How to Unbreakup Page 2

  My fingers trembled as I gripped tight to my yearbook. Take a deep breath. You can do this.

  “Okay. I’ll try.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  My teeth grazed my bottom lip as I pushed through the throngs of people. Endless chatter about summer vacation seemed to pour from the walls. My stomach knotted as I approached him.

  “Hey,” I said when I stood in front of him. Hey? Is that the best you can do?

  He raised his hooded eyes. For a moment, I thought I saw a look of surprise, but it quickly vanished.

  “Hey,” he said.

  “So, I wondered if you might sign my yearbook?” I held it out to him, along with my blue gel pen.

  He glanced at it then back at me.

  “Sorry, I’m late.” His sister Allie rushed over to us. Her brown hair bobbed up and down as she shifted her backpack to her other shoulder. “Grace, hey. I haven’t seen you in forever. How are you?”

  “Good. Ready for summer.”

  “Me too.” She saw the yearbook and smiled. “Can I sign it?”

  “Sure. I was just asking your brother if he wanted to sign it too.”

  “Actually, we don’t have time. Dad wanted us home right after school.” He grabbed Allie’s arm and jerked her toward the door.

  She shrugged his hand off. “Sage, it’ll take a second.”

  “Do you want a ride home or not?” His eyes narrowed.

  She caught my gaze. “And this is why I should’ve just drove myself today. Sorry, Grace. Maybe we’ll see you later this summer or something.”

  “Yeah. Maybe.” My throat constricted as I watched them walk away. Would he ever forgive me?

  Lyncee appeared next to me and we headed for the door. “That was a total douche move.”

  I shrugged. “It’s fine.”

  “Grace, I—”

  “No really, it’s cool. Just let it go.”

  When we got outside, Rori and Michelle waved at us from the sidewalk. Against my better judgment, we headed toward them.

  “So, Brady said you guys are gonna get together this summer.” Rori flung her hair over shoulder.

  “Not happening.” I wrinkled my nose.

  “What’s wrong with you? Like every girl in the school wants him.” She gave me a disapproving look.

  “Yeah, and he’s probably slept with half of them. We’ve got nothing in common.”

  “He plays soccer,” Michelle said.

  So did Sage.

  “She doesn’t like him,” Lyncee said.

  Michelle rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to like him to go out with him.”

  It was hard to believe I let Sage go for this. “Hey listen, I’ve gotta head out. I’m dropping Lyncee off on my way home.”

  “Don’t forget about Michelle’s pool party in a couple weeks. Her parents will be gone.”

  “Sounds fun.” Already, I imagined what excuses I could give to get out of going. With a fake smile, I looped my arm through Lyncee’s and rushed to my car, where Benji sat in the passenger seat, waiting for me.

  “God, I hate them,” Lyncee said. “I definitely think we need to ditch them before senior year starts. Because if I have to listen to one more conversation about Rori’s diet or Michelle’s mile-long boyfriend list, I’m gonna vomit!”

  “Yeah, I think a change of scenery would be nice,” I said.

  “Would you hurry up? It’s hotter than balls in your car.” Benji poked his head out the window. His brown hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat.

  “Get in the back, we’re giving Lyncee a ride home.”

  “I got here first, I get shotgun.”

  “No. When you start driving next year, you can have it all the time. Now move.”

  He flipped me off but climbed into the back.

  Once we dropped Lyncee off, we headed home, where I found both my parents’ vehicles in the drive.

  “Wonder why Dad’s home so early?” Benji said.

  “I have no clue.” Nervousness set in. I hoped nothing was wrong.

  Our cat, Chico, met us at the door, his tail flipping back and forth like an angry snake. He hissed when Benji bent down to pet him.

  “Geez, settle down.” He stepped away from him.

  “See, even he doesn’t like you,” I whispered.

  “Jerk,” he said.

  “Idiot.” My elbow connected with his arm.

  “Good, you’re home. Family meeting,” Dad called out, setting his pop on the counter. “Everyone take a seat.” He clapped his hands together, his mouth turning up in a too-wide grin.

