Despite how much we talked, I still got excited to see Ella's name on a text.
Does Reagan have a favorite dessert or snack or anything?
Chocolate cupcakes. I typed back without a moment's hesitation. Vanilla frosting with gummy worms on top.
Gummy worms in the frosting?
Yeah. She swears by it.
Ick, but ok. :) I want Reagan to feel welcomed today.
My heart swelled. How had I gone without even speaking with Ella before? She didn't have to go out of her way to welcome Reagan, but she was. A smile crept onto my lips. Giddiness filled me.
I heard a sound from my bedroom. I hurried back to see Reagan climbing through.
"You look smug," she said, but she smiled.
"I'm happy to share the day with my best friend and my girlfriend. Can't you allow me a little smugness as I marvel at my luck?"
Reagan wore khaki shorts over her one-piece, black bathing suit. She sat on my bed and grabbed my controller, turning on our racing game.
"You look happy," she said as she handed me the other controller.
"We'll really need to get going when Helen is done getting ready.
"Humor me with one race."
I sat next to her. She smelled like sandalwood and ocean air. I tried not to breathe too deep into her intoxicating smell. I grabbed the controller and picked my racer. It was equipped with a flamethrower on the roof to maximize my attack power.
"I'm glad you're coming today," I said.
"You didn't give me much of a choice." She elbowed me in the ribs, but smiled, flashing her sparkling teeth. "I know I said no at first, but I'm glad you're making me honestly. I don't think I can stand one more night at home with my mom in a mood." She pick flipped between two different racers, not picking one. "My dad hasn't been home or called. I tried to call and text him and he hasn't responded." She looked down at her hands. Her knuckles whitened as she put the controller in her death grip.
Without thinking I put my arm around her and she leaned her head on my shoulder. I couldn't imagine being so unhappy with my soon-to-be ex-wife that I completely ignored my children. I didn't know what comfort I could provide beyond this one moment, this one race she asked of me.
"I'm here," I said into her hair. Her scent overwhelmed me. I didn't want to pull away for fear of upsetting her, but I didn't like how my heart suddenly thundered in my chest at this closeness. A closeness that had never been a problem before Ella.
Luckily Reagan pulled away. She settled on a racer. One with the capabilities to shoot rockets. It would prove to be a very fiery race.
"I'm happy you and Ella are working out," she said. "At least there's one happy couple in my life. I don't suppose you'll adopt me?" She shook her head. "No. I don't want to talk about this tonight. Let's race and then go eat free, rich people food."
"Ok," was all I could manage to say. I didn't want to cry, but I could feel the tears welling in my eyes. Seeing Reagan so unhappy hurt me too. I needed to make more of an effort to include her in my time with Ella.
Reagan started the race, running me off the track immediately. "Stop daydreaming," she said, taking the lead against the computer players.
The race was, as I thought, fiery, with Reagan and I shooting fire and launching missiles like crazy. She finished first, throwing the controller on the bed and putting her arms over her head in victory.
"USA! USA! USA!" She chanted, pumping her fists in the air.
"You guys are soo geeky," Helen said from the door. "It's a shock the Pruitts want anything to do with you." She leaned on the doorframe, arms folded over her chest. "But honestly I expected better of you, Reagan."
"Let me impart some wisdom on you." Reagan leaned back on her elbows. "When life hands you victory, you must cease the moment and rejoice."
In the blink of an eye, she grabbed my pillow and hit me in the face with it. "Celebrate any way you can, Helen!" And she hit me again.
I reached for another pillow from my bed, but Reagan did not halt her onslaught. Helen jumped onto the bed, wrestling the pillows away and joining the fray. I lifted my arms to block my face. I laughed, calling for a halt, but Helen and Reagan were enjoying this sport. We broke apart after a minute or two, laughing as tears rolled down our faces. The sound of Reagan's laugh-filled me from head to toe with happiness. I would take a thousand pillows to the face to keep her this happy forever.
~*~*~
Unlike Ella's graduation party, the barbeque Mr. Pruitt put together was smaller, but no less extravagant. He'd hired a bartender and a caterer for appetizers, though he manned the grill himself, much to my surprise. My parents chatted with him when we arrived. The smell of grilled steaks filled the air. Reagan whistled in appreciation.
