Tansy nods. A wide smile spreads across her face like earning Kaime's praise is a gift worth bragging about. The four of us begin filling our plates, and I cautiously watch my portions. Kaime eyes me as I scrape the cheese from my turkey sandwich.
"Diet?" she comments.
"No, I just don't like cheese."
"I skip the cheese too most of the time," Kaime continues. "Less fat, you know." She removes the cheese from her own sandwich. I take a bite, and observe Tansy and Kara do the same. Evie loads her sandwich with double the amount of cheese and shoves a good portion of it in her mouth. Kaime cringes but quickly composes herself. She does a good job of keeping a smile on her face, even though I'm sure she's disgusted with Evie's table manners.
It feels like hours pass before Tansy finally stands up and brings the raspberry ice cream bombe to the table. Using a sharp kitchen knife, she slices into it like cake and offers us each a piece. Evie takes the first one. The ice cream bombe has multiple layers inside with vanilla ice cream at the core. A reddish sorbet is in the middle, and strawberry ice cream shapes the outside.
"The raspberry sorbet in there is homemade," Tansy proudly points out. I waste no time taking a bite of mine. It's like biting into a raspberry tart that can keep you cool on a hot summer's day.
"Ouch," Kara mumbles, rubbing her forehead. "Brain freeze."
"I suggest you take smaller bites," Evie slyly comments.
"You like it, don't you?" Tansy eagerly watches us eat before she takes a bite herself.
"It's perfect, Tansy." Evie dishes out a compliment in case Kaime or Kara decide to offer constructive criticism. Evie takes another piece before she's even finished with her first.
"Oh, save some for the guys," Kaime says, checking her cell phone. "They'll be here any minute now. Are you girls ready for the beach?"
"The beach." Kara jumps up. "I need to finish doing my hair." She leaves the table without finishing her slice of layered ice cream.
"I need to get ready too." Kaime dashes to join her cousin, also leaving a plate of unfinished dessert.
Evie looks over her shoulder, watching them until they shut the door to their room.
"Okay, Tansy," she says. "Spill. What's going on here, and why did you invite the Barbie twins?"
"They're my friends," Tansy slowly responds.
"You've never mentioned them before." Evie pushes back her plate and crosses her arms. "Is this really how you want to spend your weekend? Letting those two boss you around in your own house?"
"They don't boss me around," Tansy says. She raises her voice a little.
"Poppy, back me up here."
"Uh…" I shrug. I don't know Tansy that well, but she seems like the people-pleaser type.
"So they can be picky sometimes," Tansy defends them. "But they are nice to me. Kaime even said she'd get Paul Lodgkins from chemistry to ask me out."
"Paul?" Evie repeats. "He's going out with that Michelle chick who sits in the front row."
"She promised," Tansy argues. "And do you know who's joining us in a few minutes?"
"Who?"
"Presley Martin, the football player," she brags. Evie's eyes widen.
"Am I supposed to know who that is?" I chime in.
"He plays for the Oregon Ducks," Tansy says. Her voice quivers. "And he's coming here for my birthday. That's got to count for something."
"How does she know Presley?" Evie questions.
"Who cares?" Tansy shrugs. "Kaime is a genius when it comes to men."
"So are prostitutes." Evie stands up.
Tansy frowns, staring down at the kitchen floor. She slumps her shoulders and begins clearing the table. I rush to help her, hoping to have time myself to at least look in the mirror before I meet this heavenly football player.
"Why can't you just be happy for me, Evie? You always say I should venture outside of my shell."
Evie takes a deep breath and forces herself to smile.
"I did say that," she admits. "Okay Tansy, I'm happy for you. I hope this turns out to be the best weekend of your life."
COOKIE BOMBES
Presley Martin must be a Greek god in disguise. The sky is clear and the ocean sparkles underneath the sun, but the water is cold. The surf is only good if you have a wet suit, and lying out in a bikini isn't advised unless you don't mind numb fingers and toes. Presley doesn't care about all that. He proceeds to take his shirt off. His muscular torso turns the head of every woman within a mile of him.
