Chapter 5

5

ZACH

"No. Go change."

"What?" I looked down at the clothes I was wearing, trying to figure out what was wrong with a navy-blue T-shirt paired with red swim trunks and flip-flops. Everything was clean. There were no wrinkles. And it was red and blue. Patriotic as fuck.

"You look like a fucking hippy who lives out of a van. Go put on a pair of chinos and a polo."

"You're serious?" My voice was incredulous. I had no idea where he'd gotten the hippy thing. I looked like a fucking Gap ad.

"I don't have time for your antics. Just go change."

"It's ninety-five degrees out, and you want me to wear pants to a lake party? We're in Astaire, Dad. Guaranteed if I wear chinos, I'll be in the minority."

Drea walked out in a strappy cotton sundress and flip-flops. I could see the strings of her bikini peaking out from underneath her dress. Her eyes darted between us in concern before she pasted a bright smile on her face and popped on her sunglasses.

"Ready to go?" she asked in an overly cheerful tone.

"I'm ready."

"No, you're not. Go. Change," he bit out.

"Nope. Either I go like this, or I don't go at all." I crossed my arms defiantly.

"Daddy, he looks fine. Let's just go." She grabbed the oversized bag full of towels and sunscreen off the counter and started walking toward the door. "Zach, grab the cookies out of the pantry."

Dad clenched his jaw but didn't say anything when I brushed past him on my way to the pantry. I grabbed the cookies she'd made yesterday and followed them outside.

The mayor's house was just a few houses down from ours, situated in a cove on a property with the longest stretch of shoreline in the private part of the lake. We had been there one other time around the holidays, when the lake was partially frozen and the trees barren of leaves. Now, in the peak of summer, the oversized cottage was beautifully landscaped with a small patch of lawn in front and surrounded by trees, making it look like a forest retreat.

We followed a stone path that led us toward the back of the house, where we could hear music and voices coming from partygoers down by the water. People were talking in clusters, some standing, some sitting in folding chairs, decked out in swimsuits, sundresses, and a whole lot of red, white, and blue.

There was a large brick patio with a sunken firepit on one side, though it was unlikely it would see any use in this heat. The patio ran across the entire back of the house and included an outdoor living space, a massive grill, and, on the other end, a putting green. Near the grill area was a long table covered in a festive tablecloth and laden with food.

I headed in that direction to add Drea's cookies to the dessert end of the table. I set them between a plate of Rice Krispies treats covered in red and blue sprinkles and a plate of chocolate-dipped strawberries melting in the heat.

"What was that?" Drea asked as we scanned the crowd, looking for people we knew. Dad had immediately separated from us, looking for the drinks and, thankfully, leaving us to our own devices.

"What was what?"

"Back at the house. What was Dad's deal with your outfit?"

I snorted. "No fucking clue. I've given up on trying to figure out what his problem is."

"You must have done something to piss him off."

"Breathed, probably." I turned to look at her. "There isn't always a reason. You know that. He finds fault with everything I do. I've given up trying to please him." Which was bullshit, but maybe if I said it enough, I'd actually believe it. "Let's get some food and then head down to the water. It's hot as balls out here."

We piled our plates with burgers, watermelon, and pasta salad. Most of the seats were occupied, so we sat on the edge of the patio with our feet on the sandy beach and balanced our plates in our lap while we ate. I itched to get out there and play sand volleyball, but I suspected that if my father saw me, he'd give me shit for risking injury and ruining my soccer career.

As I finished my burger, a shadow fell over me, and I looked up to see Jason and Mandy standing just over my shoulder. I scrambled to my feet to greet them. "Hey. You made it!"

"Took us forever to find a spot to park my truck, but here we are."

"No worries. We've only been here about half an hour. Did you want to get some food?"

"Nah. We ate at my grandparents before we came. Mom made us go over there first."

"Cool."

And then we stood there awkwardly. I was tongue-tied, I realized, which was really fucking weird for me. I didn't think I'd ever struggled for words in my life.

"Why are y'all acting weird?" Drea asked. She and Mandy exchanged a look before dissolving into giggles.

"J!" a voice called from behind me. "I didn't know you were coming today."

I turned to see the guy from the bonfire—the one Jason had been worried about—walking toward us from the lake. Will, I thought his name was.

"Hey, man. Last-minute invite. What's up?"

"I'm so glad you're here. I barely know anyone." He looked at me curiously. "Hey, I'm Will."

"Zach," I said with a smile.

"Can we get in the water now?" Mandy asked no one in particular. "I'm dying of heat stroke."

Jason rolled his eyes. "We literally just got here."

I laughed. "Let's do it."

We spent the afternoon splashing each other in the water, eating more food than we should, and playing cornhole. It was a really great day, despite my father's nagging this morning and the girls kicking our asses at cornhole. We'd retaliated with an epic water-gun fight I was pretty sure I'd pay for later.

As Jason and I sat in the sand watching the sunset, I marveled at how easy it was with him. Easy in a way it hadn't been with anyone except Drea. And that was different anyway. I loved her, but she was my sister, and she was three years younger.

I'd never lacked friends over the years. I'd guess you could say I'd been popular in school. Even here in Astaire, when I was the new kid as a senior, I'd still been voted homecoming king. Teachers liked me. I hadn't had any trouble getting dates when I wanted them. There'd been a few teammates over the years who'd been jealous of the attention I got from coaches, but for the most part, I'd gotten along with the rest of them. But getting along with people and being friends was not the same thing. I wasn't sure why I'd always struggled to let people in, but somehow, Jason had snuck past my defenses.