  Oh hell, what was going on? I set my stuff on the coffee table then plopped down next to Benji on the floor. The last time Dad acted like this, he’d signed us all up to do a laser tag championship thing. Which was totally cool, but he’d named us the “Flesh Eating Wombats” and got us all matching T-shirts. He even made up some lame cheer for us. So yeah, I wasn’t real sure I wanted to know what this was about.

  Mom smiled at Dad as she sat on the couch next to my youngest brother Caleb. “Go on, honey, tell them.”

  He moved into the center of the living room, resting his hand on the edge of the entertainment center. “Since we haven’t had a chance to spend much time together as a family lately, your mom and I decided to do something special this summer.”

  Okay, so far this wasn’t so bad. Maybe we’d go to the amusement park or something.

  “We decided to rent a house in the Upper Peninsula, right on Lake Michigan. And not just for the weekend, but for the whole summer.”

  “Really?” I leapt to my feet, unable to contain a loud squee.

  “Yes, really.” Dad chuckled as I launched myself at him. He curled me up in a bear hug. “I’ll commute down here two days a week to work in the shop. But other than that, we’ll be together the whole summer.”

  “This will be awesome,” I said.

  “And that’s not all. I set up a charter boat for fishing, so we’ll be able to go out on the big lake. We’ve also got one more surprise for you, but I think we’ll wait until we get there to tell you about it.” He released me.

  “Is it a Jet Ski?” Benji sat up straighter.

  “Or maybe they bought us the new Beasts Collide V video game,” Caleb said.

  “Lor, maybe we should just tell them,” Mom said to Dad.

  “No, then it won’t be a surprise.”

  Oh my gosh, maybe they splurged for a mansion, or something that had tons of rooms, or perhaps a place with a cabana on the beach. Better yet, maybe the place had a soccer field and basketball court.

  “When do we leave?”

  “Tomorrow, which means everyone needs to get their stuff packed. Bring all your summer clothes and anything you think you’ll want while we’re up there. But don’t get ridiculous with the toys and stuff.” Mom stood, ushering Caleb toward his room.

  I scratched behind Chico’s ears and he followed me down the hall. A whole summer of nothing but swimming, watching sunsets, and vegging out—I could do that. There’d be no school drama or lame parties or backstabbing friends, or Lyncee. Just me. My family. And the summer for the taking.

  Chapter Three

  “Well, here we are, Sea Shell City,” Dad said as we parked.

  We climbed from the backseat of the truck and I stretched my legs, which were cramped from the long drive.

  My gaze shifted to the large children’s play set, shaped like a ship. Over the years, a lot of our family photos were taken in front of it. My parents always stopped here so we could look around the store, which was filled with everything nautical: lighthouses, starfish, ships, seashells. And when I say seashells, I mean, this place had things made from seashells. Like toilet paper dispensers, picture frames, drink coasters, jewelry boxes, or any other kind of souvenir you could think of. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if they had seashell thongs—not that I wanted any of those strung up my crack. But still.

  “Why don’t you kids go on in with Dad? I’ll put Chi
co on his leash and let him walk around for a few minutes.”

  Yeah, my insane attack cat had a leash. But trust me, he needed one. If he got loose, he’d terrorize the customers, or worse, go after a dog or child. There were times when I swore he should’ve been born a puppy.

  “Come on guys.” Dad ushered us toward the store. “Everyone can pick something out, but let’s make this quick. We’ve got almost two and a half more hours to drive.”

  The bell above the door rang as we walked inside. Shells and ships and crabs and nets decorated almost every square inch of the store. Post cards sat on racks, while coffee mugs welcomed us to the gateway of the Upper Peninsula.

  “Look at this.” Caleb picked up a wooden sword from a shelf and swung it at Benji.

  “Don’t be messing around in here.” Dad glared over his shoulder.

  “Can I get it?” Caleb asked.

  “Why don’t you look around some more first.” Dad continued toward the back of the store to where they kept the hats.

  I groaned. As was tradition, my father would buy the lamest hat in the store. This was how every vacation started.

  “I was hoping he’d forget the hat this year,” Benji said from beside me.

