~19~ The Army Brats and Cake Surprises

“Are you done yet?” I whined to Lulu. We were at Mia and Nelly’s parents’ beach house place along the coast in the huge guest bathroom. Lulu wanted me to “look presentable” in case my “true love just so happened to be at this shindig”. Whatever.

“Will you hurry up?” Mia laughed from the doorway. I looked over my shoulder and saw Mia wearing a pink dress with her blonde hair perfectly curled around her shoulders. Mia walked in and sat on the edge of the jetted pool.

“You should try living with her,” Mia laughed.

“Um. Thirteen years of friendship,” I reminded. “Trust me, it was worse once before.”

Lulu just liked dressing up people. But hey, if she’s trying to get a fashion degree or whatever, then I guess I have to trust her.

“Guys,” a new voice addressed.

“Girls,” Lulu corrected before sticking a hair clip in her hair that dropped my curly hair down onto my back as she styled my locks.

“Whatever,” Nelly replied. “Everybody’s here already—even my Mum. And that’s sad because she’s always fashionably late.”

“Well today we’re going to be fashionably late,” Lulu informed, spraying hairspray on my hair. Nelly rolled her eyes and I laughed…well I laughed other than coughing over the mass amount of hairspray that threatened to kill the ozone.

“Is Grace and her mates here?” Mia asked showing a bit of her accent.

“Yes they are,” Nelly said. Then she started leaning against the doorway. “But Grace left with one to run an errand. I reckon the others are quite cute, so if you choose to be fashionably late then I leave no guarantee for your claim on a boy.”

“Boys?” Mia asked, frowning. “Gracie brought home boys?”

“Yeah,” Nelly nodded. She wiggled her eyebrows. “Like I said, they’re cute.”

It took one look from all of us.

Mia stood from the tub, Lulu set down the can of hairspray and unplugged the curling iron, and I snatched the black flats that I was to wear. We all dashed downstairs to the pavilion and backyard area where the party took place. I had met Nelly’s immediate—her Mom and Dad even before they were “party ready”—and when I reached the giant backyard overlooking the eastern sea of the United States, putting on my shoes, I saw the three somewhat-military-looking men standing and talking to a few people. There was a tall, messy black-haired and pale skinned boy that was smirking at whomever he was having a conversation with, revealing a dimple on only his left cheek. He wore a black dress shirt type thing with a black undershirt and some jeans. He looked around as his other military friends started giving in their comments and then he laid eyes on us four girls. He seemed to narrow his eyes as if zooming in on us. He turned to his friends with a touch to one of their shoulders and then they traveled across the platform to us four, anxious girls.

Nelly was right: they were cute.

The tall one that originally noticed us looked to Nelly.

“You’re Nelly right?” he asked with a smirk.

“Yeah,” she answered. The guy took the liberty in placing his hand in hers and shaking.

“I’m Eugene, but people normally call me Callaghan,” he introduced, peering deeply into Nelly’s brilliant eyes before searching the rest of ours. He dropped Nelly’s hand, but their captivation in each other was obvious. And as they had their own interest in each other, the guy to Callaghan’s left was studying Lulu as if she was a horse in a pageant.

“Do I know you?” he asked Lulu with a purely confused look on his face portrayed through his medium brown eyes. He had an army-cut dark hair, clear skin with only a couple beauty marks on his symmetrical. He was wearing a black shirt with ARMY along the chest and some khaki shorts.

“No but I’m here, so what were your other two wishes?” Lulu replied with a crooked smile.

She did not seriously use that lame pick up line did she? UGH. The girl was hopeless. But somehow the guy smiled at her, hiding a laugh.

“You’re right. Meeting four beautiful girls was my first wish,” he agreed. I had to contain my laughter if I was going to save myself the embarrassing of snorting in my laughter because I’d laugh hard. Loud and hard laughter was deserved for this situation. “I’m Archer.”

“You’re cute,” Lulu said, staring at him, but it was clear that she didn’t mean to say that out loud when she snapped herself out of it. Archer smirked back.

“You’ve probably seen her before somehow over webcam—I mean me and Gracie web chat and stuff and Lulu’s my roommate,” Mia spoke. The guy in the leather jacket, black V-neck MARINE shirt, and straight legged jeans laughed at that, but I couldn’t tell what about because he had dark Aviator shades on. I frowned in confusion.