He was easy to talk to. Easy to be around. He was a good listener. More thoughtful in his responses than most. And though he wasn't the type of guy who cracked jokes right and left, when he did snapback on someone, it was sharp and funny as hell.

"In about a month, it's going to be real weird around here."

"Yeah?"

"Most of my friends are heading to college, at least the ones I'm close to. I've known some of them my whole life. It'll be weird to not see them every day."

I could hear what he wasn't saying. He'd said it would be weird, but he meant it'd be lonely. As much as I was looking forward to going away, from getting out from under my father's thumb, Jason was staying behind. He was staying by choice, but that didn't make it any less difficult to watch his friends go.

"We can keep in touch. Text or whatever."

"I don't think I have your number."

We pulled our phones out and exchanged numbers. I was just pocketing mine when my dad approached. "Zach, I need you to come over and meet someone."

I started to argue, to insist I was already in the middle of a conversation with a friend, but I caught the look in his eye and decided against it. As much as he pissed me off, sometimes it was easier to go along. We'd already argued this morning, and I didn't want to fight again.

"I'll be back," I said to Jason as I followed my father over to where a couple was standing with a girl who looked to be around my age.

"Zach, this is Shannon and Joseph Palmer and their daughter, Leslie. Joseph is a state senator in the Nebraska legislature." I smiled politely, nodding my acknowledgment. "Leslie is a year younger than you. She's heading into her senior year."

Leslie's smile was polite, but I recognized the same look in her eye I was sure I had when my father was forcing introductions on me. She was pretty, with blue eyes and long blonde hair. She wore a sundress that accentuated her curves but wasn't overly revealing. With her father in the unicameral, I figured her outfits were probably pre-approved for events like this.

"You look familiar. Did we have any classes together?" I didn't think I'd had any classes with anyone outside of my grade this year, but there was something familiar about her.

"We were on the homecoming court together. I was the junior class princess."

"That's it! I was still new at the time, trying to learn everyone's names."

"Zach," my father interrupted, "why don't you show Leslie where the drinks are? Fireworks should be starting soon."

Ignoring the fact that Leslie's family had probably been to this party more times than we had and likely had a good handle on where the drinks were located, I gestured for her to follow me toward the beverage station. I grabbed a can of Coke from the bin full of ice, but she bypassed it, pulling out a can of seltzer instead. She pulled a red cup off the table and poured the seltzer into it, discarding the can with efficiency.

"I've been dying for a drink all day," she said, tipping back the cup and taking a healthy swallow.

I debated putting the can of pop back and grabbing something alcoholic, but I wasn't really feeling it, so I popped the tab and took a drink.

"Rough day?" I asked.

My question was directed at her, but my eyes scanned the crowd, looking for Jason. I felt bad that I'd left him by himself. At last, I spotted him sitting a little distance away, talking to Will. The sight had me feeling oddly conflicted. I was glad he'd found his friend, but I kind of wanted it to be me sitting with him instead.

"Eh. Not rough, exactly. Just long." I dragged my attention away from Jason and back to Leslie, not wanting to be rude. "This is the fourth party we've been to today. Dad insisted on stopping by three others and making the rounds before finishing with this one. I've been introduced to more people than I can count."

"That does not sound like a good time."

"I'm a people person, so it's not like a huge hardship, but I'd rather hang out with my own friends on a day like today, you know?"

"I feel that."

The breeze ruffled her hair a little, the blonde strands shimmering in the low light of dusk. "It's not a big deal, really. Don't mind me. I shouldn't complain."

"It's okay. I'm sure it can be a drag sometimes."

"It's—"

A boom echoed across the lake a second before the sky lit up with the first round of fireworks. I caught the look of wonder on Leslie's face moments before I turned to watch the display. The spot where Jason and I had been sitting earlier was still open so I led Leslie over to have a seat, my eyes again scanning the crowd to see if Jason was still with Will.

When I finally found him, Will was nowhere in sight, but Jason was sitting in the sand next to our sisters. They sat near the water's edge with their backs to us, heads tilted toward the sky. Another large boom sounded, followed by a bunch of smaller crackles, and Drea tapped Jason's shoulder, pointing at the sky with glee. It was good to see my sister laughing, though I wasn't surprised Jason had brought that side out of her. He had a way of making people feel comfortable enough to let their guard down.

Leslie laid her head on my shoulder, which surprised me, considering we'd just met, but I didn't push her away. It felt nice to have someone lean on me like that.

The night wrapped up fairly quickly once the fireworks finished their grand finale, setting the sky ablaze with bursts of light coming rapid-fire, one after the next. Everyone clapped, then began looking around them, gathering discarded towels and chairs and encouraging overtired kids to help. I lost Jason in the crowd, disappointed that I didn't get a chance to say goodbye, but I shot him a text asking if he wanted to run again later in the week.

And though Leslie kissed my cheek before fighting through the crowd to find her parents, it was still Jason I thought about when lying in my bed that night. I thought about how he listened when I spoke, like he was truly interested in what I had to say. The way he'd teased his sister mercilessly while playing cornhole, yet had made sure she'd been drinking water and reapplying sunscreen throughout the day. And the sadness in his eyes when he thought about his friends leaving in a little over a month.

I thought about that most of all.