With each passing hour, Michael had perked up, his hangover becoming lighter and lighter and with each joke, smile or funny insult Michael had bestowed upon his younger siblings, Sammy's own smile had grown.
Just a few short hours after Michael had winced his way to the kitchen, all annoyances were seemingly forgiven and it was business as usual.
It had been kind of weird. Sammy was obviously annoyed but had been switching between acting playful, sneaking in some jabs, acting fine, being outwardly annoyed and Michael had been getting progressively more disgruntled by it.
It was as if both boys had pretty strong feelings but weren't addressing them directly.
When the thaw had begun, Elizabeth had been immensely relieved.
She didn't know if she could stand to be around them both when they were in that kind of mood. Thankfully, it hadn't come to anything big.
The three siblings had spent the afternoon laughing and just enjoying each other's company. They had chosen to remain sitting in the kitchen, the atmosphere and large table complimenting their easy afternoon. Besides, without a TV the living room seemed like a useless space and none of them wanted to sit on an overstuffed but stupidly hard couch under a million stuffed animal heads and antlers galore.
The weather had turned just after lunch, going from bright and sunny to cloudy and breezy but that didn't hinder their happiness. In fact, the cloudy sky seemed to make the kitchen an even more inviting, comfortable place due to the warm lights Grandpa had scattered around the room. There was something very welcoming about using lots of small lamps rather than one cold, low hanging ceiling light and the trio had been incredibly content.
Sammy had even volunteered to wash their dishes.
Elizabeth smiled as Michael laughed as he read one of the self help articles from her magazine to her and Sammy, "God this is trash, Liz. How do you read it?"
"It's not that bad!" she defended, moving to snatch it back but he pulled away with another laugh, enjoying the material despite his protestations.
"Do you think Grandpa forgot about me?" Sam asked.
"Nah" Michael shrugged, scanning for another article to mock.
Sam nodded and shot a glance at the clock. Their elusive grandfather had been clanking away in his secretive room for hours, he hadn't left it once, not even for a toilet break, "he might have though...he sounds busy. He didn't even take a pee break. Should I remind him about our plans?"
"Bet he just pees in a bottle..." Michael said, closing the magazine.
"Gross" Elizabeth shook her head, "give it a little more time, Sammy"
"You know Mike did that once-" Sam told her, swatting away his brother's hand, "-when we went camping with dad. Dad wouldn't stop the car-"
"-SAMMY!" Sam jumped in his seat, surprised by the holler coming from beyond the living room.
It was Grandpa.
"I'm leaving now, I can't be waitin' all day for you!"
"That man" Sam mumbled.
Grandpa had hollered just as the kitchen's cuckoo clock - complete with stuffed birds - chimed 4pm, just as Sam had begun to seriously worry his trip to the comic book store the next town over was cancelled.
Grandpa had only shouted for Sammy but the other two siblings were interested and followed their brother, their chairs scraping against the floor in unpleasant unison.
"God he moves fast" Sam muttered, striding towards their garage.
"Good things come to those who wait, Sammy" Michael said, taking a passing glance into the empty work space through a crack in the door.
"I thought you forgot, Grandpa" Sam said, stepping into the garage, Elizabeth and Michael close at his heels.
"I told you the supply store doesn't open until after five, kid" Grandpa told Sammy, pulling an old chain cord to light the spacious garage.
Sammy frowned, Grandpa was impossible!
"No you didn't...?"
It was a huge garage but cluttered and incredibly dusty.
Grandpa harrumphed a little.
Elizabeth grimaced as she batted away a floating dust ball. Grandpa really didn't manage this space well. Literally every single nook and cranny was filled with towering boxes and old bags and containers of God only knew what. The only area that seemed to be neat was the immediate area surrounding the very long car in the middle of the room.
"Why so late, Grandpa?" Michael asked stepping inside and looking at the knickknacks on the shelves.
Elizabeth ran her fingers over a dusty glass jar and stepped back when she saw the contents; preserved rabbit feet.
"They're lucky" Grandpa said simply, looking at the jar and then looking back at Michael who was cringing at it, "you kids. Don't know the first thing about anything, huh. What they teach you in school?" he began to untie the beige, stained cover that enveloped his car, "it's closed all morning because they're sourcing animals"
"Sourcing or hunting?" Elizabeth asked, biting down a retort about taxidermy and the education system not really mixing.
