《Brothers》 One The last day of school is the greatest thing in the world. It¡¯s the only reason I¡¯m here at this party. That and my friend who invited me I¡¯ve had a crush on for as long as I can remember. There are so many people here that I¡¯m not familiar with, even though it¡¯s just a small party. There¡¯s pizza and all types of food and drinks, but I can¡¯t seem to pull myself to mingle until I spot him crowded around some of his friends. A smile lighting up my face before I go over and say hi. Silver eyes light up at the sight of me and he waves me over. My feet carry me gently across the burgundy carpet to stand beside him. He hugs me tightly before standing back to look at me. ¡°How long have you been here?¡± ¡°Not too long. Just been looking around for the most part. Last time I was here was Christmas break.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, I kinda forgot about that. Your mom knows you¡¯re staying the night right?¡± ¡°Of course you idiot. And you¡¯re sure it¡¯s okay to use your brother¡¯s room?¡± ¡°Yeah, Jasper won¡¯t be back until tomorrow afternoon. Make yourself at home.¡± I smile and eventually manage to mingle among the others who¡¯ve graduated with us as well. So many different girls who are dressed rather skimpily and partially intoxicated. I don¡¯t blame them it¡¯s an experience of a lifetime for them. They finally get to live their life to the fullest, almost anyway. Even I grab a couple of drinks but manage to keep to myself, watching people play games, joke, and even watch some of the shows that come on. It¡¯s already late and slowly the majority of everyone starts to leave. There are only five of us left. Charlie, his friends Anthony, Jamie, and Carson are all sitting on the floor, staring blankly at the mess that¡¯s been made. ¡°Jas is going to kill you when he gets home.¡± ¡°Shut up, Jamie. Let¡¯s just clean up so he doesn¡¯t come home pissed as fuck tomorrow.¡± With laughter, we all get up and start gathering the trash and debris up from the floor. Clean up the dirty dishes, place the furniture back where it belongs, vacuum, sweep, and mop up the place before heading off to bed. ¡°Kenzie, do you need anything?¡± ¡°No, Charlie, I¡¯m fine. Good night boys.¡± With mumbled good nights the boys head into Charlie¡¯s bright green painted room. Meanwhile, I slip into Jasper¡¯s navy blue-walled room, switching on the light to change. Surprisingly his room is clean and undecorated. Jasper is going to school to major in art. Some of his paintings are hidden in his closet. Occasionally he sells them for a small profit to help friends or for charity events. I close the door gently behind me, head to the closet and peek inside. Sure enough, the paintings are still there, covered up with tarp. I close the closet back, strip out of my day clothes and into a nightshirt from my bag. With a small smile, I put out the light, climb under the cream-colored blankets, and close my eyes. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll be going to the beach carnival with Charlie, his brother, and the boys. It¡¯ll be the last time some of us are even around each other. Someone is shaking me gently and calling my name. I shake them off, drifting further into my sleep. A chuckle permeates my dreams and I¡¯m shaken again. Startling awake, I nearly hit the person. Shocked to find Jasper hovering over me, his jet black curls dripping with water, and a smile. He smells like the sea, salty and fresh. I can guarantee I look a mess, but he doesn¡¯t even so much as seem to care. ¡°Charlie said you wouldn¡¯t be in until this afternoon.¡± ¡°He¡¯s an idiot. I told him early morning. Mom and dad will be back this afternoon while we¡¯re out. Now, get up, I¡¯m going to make breakfast.¡± ¡°Alright, give me a minute.¡± ¡°Sure thing. Don¡¯t take too long or the guys will eat everything.¡± He slips out with a laugh and I sigh, happy that I can get up without exposing myself to him. Although the moment I sit up and look around, I notice I¡¯m not entirely covered, and my underwear can be clearly seen. A furious flush takes over my face as I climb from the bed and look through my bag for a pair of denim shorts and a purple tee. Slipping into the outfit, I pull a pair of socks out and rush downstairs to the dining table where the others are groggily seated around the table. Charlie¡¯s head is practically smushed against his pancakes. I smile to myself and take my seat at the table. As I do, Jasper sets a plate in front of me. He gently ruffles my hair and sets about cleaning up the kitchen. Jamie glances over secretively at me and then grabbing an apple, chucks it at Charlie. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.¡°OW!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sleep at the table Charles or I¡¯ll do it again. Have some manners. Do you guys have everything ready for the carnival later? I¡¯m not turning around to come back to grab anything. So make sure you have it already.