Caitlin (12 page)

I started to move past him and he stepped in front of me. “Some of us are going to go out for pizza after the park closes. Someplace that has no red, white, and blue theme. I was, well, I was wondering if you wanted to go. With us. With me.”

“Why now? Because I’m a hero?”

“No. Because I heard …” His voice trailed off.

“Heard what?” I demanded to know.

“That guy … Romeo. He’s with Jasmine now. I really like you. I thought maybe now
that he’s with her, you’d give me another chance.”

Before this summer, I wanted to go out with a guy more than anything. I wanted a date. More than that, I wanted a kiss. My first kiss. I never thought that if a guy asked me out, I’d say no.

But the truth was, Tanner was nice, but he wasn’t Michael Romeo. And even though Michael was with Jasmine now, and he’d never be with me, I wanted to go out with a guy who made my heart do cartwheels the way that Michael did. I wanted my first kiss to be with a guy who made my toes tingle and curl when I thought about him.

I didn’t really know how to tell Tanner no. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but I didn’t want to go eat pizza with him. And I
really
didn’t want him to kiss me. “Thanks, Tanner, but I have plans already.”

He nodded. I think he knew it was a lie.

“Well, have fun,” he said.

“I will.”

He walked away toward the food court, so I figured he was still on break. It was the Fourth of July. Independence Day. I’d saved someone’s life, turned down a date, said no to a guy. What else could possibly happen?

*  *  *

I didn’t see Michael until later that afternoon. I would have been happy to never see him again, but he’d come with his dad and a crew to start setting up for the light show. And since he’d decided to display it at Tsunami, they were setting up around me.

He was wearing jeans, the Lights Fantastic T-shirt, sneakers, and the baseball cap. He came up to me while I was sitting at my station. “Hey, Caitlin. You left in a hurry the other night.”

It sorta sounded as though he was asking a question. I pointed behind me at the large sign with all the rules.

“Aren’t we past that?” he asked.

The alarm sounded, signaling the waves so I stood up.

“Hey, Romeo!” someone shouted. “Where do you want this to go?”

Romeo
. That was a much better name for him than Michael.

“Maybe I’ll see you later … when the show starts,” he said. “Whitney said her team members didn’t have to work tonight. They could enjoy the show.”

So Whitney was talking to him about me? Traitor. I really needed to have a talk with her.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched him walk away. I focused my attention on the pool. I counted heads, memorized all the different faces — anything, anything to keep me distracted, from turning to see what Michael was doing. Hammering, clanking, and banging were going on behind me.

I should have called in sick. My stomach was roiling. Maybe I was going to be sick. Then I would have to go home.

At eight o’clock a girl came to relieve me. The park had extra lifeguards who rotated around and replaced us when we went to
break and lunch and now one was going to work so I could enjoy the light display.

I went to the locker room and started changing into the shorts and tank top that I’d brought. No one else was here, because no one else was getting off work. The door opened. Well, almost no one else.

“This is it! The big night,” Whitney said as she practically skipped into the room. “Are we excited or what?”

I swung around, she staggered back.

“Chill!” she exclaimed.

“I don’t want to chill,” I told her. “I thought you were my friend.”

“I am.”

“You told Michael that I wasn’t working tonight.”

“Well, yeah. He asked —”

“You talked to him — even after what he did at your party. Even after he hurt me like he did.”

She looked down at her perfectly pedicured toes nestled in her expensive leather sandals. She took a deep breath and met my
gaze. “I can’t
not
talk to him. I have to tell him what we want for the light show.”

“Do you know what a real friend is?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Real friends don’t keep secrets from each other. You’re like a surface friend, like you’re pretending. You’re as bad as Romeo. I don’t even know your last name.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, her face set in a mulish expression. “St. Clair. Go Google me if knowing my secrets is so important to you.” She took a step toward me. “A true friend wouldn’t need to know them. A true friend would let secrets stay secrets.” She turned on her heel, started to walk out, then spun back around and pointed her finger at me as though she was Hermione and wanted to change me into something else. “Just for the record, I’m a better friend than you think.”

