I sat on the hood of my roommate's car, watching as people piled onto a ferry that would take them to Harper's island, where my close friend is getting married to the man she loves.
"Get off my car, Mance!" My roommate yelled. I turned around and flipped her off.
"You know you'll miss me." I replied to her yelling.
"Not at the moment I don't." She honked the horn. I jumped off the car and picked up my duffle bag and camera bag, "I'll send your stuff to the island in a few days."
"Thank you, Lisa!" I waved at her, and then started down to the ferry. By the time I reached ramp, was I attacked by my friend, and the bride to be, Trish Wellington, "It is good to see you, Trish." I said, hugging her.
"What were you doing up there?" She asked, pointing to Lisa's car.
"Taking pictures." I motioned to my camera bag.
"Well if it isn't little Brooklyn." A man said. He walked up to Trish's side and kissed her.
"Hello Henry. And I thought you would know by now not to call me Brooklyn." I glowered at him.
"Sorry. It's just it's been too long." I punched him lightly.
"Call me Brooklyn one more time Dunn, and it will be the last thing you do." He was still for a second before wrapping me in a giant hug.
"I've missed your feisty spirit, Tristan."
"And I missed you." I wrapped my arms around him and kissed his cheek. Trish laughed at us. Henry let me down and I ducked behind him and walked up to a tall blonde man, "Chris!" He turned around and almost dropped his bottle of beer.
"Tristan!" He yelled. I jumped out of the way of a hug and grabbed the bottle of beer.
"Thank you."
"Who is this little thing?" A dark skinned man said. I smiled at him and walked over to him.
"I'm Tristan. I grew up with Henry and Chris." I held out my hand and he shook it.
"Tristan?" He arched an eyebrow.
"Brooklyn Tristan. I despise being called Brooklyn."
"Why?"
"Her brother." Henry said, joining us.
"My brother calls me Brooklyn. And he's the only one that can call me that." I glared at Henry, "By the way, I never caught your name."
"Danny Brooks." He said. I smiled at him, and then turned to the other 2 men standing around the beer cooler, "Malcolm Ross and Joel Booth."
"Pleasure to meet all of you." I pulled my jacket off and let my long dusty brown hair out of the ponytail it was in. After a quick shake of my head, my hair fell in graceful waves down my back. I then sat down on the beer cooler and stretched my legs out, "So how do you know Henry?"
"College." Danny said, motioning to Joel, Malcolm, and himself, "What about you?"
"Grew up on the island. Meet him and this idiot one summer and we've been close since." I looked over at Chris and saw him eyeing me, "Remember what happened last time?" He stopped gawking at me and looked the other way.
"What happened?" Danny looked interested.
"My brother found us one summer and almost impaled Chris. If I hadn't stopped him, Chris would be fish food right now." I jumped up and hugged him, "And maybe this time, things will work out." I winked at him and left to find Trish.
"My, my, someone is a big flirt." I heard a soft voice say. I turned around and saw Trish's sister, Shea staring at me.
"Guilty as charged." I smiled at her, "How's Madison?"
"Good. I'm surprise you remember her."
"I have an outstanding memory."
"How's college life?" She smiled mischievously at me.
"It's great. And not in the way you are thinking." I looked down the ramp and saw the one person I didn't think I would ever see again. Trish walked up to me and pulled me down to meet her. Henry had her in a hug by the time we got there.
"I told him you would come." Trish said. I smiled at my old friend.
"Hello Abby."
"Brook!" She said, slipping away from Henry to hug me.
"Just this once you can call me Brook. I'm getting tired of hearing it."
"So what am I supposed to call you?"
"Tristan." I smiled at her. I disappeared from her side and walked back to Chris and the others.
"I will call you Tristan under one condition." Chris said, watching me.
"And that would be, my dear?" I walked to the railing and leaned back on it.
"You stop calling me Chris, or Christopher."
"Why? Sully is not an attractive name at all." I arched my back, causing my chest to stick out even more. I saw his eyes drop to my chest and they stayed there, "See, this is why my brother almost impaled you. Next time I won't stop him." I stood up straight and saw Abby walk over to him. She grabbed his beer and downed it, "Now that's my Abby." I walked back to her side and got my own beer. I popped it open and drank some of it. As I brought the bottle down, the ferry started moving, "To a wonderful week on Harper's Island!" I raised my bottle and was met with the guys' bottles.
"Hear, Hear!" They cried. As the ferry continued on its journey, we all seemed to scatter around the ferry; Sully and Danny were the only ones to stay by my side.
"So what did you go to school for?" Sully asked.
"Forensics. I'm actually the only forensic investigator on the Island now." I replied.
"Forensics? Like CSI?" Danny asked.
"Yes, like CSI. I start working after the wedding." I rolled my eyes at them. I could tell it was going to be a long week on the Island.
After a long ferry ride, we finally reached the island. I pulled a hoodie out of my duffle bag and pulled it on over the form fitting gray shirt I was wearing. I heard Sully and Danny make a whining sound when I did.
