This Ordinary Life (26 page)

“You think you'd be up for leaving the house in a few days?”

“Um, where to? I'm not really up for planning any big nights out, fun or horrible, but I can probably hobble somewhere close by.”

“My school's end of year carnival. I kind of have to go, as I'm broadcasting the first hour from there. It will probably be mostly dumb, but there will be good food, and games and stuff. It's down at the community park so I could prop you up on a bench or something.”

“Prop me up? Geez, you make me sound like a mop.” Wes laughs, and it's that deep, honest, totally amused and happy laugh that I really, really love. He winces with the pain it causes, but his smile doesn't falter for long.

“Come here, you.” He pulls me closer, dipping his head to kiss me again.

“G
OOD AFTERNOON
E
ASTON
High! Welcome to the Hello Summer Carnival and I'd like to give a big, huge shout out to the student organizers and parent volunteers.” I flip my headphones on, the gorgeous yellow Bortans from the sweetest boyfriend a girl could have. “I'm playing a summertime mix for you all, so mix, mingle, ride and eat, and mostly, sit back, relax, and kick off your summer with some fun in the sun!” I start my playlist and music screams from the speakers around the impromptu DJ table. Ms. Hudson gives me a thumbs up from over at one of the food stands. I wave back and scan the crowd for Frankie.

“Are you taking requests?” Wes hobbles closer to the table, his crutches clattering loudly.

“That depends,” I answer, pushing my headphones down to hang around my neck.

“On?” Familiar mischief dances in his eyes. He licks his lips and I shiver, remembering the last few nights where hanging out at Wes's house and kissing was pretty much my one and only agenda. All in the name of nursing him back to health, of course.

“What's in it for me?”

Wes shakes his head and laughs. “All in good time, my Sunny. All in good time.” He hobbles with his crutches, moving around the table. I slide my headphones back on to change the song. I'm dying to tell him about the surprise I have planned for him later today. I can barely contain it, like putting a cap on a container of lit fireworks.

“All right, Easton students and parents. Hope you're having fun out there. Here's a good one to pump up the blood and energy level around here. Feel free to dance if you're stuck in line. DJ Jasmine Torres highly recommends it.” I hit a few buttons and push the headphones off again.

Hands grasp my waist and I jump, turning around quickly to see Wes's devilish grin.

“Holy crap,” I say. “You scared me.”

“I'm sorry,” he says, bending his head to mine. “Make it up to you?”

I roll my eyes, but I'm at a loss for my normal sarcastic quips. What can I say, Wes's lips? They unarm me.

He gives me light, but sexy kisses, slow ones that press and pull back, teasing me even as I return them, making me hungry as hell for more. And he does give me more, but just a little at a time, the kisses coming one after another, slow and soft and steadily rising, like he's been gifted with some kind of insane and intense gift for buildup. Like I'm being kissed by someone other than an ordinary boy. I shiver against him.

A familiar voice behind me breaks the spell.

“Well, well, well.” Frankie says. “I am assuming this is Wes. So is it true? Do I finally get to meet mystery boy?”

I spin around and smile at my best friend. “Indeed it is. Don't mind the bruises, though. He's normally very cute.”

I giggle at my insult and he digs his fingers into my waist, making me jump and laugh harder.

“Yeah,” he says to Frankie. “Don't mind them at all.” He lowers his voice. “She's a bit rough when we… you know.”

“Oh my God, Wes!” I smack him on the chest as the song is ending.

“Hang on,” I say.

“Hello Easton. This is my last set coming up. It's been great serving you this year and playing the tunes that make you
groove. I'm turning the mike over to DJ Romeo, so have a good summer!”

I bob my head as the last set starts and look out over the crowd. My school may be tiny and dumb at times, but it's my place. And I know I'm moving up next year to senior and to bigger things beyond. I'll be a New York City intern this summer at WYN60 and Get Up and Go. This school? This town? It's just the beginning for me.

Speaking of beginnings.

Frankie and Wes wait for me outside the DJ area, talking about who knows what. I pack up my equipment and hand the broadcast over to the next student DJ before hopping down from the platform.

