My Summer of Firsts

Chapter 25 - The Lucky One

A couple hours later, Derek got bored with playing video games. "Let's go swimming."

"I don't even have a suit here." I said. "And I'm not skinny dipping with you. Not after last time."

Derek laughed. "I forgot about that. You got burnt to a crisp."

"Because stupid Shelly gave me sunscreen that was SPF 10. My ass was so sore, I couldn't sit on it for a week without wanting to cry."

"Well, lucky for you, I'm always prepared." Derek got up from his gaming chair and ran into his walk-in closet. He returned with a pair of swim trunks I recognized. He'd bought them for me years ago to leave at his house so that I never had an excuse to say no, which I was prone to doing. "Now you can keep your precious lily white cheeks as pasty as ever."

With a groan of dismay, I heaved myself out of my chair and stalked over to snatch the shorts from his hand. I changed in his bathroom, lathering on plenty of sunscreen. I came out just as he was leaving the closet wearing his own trunks.

I followed him downstairs into the kitchen, where he started mixing up margaritas using his father's most expensive tequila.

He scooped his finger through the concoction and tasted it. "We should invite some people over. Have a low-key party."

I sat on the stool at the counter, watching him adjust the mixture. "What people? We're the only two even in town right now. Everybody else is off having lives in better places."

"Shelly's in town."

"How do you know?"

"I saw her arriving at the barbecue when I was leaving with Brittany." He poured more tequila into the blender before starting it up again. "I didn't speak to her, but it was definitely her. I mean, how many people do you know with electric blue hair on only half their head?"

She had hair on more than half of her head. In the last picture I saw of her she just had the one side buzzed up to where she used to part her hair, back when her mother could still forbid her from cutting it all off with threats of taking away her phone.

I wondered why she hadn't called me. We used to be very close. Almost as close as me and Derek. She started off as a third wheel, but quickly became our missing link. Our third musketeer.

"Call her." I said.

"I already did when you were changing. I messaged Brittany, too."

"Thanks for the heads up."

"I knew you'd say yes." He gave a slight shrug, not at all apologetic. "You should call your man. Get him over here."

I picked up my phone and did just that.

"Hey, sexy." Elian said. "I was just thinking about you."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

As Derek started up the blender again, I stuffed my finger in my ear and walked into the living room for some peace.

"What is that awful sound?"

"Derek's making margaritas."

"Sounds yummy."

"Want to come get one?"

"Are you sure? I thought you wanted to hang out with him, just you guys. For old time's sake or whatever."

"I did. And we did. But now he wants to have people over. I was hoping you could be one of them."

"I'm not really big into parties. Unlike you, Rave King."

"It's not a party. It's just a few people. You can meet my other best friend. You'd love her."