"Grow up will ya?" I growled. As I walked off the ferry, I snapped a few more pictures and then slipped my camera in its bag. Once I stepped foot on the dock, I heard my name being yelled.
"Brooklyn Mance!" My brother yelled. I ran through the throng of people and to his boat and into a giant hug, "I'm all full of fish and you still hug me."
"That's what your hoodie is for." I retorted, "It's good to see you again Jimmy."
"Did you finish school?" He asked after setting me down.
"I did. And I have a job." I pulled the hoodie off and dropped in a pile next to the steering wheel. I smoothed my shirt out.
"Where?" He went back to work.
"Here. I work in the coroner's office as what ever the ME needs." I took a seat on the rail and watched him, "Where's Shane?"
"Just missed him."
"Damn. I wanted to see his expression to me being here."
"Let's not do that again." He held his parry knife pointed at me.
"Like I haven't been busy already. You remember Christopher Sullivan, right?"
"You mean that pompous ass that I almost impaled?"
"That would be him. He's back. And already looking at me."
"I bet he is." Jimmy growled and took his frustration out on the fish he was gutting.
"Easy there, Jimmy. No blood spill this time."
"Hey Tristan, let's go!" Sully yelled.
"Tristan?" Jimmy raised his eyebrows at that.
"I've decided Brooklyn is what only my most trusted friends and family can call me. So that means you, Abby, and Henry can call me that."
"Abby?" I nodded, getting off the boat.
"She's here." I pulled my camera out and snapped a picture of his face, "See you later, Jimmy!" I waltzed off. It turns out Sully and Danny saved me a spot on their trolley. I laughed and took a seat between them. It was a fun ride to the Candlewick, the main hotel on the island, were everyone was staying. Before Sully or Danny could offer, I was off the trolley with my bags and heading to my room. It was a fair sized room with a perfect view of the docks. As if they knew who I was. Someone knocked at my door, before opening it slowly.
"Dinner's at 7, Brooklyn." Maggie, the owner of the Candlewick said, "Formal wear."
"Thank you, Maggie." I turned to my suitcase that magically appeared on my bed and dug through it. I finally stopped and pulled out a strapless sun dress that would be perfect for the evening. I unpacked some of my things and then took a long hot shower. After drying off and pulling the dark blue and green dress on I styled my long hair so it fell in shimmering cascades down my shoulders and back. I applied a light layer of eye shadow to help bring out my deep ocean blue-green eyes and a faint layer of lip gloss over my full lips. After glancing at myself in the full length mirror, did I walk out of my room and down to dinner.
Needless to say, dinner was boring. So I slipped out and changed clothes before heading over to the Cannery for a fun night out. I, once again, glanced at myself in the mirror double checking my v-neck white shirt and teal undershirt and my denim flare jeans. I made it to the Cannery to see my brother and Shane playing pool.
"Tristan!" The bartender squeaked. She threw her arms around me in a tight hug.
"Nikki." She pulled back and checked me out.
"You look good."
"And so do you." I pulled away from her and walked over to Jimmy's side, "So, are you ready to get your ass kicked, Jimmy?" I whispered in his ear. He turned around and smiled at me.
"What do we have here? Little Tristan Mance, all grown up." Shane said, walking around to my other side. I hugged him, and then stole his spot at the pool table. Jimmy and I played a few rounds before Abby walked in. I watched my brother's jaw fall to the ground when he saw her.
"Um, Jimmy dear, your drooling." I said, stabbing him in the side with the pool cue. He snapped back to attention. He looked at me, then Abby, then back to me, "Fine. I get what you're trying to do." I threw the cue at him and walked away. I sound Shane pestering someone with somewhat long hair and stunning blue eyes. I walked up to Shane and touched his shoulder. He jumped up and turned around.
"I suppose you want to know who this pretty girl is too. Don't even think about touching her." Shane sneered. I punched him in the ribs and turned to the guy, which now I recognized at JD Dunn, Henry's younger brother.
"Hello JD." I said. He smiled at me, causing Shane to loose it. He punched JD, causing them to get in a fight. I, being the one standing between them, got pushed violently out of the way. By the time I could stand up, Sheriff Mills had Shane in handcuffs and JD was off the floor, "Dear god, someone help me up already." I moaned. I could feel one hell of a headache coming on. Jimmy was at my side, helping me stand. I swayed a little, but held myself up.
"You're coming home with me." Jimmy said, wrapping his arm around my waist, "If someone is looking for her, tell them what happened." He was looking at Abby and JD. They nodded. Very carefully Jimmy led me to his truck and drove me to his house. Just as carefully, he laid me on the couch and covered me with a blanket.
"Thank you, Jimmy." I mumbled, already half asleep.
"See you in the morning, Brooklyn." He patted my knee and I felt his weight disappear from the couch.
"Don't be too hard on Shane. I should have known better than to stand between-" I yawned, "him and JD."
"Don't worry about it. Get some rest." I closed my eyes and was out in mere seconds.