“You kicked ass!” Frankie says, excited as always. “Now, let's get some cotton candy!”

Wes pulls me in for a hug and drops his lips to mine again. I kiss him back, taking care not to bump his broken nose.

“Great,” Frankie says. “Is this what I have to watch all day?”

I laugh and pull away, feeling my cheeks warm. “Sorry,” I say. But I can't help it. I snuggle into Wes's side once more and give him a quick peck on the cheek.

Frankie rolls her eyes. “Okay, enough already. You, get your equipment. You, get your crutches. This girl is starving.”

I hike my bag onto my back. “Hang on,” I say. “My mom and Danny are coming. I promised them I'd eat with them and introduce her to Wes.”

“Wait, what?” Frankie steps back. “Elena is coming here?”

I nod and can feel the small smile playing on my lips. “Things are getting better. So much better. She has a really long way to go, but I think she means it this time. I hope she means it this time. She's even going to AA meetings or whatever.” I lean in and lower my voice. “She even sold the stereo.”

“Wow,” Frankie says, hooking her arm through mine. “This shall be known as the year of transformations.”

We walk slowly as Wes clomps along on his crutches.

“Speaking of, jerk at three o'clock.”

I follow her gaze and see Sebastian at the Tilt-a-Whirl, his arms wrapped around yet another new girl.

“Is that Kelly DeMarco?” Frankie asks incredulously. “Wow, Seb gets around, huh?”

“I think it is,” I say. “Good luck to her. Sebastian gets sick as anything on rides. He'll probably puke all over her.”

I giggle as we walk in the other direction and I can honestly say, other than shock at seeing Sebastian at a school event, I no longer feel any emotion toward him at all. The lingering scars he left remain, but I am so much happier now.

I get funnel cake for me and a sausage and peppers sandwich for Wes. Frankie traipses off in search of cotton candy and I search the field behind the food vendors for signs of the surprise I've planned for Wes. My eyes light up when I find where they've set up the trailer.

“Cool,” Wes says, looking up. “We have a good view from here.”

I smile. “Of course. I planned it this way.” But this isn't the half of it, I want to add, as the airshow begins, small planes doing dips and loops overhead. The crowd oohs and ahs, people plopping down on the grass and filling the tables around us to watch the show.

Frankie comes back with my mom and Danny in tow. “Look who I found!”

Danny bounds over to us. “Wes!” He throws himself at Wes, wrapping his arms around him.

Wes winces. “Hey kid, what's up?”

“Careful Danny, Wes has some broken bones,” Mom says, coming up behind my brother, holding a tray with hot dogs and
French fries and drinks. Her daisy chain tattoo peeks out from under her watchband and I smile.

“Danny do you need me to cut that up for you?” I nod to his hot dog.

“I'm not a baby, Jazzy. You don't have to do stuff like that. I'm a big kid. I'm always trying to tell you that!”

“Oh. Yeah. Of course you can. Go for it.” I scoot back on my seat next to Wes and he squeezes my hand. Danny's right, he is perfectly capable of doing things for himself. I've gotten so used to taking care of him, it's just become natural for me to worry all the time and do everything he needs. Kind of like Wes's mom did to him over the years. But Danny is growing up. And he needs some independence.

I scoot over to make room for Mom. She plops down beside me and starts divvying out the food. Her hands shake a little less today, her body still going through alcohol withdrawal. I hadn't realized what a physical dependency she had on the booze, only what it was doing to our family. I get it now, that her alcoholism is a disease, just like epilepsy is for Danny. I vow again what I told her last night, that I will help her when she needs it, that I'll try to be more understanding. I'll even go to the meetings or whatever if I can. She has a really long way to go, but she's trying and willing. I hope it sticks. For the first time, I really truly believe it could work.

She looks up at the sky and smiles at the airplanes. “This is really cool,” she says.

I put my sunglasses on, blinking back a sudden and furious gathering of tears.

The airshow lasts about half an hour. Wes's grin is bigger than I've ever seen it, his eyes dancing with the movements of the planes. The excitement in my gut barely lets me enjoy the show. When it's over, I tap Wes's arm. “Come with me,” I say. “I have a surprise for you.”