Tansy stands awkwardly with her knees half-bent and her arms hanging at her sides as Presley runs up to her. She hands him her kite. He runs his fingers through his chocolaty hair and grins. A perfect smile to match his evenly chiseled biceps. He runs toward me and Evie, letting the kite soar higher and higher. Kaime and Kara observe from their beach chairs. They're wearing string bikinis underneath their clothes.
Presley continues running until he reaches the friend he brought with him, Zeke. When the two of them showed up at the house, Tansy was too flustered to answer the door. Kaime stepped in, of course. She suggested we chill at the beach before the party starts.
Presley runs toward me again. Evie adjusts her sunglasses. I know she's taking a second look, but she'll never admit it. The two of us brought our swimsuits, but we aren't wearing them. I, for one, would rather keep my shirt on than risk having my bikini top fly away with the next gust of wind. I'm sure the guys wouldn't mind.
"I'm going to check out the tide pool," Evie says. She leaves my side just as Presley stops in front of me. He looks up at Tansy's kite, and then down at me.
"Have you ever held one before?" His voice matches his fit bod. It's deep and rustic.
"Excuse me?" I know he's talking about the kite, but I have to keep myself from giggling.
"The kite." He keeps a charming grin on his face.
"When I was a little girl, I guess."
"Well, come on then." Presley reaches for my hand. It practically envelopes mine, heating it up at lightning speed. The best kind of gloves. "Take the string."
"How are you not freezing right now?" I ask him. As per his request, I grab hold of the kite and watch it sway near the clouds. Presley keeps a steamy hand on my back. He guides me along the beach so the kite has more room to wander.
"I don't know." He chuckles. "Fast metabolism?"
"Pass me some of that," I mumble. My eye wanders to Zeke and Tansy. Zeke is heavier set than Presley. The linebacker type. He taps his fingers together when he talks to her. I wonder if he notices that he's doing it.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kaime watching us. Her bubbly smile slowly begins to fade—her gaze locked on Presley's hand placement.
"Poppy, huh?" he says casually. "That's an interesting name."
"So is Presley," I reply.
"My parents are die-hard Elvis fans," he says quietly. "Road trips to Graceland. Peanut butter, banana, and bacon sandwiches for breakfast. They even taught me to do that hip thing he does."
"Really?" I stop, glancing down at his tight abdomen. "Let's see."
"No," he automatically responds. "The only way you'll ever see that is if you break into my mom's house in Eugene and raid her video cupboard. There's a recording of me doing it when I was about five. It was cute then. It isn't so much now."
"Maybe when you have a few drinks in you?" I joke.
"Never." He glances at me before focusing his attention back on the kite.
"Well, at least your name really means something." My eyes settle back on Kaime who is still staring. "I swear my mom went walking one day, saw a flower on the side of the road, and thought hey, that's a cool name for a little kid."
"Nah." Presley shakes his head. "I'm sure she had her reasons." His hand slides farther down my back, making my stomach muscles flex.
"I know she enjoys the occasional poppy seed muffin." I press my lips together and brace myself for another cool gust of wind. It's blocked by Presley's body. The longer he walks alongside me, the warmer I get.
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"Funny." He chuckles. "So, do you live nearby?"
"My parents are in Portland, but I'm going to school back east."
"What are you studying?" he asks.
"Performing Arts."
He sneaks a glance at my profile.
"You're a…dancer?" he guesses.
"Ballet. I'm in a specialized training program."
"Thought so." Presley moves his hand slightly toward my hip.
"Hey, let's go!" Kaime shouts. I look to the side and see her standing—tote bag in hand. I bite the corner of my lip and laugh when I notice that she finally decided to take off her sheer blouse and show off her bikini top. She stands with bare feet planted firmly in the sand, letting Presley have a good look at what she has to offer. A few more cup sizes than me. "Our guests will be arriving soon!"
Tansy and Zeke race toward the car while Evie jogs back from the tide pool. I hand the kite back to Presley, making eye contact with him as I do. For a second, his gaze is lost in mine. His pinky grazes my hand, and he leans in closer. I let go of the string, sure that he has a tight grip on it.
