These Days

It doesn’t take long for me to being to relax in the presence of my old neighbors. Soon enough, I’m laughing and smiling, enjoying myself, the initial jitters gone. Maybe the beer had something to do with that.

“So how’s your family?” Jordan asks. “Dom still wants to go into the military?”

I’m shocked he recalls that short-lived tidbit about my brother and I can’t help but laugh. “Yeah, he gave up on that real quick. He’s a lawyer in New York. Getting married next summer, actually.”

“Wow,” Jordan whistles and I can’t help but notice the looks Heather sends him. She must be waiting on a ring.

“What about your grandmother? GiGi?” Marc asks innocently.

I sigh, setting my beer down in the grass where we sit. I knew coming in that that question would come up more than once. Running a hand through my hair, I look to my right at the house that is my temporary home.

“Grandma GiGi… she passed away a few weeks ago.”

******

Our small group stays silent as Bri’s words settle in. The older Mrs. Lombardi had been a sweet lady and finding out she’d passed away recently leaves us shell shocked for a few minutes. Eric is the first to recover.

“She’ll be missed by everyone here,” it is not the usual, empty ‘I’m so sorry’, but is still as helpful.

Bri nods silently before looking back at all of us. “What about you guys? You all look… happy.”

“I’d say we are,” Marc agrees as he puts an arm around Lindsey’s waist as she cradles their son.

“And successful, of course,” Bri smiles. “You’ve all done what you’ve said you would.”

‘I haven’t.’ I think before I remind myself that this summer is about improvement, not dwelling on what hasn’t happened yet.

“So I have to ask,” Jordan says, leaning in and we all know that something stupid is about to come out of his mouth.

She looks unsure, but nods all the same. “Sure?”

“Who’s your favorite?” he gestures to himself and the rest of us guys.

Bri laughs good naturedly while Heather shoves his shoulder. “Do you want an honest answer?” We all nod, so she continues. “When we left, I… kind of stopped following hockey. Don’t get me wrong! I knew you guys were drafted and I know your teams, but don’t ask me stats or who won the Cup this year.”

“Are you serious?” I deadpan, speaking up and Bri turns to look at me. “You stopped?”

She blushes and once again runs a hand through her long, dark hair. “Yeah, I mean, sure the Rangers are big in New York, but I just got caught up adjusting and then hating my dad for leaving.”

“He left?” I ask, not thinking about tact.

“Yeah,” Bri shrugs. “They divorced and he found someone else-younger, of course. He’s got his own company now.” She brushes off her shorts as she stands. “I’m going to go get some more beer. Anyone need anything?”

With collective ‘no thank you’s from the group, she walks off, sliding her phone out of her pocket, and checking it. As she walks, people turn to look at her. Some of them squint, trying to figure out who she is, and others’ eyes widen upon their realization that this is Brianna Lombardi.

When she’s long gone, I’m hit by both Tanya and Heather while Linsdey-with full arms- glares at me.

“What?!” I groan.

“Can you be any more stupid?” Heather hisses.

“Seriously!” Lindsey agrees. “How do you not use your brain?”

“What did I do now?” I obviously have no grasp on women. Maybe that’s why I’m painfully single.

“You are just like your brothers,” Tanya says. “No tact, no thought process when it comes to talking.”

“So you’re saying I offended her?” I ask, trying to put two and two together.

“Just go apologize,” Tanya encourages me. “You might have crossed a line or two.”

My sister-in-laws are the three women I am closest too and I probably could do worse than to ignore than words of wisdom. So, without a fight, I get up and follow Bri’s footsteps in the general direction she’d disappeared.

Walking through the crowd of neighbors and friends, I smile and nod to a few, trying to make it look like I’m not in the mood to stop, but am on a mission. In passing, I can catch snippets of conversations- all of them about Bri.

“I heard she got knocked up and that’s why they left,” someone hisses. “Put the baby up for adoption after it was born.”

“I heard that her parents wanted to ship her off to boarding school to deal with that sassy little mouth of hers,” another whispers.

With each new rumor that passes my ears, a frown grows on my lips, replacing the smile. All of those outlandish comments can’t be true. And I know that. But a part of me is still curious about what exactly Bri has been up to.

Not seeing her outside, I clamber up the back steps, onto the porch and into the house where some of the food is. And sure enough, Bri is cornered in the kitchen.

