Free 18 Things by Jamie Ayres Page B

I’ll just wait till I come around/ Back to this side of town/ That night, I’m sitting at my coffee table/ Wondering if I’m able/ Coming up with the band name is the hardest part/ I wish I could shop for one at Discount Mart/ Then, I remembered those cymbals in your hands/ And I knew what to call the band/ Cantankerous Monkey Squad/ Our problem finally solved/ I screamed Oh My Gawd, Oh My Gawd/ Next day, I walked back to Washington Street/ Not caring at all about Grand Haven’s heat/ But the cashier said we’re all sold out/ And I became the same boy who used to pout/ But I’ll always remember the way you bobbed your head/ Cantankerous Monkey Squad is what you said.”
    After the three-minute stint ended, the song was rewarded with applause, and goose bumps spread over my arms and legs. Then, Robert’s firm hand was on my shoulder, Loria next to him. We just stood there for what seemed like a long time. I think each of us tried hard not to cry, to say something meaningful. But words failed to express what we felt, so silence hung in the air. Sometimes, I realized, you just had to show up, to be there for someone. No matter what my future held, Robert and Loria had been a huge part of my past, and a piece of them would always go with me. I was glad I came tonight, after all.
    “That was really special,” Robert finally said.
    Loria leaned closer. “Thank you. And I want you to know, we don’t blame you for what happened. I’m sorry if it seemed like we did, at the hospital. We were hurting, but we should’ve handled it better. You were always like a second daughter to us, and we loved you like Conner did. If you ever need anything—she tilted her head toward Robert, seeming to draw strength from him to get the words out—“you have our number.”
    Then, she ducked her head, avoiding eye contact as tears fell, and walked away.
    I broke into a cold sweat as Robert followed her across the yard. Leaning to the left, I stole a marshmallow off the paper plate in Nicole’s lap, then shoved the sugary substance in my mouth, fighting the urge to cry.
    “You’re supposed to toast that first, silly girl,” Nate said, handing me a skewer. He stood, his back to me for a moment, then handed another metal stick to Sean.
    “Here you go, buddy.”
    “Wow. What a gentleman this guy is, fixing my marshmallow stick for me and everything”—Sean held it in the air in a toast—“To Olga, for getting our song on the air.” He placed the wooden skewer over the fire.
    I studied Nate’s face like it was the most important thing in the world, searching for his motive for doing something so oddly kind. As he plopped down on the glider again, I scooted closer to him and whispered, “What was that about?” I hoped this form of homosocial intimacy toward Sean was as far as their bromance went.
    He slid his arm around me. “The least I can do for letting me in the band.”
    “Wait, so it’s official?” I asked, because they’d only been practicing together for the past month, or messing around as they put it, making sure he’d be a good fit. I think they just hadn’t been ready to replace Conner yet, and of course, I could relate.
    A huge burst of pops sounded like Independence Day came four days too early as Sean’s marshmallow stick exploded. Gooey fluff flew everywhere, like the scene in
Ghostbusters
when the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man blew to pieces.
    “
What was that
?” Sean said, jumping back a step or two.
    Nate’s face prominently featured a mischievous grin.
    “Dude, did you just put my marshmallow on the end of a firecracker?”
    Nate nodded, laughing.
    “That’s freakin’
awesome
!”
    They high-fived each other, and everyone burst into laughter.
    “I knew that wasn’t just some random act of kindness,” I told Nate.
    Sean took long, gasping breaths. “How’d you think of that, man?”
    “These things just come to me. It’s not so hard to pull pranks when you’re surrounded by gullible