I'm wrong.
Presley's entrancing stare is broken by the sound of Tansy squealing. "The kite!"
"Sorry, Tans." He attempts to chase after it, but it is no use. The string disappears into the sky.
"What was that about?" Evie whispers as she joins me again.
"What was what about?"
"You and Presley," she says quietly, glancing up at Kaime and Kara. "You know why Kaime invited him here, don't you? You saw the way she flirted with him back at the house."
"Yeah," I answer. "She flirted with Zeke like that too."
"She's into him." Evie shakes her head. "And girls like Kaime do whatever it takes to get what they want."
* * *
"I don't care if my parents murder me. Can you believe this?" Tansy pulls her focus away from an unfortunate stain on the carpet and gawks at the family room. "I never thought this many people would show."
"Do you actually know anyone? I thought you invited friends from Portland State?" Evie asks, sipping from a plastic cup she claims is just soda.
"Kaime invited them." Tansy heads toward the kitchen where a variety of cookie bombes were devoured within minutes. These particular ice cream bombes were covered with a top layer of cookies. Chocolate chip. Oreo. Thin mint.
All that's left are crumbs and droplets of melted ice cream.
"Relax," I mutter, following Evie into the living room. It's quieter in here. The rest of the house is so loud that I can barely hear myself think. Kaime and Kara are constantly adjusting the playlist. Now it's all pop and hip-hop. Anything they can grind to.
"I'm trying," she says through her teeth. "It's just…how can Tansy be so blind? I feel like we're in high school all over again."
"Evie, you of all people know that high school never ends. The jerks are always jerks. The jocks will always be sports-obsessed, and the bimbos will always scheme and lie to get what they want."
"True."
"So, didn't you bring me here because you thought I needed a little fun in my life?" I ask.
"Yeah."
"Forget about Kaime, and her darkling cousin. Let's have fun."
"Fine." She relaxes her face, but it seems forced. Her fists clench together as she attempts to loosen up her shoulders. "Ugh, I can't."
"Take another sip of your soda," I tease. "That might help."
Evie rolls her eyes.
"Give me a few minutes to cleanse my aura." She finds an empty spot on the couch and closes her eyes. I head back toward the party. My eyes dart to the kitchen where a bowl of chocolate-covered caramels are calling my name. I smooth a strand of my long, dark hair and pull up the waistband of my jeans. I didn't bring anything fancy to wear like the semi-sheer party dress Kaime is wearing, or the form-fitting metallic one Kara had the balls to slip on. My wardrobe consists of a lot of black. Too much for a ballerina, as my mom always points out. But I find that the black goes with everything, especially my favorite pair of high-heeled boots.
My path is blocked by Presley who has spent the past hour chatting up every girl in the room. He has a drink in his hand that he barely spills as he looks at me. His eyes fixate on my empty hands.
"Poppy," he says. "There you are." He briefly glances down at his drink. "Here." He offers it to me. "I haven't seen you with a drink all night."
"The strongest I go is a double espresso," I respond. "I'm too much of a lightweight."
"At least give this a try," he insists, "it's not the hard stuff. Promise. Tansy just made it. Don't you like daiquiris?"
I like daiquiris. I just don't like what they tend to do to me the next morning.
"Nah."
"For me?" he urges. I take a deep breath, watching a flash of metallic step in between us.
"Ooo daiquiri," Kara interrupts. "Don't mind if I do." She takes the cup from Presley's hand and gulps a portion of it down. She pauses to massage her temples. "Ow. Brain freeze."
"I'll get you another, Poppy," Presley suggests. He shrugs as he observes Kara downing the rest of the drink he offered to me. Before she finishes it, he grabs it from her. "Whoa, I think that'll do."
"Oh Presley," she giggles, clicking her red stilettos. "It's cute the way you worry about me."
"Okay?" He lets her lean on his shoulder.
"Dance with me," Kara commands. "Come on. I'll mix you up that vodka thing you like so much."
"Um…" Presley looks to me. I wait for his response. If he's really into me, he'll say no. Just say no. Please say no.