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know.¡± Jasper rolls his eyes and finishes up the dishes. Carson is the first to finish eating and rushes up to make sure he has everything. Slowly all of them finish up and move to make sure they have everything as well. From where I¡¯m sitting I can hear them scurrying around and it makes me a bit happy. I don¡¯t normally spend time with Jamie, Anthony, or Carson. It¡¯s rare and so when I do get to spend time with them I do my best enjoy it. ¡°Kenz, you have everything right?¡± ¡°Yep. About earlier¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m not a weirdo or something. You of all should know this.¡± ¡°I-I know that! Can you just not mention it to anyone?¡± ¡°Of course not silly. Have you told him yet?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t even know where to begin. Besides, who told you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not dense like him. I notice things. I can tell him if you want me to.¡± ¡°N-no! You¡¯re not even supposed to know!¡± ¡°Alright, cool it. I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut. Do something with your hair, we¡¯ll be leaving soon.¡± I dart from the room before he can ruffle it again, making it even harder to manage. As I get back up to his room I hear the doorbell ring. Curiously, I grab my brush and head to the top of the steps where I can see Jasper standing in the doorway, his broad shoulders lax. ¡°You must be Jasper, Charlie¡¯s brother. Is Charlie home?¡± ¡°Yeah, give me a minute. I¡¯ll go get him.¡± He gently shuts the door back before turning to the stairs, spotting me being very nosy. Shaking his head he just moves to the bottom of the steps. ¡°Charlie! Jasper wants you!¡± He bounds from his room stumbling over his own nimble legs, before faking cool and pushing his dark hair back. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a girl at the door for you? Make it quick I wanna leave soon.¡± ¡°OH! I kinda forgot. I invited an extra person. I hope that¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve told me sooner. Get down here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m coming. Anthony can you grab my bag!¡± ¡°Whatever dork!¡± With a raised eyebrow I watch him rush to the door. His whole demeanor changes. More bubbly than normal. Shrugging I grab my bag from Jasper¡¯s room and then head down myself. Followed not long after by Anthony, Carson, and Jamie. Charlie lets in whoever is at the door and I instantly recognize her as Hailey Harthson. She¡¯s pretty, much prettier than me with a childlike face, pouty lips, dark brown curls, creamy white skin, and amber eyes. ¡°So, I hope you guys don¡¯t mind but I invited Hailey to tag along.¡± ¡°I mean it would¡¯ve been nice if you asked us beforehand, but whatever.¡± ¡°I agree with Jamie, Charlie. At least we would¡¯ve been prepared.¡± ¡°Sorry. Won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°It better not. I¡¯m the one who has to drive and I didn¡¯t even know.¡± It¡¯s rare for Jasper to be upset by anything and so we can see the guilt that etches onto Charlie¡¯s face. Jasper does a thorough check of everything and makes sure we packed everything before ushering us out to the car. Excitement fills all of us as we head out. As we do so I pull a small piece of paper from my pocket along with a pen and quickly jot something on it before sticking the tiny note into Charlie¡¯s pocket. A blush creeps up onto my face as I rush to hide between Anthony and Carson. Not a moment later the note is being slipped back into my hand. An answer to a question that I had wanted for so long. 2 The carnival is alive as Jasper pulls into the parking lot. Even the beach is full of people enjoying themselves. I smile as I climb out, happy to be able to stretch my legs. The boys tumble out, leaving Hailey to climb out the other side. Jasper rests his head on the steering wheel, exhausted from the drive. He didn¡¯t even rest when he came home, so I can only imagine how tired he must be. ¡°Jasper, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, just a little worn out is all. Thank you though, Kenzie.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I watch him a bit longer before joining the others in getting our stuff from the trunk. Jamie is practically inside the trunk thanks to Anthony. A laugh escapes me before I go to help the youngest of us out of the trunk. A scoff leaves Hailey and she rolls her eyes. Shaking off her reaction I grab my bag from the trunk and then follow everyone up to the carnival entrance. Instantly, Charlie and Hailey wander off on their own. The rest of us shrug and go about enjoying ourselves. Most of my time is spent watching the guys go on rides and hiding beside Jasper. I¡¯ve never been big on rides. Not after an accident that had put me in the hospital when I was young. ¡°You¡¯re not going to get on anything?