19. Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Nineteen
Remington James
U tterly demolished.
All the hard work the guys did was laid to waste. Uncle Skip is having a nervous breakdown while we all stare in shock at the parade float he had stored at the Funpark. The parade starts in two hours, and it looks like vandals have left nothing on the float intact.
Stomping back to us from the office, Skip cuts me off, “I don’t wanna get into it.” He then proceeds to rant for five minutes about all the destruction. He looked at the cameras, the float was out of range. On and on we stand gaping at him while he paces in agitation.
There’s not much we can salvage, it’s like wild animals tore it apart, a sledgehammer taken to his life size clown statue. I pick up an armload of neon-colored streamers to throw, when Skip turns to glare at me. “Did you do this? You were against the float from the beginning.”
Cal straightens in alarm. “Whoa… that was uncalled for.”
I’m not going to cry. Damnit, no.
Natalie hops off the float stepping towards her red-faced dad. “Take that back. Dad… Remi would never do something like that.”
Pulling the short white wig with red, white, and blue tinsel weaved through off my head, I jump down from the float. I’d like to keep walking right out of here, but I’m attempting to stay when it gets hard. “Damn, really? I must have some superpowers to annihilate something like this. That’s pretty remarkable,” I say calmly, my voice dripping with sarcasm.
Charlie rounds the corner with Mitchell, carrying bags of candy to throw in the parade. Both stop short. “What the hell happened?”
I don’t bother to answer him as I pull a garbage can close to start pitching things. We have to work fast if Skip insists on having some sort of float. This was not the start of the Fourth of July I’d hoped for.
Actively ignoring Skip while we strip away the torn turf, shredded and knocked apart decor, Cal fills Charlie in about Skip’s tirade. Natalie interjects with her take, “He does that when he gets stressed out.”
“Don’t make excuses for him. That was low,” Charlie says as he kicks part of the windmill decoration from the trailer.
By the time Grady shows up, the float is looking better… not ready, but better. He was quick to tell us all that his parents hate Lake Hollow Days, they’ve been out of town since last week. No blaming Gary Marlow then.
Charlie ran home to get things out of storage to use as mini putt obstacles, he grabbed strips of bright green turf, and flags. “I thought Wilder was coming?”
“Ha.” I hand Grady a can of spray paint. “I didn’t. I’m still ticked at him.”
He was without remorse saying he, “Regretted nothing.” about throwing my necklace into the lake.
“I would’ve done it, too,” Cal says drolly.
Glaring at him, my response is assertive, “None of you are allowed to talk about my necklace if you’re unwilling to tell me why it’s so scary.” Dumb boys.
I’m sidetracked by Grady’s muscles flexing in the bright morning sun, his T-shirt slung over one shoulder. So busy appreciating them, that Cal catches me. That gets him to ditch his shirt, too. A little competition for my attention.
The cheering up is greatly needed.
Full swoon engages when Charlie joins in, tossing his shirt into the cab of the tractor.
Fanning myself with my wig, I tell them, “I’m sure you understand that absolutely nothing productive will be occurring at this time. I’m overheating.”
By line up time for the parade, we’re ready… ish. Skip walks out of the office in a Goddamn clown outfit which makes me die dead laughing. Natalie and I grip one another in hysterics.
Cal negotiates my release. I won’t be subjected to riding on the float or walking beside it in the parade. I get to sit in front of Hidden Treasures with Keenan and Ceily. Like a real parade goer. I bounce on my tippy toes in glee. Armed with the taffy that Charlie snagged me, I hastily walk to the store.
The sound of marching bands, even the engine noise and occasional loud blurt of a fire truck, make me happier than I have a right to be. Oh, and the smells. The mix of fresh flowers at the town square, popcorn, cookout food… I’m downright floating on air by the time I plop into the camping chair next to my bestie.
Keenan giggles at me. “This whole thing… totally disarming. Love it.” He hugs me to his side.
Leaning on her cane, Ceily pads out of her store in a shirt full of red, white, and blue teddy bears. “Wilder was just here.”
Yeah, walking around all smug like, I’m sure.
“Sweet,” I reply dryly as we stand to show respect to the passing veterans holding flags high. Looking to the people surrounding us for direction, just like at the Catholic funeral.
Growing up on my own may have steeled my spine, but it put me at a disadvantage. All the experiences I put on my bucket list… all the life I hope to live, because for years I sat in dark rooms dreaming, being lonely and forgotten.
I jump up and down and clap just as much as the group of young kids sitting in front of Pop’s grocery. Not the least bit bothered by a couple of the long looks by older people I’ve gotten.
Of course, it could be all the drawings on my arms and legs. Frogs shooting fireworks, birds full of stars, and Cal’s personal favorite, a frog leaning on a baseball bat.
Mid parade, I’ve told Keenan a dozen times I’m going to every parade at Lake Hollow Days until I’m dead. I’m a big fan.
There are almost two hundred entries in the parade, Flicks n’ Fun’s float is listed on the flyer towards the end, because Skip was late getting his information in. Like he usually is, operating on procrastination supreme. The amount of people along the parade route more than doubles halfway through the parade, the excited talk around us is that there are rumors Grady from Romantic Ruin is on our float.
I need to climb on top of Keenan’s shoulders just to see the float, by the time it reaches us. My uncle in his asinine clown outfit is driving the tractor, on the float Natalie, Cal, Mitchell, and Taj are throwing candy. I don’t spot Grady right away. I grab Keenan’s head to steady myself as laughter bursts out of me. He put on the ice cream cone costume Charlie found in his parent’s basement. No one would know it’s him at all. He must be sweating to death, but he’s sure waving like it’s his mission in life.
Serves Skip right.
I’m confused about where Charlie is until he slips into the crowd from the street where he was handing out free bumper boat ride coupons.
More gracefully than I usually move, I grab ahold of him, swinging a leg over Keenan’s head to wrap myself around his body, giving him a kiss of thanks. Although, what I’m getting back may make me drag him into Hidden Treasures. Keep him occupied with my mouth. Half murmur and half laugh, he says against my lips, “Well that dismount was everything. Ten out of ten.”
He watches me and not the parade as it finishes up. Pressing sweet little kisses to the side of my head, saying in awe, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone this absorbed by a parade before.”
This morning, I wanted to look patriotic. Tearing through mom’s trunk I found a flag kerchief top, putting my denim suspender shorts over it. The one I’ve drawn on for years. Using face paint, I put clusters of red, white, and blue stars on my cheeks. My day’s plans include an afternoon picnic, I want to change before we head out.
“What’s next?” Charlie asks moving hair out of my face. “We could go out on the lake?”
“Picnic at Lakeside Park.” I pat his thigh. “For a bonus, Ceily made us a surprise dessert.” There’s no way we’ll eat it, but I couldn’t say no to her.
The parade’s last float passes, a fleet of squad cars with their siren lights on bring up the end, I start to clap again. For good measure. Charlie makes a face, leaning onto his elbow, “Does it have to be there? I get sick when I’m at Lakeside Park.”
So does Wilder, but since we’re not talking, I didn’t care. “Oh. I didn’t know that. We could eat somewhere else.”
“That’s perfect.” His dazzling smile lights me up inside.