Count On Me

Invitations

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2016 | 7:15 PM | URIAH

Zeke and Shauna are at our apartment when Tris and I get back from a great day of exploring. Tris carries in the flat of berries we picked while I carry an extra-large pizza in one hand and a bag of liquor in the other.

"About time you two got back!" Zeke calls out. "I was starting to think I wouldn't be able to stall long enough and would go home sad and hungry. Four looked about ready to kick us out."

"Shauna could've stayed," Four interjects. "But I'm sick of entertaining you, Zeke. It's like having a five-year-old around." He nods hello to Tris and me.

"How was Sauvie Island?" Zeke asks with a smirk, ignoring Four's attempted insult.

Tris narrows her eyes at Zeke and I'm already trying to hold back laughter. "I think you can guess," she accuses, "given that you were the one that told us to go to Collins Beach. To top it off, I was texting you back and didn't even see what I was stumbling into!"

I can't hold it in any more and I laugh so hard that I double over on myself and I can't breathe. Across from me, Zeke is in the same state, and Tris trying to glare at us both but I can see the hint of a smile in the way one corner of her mouth lifts.

Shauna smacks Zeke's arm hard enough to make him wince and shrieks, "You told them to go where?!"

Four, who is leaning against the kitchen bar with a slice of pizza, watches us all, shaking his head. I pretend not to notice that his eyes are on Tris. His eyes, whenever he thinks no one is looking, are always on Tris.

"So, we're on the island, right after a killer bike ride up to the Troll Bridge―"

"What's the Troll Bridge?" Shauna asks.

"How do we know this and you don't?" Tris scoffs. "We've been here three days. Haven't you lived here, like, your whole life?" Shauna flips her off and Tris sticks her tongue out at her in return. "It's this old train tressel, and people have literally made it into a troll bridge."

"It's got those little toy trolls with the bright colored hair stuck all over it," I add. "Don't take Zeke there, he'd have nightmares for weeks."

Zeke kicks me under the table. "Shut up. I was eight. Ernest Scared Stupid was a very scary movie for such a young boy with such a brilliant imagination." Even Four is laughing now, though he stays leaning against the bar, separate from the rest of us. "And I was over it after a couple weeks."

"It was months!" I laugh. "Months of fun leaving those troll dolls in all kinds of random places, just to hear you scream like a little girl when you ran across them."

"Careful, little brother. I don't think you'd want me to tell them all about the Tooth Fairy." Tris doubles over now, already knowing that embarrassing story, thanks to Mom.

"Or Spot, the Target mascot." I know that's what Tris is saying, and I am glad that Zeke is probably the only one to decipher it through her laughter. Zeke and Tris high five. I had better move on with this story before they can come up with more embarrassing tidbits.

"Anyway, great bike ride, fun with trolls. It's like 95 degrees out and a swim is sounding really good, so we head up to the beach my oh-so-loving brother recommended. And of course Tris has a bunch of texts and when she answers them she chats it up with my brother and is too busy to notice the 'Clothing Optional' sign." Shauna laughs and nods when I mention Tris being distracted by Zeke; somehow, Tris and my brother hit it off right away and he took her in as a little sister. He banters with and teases Tris almost as much as he does me, and she throws it all right back at him every time.