Tear Tracks Forever

It was a few days later, when Alex suggested that Carmella, him, and me head out to the boardwalk.

It was crowded, and there were all types of bustling people pushing past each other, holding young children’s hands and laughing and talking.
Alex played a few boardwalk games, and won me a small Pink Panther and Carmella a huge, blue Care Bear almost bigger than her.

I had to admit, he looked really cute with his jaw clenched and his eyes focusing on the bottle in the ring toss. But what really made me smile was Carmella’s happiness after Alex won her the bear. She squeezed him into a bear hug around his waist, shouting, “You’re the best big brother ever! I love you!”

Then she turned toward me. “Rhee! Give Alex a hug!” Carmella grinned.
Blushing, I leaned in, giving Alex an awkward hug. I caught his eye, after we pulled away, and he was laughing, rolling his eyes and gesturing toward Carmella.
“C’mon. Let’s buy cotton candy,” he said, gesturing toward a food booth. We each got pink cotton candies, and me and Alex shared a laugh as we saw how awed Carmella was at the way the man spun the cotton candies.

We walked in silence for awhile, Carmella clutching my hand, the sticky pink strings of the cotton candy sticking to my lips and mouth.

“Can we sit on the pier?” Carmella asked. We walked over to the pier, and Alex sat down in the middle. I hesitated before sitting, and glanced at Alex.
“If I sit down, swear that you won’t push me into the water,” I told him.

He glared at me, openmouthed. “Rhee! I can’t believe you would ever think that I’m that mean! I’m offended that you would even think something like that?” He placed his hand on his chest, feigning surprise.

I laughed and sat down next to him, taking his ‘offense’ as an answer that he wouldn’t push me. That was a bad idea. As soon as I finished my cotton candy, Alex turned to me. “Rhee, at the count of three, we jump.”

“What? I—” I began to protest, but Alex was already grasping my hand.
“Two, and THREE!” he shouted as we plummeted into the water. I gasped, coming up and shivering. I wiped the wet hair off my face, glancing up at Carmella, who was still sitting on the pier ten feet above me and laughing while swinging her feet.

I glared at Alex. “What the hell! I can’t believe you just did that!” I yelled while treading water.
Alex laughed, swimming backward. “Rhee, its just water. Relax.”
I rolled my eyes. “This is the second time! I suppose that you think that throwing people into freezing cold icy seawater relieves awkward moments, right?”
Alex laughed. “Hell yeah! Besides, you gave me the idea, anyway.”
“No I didn’t! And one day, I’m definitely getting payback!” I told him.
“Okay,” Alex seemed unfazed, and he was floating on his back while staring at the sky.
Suddenly I had an idea. I dove underwater silently, and then went under Alex, grabbing his legs and dragging him under.
“Ahhhhh!” he screamed girlishly. Carmella laughed, thinking this whole thing was just a show.
I let go of his legs, swimming upward, laughing. But Alex didn’t think it was funny.
He glared at me. “Rhee! What the hell! You almost gave me a heart attack and drowned me!”
I rolled my eyes. “Payback. And I didn’t drown you.”

“Well, at least I warned you before throwing you in!”
“So did I!”
“What? No you didn’t!”
“Yeah, I did. I told you I’d get payback someday. Why not today? So HA!”
“You’re so immature.”
“Meh? Immature? This is the second time, Alex! Second time!”
“So what?”
“So just admit that I’m right and get over it!”
“You’re right and get over it.”
“Ugh!”
“Ugh!”
“Stop copying me.”
“Stop copying me.”
“You know, your scream is really girly,” I told him. He jerked back to attention.
“No it isn’t!” he protested.
“Yeah it is!” Carmella called from the pier.
“Whatever. Let’s get back up,” I told him.
“Umm, how?”
I gaped at him. “You don’t know how to get up?”
“No?” he squeaked.