She pushed open the door, going out as Robyn was coming inside.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Robyn asked.

“Ask your friend,” Whitney said as she brushed by her.

Robyn stared after her, then she looked over at me. Cautiously she made her way toward me. “What was all that about?”

I waved my hand in frustration. “She’s talking to Michael, telling him things about me like everything is all right.” I shook my head. “I don’t even know if I want to stay for the light show.”

“But it’s going to be awesome.”

“But we didn’t really do anything, Robyn. Lights Fantastic did all the work. This was like a faux committee or something. We weren’t really needed.”

Robyn sat down, straddling the bench. “We were needed. Whitney needed us. Her dad travels the world, her mom is dead. She looks for things to do, like committees, so we have a reason to hang around her because she’s afraid we won’t if we don’t have to.”

“She told you that?”

Robyn shook her head. “You know me. I’m the quiet one, the one who tries to figure things out. I figured all that out.”

I sat on the bench. “She said she was a better friend than I realize. I really wouldn’t like it if that was true. It would make me feel so stupid.” I peered over at her. “I’ve finally figured out that Sean really is a better brother than I thought he was.”

She smiled. “I knew you would eventually. You can come watch the light show with us.” She leaned forward. “I promise no kissing if you’re in the area. It really is going to be awesome.”

“Okay.” I closed my locker, reset the lock.

We walked outside and headed for Tsunami. Sean was standing at the edge of the pool. I recognized his silhouette. It had grown dark. The park lights were on, but they wouldn’t be for long.

The announcement came on that the slides, rides, and pools were closing. People began heading for Tsunami to see the light show. Excitement was buzzing in the air.
It was obvious by the energy people were generating that they were anticipating this. I felt proud to have been part of it, even if my part was really small. I wondered where Whitney was. This was really her big moment.

It was several long minutes before her voice came over the announcement system. “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, on behalf of Paradise Falls we thank you for joining us as we celebrate the Fourth of July.”

The lights went out and “The Star Spangled Banner” suddenly echoed through the park while a flag of lights wavered over Tsunami. It was spectacular as we all sang the national anthem.

When the song ended, people applauded. Then the next song began. I think it was something from
Titanic
. It sounded familiar but I couldn’t place it. The light show, though, was amazing. The lights were flashing in rhythm to the music. Every now and then people would
ooh
and
aah
.

It was wonderful.

I felt a tug on my hand, glanced over my shoulder. It was Michael. I could barely see him in the shadows. He put a finger to his mouth and pulled on my hand. I thought about jerking my hand free. I didn’t want to miss the show. I didn’t want to be with him at all. And shouldn’t he be with Jasmine?

I should have refused to follow him, but I had some things I wanted to say to him. I was mad at him and my telling Whitney what I thought about true friends had put me on a roll. I wanted to tell Michael what I thought about guys who kissed other girls.

I followed him as he led me away from the pool to a place beside the pavilion. A little more light was here and I could see him more clearly.

“What do you think?” he asked.

I knew he was asking about the light show. But I wasn’t thinking about it anymore. I was thinking about him. “That you are a Romeo.”

“Well, yeah, duh, that’s my last name.”

“No. That’s not what I mean. I saw you. I saw you with Jasmine.”

“Yeah, I thought maybe you did. I thought maybe that was why you left.”

“I thought you liked me.”

“I do like you. I think you’re amazing.”

“Oh, please,” I said, my voice low but harsh. “You kissed her.”

“No, I didn’t. She kissed me. Took me totally by surprise —”

“You go off to the corner of the deck, away from everyone else —”

“She said she lost her cell phone and needed help finding it.”

“And you believed her?”

He sighed. “Stupid, I know. Or maybe not. Why would I think she’d lie?”

“People lie —”

“I don’t,” he said. “I told her I was with you.”

“When did you tell her that?”