  “Maybe you should go over there and con him into getting a decent one. You know, with no sayings on it.”

  My brother glanced at me. “Right, that never works.”

  “What do you guys think of this one?” Dad grinned holding up a black baseball cap with pirate crossbones on it. Below the skeletal head, it said, “Come here and let me check your booty.”

  “Um, you know maybe you should think about that nice Mackinac Bridge one.” I pointed at a khaki colored hat, with a picture of the bridge sewn into it.

  “That one’s boring. This one will make people laugh.”

  “Or die of embarrassment,” I whispered to Benji.

  Not wanting to be seen with him, I turned down one of the other aisles and looked through various knick-knacks and paintings. At last, I decided on a cute picture frame with seashells and beach sand on it.

  Dad grabbed a coffee mug for Mom and a bag of saltwater taffy, while the boys opted for wooden rubber band guns and swords. By the time we got back to the vehicle, Mom already had Chico back in his cage.

  As soon as Dad shut his door, he pulled his new purchase from his bag. He ripped the tags off, adjusted the cap, and then put it on his head. Mom met my eye after she read it, and I shrugged, mouthing the word sorry.

  “So, what do you think?” Dad leaned over Chico’s cage to kiss Mom.

  “Ah—it’s funny.”

  Right then, Chico reached through his cage and scratched Dad’s arm. “Hey, ow. Knock that off!”

  “Guess not everyone likes the hat.” Benji grinned.

  A few minutes later, we were back on the road, with Dad’s oldies blaring on the radio. I smiled as the Mackinac Bridge came into view. It’d been over three years since our last trip up here. My fingers clenched together in my lap. Everything seemed to lead back to three years ago. We used to go on camping trips with the Castles every summer. We’d stop at the Sea Shell City before we got to the bridge, then again at the trading post in St. Ignace, which was just over the bridge. All that changed the summer after Sage and I broke up. I squeezed my eyes shut, chasing the memories of campfires gone wrong and sunburns from spending too much time swimming. Of trips to the bear ranch where we got to pet real black bears. The year we went to the Porcupine Mountains to see Lake of the Clouds and almost ran out of gas. Every summer used to start and end with the Castles.

  “Look at this view,” Mom said. “I forgot how pretty it is.”

  My lids fluttered open as we drove across the bridge. Down below, I watched a barge pass, while a sailboat headed in the opposite direction. Gulls dove at the waves as if searching for food. The shimmering water seemed to meet the edges of the clear blue sky like they’d go on forever.

  Everything was as I remembered it. For almost two hours, I watched the coastline come in and out of view. People pulled off the road to swim on stretches of sandy beaches despite the signs posted warning no lifeguard on duty. Sand piled up along the shoulders of the road where the wind had blown it across. Dad passed a few large homes then began to slow down. At the top of the next hill, he turned his blinker on and pulled into a long driveway nearly hidden by trees. We followed the blacktop down a few curves, and then emerged in a clearing where we parked.

  “Holy crap,” I said. The house was huge. Its gray-blue boards were weathered, just how I pictured a beach house should look. Windows lined the whole front side. There was a small porch, which held white wicker furniture. As my gaze drifted upwards, I noticed the porthole windows that lined the upper level.

  “Do you hear that?” Mom asked as she stepped from the vehicle.

  I listened closely as I climbed out beside her. In the distance, I could make out the crashing of waves. “Yes.”

  This was just the kind of break I needed. And I couldn’t wait to get unpacked and into the water.

  “Okay, before we go in, I want everyone to grab their stuff.” Dad leaned over to slide Chico’s cage out. “Benji, make sure you get the cat’s litter box from the back.”

  My brother rolled his eyes. “Great, we’re on vacation, and I still have to do the cat litter.”

  I pulled myself up into the back of the truck and handed duffle bags and suitcases over the sides. Then I gave my dad the coolers and bins with groceries in them to stack on the porch.

  “Okay, are we all ready to see the house?” Dad grinned as he reached under the doormat to retrieve the key.

  “Yes,” we screamed in unison.

