Page 57 of Already Falling

Hey, sorry if I made things weird, with the ping-pong thing.

Annika

no worries, it’s cool. I know you’re still upset I beat you

Reid

lol ya right, i demand a rematch!

but maybe we should talk about that, the whole thing, at some point.

I am about to respond but am halted by Chloe’s shriek.

“It’s perfect. It looks just like my Dandy!” Chloe turns to me, beaming a smile from ear to ear.

“Let’s hang it next to the postcards. We can make a gallery wall.”

We enter through our front door to a giddy kitten jumping from each of us. We set our haul down and sprawl on the couches, taking turns trying on our finds and doing our best catwalks down the hallway leading to our bedrooms from the living room. Chloe found a stunning sundress in aqua with a white and pastel yellow print that brightens her eyes.

“This was the best weekend I’ve had in years,” Chloe says, plopping down on the couch, a fuzzy Dandy in her arms.

“Same. We need to have girl days more often,” I say.

“Agreed,” Chloe says, yawning, eyes batting softly until she sinks into the couch, clearly tired from the long day.

I quietly head into the kitchen to make a snack and remember I never texted Reid back.

Annika

for you, i’m available…at some point :)

Reid’s birthday is on the Fourth of July, and we all agreed we would spend the day doing whatever he wanted. He made sure to say at least three times that he wanted to avoid all the Fourth of July festivities and spend the day wandering different bookstores and record stores. Chloe surprises him and says that he can pick out as many books as he wants from her bookstore within ninety seconds. I’ve never seen him so excited before. Like a little kid in a candy store. We let him take five minutes to look around before pulling him back to the entrance. I have the timer ready on my phone and hit start. He swiftly darts around the aisles, grabbing as many books as he can. Tyler lists his selections as he picks them up, trailing behind Reid, darting from shelf to shelf.

“Fantasy! All three in the series!” Tyler says as he is on Reid’s tail. The sight of two grown men pacing around a bookstore is the funniest thing.

“He just took one of each of these graphic novels. Hope you got stock in the back, Chloe!”

Reid isn’t saying a word, concentrating on the books in front of him and darting over to the nonfiction section.

“Millennial Money and History of Film Photography were just added to the pile.” The last one is an interesting choice, I think. The timer goes off, and Tyler holds Reid’s shoulders to stop him from grabbing books. He saunters over to the registers with his haul and looks like the happiest boy in the world.

After our bookstore charade, we find an independent record store in a neighboring town that also has a cafe attached. Probably the best cafe fusion place I’ve been to yet. We sip lattes and flip through the stacks of records.

I am flipping through pop punk albums and stumble upon a Sum 41’s record All Killer No Filler. Is it strange if I get this for him? We have been edging around the topic of our past. This could be another poke in the direction. Sure, I’ve been avoiding it, but it feels like it needs to happen. I’m just going to go for it. What the heck? It is risky, but if that day on the beach is a memory for him like it is for me, it’s a happy one. Just to be safe, I’ll throw a couple of other records on the stack.

We end the day at his Uncle Martin’s house, who lives near the hills. His house is a spacious craftsman with a big backyard and patio. Reid’s parents even drove up from the Bay Area. It is my first time seeing Sean Parker since I was a kid, but he recognizes me instantly when I walk in and pulls me in for a big hug.

“I’m so happy you’re back in Reid’s life,” he says as we pull away.

“I am, too. It feels like no time has passed,” I say.

“Has he shown you the card he was supposed to give you yet? I found it going through some old things. I just dropped off another box of his stuff when we got here yesterday. Can’t wait to move up here with Pam later this year.”

The card? I suddenly remember Reid saying he made a card to give me in middle school. “No, he hasn’t.”

“Well, remind him, it is the cutest thing ever. He has—had such a crush on you.” Sean smiles and pats my shoulder, walking back to tend the grill.

We gather around the porch as Reid opens his gifts. Tyler gave him a shirt from L.L. Bean, which makes Reid double over in laughter. Not sure why nautical New England apparel is funny, but it’s clearly an inside joke between the two. The cutest bromance I’ve seen.