Summer With the Bertram Brothers

It feels like a million degrees. I sit under the giant yellow umbrella. You can see the heat graze the air. Winnie and I simmer in the sun.
“What are we doing tonight?” I ask, rubbing my burning belly button. She spreads her aqua towel over the sand and puts on her bedazzled shades.
“Movies,” she answers, “We’re going to see the Piranha 3D movie. It’s premiering in Brockville.”
“Brockville is a little far,” I scowl my face.
“Ye-es,” she sighs, “It’s the premiere! Meaning everyone’ll be there. Meaning, Rico will be there.”
She gives me an awfully big smile. My eyelids lower when she said his name. I inhale and exhale hard. I prop myself down on my elbows.
“Why do you like Rico so much?”
I couldn’t deny I liked him too.
“He’s gorgeous, first of all,” she starts counting on her fingers and pauses, “No, that’s it—he’s gorgeous.”
I press my lips together. He’s fun to be around. He knows how to make you feel good. He makes any awkward situation natural. I snap back to reality and listen to Winnie’s high pitch voice.
“I just want him to notice me, you know. I mean, I have loads of competition. Every girl in L’Acadie and all over the world wants Rico Bertram! Except for you. You don’t like any guys,” she looks at me. I frown at her.
“Oh?” she leans, “Did I miss an episode of Ambi’s life series?”
I start to blush, thinking about Trim.
“Spill!” she hits my shoulder, scooting closer on my towel, “Spill! Spill! Spill! Spill! Spill!”
“No, it’s nothing, there’s nobody,” I stammer.
“Ambi, I’ll be here all day. Until 9pm at the very least. So, spoil me with the details! Who is it?”
I grit my teeth to stop blushing, “Trim.”
I couldn’t keep lying to Winnie. She tilts her head back.
“Trim...” she sings, “As in Rico’s brother.”
“Uh...” I breathe.
“Oh my God! Ambi! That’s so cute!”
I look at her a bit weird, “What do you mean cute?”
“You two should totally go out,” she wriggles her brows, dismissing my question.
“No.”
“Why not? Did you guys kiss?”
I pop my eyes out my head.
“What makes you think—”
“Your lips are swollen,” she points. I slap my hand over my mouth and sit up. She laughs, “I thought you had a sun burn or something. But now that I think about it... Ha!”

The wind picks up. I look at the time across the dashboard. It’s 7:30. We still have another hour before we hit Brockville. And because I spilled on Trim, Winnie forced me to ask him and his brother if we could hitch a ride with them. Winnie and I are sitting in the backseat of Rico’s red Ford Escape. She’s babbling about everything. I decide to watch the landscape rush by through the open window. The sun dances behind the trees. Orange clouds fly all in one direction. The chill of the evening cools me. The sea races with us. Then Winnie disrupts me as she knocks my knee.
“Ambi, you’re too quiet,” she whispers, “Say something.”
I stare at her, exasperated, and say out loud, “I hope we’re not late for the movie.”
She rolls her eyes. Trim chuckles, as if he can see us through the back of his head.
“We’ll make it. I didn’t know you like horror movies,” Rico cheers, as he drive the car a little above the speed limit.
I shoot him a glare through his rear-view and we make eye contact.
“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me,” I say, almost biting off my tongue. He grins, putting his eyes back on the road. It sounded way too flirty than I wanted.
Trim twists and looks at us.
“So are we going for a drink after the movie?” he proposes.
I tuck my hair behind my ear, about to disagree. But Winnie beats me to it.
“Definitely!”
I open my mouth and stare at Winnie. When Trim sits back in his seat, I shake my head at Winnie.
“What?”
“I don’t want to go,” I whisper, inaudibly. I play around with the window switch.
“Why not? They’re our ride home anyways,” she whispers back. I sink in my seat and hold my head.

I don’t know how many times I’ve screamed in the theater. The whole thing is just gory. Trim had his hand on my thigh every minute of it. When finally the credits roll up and audience came back to life, I stand up quickly wanting to go to a lighter place. Trim drops his hand off me and follows behind me.
I hear Winnie squeal, “That was awesome!”
I laugh. Reaching the exit, traffic grows thicker and I’m stuck inching slowly out the door. I feel Trim’s hands on the back of my waist, sort of guiding me... or preventing anyone from kidnapping me... I don’t know.
“I still have popcorn,” Rico mumbles, shaking the bag in his arms.
“Oh, I’ll have some,” Winnie digs.
We all walk outside, bumping into other people we know. While Trim greets the guys, I feel his arm still around me. I also feel Rico’s eye staring at me. Winnie is busy fixing her hair in the reflection of the window. I look over then at Rico. He doesn’t look anywhere else. I watch him dangle with his car keys.
Something distracts me, thank God.
“What are you doing here?” Eva passes me by. She startles me and I gasp. She’s surrounded by her posy. She doesn’t wait for me to answer. She just looks around, spotting Rico.
“Rico! Hey!” she walks away from me.

Everyone is talking with everyone. I’m preoccupied with the wind. Then suddenly, I’m being pulled away from the crowd. Trim and I go to the parking lot. I feel like I can finally breathe. I relax my muscles once we reach the car. Trim let’s go of me and leans on the car, quiet. I give him a look over him forty times, wondering why he’s mute. He’s not even looking at me. He stuffs his hands in his pockets. It feels like forever. I count the freckles brushed on his nose. His curly hair dusts his head by the wind. My heart’s pounding. He’s looking straight forward. I shift on my leg, unevenly, making me step closer to him. I don’t know how to act. I don’t know how to feel... I look at my toes. I want him to whisk me away... to our island. Kiss me until the sun sets. But he doesn’t he doesn’t move. I worry. I wonder what’s on his mind. The wind blows my sheer dress above my butt. I pull it down, scowling at the violent air. Trim grins, at long last, showing an emotion. When was he looking at me? I thought.
“What?” I ask, finding my face stretch into an awkward smile.
He shakes his head and pulls me to him, in his arms. His grin, always lope sided. It’s so dark out, I
“You’re cold?”
“I won’t complain,” I say, looking down at his grey shirt. He moves and takes off his leather jacket and wraps me in it. I blush, not diverting my eyes from his chest. I gently scratch his shirt.
“Thanks.”
He kisses my forehead. And then we stay like that, in the quiet. Trim...
“What were you thinking of—”
“Hey, there you guys are! Let’s go party!” Winnie’s voice and Rico’s chanting keys break through our barrier.