"You didn't tell me we were hosting tonight," I say.
"It's on the calendar, I didn't think I needed to tell you." My mom points to today's box on the calendar on the countertop.
As I suspected, the box is empty.
"If it weren't for Grandma Peggy telling me, I still wouldn't know." I laugh.
"When did you see Grandma Peggy?"
"Yesterday, when I was with Bryce."
"Oh, speaking of Bryce, I talked to Maggie today. The three of them are planning on coming tonight."
"Oh, good."
"I forgot to tell them to wear pajamas though, could you text Bryce and let them know?"
"Sure." I pull my phone from my back pocket and go into my conversation with Bryce.
About tonight, wear pajamas. It's a thing
I send my message and his reply is quick.
Uh, okay
Mom turns to face me. "Could you grab the Adirondack chairs off the deck and bring them down to the lawn and set them up around the fire pit? Make sure they're far enough away that the smoke won't get in people's eyes but close enough that everyone can still reach the fire to toast their marshmallows. And leave some room for blankets for the kids."
"Got it." I grab a rag and open the sliding glass door and head onto the deck.
The dark blue Adirondack chairs are stacked up in the corner against the house so I pull the first one off the top of the pile and wipe it down. Since we use them pretty often, a dry rag is enough to do the trick. I do the same with the rest of the chairs and start bringing them down to the fire pit. Once I get the chairs set up, I head back in for the blankets. I make my way to the linen closet and grab some of our old blankets off the bottom shelf.
"Is four enough?" I shout to Mom.
"Should be! We can always grab more if we need to!"
I grab the stack and carry the blankets down toward the fire pit and drop them onto the ground with a satisfying plop. The purple square one is on top so I reach for that one first. I spread it out next to one of the chairs and decide it's a little too close to the cement blocks that make up the fire pit so I pull it back a bit and adjust the sides. A blue fuzzy blanket is now on the top of the stack so I grab that one next. I spread it out next to the purple one before grabbing the green one. It's a bit smaller than I thought it would be but I lay it down anyway. The last blanket is a black, fuzzy, rectangular one. I spread it out behind the other three and leave room for a fifth in case we need it. Once they're all spread out, I head back inside.
"Blankets are down," I say.
"Great. I've got a bunch of baskets with s'mores stuff we can bring out."
"Okay."
"Why don't you go put on pajamas first and then we can take care of the baskets?"
"Sure." I head to my room.
Okay, Bryce is coming tonight so I have to look decent.
Why does that make me want to look decent?
I slide open my pajama drawer and pull out a pair of gray sweatpants that are tight in my butt and thighs but flare out at the knees. My hands dig for a shirt and I settle on a pink high school football t-shirt from one of the team's many breast cancer fundraisers.
Perfect.
My blue crop top and black denim shorts come off and I change into a light purple and gray thong to avoid Bryce seeing any underwear lines when he inevitably checks me out later. I pull my sweatpants on and take a look at my butt in the mirror. I'm happy with how the bottoms look on me so I put on the t-shirt too. I look good but not like I'm trying to look good.
I hope.
I turn off my light and head back to the kitchen.
"All set?" Mom asks.
"Think so." I nod.
"Oh, by the way, I invited Johnny."
Her words make me panic instantly. "What? Why?"
"I saw him at the grocery store when I was buying some last minute things and since he's your boyfriend, I asked if he'd like to come."
"And?"
"And he said he'd drop by."
"You didn't tell him I was with Bryce yesterday, did you?"
"Of course not. He's the type to shoot the messenger."
"Thank God."
"If you have to hide your guy friends from your boyfriend, you probably shouldn't be with your boyfriend."
"It's fine."
A knock on the front door interrupts us.
Please don't let this be Johnny already.
"I'll get it," I say.
I sprint down the stairs and open the front door to see Maggie with Bryce and Layla.
Thank God.
"Hi," I say.
"Hey," Bryce says.
"Hi, Layla." I smile at the little girl whose hair matches Bryce's.
She hides behind Maggie's leg and Bryce laughs.
"She's feeling kinda shy tonight." He explains. "Parties aren't really her thing."