¡± ¡°Nope, I¡¯m safer down here. I really only came for the beach.¡± ¡°And because of Charlie.¡± ¡°Shush. You¡¯re a terrible sibling.¡± ¡°Who? Me? No¡­I¡¯m an angel. Everyone loves me.¡± I shake my head, high-fiving Charlie as him, Hailey, and Carson exit the bumper cars.¡± ¡°You okay, Kenzie?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine Charlie. Besides carnival rides and I aren¡¯t exactly friends.¡± ¡°Then why come to a carnival? That¡¯s just stupid and a waste of money.¡± ¡°The beach. I always come out here with Charlie and Jasper over the Summer. It¡¯s become tradition for us.¡± ¡°Still stupid of you to come to the carnival if you¡¯re not going to ride anything.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still plenty of games I can play.¡± ¡°Right¡­of course.¡± ¡°Charlie, Hailey is your guest. I don¡¯t care that you brought her, but maybe you should let your friend know that since I¡¯m the one who has to drive everyone back she might want to behave herself. McKenzie is family.¡± Jasper leaves us all standing in shock as he goes walks off. Each step more resemblant to a jagged knife. It¡¯s not like him, but it''s not unusual for him to make subtle threats. Anger never fuels his threats, but even we can tell that something is off. Charlie turns to Hailey, apologizing for his brother. Meanwhile, the girl just shoots me a nasty look. ¡°Am I the only one who feels out of place here?¡± ¡°No, Carson. I do too. And I¡¯ve known Charlie my whole life.¡± ¡°Glad to know it isn¡¯t just me. Hey, they have a water gun game. Wanna go play?¡± I nod and the two of us practically run the stall down in a race to beat the other. After playing five games Anthony joins us with Jamie. It¡¯s also where Jasper finds us when it¡¯s time to go to the beach. ¡°Jeez, did you make the guy rich? Where is all this stuff supposed to fit in the car?¡± ¡°Just put McKenzie and Jamie in the trunk. Oh, and Charlie too.¡± ¡°Just cuz¡¯ we¡¯re smaller than you gargantuan doesn¡¯t mean you can bully us.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.¡°I¡¯m not gargantuan!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­I mean we had to shove you in the car to make you fit.¡± ¡°Jasper is taller than all of us!¡± ¡°Yeah, but I have to drive us all home. None of you are driving my car. I know what Carson did to his dad¡¯s car. And you and Jamie don¡¯t have a license. McKenzie is a child. Children aren¡¯t allowed to drive. And as much as I love you, Charles, you¡¯re not driving my car. Ever.¡± ¡°That leaves Hailey.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know her. She¡¯s disqualified by default.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to drive that ugly thing anyway.¡± ¡°If you ¡°accidentally¡± drown. I had nothing to do with it. Let¡¯s just go. I¡¯m tempted to shove people off of rides to their death.¡± I shudder, receiving an apologetic look from Jasper. Anthony makes a scolding face as if to say he¡¯s protecting me. With a shake of my head, I trudge behind everyone to the water. Thankful that my swimsuit is underneath my clothes. All our stuff gets piled together before rushing the water. Unless you¡¯re Jasper who is taking pictures of everyone. It¡¯s the only chance he¡¯ll get pictures of me. I hate seeing myself in photos. Still, instead of protesting, I let him. The water itself is cold at first. That doesn¡¯t stop us all from splashing our way into the sparkling water. Me keeping close to the shore. I¡¯m not about to let one of these hooligans dunk me under the water against my will. Not this year. ¡°Kenzie, come here!¡± ¡°Not if you intend to drown me!¡± ¡°One of us can always throw you in!¡± Panicked I rush out to spend time with them before I actually get dunked against my will. Every once in a while we take a break to watch the gulls and stare at all the other people around us. Jasper even manages to take some group photos of us before the sun starts to set. By then it¡¯s practically nightfall when we all huddle back to the car. Once we¡¯re all settled in Jasper starts for home. It¡¯ll be pitch black by the time we get back. Worn out like everyone else I close my eyes until we get home. ¡°Either get out of my car willingly or I¡¯ll roll you all onto the pavement.¡± I¡¯m partial to being rolled out of the car. My limbs don¡¯t want to move and I¡¯m mentally drained from the day. There¡¯s a scoff from someone, most likely Hailey with the way she¡¯s been today, as they climb out of the car. They¡¯re soon followed by another. ¡°McKenzie, I will roll you out of the car, c¡¯mon. I¡¯d douse you in ice water, but I love my car.¡± ¡°Do I have to?¡± ¡°Yes. Unless you want to starve. Mom made dinner.¡± ¡°Coming, don¡¯t roll me.