Summer With the Bertram Brothers

I take large steps down to the beach. There are so many people around, enjoying the site. I start to feel the sand get in the bottom of my slippers. The feeling is nice. I take in the scent of the ocean in my nose. If I had my bathing suit on, I’d probably jump right in. At the horizon, I see the thick clouds rising. I stand in the middle by myself, quietly, until someone’s shadow cool’s the heat beating on my right arm. I turn and see the boy with the faded freckles and the golden hair, smiling from ear to ear. I immediately duck my head down from shyness.
“Hey,” he says casually. He’s Rico Bertram. He can pretty much do anything. He’s very in with the ladies. Eva hangs around him mostly. He’s too good looking to be talking to me though.
“Hi,” I say back, staring at the blue.
He walks closer to my face, as if he’d appreciate me looking in his eyes like a normal person.
“You’re Eva’s sister, Ambi, right?”
I nod. I look at his red t-shirt. He shifts his weight on his left leg.
“Sorry about your dad.”
I look in his eyes finally. He speaks again before I could say anything.
“So, you’re going for a swim?” he asks, putting his hands in his pockets. I stare at his arms, admiring his muscles relax. I just shake my head. He then laughs a bit, “You don’t talk much, huh?”
I frown and look back at his flawless face, “I talk plenty.”
He laughs some more. I don’t see what he finds so comical in me. But I feel my lips press together, trying not to smile.
“Then we should hang—”
A group of girls interrupt Rico’s speech and circle around him. I spot my sister already in her red bikini, matching him well. Looking at her next to him makes me think they make a nice couple… to the eyes.
“Rico!” she sings loudly, “You’re going to Travis’s party?”
“I’m guessing yes,” he smiles at her in a flirtatious manner. She giggles like its raining daisy’s. I take a step back as they go on about their conversation. I don’t feel like sticking around everyone in their skim swim wear while I wear green jogging shorts and a Love New York t-shirt.

I lift my feet back up the road and head to the lake. There, it’s quiet. But, I find no such ease as I reach down the forgotten rocky path to the lake. I see some person pulling onto my brown boat I always use to fish. It’s my dad’s boat…
“Hey!” I almost scream. I plant my legs on the edge of the moist grass. The person turns fast at my exclamation. It’s Trim Bertram, Rico’s brother. He stands there like a statue, “That’s my boat!”
Trim laughs. He has a different laugh from his brother. I grimace. Nothing that I’m saying is funny. He pulls the rope out its hook anyways and places one foot in the boat to keep it from floating away. He then looks at me with a challenging smirk.
“Well, I don’t see your name on it.”
I stop and think about everything that just happened. Boys that I’ve know little of talk to me suddenly today. I don’t get why, though. I look around at the ground under my feet and put my hands on my hips.
“Doesn’t matter,” I say.
Trim’s dimples deepen.
“Okay,” he shrugs his shoulders, “Then let’s just go to the island.”
He points at the small piece of land that sits in the middle of the lake. All my life, I’ve seen it every summer here, but never got the idea to go there. I stare at it and conclude that there isn’t much to do there.
“Why?” I ask.
“I don’t know, it’s cool,” he answers, “I’ll row.”
I stay still. I watch his smile reappear.
“I don’t bite,” he jokes.
I roll my eyes and sigh, going downward to the boat. I have nothing better to do.
He reaches for the paddles and sits facing me. He’s too sexy. I start feeling nervous once the boat hit the water. I try to turn my head and hide my face behind my hair. While Trim pulls and push the paddles through the water, I feel his eyes stare at me. I try to seem preoccupied with the scenery to not look into his gaze. But, my eyes move and we make eye contact. I start to get annoyed.
“What?” I ask. His expression doesn’t change.
“Nothing,” he answers. I roll my eyes and look away.
I start to think about relevant things, like world hunger and such.
“You seem like a shy person.”
“I’m not shy at all.”
“Then why you’re not talking?” he asks.
“I’m talking now, aren’t I?”
I watch him lower his head, trying to hold in his laughter. Why does everyone think this about me? I don’t see why I have to be so friendly with strangers who never paid me any mind before. It seems strange that Trim is even looking at me. He’s never noticed me before. The only reason I know people around here is because I see them every summer doing the same things, play volleyball, surf, and party, hook up, etc. I never really got into those things because I stuck with dad, doing the same things every summer too. We fished. I look down at my hands. I feel the boat stop on land. I guess I can do what all the normal teenagers do now. Everyone’s practically begging me to. I quickly hop into the muddy sand on the island. There are only rocks and trees sitting here. Trim follows behind me.
“I’m Trim, by the way,” he says, plucking out a large orange tree leaf. I spin around and look at him.
“Everyone calls me Ambi,” I say. His brows shoot up.
“Oh, you’re Eva’s sister. I remember you now,” he laughs.
Yeah, I’m Eva’s sister.
I sit on a rock and curl my feet to my chest as he sits next to me.
“Oh, you’re Rico’s brother. I remember you now!” I copy his tone, mockingly. He breaths out a snort.
“Okay, okay, miss Ambi. I figure you hate being sister.”
“God, you have no idea,” I hiss. I decide to change the sibling subject, “Why do you come here? There isn’t anything to do.”
“I like to come here to get away sometimes. You know, just to unwind.”
“Why not go unwind in your room?” I ask, looking up at the branches and leaves covering the blue sky.
He chuckles, “I do other things in my room.”
I scowl in disgust at where my imagination goes by what he means. He sees my face and burst in laughter, falling back, lying down on the stone we share.
“You’re disgusting,” I comment, looking down at him.
“You’re the dirty one here. I didn’t say anything.”
I press my lips. His curly hair falls away from his face and I look at his features.
He looks like his brother. They’re nearly two years apart. From what my friends who obsess about them tell me, Trim is the type to remember the periodic table while Rico would remember every position in bed. But from what I see, Trim is no different. I want to change the subject, but instead I lie down also and decide to keep quiet.
“Sorry about your dad,” he breaks the silence. I take a deep breath. He continues, “I don’t know what it’s like to lose a dad. But, I never grew up with one.”
“Oh…” I’m perplexed how easily he’s able to tell me his personal life after knowing me for 12 minutes.
“It must be hard,” he says.
“Well, Eva’s taking it well,” I shoot. He snorts a laugh.
“That chick’s never in low spirits.”