“Grace doesn’t really…talk about anything like family…or adoration…anything to prove she has a heart, really,” Archer informed. I put my arm around Nelly.

“Well I can see how they’re related,” I joked making Nelly roll her eyes at me.

“But nonetheless, she did talk about you and show us your picture on our way here so we’d know at least someone before she and the guys left to go get a surprise or something,” Callaghan added.

“There’s more of you?” Lulu asked heavenly, making Archer’s smile at her drop.

“Only two,” The guy with the shades answered.

“Well until they return, I’m Mia, that’s Nelly—my sister, her roommate, Angel, and well…Lulu,” Mia introduced to all of them. They exchanged smiles and nods with us.

“Ty,” the African-American guy with the leather jacket and shades said.

“Nice to meet you,” I told all of them. The three boys stood tall over us girls, but we still engaged in interesting conversations that somehow attracted others sometimes as we moved around the party, awaiting Grace and the other two boys’ arrive.

***

“Angel?” someone called for me when I was in the process of raiding the Lindsays’ fridge for something else to drink. I originally went inside for the rest room, but then I realized I would take advantage of the air conditioning and refreshments.

“Oh, hey, Lulu,” I said, pouring myself a glass of sparkling cider. I automatically poured her a glass when she sat down at the bar beside me. “What’s up?”

“Why aren’t you outside?” she asked. I bit my lip, ruining the precious lip gloss that was starting to lose its shimmer. “I did not spend an hour on your look for you to waste it inside at a party.”

“Ha! I know, it gave you a real good use on yourself. That Archer kid…man, you guys have it for each other. I agree about your hour of primping. Get back out there,” I commented with excitement. She gave me a new look.

“I was talking about you,” she said. I sighed.

“I know,” I said in a sigh. “I was just taking a break from it all. I mean come on. You with Archer and Nelly with Callaghan. I don’t want to be a fifth wheel.”

“You’re not,” she laughed, placing a hand over mine. “You and Mia are a fifth wheel.

“Uh!” I said, throwing my hands up. Even worse…

“I’m kidding,” she laughed.

“Hello? Anyone here?” a familiar voice called out when I heard the alarm chirp twice and then the front door close. Around the corner, Brian emerged in some nice jeans and a green dress shirt with a brown jacket. I climbed down from the bar and hugged him. I don’t know what came over me, but…I hugged him and I was glad he hugged me back.

“Hey, Grace is here—hi?” Mia said, rushing in from the back door. She looked at Brian and I, who were separating.

“This is Brian,” I introduced.

“Welcome to the party, Brian. I’m Mia,” she greeted with a perfect smile. “Well, like I said, Grace is here with the rest of her gang and I’d love for you to meet her.”

I looked up at Brian and then seized his wrist to tow him out to the party with Lulu at my side.

“…and so I’d like to say congratulations Gracie and thanks for serving this wonderful country that has given you and your family great opportunities and freedoms,” Mr. Lindsay concluded. There was a girl in camo pants and a white tank top. She was beautiful from a distance with dark wavy hair and tanned skin. She looked tough though. I understood why Callaghan, Archer, and Ty made those crude comments about her.

The four of us made our way over to the Army boys and Nelly, who were waiting for Grace to come over as she hugged and said hi to everyone on her passage over to us.

“Gracie, it’s great to have you home,” Mia said, immediately hugging her. I was right; she was beautiful.

“Yeah, Gracie, it’s so nice having you home,” Archer teased, opening his arms as if asking for a hug. Grace lunged for him and Archer flinched back, throwing Ty in front of him who was laughing at the coward.

“Nice to have you back, cousin,” Nelly smiled before also taking Grace into a hug. Then she gestured to me. “This is my wonderful roommate, Angel, Mia’s roommate, Lulu—oh, and my newest roommate, Brian.”

“Hey,” Grace said as if absent minded with no emotion when she shook each of our hands and gave Brian and I a particular look. She was tough and—like everyone seemed to describe—didn’t show emotion, so I still smiled back in greeting.

And in all of this, Brian shook hands and was introduced to Archer, Callaghan, and Ty.

