Bad Storm (15 page)

The fourth of July was a surprisingly clear day. The
terrible weather had finally cleared up, and the ocean breeze felt crisp and
delicious instead of muggy and hot.

My mother was hosting her annual Fourth of July beach party
at the Ferris Park, about thirty minutes north of Deston Beach where they had a
firework show every year. We caravanned together, and I even convinced Mac to
come since he didn’t have any relatives to speak of. Lola didn’t come and
neither did my brother, but Allison did—it felt like a small victory,
even if she did bring her book.

Out on the white sandy beach Sierra and I were giggling as
we dumped whole buckets of sand over Brandon’s body, with the distinct promise
of turning him into a ‘merman.’

“You guys better not pull anything funny!” he warned, still
smiling as he threatened us.

“We’re just doing what you asked,” Sierra said innocently,
fashioning some of the sand into what looked suspiciously like a tentacle. I giggled
and looked over at Mac and my step-dad starting the barbeque (even though it
was probably too late to be cooking any more hotdogs), and Nick, Martin and
Trent drinking some beers and hanging out. Trent toasted his aluminum can
towards us, giving me a coy wink.

“If you guys don’t do what I want I won’t give you the big
news,” Brandon teased.

“What big news?” I asked, turning to eye him suspiciously.
“No one said anything about big news to me.”

“Duh,” he sighed dramatically. “Because it was supposed to
be a surprise.”

Sierra stopped patting the dirt into a curling tentacle.
“Okay, we’ll make you a merman,” she said, giving in. It was so like Sierra to
sacrifice anything for a bit of gossip.

“Okay, well, I know you’ve been slacking on your social
media duties Ms. Manager,” Brandon teased.

“Give me a break!” I said, turning slightly red. While it
was totally warranted a week ago when I was in danger of dying, my recent slip
in my duties was due to something of a much more frivolous nature—

Trent. But in my defense, we had quite of few years of
repressed feelings to make up for. Some very, very hot repressed feelings.

“Okay, but you better promise not to tell that I told,”
Brandon warned.

“Just tell us already!” Sierra demanded, exasperated.

“Well, Jeez, talk about impatient. So that night at the The
Nightshift someone recorded the show and put it online…”

“Oh God,” I said mortified, suddenly recalling that I had
sang in front of hundreds of people. It was only a week ago, but it felt like
forever ago. “Please tell me no one saw it.”

“
Everyone
saw it,”
Brandon said. “It’s huge! I can’t believe you haven’t even realized. Anyway, we
had a secret meeting…”

“Who, Bad Moon?” I said, my eyes opening wide.

“Yeah, and we want you to record with us! It could be our
first single, Bailey, think about it!”

I just gawked at him until Sierra snapped me out of my
thoughts with a, “holy shit.”

“I’m not supposed to know this, right?” I finally said, the
words still processing in my addled mind.

“Yep,” Brandon said. “Also, you promised to make me a
merman.”

I laughed, shaking my head at him. But I couldn’t stop
thinking about what he had said. I just had to check the internet—I was
getting up, sanding off my legs, when Sierra gave me a quizzical look.

“Going somewhere?”

“I…have to go check something,” I blushed slightly.

“Uh huh,” she said, smirking as she continued to craft the
curling tentacle much to Brandon’s dismay.

I was about to dig my phone out of my bag when Trent stepped
in front of me.

“What’s up, babe?” he said, the nickname causing a flutter
to erupt inside of me. I still hadn’t gotten used to it, but it definitely
wasn’t a bad thing.

“Just wanted to check something,” I said, trying to sound
casual.

“What did you want to check?” He looked amused, like he
could read through my facade.

“Not much,” I said, but he raised an eyebrow and gave in.
“Fine. Brandon told me about the video of the show going viral.”

“Dammit,” Trent grumbled. “Well, I wanted it to be a
surprise, but I guess you already know what we want, huh?”

“I just…I just can’t imagine it. Me, singing with a rock
band?”

Just then a loud bang filled the sky.

“Look everyone!” My mom cried. The dark night sky was filled
with a red burst of a firework, falling back down into the ocean. The show was
starting, and all the other families at the park cheered.

“You’d be great. I saw you perform, I felt it. Don’t pretend
like you didn’t love it,” he said, wrapping his arms around my waist.

I bit my lip. I knew he was right, I did love it. And while
I had a hard time believing it, I knew Trent wasn’t lying to me. I took a deep
breath.

“Fine,” I said finally. His smile grew broad and wide. He
pulled away from me for a moment, digging into his cargo shorts. He lowered
himself down to the ground, onto one knee, and produced a small, black box that
went undetected in his pocket.

“No,” I gasped, tears filling my eyes as my friends and family
started to crowd around us. A firework filled the night sky, and I could see
the reflection of the green firework in his smoky eyes.

“Please,” he said, popping it open to reveal a beautiful
silver band and a modest diamond. “I know it’s not much, but I want to spend
the rest of my life with you. You’re my best friend. Will you marry me?”

I burst into tears and felt every moment we had together all
at once, from the last few weeks to our childhood, kicking balls around on the
fields at school as loud, grimy little kids.

“Yes,” I said finally between gasping sobs. He beamed and
everyone cheered. I looked around and caught my mother’s wet eyes and Brandon
and Sierra hugging each other, sighing as if it were the romantic thing they
had ever seen, and I couldn’t help but laugh through my tears.

Trent stood up and slid the ring onto my finger, holding my
hands gingerly in his.

“I love you,” he said, his whole body radiating with the
words.

“I love you too,” I whispered, and he kissed me, long and
hard in front of everyone I knew and loved.

And I knew it wasn’t our happy ending. It was our very happy
beginning.