Sunset Lane

The Back to School BBQ

This chapter includes multiple POVs of all of the kids on sunset lane, AKA the main characters.

---Tatum---

I spent all afternoon trying to find an outfit for the BBq, I finally settled on a blue sundress with an open back since it's supposed to be a hot night, I curled my hair and braided it. 

My dad and I bought brownies at the local supermarket, just so we don't show up empty-handed.

We made our way over to the Woods' house and knocked on the door.

"Hello, my name is Allison Woods, come on in." Ms. Woods invited us inside and grabbed the brownies and the dish. "I'll go put this on the dessert table, party's outback." She pointed to the back door. My dad and I walked out to find an enormous backyard filled with people.

 "I'm going to go mingle sweetie, text me if you're going to leave." My dad said walking towards a group of men.

"Tatum, you made it," Maria said running up to me. She had two drinks in her hands. "Oh, here you go." she gave me one of the red solo cups filled with lemonade.

"Hey Tatum, glad you showed up," Marcus said walking over to Maria and me. "Hi, Maria."

"Hey, Marcus," Maria said.

"Thanks for inviting us," I said.

"So are you coming with us to the CrestRidge cafe later?" Marcus asked.

"Oh um... I didn't know I was invited to that, but it sounds like fun!" I said hoping my awkwardness wouldn't show.

"You're definitely invited, we have to get to know the new girl," Maddix said from behind.

"Oh, Maddix wow I didn't know if you were going to make it," Marcus said making fun of his brother,

"Of course, I made it Marcus, it's my house. Now, are we going to the cafe or not?"

"Sure let's go!" Maria said obviously a little too excited to be getting away from the party.

"Tatum?" Maddix asked me.

"Yeah, I'll just text my dad telling him I'm leaving," I said getting out my phone.

"Perfect, come on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MADDIX POV (from leaving the party)

She was in my car. Tatum James. She smelled like vanilla and strawberries, like a dream.

My brother and I have this tradition where we take all of the neighborhood kids our age to the Crestridge cafe during my mom's boring barbeque. The BBQ really is only for the adults to catch up with the other adults that were away for the summer.

Many people at our school would describe me as a loner. I don't try to be, I'm a football player and a lacrosse player, and a baseball player, a sport is all about discipline and teamwork. But I can't seem to work with a team of people outside of a field. 

I have a nice home and a nice family, I have girls swooning over me everywhere I turn yet no one feels right. No one interests me, no one has their life figured out. 

My mother always called me the thorn in our family of roses. I was the prickly one and they were all beautiful and soft. But what my mom doesn't know is that a rose loses its petals and lives faster than the thorn laying on its stem, they never die.

"So, Tatum why did you move here?" Marcus asked Tatum as we stepped foot inside of the cafe.

"My dad got a job that he couldn't pass up," Tatum said as we sat down in our booth.