He raises his eyebrows but hobbles up to standing.

“Have fun!” Frankie yells as we leave the table. Mom grins. I clued them in earlier.

“That was incredible! Wow. Did you see that prop plane? So cool. But, what's this surprise stuff about?” Wes asks, huffing as he crutches across the field. I had this idea before his accident, and was glad they could still accommodate him, crutches and casts and all.

“I told you I'd pay you back,” I answer, weaving through the grounds slowly, with a hand on his arm.

“Really? Are we going back to my house or yours?”

“You really are such an idiot.” I laugh.

We step onto the grassy area behind the last vendors and Wes's smirk falls from his face. He looks at me, wide-eyed, and once again, I can imagine exactly what he looked like as a little kid. That same magic lights his features now.

“What is this?” he asks.

The planes from the airshow are lined up on the field. “They're done for the carnival, but I got a few to stick around so you can tour them and check them out. I know you've always dreamed of the Air Force and being a pilot and have a thing for planes, so I thought you'd like it.”

“Oh wow,” he says, mesmerized by the planes.

“And,” I say, barely able to contain myself. “They are going to take you up, too!”

“What?” Disbelief tinged with excitement turns Wes's features into an even more adorable canvas than usual.

“Yep. The parent who arranged the whole thing actually owns one of the planes. The Quest Turboprop, it's called?

“What! Are you serious? This is amazing!” Wes starts moving faster on his crutches, his eyes darting between the planes.

I grin, feeling as proud as if I'd built one of these planes myself. “Yep. He agreed to take you up for a low ride. I know
you're big on the old planes. The pilot says this is probably the closest to the kind you've always wanted to fly.”

Wes shakes his head and looks out over the field, obviously drooling over the planes. “Jasmine, this is incredible.”

I laugh. “I think that's the first time you've called me by my name.”

Wes stares at the planes on the field. “Momentary insanity, Sunny.”

“Come on,” I say, moving toward them.

Wes bends down to kiss me, one hand cradling my cheek. His few soft kisses deepen quickly and border on getting a little too intense for a big, wide-open field where anyone can see us. He pulls away and rests his forehead against mine. Our breaths come quick between us.

“Thanks,” Wes says. “For the dream come true.”

I hook my arm through his, and help him cross the field.

Dream come true, indeed.

This is DJ Jasmine Torres, signing off. Have a good day, listeners. I know I will.

There is a book in every writer's life that is the “book of their heart,” and
This Ordinary Life
is it for me. This book resonates on a deeply personal level and has been percolating for some time in my subconscious. Thank you to everyone who helped me take it from those deep recesses of my mind to these pages, to make it a real, live, breathing thing that I can hold in my hands. (Yes, books are living things!)

Thank you to everyone whose support and loving guidance helped to shape this story, specifically my beta readers and critique partners: your tough love was quite simply the one and only reason this book came to be. Thank you Kate Boorman, Erin Brambilla, Lauren Cerruto, Dawn Miller, Jamie Reed, Shveta Thakrar, Becky Yeager, and extra thanks to Melanie Kramer whose endless brainstorming, rereading, text messaging, chatting, and emailing helped make these characters who they have become.

Hive five to everyone in the YAWN crew, too! :)

To all my various writing groups: The LBs, The Purgies, the Ynots—thanks for being there as we all take this crazy journey together. (And becoming some of the greatest friends, in the process.)

To my editor Tracy Richardson and my publisher, Luminis Books. I'm so happy to work on another project with you all again!

To my family and friends, whose love and support of not only my writing, but also my life, keep me going. I could not exist without you.

To my parents for their endless, unwavering, support and pride: Thank you. I love you so much.

To my husband and children, who give me so much encouragement and help and endless understanding and support—I am so grateful. You put up with so much when I'm in novel-writing mode, and I thank you for not minding unfolded laundry or leftovers.

And to all those whose enthusiasm for my books keeps me writing and excited to share them with you: Thank you, a million times, thank you! I read every reader email, post, or tweet with a huge smile on my face and a heaping dose of gratitude in my heart. Thank you for reading my books and being excited about them. I am so lucky.