“Idiot.” I rolled my eyes and swam toward the wall, grasping the iron chains. I pulled myself up, cringing as the steel dug into my palms. Carmella leaned in and helped me up, and I backed up off the pier as Alex followed me.
He shook himself off, like a dog, but it was ineffective. Suddenly, a couple of boy voices came from across the boardwalk. “Yo! Ay Alex!”
A few grinning boys came sauntering into view. “Hey, Rhee, You and Carmella know your way home, right? Is it okay if I hang with the guys and see you guys at home?”
He sounded as if he was oblivious to the fact that he was totally wet. “Uh, sure,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Great! See ya soon!” he waved as he ran off with his friends.
I looked at Carmella. She looked at me. “Is it okay if I go home and change really quick?” I asked.

We rushed home and I quickly changed out of my T-shirt and capris into a green V-neck over a while tank top and jean shorts. I rushed out the door with Carmella, throwing my other clothes in the laundry.

We returned to the boardwalk, walking down past all the shops. I bought a strawberry-banana smoothie and got Carmella a vanilla ice cream cone. We were laughing and talking, and then suddenly a tall, medium skinned girl with glossy straight black hair bumped into me, causing my smoothie to spill all over my shirt. Shit. Now I had to change again.

“Oh my gawsh, I am sooooo sorry!” she gushed in a heavy Colombian accent.
“It’s okay,” I mumbled, noticing a boy standing behind her, his arms crossed and his eyes rolling. He had straight black hair that fell into his eyes and a tanner complexion than the girl, yet they looked a little bit alike.

“I am sooooo sorry! I will clean up,” she offered, mopping at my T-shirt with a napkin. I sort of pushed her hand away, feeling violated. “It’s fine,” I told her.
“Okay, then,” she smiled at me, looking relieved. “I’m Solstice.”
I gasped. “Whoa, your name is Solstice? That’s freaking awesome! I’m Rhee.”
She beamed. ‘Thank you. And Rhee is a cute name also. And theeees is my twin brother, Pepper,” she said, pushing the boy in front of her.

I opened my mouth to comment on his name, but Pepper spoke before me. “Yeah, I know. Pepper’s a weird name. And no, I am not gay and yes, it is the name my hippy parents named me. Also, I am Solstice’s twin although I wish I wasn’t,” he said in no accent what-so-ever, which I found surprising considering how thick Solstice’s accent was.

“Umm…okay?” I said.
“Pepper! That ees no way to talk to a new friend! Apologize immediately!” Solstice said, smacking Pepper’s arm.
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
I laughed. “It’s fine. I’m, just surprised you shared that much without even knowing who I was.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t do that often. Only for people who don’t call my sister a freak after finding out her name,” he said, smiling at me underneath of his shaggy hair.
God, was he flirting with me? Maybe. He was cute, but in a little brother type way. Not a boyfriend type way.
“Aneeeeway, do you want me to buy you a new dreenk?” Solstice asked.
“No thanks, it’s fine,” I told her.
“Okay, then, Rhee, tell me sometheeng about yourself. I inseest,” she told me.

“Okay, um, my name is Rhee. I don’t live here, I’m just living with the Markins for the summer—”I was suddenly cut off by Solstice.
“Ooh, you living with Alex Markin? Girl, he is cute!” she gushed.
“Umm,” I said, trying to stop her before she went too far, “This is his little sister, Carmella.”
“Oh, I am sooooo sorry, sweetie! This will be a leetle secret between us,” she said, winking at Carmella.
Carmella giggled. “Okay.”

“Well, Rhee, it was nice meeting you and here ees my number so you can text me and we can hang out, okay?” she handed me a tiny pink Post-it note with her name and number scribbled on it.
I grinned. ‘Thanks. And I’ll text you soon.”

“Okay! Bye Bye!” she called out before grabbing Pepper’s arm and dragging him away.
I turned to Carmella. “She seems nice, don’t you think?”
Carmella’s only response was to giggle.