¡± I climb out cautiously, stretch my arms and legs, and move towards the house. Behind me, everyone else is saying goodbye to Charlie and Jasper as their parents roll up to collect them. I turn to wave at the boys as they take off. Even waving to Hailey, who just rolls her eyes once more at me. With a shrug, I wait as Jasper comes and opens the door. He¡¯s quick to say hi to his parents before disappearing into his room to sleep. That leaves me and Charlie to share today¡¯s adventures with his parents. Both of whom are extremely excited to know that we¡¯re finally dating. The rest of the night is spent playing video games and reminiscing. Also the occasional annoying of Jasper while he tries to sleep. 3 It¡¯s hard to believe that 5 years have gone by so quickly. Almost too quickly. Being an adult is the hardest thing I¡¯ve done so far. Luckily I¡¯ve managed to maintain a nice steady job at a local floral shop, I¡¯ve gotten my own car, and soon enough I¡¯ll be able to get my own apartment that Charlie and I can share. I¡¯m shocked at how far the two of us have come since graduating. Even more, so that he actually decided to continue his college education. Determination has been something that¡¯s run fairly strong in his family so I¡¯m not all too surprised. The only time I¡¯m surprised is on days like today where he shows up out of the blue and wants to just drive around doing nothing. There¡¯s nothing more that I enjoy than spending time with him. Besides, who am I to refuse when he¡¯s always so busy. ¡°Jasper¡¯s having another gala in town this weekend.¡± ¡°I know he told me. I¡¯ll be back at school by then though.¡± ¡°Break is over that fast?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m trying to graduate as soon as possible. I picked up courses where ever I could.¡± ¡°Fair enough. It¡¯ll suck with you out of town again. Do your parents know?¡± ¡°Yeah. Why wouldn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only asking Charlie. Have you heard from the boys?¡± ¡°Not really. Anthony is working as a chef on some fancy cruise ship. Jamie moved to Brazil to explore the rain forest. And Carson¡¯s been busy doing something he won¡¯t tell anyone about. Other than that we don¡¯t talk.¡± ¡°Last time I talked to Carson he said he was going to do some self-discovery.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t really talked to them much. Plus how do you know that?¡± ¡°I always talk to Carson. He''s messaged me the most. Jamie and I speak occasionally as well as Anthony and myself.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t talk to me much.¡± ¡°Ask them why. They don¡¯t even mention you when it comes to me and I don¡¯t know why. We¡¯re all friends.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll talk to them eventually. Really just want to focus on school.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He¡¯s careful about pulling into the driveway of his parent¡¯s house. It¡¯s still as I remember it. And as usual, Jasper is parked in front of the house, probably only visiting. Like his brother, he rarely stays in town long. Making it rare that I have dinner here with all of them. The two of us barely get to the door when it swings open. A flustered young woman, practically running into me. ¡°Kenzie, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± The woman looks up, blue eyes landing affectionately on Charlie before her eyes fall on me and her face twists into disgust. I frown, unsure about her behavior. ¡°I¡¯ll be right in. I need to have a word with Amity.¡± ¡°You know her.¡± ¡°Same school.¡± I¡¯m ushered inside before I can protest. A sigh later I shrug it off and head straight for the kitchen. The boys¡¯ mom is scolding Jasper for sitting on the counter where he doesn¡¯t belong. ¡°Every time I come here you¡¯re in trouble for something.¡± ¡°McKenzie! You made it! Is Charles here?¡± ¡°Yeah, talking to the girl who ran out of here.¡± ¡°Oh¡­yeah, she¡¯s a trip. Anyway, will you be at the Gala this weekend?¡± ¡°Of course! I rarely get to see your art anymore. You hide it away in your new studio apartment.¡± ¡°Because if I take them to your job I¡¯ll lose it amongst all the flowers.¡± ¡°Uh huh.¡± He ruffles my hair, slides off the counter, and moves to sit at the dining table. Hardly anything about him has changed. Still as playful as ever, despite being a grown man. It makes me smile thinking about how lucky I am to know him and Charlie. ¡°Sorry, about that.¡± ¡°Just who was she, Charles?¡± ¡°Friend from school. Sometimes she gets carried away.¡± ¡°You should be careful who you make friends with. She looks dangerous. Come sit. Tell me everything.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to tell Jas? You¡¯ve gone to college. It¡¯s not much different.¡± ¡°You¡¯re boring. Plus I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve had different experiences than me.¡± ¡°I mean I didn¡¯t take up art as you did. So that¡¯s really the only thing.¡± ¡°Yeah, your lazy butt took some type of teaching major. Completely forgot.¡± ¡°Oh shut up. Anyway. I just thought I¡¯d stop by for dinner. I have to start packing when I get back.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to my gala?