Stealing The Show (Such Sweet Sorrow Trilogy, Book One)

10

THE KEY HAS LONGFELLOW CREDIT UNION stamped into one side and DO NOT DUPLICATE on the other. I don't exactly know what I'm supposed to do, but I figure this is just a subtle enough hint that the key opens something over at the bank where Paps was a celebrity and the very cute Brigit works. 

The very cute Brigit who for some reason seemed to flirt with me. 

I think I would be the most evil person in history if I used my dead grandfather to get a date. But I bet I wouldn't be the first one, either.  

I kidnap Jubilee and Shoe and we sneak out of school at lunch the next day. It's easy to slip out of the parking lot and if we get caught, Shoe can talk his way out of a Ukranian court martial, so I'm not worried. I'm nervous as shit, though. 

On the way, I have to explain what's been going on to Jubilee. I kinda stupidly, spitefully kept her in the dark about the letters from the grave after I saw her kissing Dave Underwood.  

But she takes it well. 

"You got MORE letters from Paps after he died? What the FUCK?" she shouts at me, about six inches from my face. And then, after a minute of intense and very loud silent treatment, she says, "And you're only telling me NOW?"  

So here is where the boy-girl thing gets complicated. I should've told her, because we're friends. But I couldn't tell her, because I wasn't going to do it and she would hate me for it.  

"Do I get to read these letters or am I supposed to take your word on it, you two assholes?" she says. 

Paps wrote Why don't you go ahead and kiss that Jubilee girl already? on the first one, so, nope. Can't. 

"They're kind of private," I lie.  

"Like you, Emily Dickinson Writer Boy. Always hiding something." My stomach curls in on itself. Cuts to the bone, that girl does. 

To my surprise-horror-angst-joy-embarassment, it is indeed Brigit behind the counter at the bank again. She's looking cute, and it's Friday afternoon and she's dancing a little as we open the door. She looks right at us and sees me and we make eye contact and she smiles. It's not a work smile, either. She's actually glad to see me. There's no other customers in the bank, so she yells out across the lobby. 

"Hello Mr. Mack's grandson Lewis. What brings you here?" 

I hear Jubilee snicker behind me. But I just walk up to Brigit and they stay back behind the velvet ropes. 

"Hi," I say. "I have this key from my grandfather, and I was wondering..." I slide it to her and she slides it right back instantly. 

"Safety deposit box," she says. She goes and gets a key of her own and comes back to the counter. "What number is it?" 

I shrug. She smiles and looks it up for me. This is too easy. It doesn't feel possible. Too bad I'm already gaga over a girl without a clue about how I feel. I look over my shoulder and Jubilee's staring at me. I feel like puking on Brigit. 

"Right this way," Brigit says. I get Shoe and Jubilee to come with me and we head down into a secured room. The walls have a bunch of metal drawers, each one with two keyholes. Some are just the size of a drawer and others are bigger. Paps' is a big one. 

When we go in the safety deposit box room, I get this eerie feeling for a second. Paps was standing right here once. He came in this room and put things into this safety deposit box, thinking of me when he did it. He was here and I'm right where he was and for a second it's like he is still here. Then it passes. 

I take a second to realize how lucky I am to be here with two people, good friends, who I get and who get me. And all of us got Paps. It's a nothing moment, but maybe those are the ones you should remember but usually don't.