I couldn't blame her. Mr. Pruitt was grilling steaks and bison burgers, but the caterer had supplied potato salad, bananas foster, a pasta salad, wings, mixed greens, and a house dressing, chocolate-covered strawberries, brisket, with a carving station, a coleslaw that looked too fancy to eat, brightly covered macaroons stacked to look like a rainbow castle, even a chocolate fountain. The Bundt cakes my parents supplied looked out of place on a table next to the catered desserts. A waiter walked around offered to take drink orders, while another carried a tray of mini eggrolls.
Ella bounded up to us, hugging me quickly and then greeting Helen and Reagan. "Most of these guests are people who do business with my dad," she said. "Don't worry about remembering their names or how they know us. They won't bother remembering you guys." She rolled her eyes. "But this is kind of my dad's summer tradition. Invite all these people, some of my friends from school and their families, while he pretends to be a blue-collar dad manning the grill."
A waiter walked by and Reagan eyed the tray of bruschetta. Ella laughed. "Don't be shy, Reagan."
The waiter stopped and waited for us to select something to eat. Reagan and Helen each grabbed two pieces with a thank you. I declined, wanting to hit wings and potato salad first.
"The bar is open," Ella continued. "Since we're eighteen, my dad will allow us one small." She held up her thumb and forefinger indicating just how small. "Alcoholic beverage, as long as it's ok with your parents. He thinks we should treat things like Europe to make us more responsible adults." She shrugged. "But obviously you don't have to. There's plenty of virgin drinks available, which, I'm sorry, Helen, you'll be confined to."
"Don't worry about me," Helen said and flounced off like she was born into this life of splendor.
"Reagan, I want to show you something." Ella took Reagan by the hand and started to lead her away. "You go ahead and mingle, Alec!" She called over her shoulder.
I made my way to the grill to greet Mr. Pruitt and let my parents know we'd arrived safely. Ella's dad, normally so crisp and businesslike, looked odd in an apron and shorts.
"Alec," he said. "Can I get you a drink? I told your parents about my rule and they are alright so long as you abide by the one drink max."
It felt like a trap. Ella said we were allowed one alcoholic beverage, but it felt like Mr. Pruitt tested me to see what I would do. He watched me carefully, challenging me. He let me take his daughter out and now he tested me.
"I'll just have a ginger ale," I said. I hadn't really wanted a drink anyway.
"Excellent choice," he nodded his approval.
"We were just telling Mr. Pruitt how nice it was he invited all of us," my mom said. "And I'm so glad you brought Reagan along."
"We'd love to have you and Ella over some time," my dad added.
I wanted to groan. Parties at my parents' house always ended with them insisting we play charades and them being terrible at it. My dad was particularly awful.
"That would be wonderful," Mr. Pruitt said.
I wandered away before my mom started showing Mr. Pruitt baby pictures on her phone.
I headed for the food table. It was time to stuff my face. As I reached the table Pierce Lockhart got in front of me. He paused as he grabbed a plate. He looked me up and down trying to place me. I wanted to push him into the pool for making Reagan's first date a disaster.
"You're Reagan's friend?" He asked. "You look like that dude in her Instagram photos." He held out his free hand to shake.
"Alec Mason," I said. I didn't shake his hand.
"Right. The guy who set us up."
We slowly walked down the line, filling our plates. I tried to keep my back to him as much as possible.
"Your friend was cute and funny," he continued as he loaded pasta salad onto his plate. "She obviously didn't feel the same. I've texted her a few times, but she ghosted me." He shrugged. "Her loss."
He'd texted her? Reagan hadn't said anything to me about him reaching out again. I knew she didn't want to see him again, but to withhold such important information wasn't like her.
"Well, she didn't want to waste time on you," I said. I grabbed the tongs for the hot wings before he could. I took my time selecting just the right pieces of chicken.
He raised an eyebrow but said nothing in challenge. He just walked over to the grill chatting with Mr. Pruitt. He was rewarded for the effort with a steak fresh from the grill. I wanted nothing more than to punch him in his handsome face.
"Hey!" Ella appeared at my shoulder.
"Where's Reagan?" I asked, craning past her. Reagan was nowhere to be seen.
"I left her soaking her feet in the hot tub, talking to Helen." She tugged on my hand. "Come on, my dad is distracted." She wiggled her eyebrows and motioned her head toward the house. "Let's enjoy some solitude for a few minutes."
My face flushed. I didn't object as she led me away from the party.
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