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t, I picked up extra classes so I can graduate as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Mom, can I trade him? Please?¡± ¡°Childish. And no. That is not how it works. It¡¯s good to have you home Charlie. Even if it is for a little bit.¡± ¡°Thanks, mom.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Now, McKenzie, you are staying the night correct?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± The night goes extremely smoothly, consisting of jokes, old stories, and even family videos. Before any of us is aware it¡¯s time for Charlie to head back to the hotel he¡¯s staying in. Why he chose a hotel, none of us will ever know. He¡¯s just odd sometimes. A few hugs and a brief kiss on my forehead later and he¡¯s gone. Everything is calm and peaceful. It makes everything seem so fairytale like. ¡°I¡¯m going to head up to bed, I¡¯ve got some meetings in the morning.¡± ¡°I should head to bed too. I have to open the shop tomorrow. It¡¯ll be busy.¡± My feet carry me gently upstairs to Charlie¡¯s room. It hasn¡¯t been touched. Left the same as when we graduated. He hasn¡¯t stayed in it since, either. He has a place to be with his family but always stays in a hotel. A smile twitches my lips upwards as I explore the room I¡¯ve become so familiar with since childhood. Pictures upon pictures adorn the walls. Artwork painted by Jasper, photos his parents took of us as we grew through the ages. Doodles and terrible drawing the two of us made. There are even terribly written poems by me. Things I didn¡¯t think he would keep. There¡¯s a single piece of paper I¡¯ve never seen before, though. My fingers brush it gently. It¡¯s new and the handwriting isn¡¯t mine, Charlie¡¯s or his mom¡¯s. Confusion takes over as I gently lift the paper from the wall. It¡¯s hard to read, there¡¯s a lipstick kiss on the top and bottom of it, along with a young girl¡¯s name. Something in my chest sinks a little, but I¡¯m quick to shake the feeling aside. After all, for all I know it could be from some small child or even from a project he did for school. I let my gut relax first before I place it back, slipping my shoes off, and gently lay in the bed. For now, I push all the negative thoughts running through my head to the back of my mind so that I can sleep. Six am comes to fast for me. I make it quickly back home to change and then to work. Thankfully, no customers have shown up yet. Every year there¡¯s a city appreciation event and people buy flowers practically by the truckload. Vanessa enters behind me with coffee in her hand and a somber smile. The two of us have been friends for the past three years. Neither of us is mentally prepared for today, but we both know it¡¯s worth it since we¡¯ll both be making extra money. Nothing better than holiday pay. Or even extra tips. ¡°Ready for the day?¡± ¡°As if either of us will ever be ready for today. And we¡¯ve been doing this every year.¡± She laughs and hands me a cup of coffee. Swiftly the two of us go through inventory and then out to the greenhouse to water the potted and hanging plants. I even make sure to check the hydroponics system before going back into the main building. There¡¯s a crowd at the door when we return. Small smiles of encouragement to each other before we open up to the public and start taking orders. Other employees start coming in to help, putting together arrangements as we take orders. Layla, our delivery girl shows up just in time to help us with organizing and delivering orders. It doesn¡¯t slow down until noon. Which is a miracle in itself. The six of us plop into chairs in the break room after the sign is flipped to close. ¡°This is more than last year.¡± ¡°It keeps growing.¡± ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s only because McKenzie joined a couple years ago. Her presence and people skills have skyrocketed sales.¡± ¡°Hush, Gloria. We all work hard. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do this job without any of you.¡± ¡°Still, production wouldn¡¯t be this high if you hadn¡¯t shown up and made changes to the way things used to be. Ms. Amanda was so happy when you decided to come along. She was so close to giving up on the place.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad she let me join. I¡¯m happy to be a part of something this important.¡± ¡°And we¡¯re glad to have you. We should probably get back before there¡¯s a revolt.¡± We laugh and with Marina, in the lead, we start back out. I¡¯m almost out the door when Vanessa stops me. There¡¯s concern on her face. She¡¯s afraid to tell me something, but what I¡¯m not sure. Her weight shifts from one foot to the other. Ants dancing along her skin, nerves singing in the air. ¡°I know it¡¯s probably nothing, but I uh, saw Charlie yesterday evening.¡± ¡°Yeah, he picked me up and we went to his parents¡¯ place for dinner.