Summer with the Bertram Brothers

t w o - b e a c h

I take large steps down to the beach. There are so many people around, enjoying the sight. I start to feel the sand get in the bottom of my slippers. The feeling is nice. I take in the scent of the ocean in my nose. If I had my bathing suit on, I'd probably jump right in. At the horizon, I see the thick clouds rising. I stand in the middle by myself, quietly, until someone's shadow cool's the heat beating on my right arm. I turn and see the boy with the faded freckles and the golden hair, smiling from ear to ear. I immediately duck my head down from chronic shyness.

"Hey," he says casually. 

He's Rico Bertram. He can pretty much do anything. He's very in with the ladies. Eva hangs around him mostly. He's too good looking to be talking to me, though.

"Hi," I say back, staring at the blue.

He walks closer to my face, as if he'd appreciate me looking in his eyes like a normal person.

"You're Eva's sister, Ambi, right?"

I nod. I look at his red t-shirt. He shifts his weight on his left leg.

"Sorry about your dad."

I look in his eyes finally. He speaks again before I could say anything.

"So, you're going for a swim?" he asks, putting his hands in his pockets. I stare at his arms, admiring his muscles relaxing. I just shake my head. He then laughs a bit, "You don't talk much, huh?"

I frown and look back at his flawless face, "I talk plenty."

He laughs some more. I don't see what he finds so comical in me. But I feel my lips press together, trying not to smile.

"Then we should hang—"

A group of girls interrupt Rico's speech and circle around him. I spot my sister already in her red bikini, matching him well. Looking at her next to him makes me think they make a nice couple... to the eyes.

"Rico!" she sings loudly, "You're going to Travis's party?"

"I'm guessing yes," he smiles at her in a flirtatious manner. She giggles like its raining daisies. I take a step back, as they go on about their pop cultured conversation. I don't feel like sticking around everyone in their skim swim wear, while I wear green jogging shorts and a 'Love New York' t-shirt.

I lift my feet back up the road and head to the lake. There, it's always quiet. But, I find no such ease, as I reach down the forgotten rocky path to the lake. I see some person pulling onto my brown boat that I always used to fish. It was my dad's boat...

"Hey!" I almost scream. I plant my legs on the edge of the moist grass. The person turns fast at my exclamation. It's Trim Bertram, Rico's brother. He stands there like a statue, "That's my boat!"

Trim laughs. He has a different laugh from his brother. I grimace. Nothing that I'm saying is funny. He pulls the rope out its hook anyways and places one foot in the boat to keep it from floating away. He then looks at me with a challenging smirk.

"Well, I don't see your name on it."

I stop and think about everything that just happened. Boys that I've know little of talk to me suddenly today. I don't get why, though. I look around at the ground under my feet and put my hands on my hips.

"Doesn't matter," I say.

Trim's dimples deepen.

"Okay," he shrugs his shoulders, "Then let's just go to the island."

He points at the small piece of land that sits in the middle of the lake. All my life, I've seen it every summer here, but never got the idea to go there. I stare at it and conclude that there isn't much to do there.