Reprise

Chapter 08

Chapter Eight 

A few weeks into semester, Dad invites all his old Dime's the Limit friends over for a barbeque at our house to celebrate the upcoming publication of his biography. It's a stinking hot Saturday afternoon, and there's a storm boiling on the horizon. Daniel and I sit out on the deck with a cold beer and watch as Dad turns on the barbeque. He already has sweat patches in the pits of his arms, showing through his light cotton shirt, and the tattoos on his arms are shiny with a thin layer of perspiration. He's wearing board shorts in preparation to jump in the pool, and the long snake tattoo is peeking out from the bottom of his shorts. His hair is pulled back and he has his earrings in today, defining his otherwise thin face. Mum is preparing a salad, and she has already opened a bottle of white wine. She's taking large sips as she mixes up the dressing. She's wearing a white dress that sticks to her curves and shows her bronzed décolletage. Her makeup is minimal but immaculate, as always. Standing there in the kitchen she looks like a dream mother. And then she takes another sip of the wine.

The Shepherds, the Whitneys and the Elmhirsts are all coming over to celebrate my dad's book deal, and I'm personally dreading it. Lucas hasn't been to my house in years, and I wanted to keep it that way, but now here he is, dressed in a thin cotton t-shirt and black board shorts, walking through my front door.

Dan and I stand up to greet the Elmhirsts because our parents are busy. I walk straight past Lucas to greet his parents, Trevor and Kath. Dan is quick to pull Zach and Mike, Lucas's, older brothers, into a conversation.

When Dad catches sight of Trevor Elmhirst he almost drops his beer in his haste. He wipes his hand with the newspaper he was using to clean the barbeque and then shakes Trevor's enthusiastically, saying something about how long it's been, even though it's probably been less than a few months since Dad and Trevor saw each other.

Dan, Zach and Mike let themselves into the pool area and sit down on the side of the pool with their feet in the water. Lucas looks awkward for a second, as if he doesn't know where to go. Back when we were kids and the Dime's the Limit families hang out, Lucas would have hung out with me. But now he goes and sits with his brothers, leaving me alone. I walk into the kitchen in the hopes of helping Mum out with the salad, but she insists she's fine.

The twins and their parents arrive shortly after, much to my relief. Ainsley is wearing a plain black dress that would look uncomfortably hot on anyone else, but the way she holds herself makes it seem like it's the middle of winter and her outfit choice is completely logical. Ivan and Karen Shepherd, the twins' parents, greet Mum enthusiastically and then follow her out to the deck and pool area, leaving the twins and me in the kitchen.

'Thank god you guys arrived,' I say. 'I didn't exactly want to go hang out with the boys. Lucas is going to be an absolute jerk today.'

Ainsley sits down on a stool and starts picking at her black nail polish. 'Are you going swimming?' she asks me.

'Hell yeah,' I say. 'It's hot as. I'm going swimming, but then I'll need to shower and wash my hair before we go to this party tonight.'

'I hate washing my hair,' Ainsley says. 'Maybe I won't go swimming.'

Leo rolls his eyes at me. 'I'm going to hang out with the boys,' he says, and he walks out to the pool area.

'Just don't get your hair wet,' I say to Ainsley.

Ainsley looks up at me with a disbelieving look. 'With the Elmhirst boys and everyone in the pool? I don't think so. They'll splash me. I just won't swim.'

'Why don't you want to swim, Ains?' I ask.

'Because I don't want to have to wash my hair before tonight,' she says. 'Did your mum put the dressing in the salad or is it on the side?'