******

These girls are relentless. Katie Martin and Nadia Lewis were probably the meanest, most cruel girls my age when I was living in Thunder Bay. And now that I’m home-grown up, apparently- they have every intention of making me a part of their ‘posse’.

“But you should totally come out with us sometime!” Katie insists. “We were thinking of putting a group together sometime next week.”

“It’ll be so fun,” Nadia nods encouragingly.

“Um,” I let my voice trail off. The back door opens and in comes Jared- my savior. “Yeah, sure, we’ll see about that.” I lock eyes with him and he nods, clearing his throat.

Nadia and Katie turn around to see him standing in the door and they smile at each other.

“Hi, Jared,” Katie waves, pushing her hair over her shoulders. “How has your summer been?”

“Great, thanks,” he says, still watching me. “Do you think I could steal Bri from you?”

“See you guys around,” I say before any more words can be exchanged and the two of us duck out the back door.

Once we’re away from them and stop at the coolers, Jared busts out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” I ask, shaking my head.

“You looked like a deer in the headlights,” he chokes out in between spurts of laughter. “Your eyes,” he tries to do an imitation. “It was too funny.”

“Well I’m glad I’m already back to amusing you,” I shove his shoulder lightly as I sip water. I’m still new to drinking, not yet 21 in the States, so I’m quickly finding the need to take it slow.

Jared nods, wiping a tear from his eye as we settle onto a wooden glider. In the distance I can see his brothers and their significant others chatting with other party goers. I almost feel bad for keeping Jared away.

Almost.

“So I want to apologize,” he starts and I already know where this is headed. “I didn’t mean to come off as ignorant or anything.”

“Jared stop,” I say. “It’s not a big deal. I’m used to people not knowing how to react.” I sigh. “Trust me; I was left as clueless as you were when my dad showed up with a new fiancée who’s practically half his age.”

“Seriously?” Jared’s eyebrows shoot up.

“Okay,” I allow. “Maybe not half his age. But she’s still young.”

“So what was up with Blondie One and Blondie Two in the kitchen?” he asks.

I shrug. “Who knows?” I laugh. “It’s funny actually. When I was a kid, they wanted nothing to do with me. And now, all of a sudden, I’m back for five minutes and it’s like they want to be best friends.”

Jared shrugs with me. “Girls are crazy.”

“I have to agree with you on that one,” I tip my now empty plastic water bottle to him.

We sit quietly for a few minutes, watching the slowly dimming sun over the lake. A few guests are splashing in the shallow waters and children shriek happily. I see my own neighbors and I wave, glad that I’d introduced myself early that morning.

Music is playing from a set of speakers on a truck bed and I hear the familiar tones of Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, and Kenny Chesney. That’s so cliché; I can’t help but laugh out loud.

“What?” Jared asks, smiling. I tell him and he can’t help but laugh too. “God, it is, isn’t?”

Before we can make any more comments, we’re joined by a few others. Familiar looking faces reintroduce themselves and I soon realize that these are people I that I can still stand, unlike others.

Soon enough, I find myself in the midst of an impromptu dance floor with Jared nowhere to be seen. I’m with Nate, a guy I can remember having a little bit of a crush on.

This is a weird change of events for me. I was never particularly popular growing up. Sure, I had plenty of friends and my claim to fame was being unbiologically related to the Staals, but I was never one to go to parties or hang out in the fields on Saturday nights.

As the song ends, I find myself looking around again for Jared, only to have my attention grabbed by Nate.

******

I frown, watching Bri dance with old friends. I shouldn’t be jealous. I know that she’s a hot ticket for now, being back for the first time in so long. But I can’t help but not like the way Nate has his hands on her waist.

Nate and I are pretty good friends and if I- for lack of a better word- called dibs, he’d back off. But I haven’t. And I probably wouldn’t. I mean, it’s Bri.

But that’s another thing. It’s Bri. Out of everyone at this godforsaken party, I probably know her the best. Even though she’s been gone for so long, I still find myself able to read her.

When she runs her hand through her hair, she’s nervous and thinking. When her eyes go wide, she’s anxious or annoyed. Now, as she’s dancing to some Jason Aldean song, I continue figuring out what’s on her mind.

She’s smiling at something he said, laughing. She’s enjoying herself. But as he lets his hands rest on her slim waist, I see her lean back, a little uncomfortable.

Before I can do anything the song ends, and some of the crowd breaks away. Nate says something and Bri nods. They exchange phones and in a few minutes, Nate is squeezing her hand in passing.

God fucking dammit