Because what better way to spend our last summer before college?
What better way to spend our last summer with the beach house?
“Wow,” I said loudly, turning back to Lee’s parents. “That sure does sound like a real pain.”
“Especially with all the roadwork going on this summer,” Lee added.
“And all that cleaning is gonna berough.”
“Gonna have to get at all those weeds…”
I saw Noah looking at us like we’d gone mad (which was a look he gave us relatively frequently, in fairness) before it dawned on him, too.
“Gonna have to patch up the driveway, too,” Noah pitched in, giving his parents a probably-too-serious look and nodding when they turned to him.
“Constantly having to drive out here all the time, to check up on all that work.” Lee sighed, brow furrowing. “Right, Rach?”
“Right,” she said quickly. “Right. Totally. It’s gonna take up a whole lot of time over the next two or three months. That’s a lot of work.”
“Somuch work,” I added.
June and Matthew looked at each other for a long moment, half confused and half amused. She pursed her lips, obviously trying to hold back a smile; he gave a helpless shrug.
“All right,” June said, clapping her hands and twisting to face us again, looking at each of us in turn for a long moment with a piercing mom stare. “Spill it. What are you kids getting at?”
Lee took the lead, declaring with a grand voice, “So glad you asked, Mother Dearest! Since this is going to be our final summer in the beach house, what with your hearts shrinking ten sizes and shriveling in your greed and old age, and since you’ve decided todestroymy delicate childhood memories, it seems to me you guys could use someone—orsomeones—here to help coordinate stuff….”
“And we’d be happy to stay here for the summer and take care of things for you guys,” Noah said, taking over. “We can do a bunch of the work, too. Except the gutters, obviously, since Dad’s already done such astellarjob of those.”
I could’ve smacked my hands over both their mouths. Lee calling his parents greedy and old, Noah making fun of his dad’s DIY abilities…Yeah,I thought.Way to sell it, boys.
“WOW, Noah!” I interrupted as Lee drew breath, putting on my best infomercial voice. “That sounds like a win-win foreverybody! This summer, ladies and gents, for one summer only, a one-time exclusive offer! Get your beloved family beach house cleaned up for saleandhave live-in supervisors to help manage the sale! Just call one-eight-hundred-US-GUYS to make sure you don’t miss out!”
Matthew cracked a little smile, but June’s face only turned stonier. “And I suppose it’ll takeall four of youhere to supervise.”
“A package deal, I’m afraid,” Lee said. “No refunds, no exchanges.”
“We’ll take real good care of this place,” I told them earnestly. “You know we will. I mean, who else could you trust to look after this place better than us?”
Lee added, “And we can all still be here for Fourth of July! Mom, you always say how important it is to keep traditions.”
“Itwouldbe a great way to say goodbye to the place,” Rachel said tentatively.
“And Lee will even take out the trash every Sunday,” Noah promised, winking at his little brother and clapping him around the shoulders. Lee pulled a face back at him, but it was brief, before he turned a beaming face on his parents.
“So…Mom? Dad? What do you say?”
They exchanged another look, and I could hear the dramatic music playing out in my head, like we were onThe Voiceand waiting to hear who’d won the final vote. The seconds dragged on into eternity and I could’ve sworn not a single one of us was breathing. Even Noah looked tense, excited.
Matthew drew a long, deep breath, taking anageto let it out again.
June looked back at us once more.
“All right. You kids can stay here for the summer.”
I shrieked, jumping into the air, my arms flailing, hands flapping. Lee crouched down before punching the air, jumping, too. Rachel let out an excited squeal.
Noah’s arms wrapped around my waist and he lifted me up into the air, spinning me around. He set me back down quickly to wrestle Lee into a headlock, messing up his hair and then high-fiving Rachel.