¡± ¡°No, McKenzie, after that it was super late. I was working my second job and he came in with some girl. She was all over him and he seemed so comfortable with her. Like I said it¡¯s probably nothing and my mind may have been playing tricks on me, but I thought you should know.¡± ¡°A girl was at the house when we showed up yesterday too. He said she was a classmate from school. Later I found a note or something written by some girl on his wall. It¡¯s probably nothing, but thank you for telling me.¡± Each muscle pulls itself apart gracefully. She¡¯s never been nervous about telling me anything. However, most girls lose friends over things like this. She didn¡¯t need me to yell at her over something as simple as a boy. A boy I¡¯ve known my whole life and grown up with. One of us is aware of something. However, both of us want it to just be nothing. I pat her shoulder before we head back to everyone else. There¡¯s a crowd already. Internal groans aren¡¯t enough to describe how exhausted we¡¯re going to be. No second thoughts as we go and start putting arrangements together ourselves, helping customers to their cars, and other such things. The evening rolls around swiftly, decorating the whole town in midnight blue, sparkling stars, and spotted streetlights. Everything is sore. Yet we¡¯re all satisfied as we clean up and close up shop for the evening. We¡¯ll all be off tomorrow luckily. Which means tonight is a girls night out. Once a month of getting together has helped us a lot. So much stress dissipates into mist. While the girls drink I don¡¯t, maintaining that at least one of us can get us all home safe. The turning of my feet allows me to catch Charlie¡¯s car driving by. Passenger side is Amity. She¡¯s dressed for a fancy date judging by her makeup and so is Charlie. Suddenly my throat is too narrow to swallow or breathe. She¡¯s a classmate. It¡¯s nothing. Stop freaking out. Eyes shut out the image before me of the two of happily laughing. ¡°McKenzie, are you okay?¡± ¡°Y-yeah, I¡¯m fine. We should go. Don¡¯t want to start late.¡± ¡°Hey, that was Charlie wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah, that was a classmate of his.¡± ¡°Are you-¡± ¡°Shut up, Abby. She knows Charlie better than anyone. Let¡¯s just enjoy our night because we all know tomorrow is a free day.¡± The girls cheer before clambering into my car. I smile at their enthusiasm, once again shoving any negative thoughts to the far ends of the earth, and climb in the driver''s seat. There¡¯s a nice bar we go to every month that basically keeps our spot reserved for us. It¡¯s not far from the shop and rather easy to get to despite how busy nighttime traffic gets once everyone is trying to go home at the same time. It¡¯s surrounded by little mom and pop shops that close during the early afternoon. Doesn¡¯t even use a bunch of flashy lights or anything, simply sets up a sign with the evening''s specials and the local band that¡¯ll be playing for the night. It¡¯s a quaint little place that we enjoy. They even serve breakfast on certain days. The best part is that it¡¯s never packed with people. And not just because we¡¯re a small town. Strange enough the one place the townspeople appreciate most is the bar. Making sure to park carefully along the cub, my eyes wander to the tulips struggling to survive. They would last longer if people would stop dumping alcohol and throwing up on them. We don¡¯t hesitate to get out and enter the bar. Theodora is the first to grab drinks. There¡¯s a rule that we rotate who buys the first round of drinks after that it doesn¡¯t matter. It helps us keep the peace between. ¡°Evening Ladies.¡± ¡°Evening Nathan!¡± He¡¯s worked here for the past six months and I initially made the mistake of thinking he was Jasper. They¡¯re similar in appearance, except Jasper is older and his hair is slightly curly. Although, if he straightened it, no one would know the difference but the two of them. Nathan¡¯s charming in his own way and always looks out for the females that come in. Even going as far as to call and have someone pick them up or call to let a family member know he¡¯ll be dropping them off. Most people think it¡¯s sketchy, but I figure as long as he calls and no one¡¯s called the police yet, it must be okay. We¡¯re a close-knit town with a population of roughly 200 to 300 people. Most places have more than that, but we¡¯re surrounded by river and forest. Cutting it down to expand depletes half our resources. Everything else has to come in from somewhere else. Theodora sits with us and hands us all our drinks. Shocking me with a margarita instead of water. ¡°Enjoy yourself tonight. I¡¯ll drive us home. And I¡¯ll make sure you get home safely.¡± I go to protest but she shakes her head and shows me the water she¡¯s gotten for herself. Sighing I take a sip, surprised that I actually like the taste. And she¡¯s right, it''s rare I let go. What¡¯s a couple drinks tonight? I¡¯m off tomorrow anyway.