I look them up and down and Maggie and Layla are in matching red and black footed pajamas. Bryce is in gray sweats and a black hoodie.
"You didn't want to match with them?" I ask Bryce.
"Can you blame me?"
"He's such a teenager." Maggie shakes her head.
"Alex, who is it?" Mom calls.
"Bryce and his family!" I yell back.
"Hey, Tara!" Maggie calls.
I lead them up the stairs and into the kitchen.
"Look at you two matching." My mom smiles.
"It was Layla's idea." Maggie grins.
"It's very cute."
"It is." I agree.
"We thought we'd come by early to see if you guys needed help with anything," Maggie says.
"Oh, you didn't have to do that." My mom smiles.
"We don't mind." Bryce chimes in.
"What can we do?" Maggie asks.
"I have these baskets that can go out." My mom points to the baskets on the counter. "You can just set them on one of the blankets that are out there if you don't mind."
"Not at all." Maggie smiles. "Layla, you want to take the one with the marshmallows?"
Layla nods and Maggie hands her the basket.
"Too heavy, Mommy," Layla says.
"Do you want me to help you?" I offer. "We can carry it together."
Layla hesitates and looks to Maggie for an answer.
After the way she tried to give me a heart attack yesterday, her shyness tonight is baffling.
"Go ahead, let Alex help you."
Layla smiles and nods and I wrap my right hand around the handle. She wraps her tiny fingers around the wicker and I lead her down to the fire pit. Maggie and Bryce follow us with the baskets of chocolate, graham crackers, and wet wipes and napkins.
"This can be the snack blanket." I point to the green one since it's the smallest of the four blankets and Layla and I set down our basket of marshmallows. Bryce and Maggie do the same with the other three.
"This is a really cute setup." Maggie smiles.
"Thanks," I say.
We head back toward the house and I grab Bryce's arm.
"What?" he asks.
"Can we talk?" I whisper.
"I guess. Is everything okay?"
I nod and follow Maggie and Layla up the steps to the deck and in through the sliding glass door to the house. A warm smell of cinnamon and chocolate fills the air.
"Is that hot chocolate?" Maggie asks.
"Yeah, could you actually grab a thermos from that cabinet? Or three?" Mom asks with a laugh as she points to the cabinet above the fridge.
"Of course."
"Come here." I grab Bryce's sleeve and pull him out of the kitchen while our moms are occupied. I lead him down the hall and into my room and I close the door behind us.
"Is this the part where the other girls pop out and I get gang raped?"
"Funny." I roll my eyes.
He laughs and I shake my head.
"Johnny's coming tonight."
"That your boyfriend?"
I nod. "Please don't tell him I was running errands with you yesterday."
"I won't, but what exactly would happen if I did?"
"Bryce, I'm serious!"
"I promise, I won't tell him. I'm just curious."
"He'd flip out and probably try to fight you and he'd definitely dump me for it."
"Alex, why are you with him?"
I don't say anything.
"Do you not know why?"
I shrug.
"He doesn't hit you, does he?"
"God, no."
"Alex, I'll kill him if he ever lays a finger on you."
"He doesn't."
"It needs to stay that way."
"We better head back before our moms notice we're gone," I say.
He nods but I can tell he doesn't want this conversation to end just yet.
We make our way back to the kitchen and I see that every thermos has been filled with hot chocolate and is ready to go out.
"There you two are." My mom points out.
"Alex, Layla has something she wants to tell you." Maggie smiles.
"Okay." I smile and bend down to her level.
"You're really pretty," she says quietly.
"So are you." I grin.
There's something about a little kid calling you pretty that makes it feel like a higher compliment than when it comes from an adult or even someone your own age.
"Do you want me to get the fire started?" Bryce offers.
"That'd be really helpful." My mom smiles. "The wood is next to the shed, and the lighter is in that drawer next to the stove. There's fire starters in a box behind the end table to the right of the couch if you need them."
Bryce grabs his supplies and I follow him down to the fire pit.
"Thanks for doing this," I say.
"No problem." He tosses a fire starter and some wood into the ring of cement blocks.
"Can I ask you something?"
"You just did."