  Dad fumbled with the lock then swung the door open. I gasped as we entered the foyer. A chandelier with glass beach balls hung from the exposed beams. My gaze slid to the nautical compass design in the hardwood floors.

  “Oh. My. Gosh. This is flipping awesome.” I pushed the rest of the way in. Everything about the house said beach. From the teal painted ceiling and lime walls to the fun, colorful teals, blues, reds, and yellows of the furniture. A large, white stone fireplace loomed to our left in the living room, while the floor to ceiling windows faced the lake. Even from here, I saw the waves cresting and rolling onto shore. To the right, I spotted the dining room and kitchen, both done in the same whites, teals, and greens as the living room.

  “You guys will be sleeping up there.” Mom pointed to the loft above and the spiral staircase that led up to it. “But hold off on picking your bunks.” She cast Dad a quick look.

  “Oh and you kids should check out the game room.” Dad nodded down a hall to the left of us.

  The boys dropped their duffels and raced away.

  “Grace, you’ve got to see this.” Benji poked his head out a door. “There’s a pool table, jukebox, air hockey. And a large screen TV. I swear, I’m never going back home.”

  “You realize, they’ll probably never come out of there the whole summer,” I said.

  “Don’t worry, there will be forced family outdoor time.” Mom smiled.

  I shrugged and headed up the white, wrought iron staircase. My breath caught in my throat when I entered the loft. Surfboards hung on the back wall, just above the porthole windows. Three sets of bunks lined both the left and right walls. There were stairs going up to the top bunks. The beds were enormous and covered in fun, colorful blankets. Each bunk had a reading lamp that looked like ship lanterns. The walls were painted dark blue, with beach and surfing memorabilia decorating most of them. There was a couch and several beanbags that faced the railing and balcony to the living room below.

  I set my bag on the floor then went back downstairs, to find my parents coming down the hall.

  “Let’s check out the deck.” Mom looped her arm through mine as we made our way around the furniture to the glass doors. As soon as we pushed them open, the scent of the lake and beach hit me. The sound of gulls echoed in the air. Beach chairs lined the deck, the view breathtaking
. From here, I saw there was already a fire pit dug out on the beach.

  The doorbell rang from inside and Mom squealed. “Come on,” she said.

  My parents rushed to the front door, us kids on their heels.

  “Time for our other surprise.” Dad glanced at us as he whipped open the door.

  There, standing on the porch, was the Castle family.

  No. Flipping. Way. Sage’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. He met my gaze then looked away, obviously his parents hadn’t let him in on the surprise either.

  I squeezed my eyes tight then opened them again, trying to ignore the sick pit in my stomach. Okay. Just keep calm. It isn’t the end of the world. Not yet anyway.

  “Welcome Castle family,” Dad said, hugging Mr. and Mrs. Castle.

  “The Evers and Castles together again.” Mr. Castle chuckled. “Now how’s this for a surprise?”

  “I gave up soccer camp for this?” Sage asked, his eyes narrowed.

  “Yep, and you’re going to enjoy it. End of discussion.” Mr. Castle gave him a warning look.

  Sage pushed inside, carrying his stuff, not even bothering another glance in my direction.

  Crap. This wasn’t happening. It might be the end of discussion for Mr. Castle, but I had a feeling this was far from over. If things kept going like they were, it’d be a long, miserable summer for all of us.

  Allie smiled as she came inside. “This is freaking sweet. We’ll be able to hang out all summer. Just like old times.”

  “Yeah. Just like old times.” I gave her a quick hug. Minus the part where Sage actually talked to me. Things in my life were about to get a whole lot more complicated.

  Chapter Four

  “Why don’t you kids go pick out your bunks?” Mr. Castle said. “And make sure boys are on one side and girls on the other. In other words, no coed bunking partners.” He glanced between me and Sage.

  Sage snorted. “Yeah, like that’d happen.”

  My chest tightened. This totally sucked.

  “So, I think we should bunk together.” Allie smiled as she hefted her oversized suitcase up. “Rochelle tosses and turns a lot, not to mention she’s freaking annoying.” She nodded in her younger sister’s direction. She was already arguing with Caleb about some cartoon they both watched.