“After she kissed me. I would have told her before if I’d known that’s what she was going to do.”

“Yeah, right. I know you’re with her now.”

He shook his head as though a fly was buzzing around it. “No, I’m not. How could I be? I’m standing here with you.”

“No, I mean I know you’re together, as in a couple, seeing each other.”

“No, we’re not. I can barely stand her. Why would I want to be with her? Maybe she’s telling people that we’re together. But trust me, we’re not.”

I thought I should have felt better, but what I felt was confused. He hadn’t kissed her, she’d kissed him. They weren’t together.

“Look, Whitney told me about you and Tanner —” Michael began.

“What?”

I was going to kill her. Without question. Without remorse. Without mercy.

“She told me that you liked Tanner and he kissed Jasmine, so I know how things looked the other night but I promise you, I don’t like her. I’ve never liked her. I like you.
I have ever since you first blew your whistle at me. I can even prove it. Listen.”

“What?”

“Just listen.” He put his hands on my shoulders and turned me around so I could see the light show.

But it wasn’t the lights that caught my attention. It was the song, my favorite song: “Our Song” by Taylor Swift.

I remembered Michael asking what my favorite song was after that first team meeting.

Michael leaned close and whispered, “That was part of the show before Jasmine ever kissed me.”

I turned around and faced him, doubts flourishing, even as my heart was pounding. “You’re just saying that.”

“Why do you think I took you out of the media room at Whitney’s? I didn’t want you to know, not until tonight. When it was live, when it was the real thing. I didn’t want you to see it when it was just something Dad and I had put together on a computer.”

“You really did this for me?” I asked.

“I really did.”

“You really like me?”

He grinned. “Yeah. I’m not Tanner. I’m not going to kiss another girl. You’re the only girl I want to kiss. And I really want to kiss you.”

“What’s stopping you?”

Apparently nothing. He leaned in and kissed me.

I was seeing lights, bright lights, an awesome light show — even though my eyes were closed. His lips were softer than I thought they’d be, and warm.

My first kiss. My favorite song was playing in the background. I felt so happy. Ecstatic.

Michael drew back.

Thunderous applause echoed around us.

I looked over my shoulder. The lights were gone. I’d missed most of the show. But I didn’t care. I had Michael. And he had me.

People began heading for the exit.

“I’ve got to help take everything down,” Michael said, squeezing my hand. “When we’re finished, I don’t know, maybe you and I could go grab a burger or something.”

“Yeah. I need to let my brother know.”

Holding my hand, he began working his way through the crowd, pulling me along after him until we got back to where Robyn and Sean were waiting. Whitney was there, too.

“It was awesome, Michael!” She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“Not a problem. It’s what we do,” Michael said as soon as she let go of him. “And unfortunately, we’re not finished, so I’ll catch up with you later.”

He squeezed my hand and went to help his dad.

“So why are you smiling?” Whitney asked.

“Because I just realized you are a true friend. Thanks for everything you did so he’d know what to say to me so I’d listen.”

“That’s what friends are for, right?”

“Yeah,” I said. “And friends don’t Google friends.”

“Thanks,” she said. Then she waved her hands to include everyone. “I’ve got things to take care of. See you tomorrow.”

She walked away.

“What was that all about?” Sean asked.

“Girl stuff.”

“So you and Michael —”

“We’re going to go get something to eat. Y’all want to come? Because Mom probably won’t let me go out with him alone until she’s met him —”

“Sure,” Sean said. “I’m starving. But we’ll sit at different tables. Think I’ll see if I can do something to help, so they can finish and we can get going.”

He headed toward Tsunami.

“Okay, Sean might not need the whole story, but I do,” Robyn said. “Spill it.”

I told her everything that Michael had told me.

“What is Jasmine’s problem?” she asked when I was finished.

“I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter. I’ve got a terrific brother, a new best friend, a best friend forever, and I’ve got a guy who likes me.”

It didn’t take them long to finish. Then Sean and Robyn and Michael and I were heading toward the entrance.