“Please don’t tell me this is your boyfriend, because in my wish, I wished for four beautiful single ladies,” Archer whined. He suddenly raised an eyebrow and turned to Grace. “Unless Grace is one…”

“Archer,” Grace addressed with clenched teeth.

“Yes, my love?” Archer teased, batting his eyelashes. Grace reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder as he slightly flinched. Hah.

“I’ll be yours when h3ll freezes over, got it?” Grace smiled deviously before sliding her hand up to his neck and pressing down on his pressure point. The side of his head met his shoulder instantaneously in response as he stepped away from her in pain.

“I’ll start planning the wedding,” he said in a faint voice. Grace only narrowed her eyes at him. I was laughing along with everyone else.

“No worries. We’re just friends,” Brian said anyways as the cause to this…mess?

“Speaking of friends…” Callaghan started to change the subject. “Where’s Streeter and Tyler?”

Normally at “Tyler”, I’d assume it to be Zac, but of course Tyler was a common first name, so there’d be no point. Even Lulu looked over at me at the mention of that name, but I didn’t care anymore.

“Bringing in my cake from the car,” Grace answered.

“The surprise is a cake?” Archer asked with an unreadable expressed. He suddenly took Grace in a hug and swung her around. “I knew you loved me! I LOVE CAKE!”

This time, she grabbed a certain part of his elbow and he dropped to the ground as if unconscious. Grace only flashed a smile to the rest of us.

“So where’s the cake?” Nelly asked, rubbing her hands together. The only one concerned about Archer on the ground was Lulu and I just grinned at the interesting group of people before me.

“Here they come,” Ty notified. We looked to the front gate across from the beach exit of the backyard. There were two guys walking in, carrying the huge cake as if it wasn’t as heavy as it looks. The one walking forward looked as if he could use some help, though. He was a skinny-looking boy with a mess of hair and bright, clear eyes that I could see from here. The other boy, dressed in a white T-shirt—that’s sleeves were too small for his huge muscles—and some worn-down jeans along with the typical camouflage cap and beige Army boots with no flaws aside from the tint of dust on the heels.

“Why’d you get Streeter of all people to carry a cake that probably weighs more than him?” Callaghan asked.

“Because he does whatever I say without argument,” Grace answered with confidence.

“You know, not everyone is scared of you,” Archer said as he sat down on the ground, conscious now. Grace smirked and then lunged for him again and he held his hands up defensively. He took the initiative to just lay back onto the green grass himself, well aware of the consequences of messing with Grace to any extent.

“Whatever,” Grace laughed.

“Well…let’s go get some cake,” Mia smiled in suggestion. We all made our way over to table that they set the cake on. It read: “Thanks for your support” and it had the American flag with blue icing and star sprinkles for the starred square and lines of half-cut strawberries for the stripes.

“It’s cheesy, but I plan on it tasting good,” Grace expressed. She looked to the awkward guy—Streeter?—and thanked him with a nod. The other guy, she placed a hand on his shoulder as his back was still to all of us as he cut the cake into pieces and handed out our servings to the empty table surrounding the cake’s platform.

“Nelly, Mia, this is my newest and closest…” Grace introduced, assuming Tyler would turn around at that simple introduction, but he didn’t. Grace clicked her tongue and tugged at his arm. He reached over to a piece of cake and did what no one—especially not Archer—would attempt; he put icing on her face. I expected her to send a knee to his groin or something, but instead, she wiped it off with a napkin and gave a wimpy hit to his shoulder. Maybe she showed sympathy because Tyler could be her boyfriend or something. I just snuck a piece of cake off of the table and started to eat a piece of strawberry as Grace continued to wipe of the icing. “As I was saying, this is my newest, closest, and almost as annoying as Archer—”

“Aw. What can I say? We roomed with each other and I rubbed off on him,” Archer expressed, now standing up with us, somehow with a plate of cake in his hands as one of his arms were wrapped around Lulu’s waist.

Grace’s “newest, closest, and almost annoying as Archer” friend turned around and with a perfectly crooked smile to everyone, slowly fading as he laid his eyes on Lulu with his apparent “roommate”. I didn’t wait for him to look over to Brian and me. My plate of cake fell to the grass as something was caught in my throat and the only rational thing for me to do was turn and run inside the beach house as soon I recognized him and Grace said two names that I was well aware of: “Zac Tyler.”