I laugh and shake my head. "Have you ever had a serious girlfriend?"
"Yup. Never doing that again."
"What happened?"
"She cheated."
"Is that the last girl you dated?"
He nods.
"Is that why you're just looking for girls to hook up with here? You're afraid of being hurt again?"
"Alex, you're getting way too deep with this. I'm a guy. I'm horny. Hookups let me have sex without having drama. It's got nothing to do with pain."
"Not all girls are gonna bring you drama."
"Does Johnny bring you drama?"
"Johnny's not a girl."
"That wasn't my question."
"He's harmless." I roll my eyes.
"I guess I'll find out for myself tonight."
Smoke rises and a flame pops up.
"Nice job," I say.
"Thanks." He picks up the lighter and we go back to the house.
"That was quick," Maggie comments.
"Your son is creepily good at starting fires." I laugh.
"Would you stop?" Mom shakes her head and chuckles.
"Do we need still need to bring out skewers to toast the marshmallows with?" Bryce asks.
"I totally forgot about those." I nod and head over to the cabinet in the dining room that holds the metal skewers and grab a bunch. "Got 'em."
"I'm gonna bring out the hot chocolate. Could someone just grab that last thermos?" Mom asks.
"I got it." Bryce picks it up off the counter and we head back out.
"How long do these get-togethers usually last?" Maggie asks.
"Couple hours." Mom answers. "The families with small kids usually leave after about an hour which is why we start before sunset. More people show up once it gets dark."
"Are there any kids around Layla's age?" Bryce asks.
"Yeah, but they're pretty shy," I say.
"It'll probably take a couple of these things for them to warm up to each other." My mom shrugs.
"Do these little neighborhood events happen often?" Maggie asks.
"All the time." I nod. "Sometimes it's a fire pit, other times it's a bonfire with music and alcohol, sometimes it's a pool party."
"This neighborhood seems so nice."
"So we're gonna stay here for a while?" Bryce asks.
Maggie hesitates before answering. "I'd like to."
"Do you move around a lot?" Mom asks.
"Life's been complicated." Maggie explains. "I've never been able to afford a house until I took this job which is ironic since New York is one of the most expensive states to live in."
"How much did you get the house for, if you don't mind my asking?" Mom questions.
"Forty grand."
"Wow," I say.
"It was a foreclosure and a dump to begin with. It took a lot of cleaning up before we could move in."
"We noticed some vans there the last few weeks," Mom says. "We wondered what was going on."
"That was the cleaning crew my parents found for us." Maggie explains. "This place wasn't livable before."
"We got really lucky when we found it." Bryce laughs.
"When you found it." Maggie corrects him.
"You picked out the house?" I ask.
"I was tired of moving from one crappy apartment to the next and she said the only way we'd stay put is if we had a house." He shrugs. "And then the issue became the cost so I looked online until I found one we could afford that was close enough to the new job she was offered."
"That's really great."
"Hello, everyone!" Grandma Peggy calls.
I look over to the left of the house and can see Grandma Peggy's big, bright smile from here. She's got her three grandkids with her and I see a couple other families walking up behind her.
"Alex!" Emmy, one of Grandma Peggy's granddaughters, yells and starts running toward me.
"Hi, cutie." I smile and scoop her up.
"I missed you." She lays her head on my shoulder and her curly red hair tickles my neck.
"I missed you too."
"Hi, Alex," Brandon, Grandma Peggy's grandson, says and hugs my legs.
"Hey."
"They just love you so much." Maggie smiles.
"Alex here used to babysit all of them when I'd go out with their parents." Grandma Peggy explains. "She was the only one who could handle all three of them together."
"Speaking of babysitting, I meant to ask you, Alex, would you be able to watch Layla for me tomorrow?" Maggie asks. "I have to work and Bryce is helping his grandfather take down a shed."
"Of course." I nod. "What time should I come over?"
"Is five okay?"
"Perfect."
"Alex is the best in the neighborhood; Layla certainly won't be bored." Grandma Peggy beams.
"The party has arrived!" Johnny's voice booms.
Along with his big personality.
Fuck. Me.
•Enjoy the new Chapter 5!
~SS💘