3

My mom sets the fruit trays on the table outside. "Bella, take this glass bowl and go get more ice from the fridge for the cooler."

"Can't dad do it? I'm tanning."

"He's barbecuing the hot dogs and hamburgers. Now come and get this." She says, holding out the bowl.

"Ugh." I take off my sunglasses and get up. I walk back inside to the kitchen. I fill up the bowl with ice cubes. I shout. "Mom! When are the guests coming over?"

The doorbell chimes two times.

"Never mind," I say, setting the bowl on the counter. I walk to the front door opening it up.

"Happy Memorial Day! I brought salsa and chips."

"Mr. Till? What are you doing here?"

"Your parents didn't tell you? They invited me."

"No, but come in! They are in the back. Follow me." I grab the bowl of ice and walked outside into the backyard.

"Lucas, welcome!" My mom says, coming up to him and hugging him. "Did you bring your suit?"

"Was I suppose to?"

"If you wanted to swim."

"Dang, I wish I knew. I must have missed it when you texted."

My dad closes the grill and sets down his spatula. "You young man can borrow one of mine. I will go find you one now."

"Great, thanks. Where should I put this?" He says, holding up his salsa and chips in the air.

"Follow me." My mom says, walking him over to the snack section.

I dump the ice into the cooler. I think we will need one more bowl. I walk inside to get more ice. I turn around to walk back out.

"I like your suit." Mr. Till says, walking past me with one of my dad's suits in his hands.

"Me too," I say, past his ear. I dump the last bowl in the cooler. I wander over to the snacks. I take a chip and dip it in Lucas's salsa.

Lucas startles me from behind. "How does it taste?" He says, treating himself to one.

"Amazing. Did you buy it?"

"Nope."

"Really? Wow." I say, going in for another one.

"I'm just kidding. I bought it."

"You had me there."

"Bella, go to your father and get the food." My mom says, calling for me.

"Duties calls," I say, leaving.

At the table, everyone is sharing stories. I didn't talk much. Most of the people here are adults. My cousin is here, but she is on her phone. She is two years old than me. She's 18, and I'm 16.

"Hey mom, are we stilling doing the water balloon fight?"

"No, I don't think so. We are old, and our bones are fragile. But if you can find someone go right ahead."

"Emily wanna do a water balloon fight?"

"No, I'm busy," Emily says, sliding her finger on her screen.

"I will do it," Lucas says, interrupting.

"Really?"

He gets up from his seat. "Yeah, let's get cleaned up."

Lucas and I sat by the hose and filled and tied one ballon by one. I throw a yellow balloon at him.

"Hey! Don't start yet. Let me take off my shirt."

I gaze at his chest as he lifts his shirt with his two arms.

"Is this weird?" He says, throwing his shirt on the ground.

I scratch my head. "No, not at all."

"Let's begin!" He says, grabbing a balloon from the bucket and throwing it towards me.

I shriek in excitement.

"There is one more balloon. Let's duel." I say, earnestly.

"Or we can do it the easy way and do rock paper scissors."

"Yeah, let's do that," I say, placing my hands out.

"Rock paper scissors shoot," Lucas says, drawing out rock.

"Haha, sucker!" I say, laughing ugly. I bend down, grabbing the balloon. "I'm going to go throw it at my dad."

"I would like to see how this turns out," Lucas says, walking alongside me.

I throw the balloon at his neck. He turns around and pushes me in the pool. I manage to grab onto Lucas.

My dad laughs. "2 for 1! Even better!" My dad says, lifting his beer in the air.

I get out soaked with Lucas.

"Let me get you a beer, bud."

"Awesome!" I say, grabbing my towel off the chair.

"No, you silly." My dad hands Lucas a beer.

"Welp I guess I will leave now..." I say, walking away quietly.

My mom walks into the kitchen, putting away the food. "We are about to do fireworks. Come join us."

"Okay, I say, setting down my book and leaving the table.

"Let me light your sparkler for you," Lucas says, walking up to me with a lighter in his hand.

"I'm capable of doing it on my own," I say, taking the lighter out of his hand. "It's not budging... Ow." I say, flapping my hand.

"Capable, huh?" He says, laughing.

"Okay, well, maybe the long lighters that you have to press with the button is my cup of tea."

"Let me get you a new sparkler." He says, letting one fall from the box to his hand.

He puts in hand over mine on the end of the sparkler. He lowers the sparkler so he can light it.

He lets go of my hand."Woahla." He says, proudly.

"Well, look at you, Mr. Proud," I say, waving around the sparkler.

Lucas goes back talking with the adults. I decided to go to the hot tub one last time for the night. Emily and her parents left. It's now my parents, their friends, and Lucas. I close my eyes to relax. I feel a small wave of water splatter me. I open my eyes to see Lucas dipping his feet in and then his body immersed in. He joins in with his beer in his hand.

"Somebody is tired."

"No, never!" I say, splashing him.

He leans back, propping his arms on the sides. "How are your labs going?"

"Ew, don't bring up biology."

He lifts his eyebrow.

"It's going okay. Now that I think of it, biology is fun when it's hands-on," I say, reaching over to my cup and taking a sip through the straw of my coca-cola.

"I agree with you on that."

"Why have you decide to come over and talk to me? Shouldn't you be talking with the adults?"

"To be honest, I don't know what there are talking about."

"Is my mom talking about her wines?"

"Spot on!"

"That is her favorite topic to talk about."

"Yeah, they were also talking about their kids, which I don't have any."

"Do you want some someday?" I say, swaying my arms around, feeling the warm water.

"Yes, when I find the perfect partner."

"Do you?" He says, asking me.

"Once I get older and have a stable income, sure."

It went to silence after that.

"Oh, I wanted to thank you, Mr. Till, for doing the water balloon fight with me when no one wanted too."

He gulps his beer. "What can I say. I'm a kid at heart."

"I'm going to go get a piece of cheesecake. Would you like a piece?"

"No, I'm good. I'm going to say here, and relax."

"Okay, goodnight Mr. Till," I say, walking away.

"Bella?"

I turn around, dripping.

He smiles. "It's Lucas."

I chuckle. "Right, sorry. It's a habit."

"Go get that cheesecake."