Free This Summer by Katlyn Duncan Page B

ask him.
    “Piano,” he says under his breath.
    “Nice,” I say honestly.
    He looks up at me as he was waiting for the ball to drop.
    I grin. “What type of music do you play?”
    “Mostly classical, that’s what my teacher likes. But I like to play Billy Joel on my own.”
    “You’ll have to play for me sometime.”
    His eyes widen. “Really?”
    “Yeah, I’m a big fan.”
    I pat him on the shoulder and he sprints to his brother, grinning. He whispers something into Harry’s ear and Harry high-fives his brother.
    Hadley and Lily careen by me, wrapped in a private conversation. I make my way over to Tyler, his partner Skye nowhere to be found.
    “Hey,” I say and Tyler gives me a fist-bump.
    “How goes it?” He scans the group in front of him, just as I am.
    I lean against the wall next to him. “I forgot how much energy they have.”
    Tyler smirks. “You’ll be back in the groove in no time.”
    “Are you helping with the carnival set-up?” I ask.
    Tyler checks his paper schedule, tucked into his back pocket. “Yup, you?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Nothing like a good sweat mid-day to keep the energy up.”
    Mr. Beauman enters the room followed by the Elective instructors, a mix of about a dozen men and women. He quickly introduces the instructors and I take the moment to mull over the pecking order of projects at the house.
    “How’s everything going with Hadley?” Tyler asks, still facing forward.
    “Fine.”
    He swallows and nods his head. “That’s cool.”
    I raise my eyebrows. “Is it?”
    He turns his head, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Of course. Want to make sure we have a tight group this year.” He presses his lips together and turns his attention to Mr. Beauman.
    My eyes find Hadley. She’s watching the kids move toward their instructors as their names are called. First Lily and now Tyler. I look back and forth between the girls and Tyler. Am I missing something? To them it was probably a dick move for skipping town, but did I underestimate the ripple effect? Hadley seems fine with it. Isn’t that all that matters?
    In a matter of minutes the kids are following their new instructors out of the gym. A few of the counselors leave as well, onto their assigned tasks, Lily included. Hadley, Tyler and I meet in the middle of the gym. Hadley’s eyes remain on her father who is typing something on his phone.
    “Hey there,” Skye greets from behind me.
    “Hey.”
    She leans against Tyler’s arm. “It’s nice to get a break, huh?”
    “Not for long,” Tyler mumbles under his breath.
    “All right!” Mr. Beauman says and tilts his head to the side. “Let’s get to work.”
    ***
    We follow him down the hallway toward the back of the building. “This week you will help with the set-up for the carnival,” he instructs without turning around. “The contractor will be here tomorrow with his team to put everything together but we need to bring the game booths out there for him.”
    I remember the food carts and rides come the day before the carnival but all the games have been a part of the Parks Department for years. They are constructed each season for that one night.
    We enter the storage room, barely big enough for the five of us with all the wood pieces we’ve been assigned to bring to the back of the building. I grab two sets of canvas gloves from a nearby shelf and hand a set to Hadley.
    “Thanks,” she says, meeting my eyes.
    I lead her to one of the smaller pieces in front. “Lift with your legs.”
    “I know,” she snaps, but her eyes sparkle. “This isn’t my first rodeo, cowboy. Remember I helped build your tree house?”
    I heft a majority of the weight and begin to walk backwards out of the room. “I hardly think carrying my tool bag was helping.”
    “Well I lifted it with my legs,” she notes, rolling her eyes.
    I guide us down the hall and through the propped open back door. Hadley’s teeth dig into her bottom lip from effort and I pick up the pace before