Summer of Omaha

They're Both Named Jack?

I spent a moment considering a summer spent with Aunt Barb and her friends, who were sure to be as terrifying as she was. I shuddered, then I started unpacking my clothes and makeup bag. I would go to this high school barbecue. I could at least make friends with some lonely kids, and then have people to hangout with to escape Aunt Barb this summer.

I picked out my favorite high-waisted black cutoffs and my cropped knit white sweater with the sleeves that covered my hands if I didn't roll them up. I wore some cute brown flip flops and painted my toes aqua with the instant dry stuff.

I put on a little bit of top eyeliner, a good amount of my best mascara and some white eyeliner in the corners of my eyes. My all time favorite look because it made my hazel eyes look huge and bright but also pretty natural. I left the rest of my face alone. I had always taken good care of my skin and it was actually perfect except for the splash of freckles across my nose and cheeks. I flatironed my caramel colored hair, grabbed my phone, and left the place.

I walked in the direction that all the noise was coming from and pretty soon I was at the high school. Westside, it was called. There were at least 200 teenagers on the front lawn. They were sprawled over blankets, in big and small groups, laughing, screeching, and eating chips and other packaged junk food. Good rap music blared from at least three directions.

I froze. This was no staff-organized end-of year-barbecue. It wasn't even a barbecue. It was a huge beginning-of-summer party, organized by teenagers! There would be no lonely kids for me to talk to. Everyone here was popular and attractive! Frickin Aunt Barb.

"Shit." I muttered. People were looking at me. Everyone would notice if I walked away. I would never make any friends if I walked away now to the remote safety of Aunt Barb's house.

Then I saw some girl motioning me over. Thank. God.

I hurried over to where she was sitting on a tacky striped tarp with a bunch of other girls.

"Hi!" She said. "Are you not from here or something?"

"You guessed it," I said. "Yeah, I'm staying with my Aunt Barb this summer and she told me to come to this thing."

"Wait what?" The girl said. "Barb? Barb what?"

"Uh, Barb Halverson? It's my last name, too." I said.

"No way!" She squealed. "Barb Halverson is my insane neighbor! I live across the street from you!" All her friends were grinning.

"Holy shit that's crazy! You've known her longer than I have, then." I laughed. "And yeah, she's definitely insane."

I explained to the girl, whose name was Dara, that my mom and her husband (not my dad) were having an ugly divorce and thought it would be best for me not to be around for it. So they shipped me off to the only family member willing to take me. Dara gave me a big hug. Then her and her friends told me about all these crazy things Aunt Barb had done and how everyone was afraid of her. I learned all their names and they all learned mine.

It eventually got dark outside and the single streetlight in front of the school was our only lightsource. Things were getting crazier around us. Some people were pretty clearly drunk, and everywhere you looked there was a couple making out. A few of Dara's friends left to find their boyfriends and I started to get nervous that I would be left alone.

Another group came over and joined us on the tarp. There were boys and girls in this one, and they all seemed pretty sufficiently drunk. One of the guys wanted to know who I was. Dara introduced me quickly but then said, "We're going to leave now."

She stood up and took me with her. "Those guys are trouble." She said, making a face as we walked deeper into the party. "The one that asked about you has a major reputation. He thinks he's some kind of heart breaker. Little piece of shit, that's what he is."

"Oh." I said.

"Come on, now. I'm gonna introduce you to some real nice people." She smiled at someone, grabbed my wrist and pulled me in the direction of a bunch of kids hanging out under a big tree.

The first thing that caught my attention were the two perfect guys sitting in the middle of the group. They were leaning against each other, but one was facing a bunch of guys, cracking up at something with this perfect smile on his face. The other was facing a bunch of girls, and he seemed to be entertaining them all. I stared for a little while.

"Andie!" Dara waved her hand in front of my face. I snapped out of it and turned red as I realized everyone, including the two guys, was looking at me.

"Oh my God sorry I spaced out!" I said, blushing. "Uh, hi, I'm Andie."

"They know." Laughed Dara. Then she pointed at every person there and said their name while they continued to look at me. I stopped when she named the two guys I had been looking at.

"They're both named Jack?" I said.

"Every time." Said the bigger one with dark hair, the one who had been talking to the guys, to the smaller blonde one, who had been talking to the girls.

The two looked at me and the blonde guy said, "I'm Jack Johnson," he smiled and switched to a British accent. "And this is my companion Jack Gilinsky"

"Ello Andie!" Jack Gilinsky said, also in an accent.

Did I imagine it or did both check me out while the other one was speaking?

Probably imagined it.