"Poppy doesn't mind, do you dear?" Kara smiles, but as soon as her back is turned to Presley her smile turns to a scowl.
"Go ahead." I sigh.
Kara pulls him away from me, and dances as close to him as she can get. My eyes move to Kaime who is observing her cousin's behavior from afar. She raises her eyebrows as Kara undulates against Presley's front.
There's going to be a brawl.
At the kitchen table, Tansy sits in front of a rectangular sheet cake with white buttercream frosting. There are candles placed around the edges, and she's eagerly holding a lighter. I head toward her and nudge a few people on my way.
"Want me to make an announcement?" I whisper in her ear.
"I don't want to cut in. Everyone's having such a good time." She glances at the fancy calligraphy spelling Happy Birthday. Then her eyes focus on Presley as he stands awkwardly next to Kara. Tansy's birthday is what we're all here for. At least, that was the original plan.
"Nonsense," I disagree. "Let me get Evie."
I push my way toward the front door where Evie is supposed to be meditating. Evie is still on the couch with her eyes closed. Right where I left her. I tap her on the shoulder, and she slightly opens an eye.
"Better?" I ask.
"Sort of." She reluctantly stands up.
"I thought you might want to lead everyone in singing "Happy Birthday" to Tansy. I doubt anyone else will."
"She definitely won't do it herself either," Evie adds. "All right."
A scream comes the family room, and the music cuts.
My heart pounds as I run toward the chaos. The majority of party guests are gathered in one corner of the room. They're all peering down at the floor. I look down, desperately trying to see what they're all gawking at. From a gap in the circle I see a strand of long, blonde hair, but it doesn't look right.
It's damp and sticky.
It's stained with blood.
"Excuse me," I say through my teeth. I force my way closer, looking down at an unconscious body. Kara's limbs are motionless. I'm not even sure if she's breathing.
"Kara!" Kaime screams. I recognize it as the scream from before. Kaime's eyes dart to Presley who is standing over her. His cheeks are flushed.
"What?" Presley says. "She fell and hit her head."
"Well, don't just stand there." Kaime pushes people out of the way and falls to her knees. She shakes Kara enough that her e
yes open for a brief second. Kaime feels for a pulse and covers her mouth in disbelief when she finds one.
"We should take her to a hospital," Evie suggests. "They can clean up that cut on her head."
"She's fine." Kaime shouts. A tear runs down her cheek. "Everybody, get out!"
"You're not serious?" Zeke yells from the kitchen. He's standing next to Tansy waiting for her to light the candles on her birthday cake.
"Don't test me, Zeke." Kaime's eyes widen. She stands up and glares at the crowd in front of her. The malice in her eyes starts to creep me out, and I'm not the only one.
One of the many locals who showed up for the free booze rolls his eyes. He's a heavyset guy, and the top of his shirt is unbuttoned like there's something underneath worth sneaking a peek at. Really all it does is show off excessive amounts of body hair. The man mumbles something to his friend of equal size. The two of them grab plates and raid the refreshments before leaving. One of them goes for the sheet cake. Tansy winces as he grabs a knife and cuts himself a piece.
Zeke glares at him.
"Hey man, are you for real?" Zeke clenches his fists.
The guy and his buddy ignore the warning and laugh it off.
Zeke has trouble controlling himself. He grits his teeth, and beads of sweat begin pouring down his face. He raises a fist and aims it at the cake stealer. With one swift punch, he knocks him to the ground. A cloud of sweets goes down with him, and the piece of cake he so foolishly sliced is splattered on his shirt. Zeke laughs, admiring his handiwork.
The man on the ground looks dazed. His friend helps him up before dishing back a hit at Zeke. Zeke stumbles backward. He swings again, but this time Cake Stealer and his sidekick are ready for him. Tansy slides out of the way to keep herself from being clocked in the face.
Zeke continues to swing, and Presley joins in. The four of them break out in a shouting match, knocking most of the food in the kitchen to the floor. Cake Stealer slips in a pool of soda and kicks Zeke in the knee. Zeke yells and pins him down on the floor. Tansy has her back against the wall, waving her hands around like she's unsure what to do with herself.
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