Free Caitlin by Jade Parker Page B

was back to Romeo after having her moment with Jake? She was really too much.
    “He’ll be at tomorrow night’s meeting,” Whitney said, but her voice was a little tight, as though maybe she was thinking Jasmine needed to be off the team. Fine with me.
    “What meeting tomorrow night?” I asked.
    “We’re having a team meeting tomorrow night after the park closes. Did I forget to mention that? Lights Fantastic is going to set up a couple of lights to get some readings and measurements or something. I figured we should be there.”
    “Most definitely,” Jasmine said. “I could file a report if no one else wants to be there tomorrow night.”
    Not to be mean, but I didn’t think she knew how to file anything except a fingernail.
    “Thanks, Jasmine, but I really want the entire team there,” Whitney said.
    “Whatever.”
    “Well, yeah, since I’m the person in charge.”
    I had a feeling that Whitney liked Jasmine about as much as I did. Imagine that. We were in sync. By the end of summer, maybe we’d be best friends.
    “Why are you in charge?” Jasmine asked.
    “Because it was my idea.”
    “You thought of the Fourth of July?”
    Jake’s mouth dropped open. Me? I figured Jasmine’s dumbness was just an act. Maybe she thought guys dug stupid girls. But I knew my brother didn’t, and I figured he was pretty typical for a guy.
    I stood up. “I’m outta here. I gotta get something to eat — something that’s a normal color — before I go back to work.”
    Everyone else mumbled something about needing to eat, and Whitney adjourned the meeting.
    “She’s a piece of work,” I said to Robyn as we headed to the food court. Without me saying it, she knew who I was talking about: Jasmine.
    “Don’t let her bug you.”
    “She was hanging all over Michael yesterday.”
    “So, do you like him?”
    “No.”
    “Then why do you care?”
    “It’s just not fair that she can get any guy’s attention.”
    “She might get it but she can’t hold it. She and Tanner already broke up.”
    “If they were really even together for more than a kiss.”
    We went to Scavenger’s. Although it was a sturdy building, it looked like a shack that would collapse at any moment, as though it had survived a storm. It was all part of the island illusion. They served hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, candy, and anything else unhealthy. Robyn and I each bought a regular-colored hot dog. We sat at a table beneath an umbrella.
    “So does Whitney like Jake?” I asked.
    “I think so. They sorta hang around together, but he hasn’t really asked her to doanything with him. She always does the asking.”
    “She tells you everything, doesn’t she?”
    “No, not really.”
    “What do you think her big secret is?”
    “I don’t know. I think Sean knows. I’m trying not to get mad at him for not telling me.”
    “He knows if he told you that you’d tell me. I mean, best friends tell each other everything and he knows it.”
    A little secretive smile spread over her face before she bit into her hot dog.
    Okay, she wasn’t telling me some things, but that was okay. Because I knew I didn’t really want to know if it involved my brother.
    After we finished eating, we headed in opposite directions. She went back to Mini Falls and I strolled to Tsunami. The wind picked up and I could see dark clouds rolling in. I groaned. It was always a pain when it rained. Well, not the rain so much. The lightning. If we spotted lightning orheard thunder, we had to clear the pools. I’d had more than enough of evacuating pools this week.
    As I neared Tsunami, I started glancing around. I didn’t even realize what I was looking for until I spotted Michael and my heart gave a little kick. He was playing in the water with his brothers. He hadn’t arrived before I left for the meeting, so I’d figured he wasn’t coming today. I’d been disappointed. But now I felt this strange little excitement.
    I watched as he picked up one of his brothers and