"Hunting" Michael replied quickly with a grin.
Sam pulled a face, internally questioning whether the promise of comics was worth a trip to the supply store.
"Circle of life" Grandpa said with a shrug, tugging on the cover.
"Yeah but Grandpa I don't think a little badger facing a human and a gun is really the circle of lif-"
A tut, "-my animals all died naturally"
"Smushed by a truck?" Michael asked.
"Sometimes" their Grandpa replied, not caring about the sarcasm.
With a hard tug, the cover was removed, sending a cloud of dust in Elizabeth and Michael's direction.
They coughed and batted the air.
"WOW! It's even more beautiful than I thought!" Sam crooned loudly, making a move to lovingly touch the shiny, vintage car.
It really was something.
"I said you can ride in it, not touch it!" Grandpa warned, making Sammy paused mid-reach.
Still the younger Emerson brother smiled down at the car.
"Well go on then" Grandpa gestured to the car and Sammy, seizing the opportunity, opened the door and slid inside.
Elizabeth grinned at him.
He was such a dork.
"Oh it's so cherry..." Sam breathed, rubbing his hands against the beige leather of his seat.
"Grandpa!" Michael breathed, looking down at the car, "why don't you use this to go to town? Or on a date?"
It was a seriously impressive car.
"I don't go into town. I stay as far away from town as possible" Grandpa told them, dropping the car sheet onto a tower of collapsing boxes.
"How about the dates?" Elizabeth asked with a genuine smile and Grandpa paused, wiggling his eyebrows with a cheeky smile of his own, "we don't need a car for what we do"
As the boys cringed and Elizabeth laughed, Grandpa flung open the garage door, letting a small breeze into the cluttered room.
It was overcast and dark now, the weather had changed again.
"Close this when I'm gone, will you?" he asked Elizabeth as he settled into the car alongside Sammy.
He was lovingly tracing his fingers over the knobs and buttons and Grandpa batted his hand away.
"Sure it's not going to rain, Grandpa?" Elizabeth asked, peering into the cloudy sky.
The car was open top.
"Sure. And you-" he looked at Michael, as the engine came to life and the car began to purr, "-put that down. Those animal parts are older than you!"
Michael set down a thick jar filled with something he couldn't identify. He guessed he didn't really want to know, anyway.
"Right then!" the car moved forward and Sam's face lit up.
"See in seven to nine hours, kids!"
Sam's head snapped sideways, his eyes wide and his mouth in a perfect "O" shape.
He stared at his siblings, Elizabeth also looking shocked but Michael laughing silently and hard.
As the car moved down the drive they heard Sam squawk, "Grandpa, wha…" but the rest his words drowned out.
The car was already down and out of the drive.
"Did..did you" Michael could hardly talk, he was laughing so hard now, "his face!"
At that Elizabeth released a snort of laughter and joined in heartily.
Their brother's face was such a perfect caricature of surprise.
Oh gosh, he was in for a long night.
She laughed some more as she moved to close the garage door.
"Poor Sammy" they were still giggling as they re-entered the kitchen.
"I'll never trust that man!" Michael laughed, shaking his head, "half the stuff that comes out of his mouth..."
Elizabeth took a drink of water while Michael glanced at the clock.
"I love him but jeeze" he laughed "so, what's the plan? Do you want to head out now or…?" he was still smiling.
"Huh?"
"We're going to the boardwalk? Unless you wanna stay here?"
There was a little hopeful tilt to his words.
Weird to think he'd been horribly hungover and weak just hours before.
"Nah, I'll come" she smiled back, it was hard not to be happy after laughing so hard "I'll be bored otherwise. Am I OK?" she gestured to her outfit, a simple white t-shirt with rolled sleeves and bleached jeans.
"You always look OK" was the easy reply.
He had already moved to slip on a leather jacket.
"But I don't stink or anything? Should I put my hair up-"
"What? Why would you stink? You smell fine?" Michael was holding his keys now, "you look fine..."
"Oh you want to take your bike?" Elizabeth asked, gesturing to his keys.
She used to love riding on his bike but not so much anymore. She didn't enjoy it at all, really. She hadn't for a few years, if she was being honest. When she started to get boobs she began to feel self-conscious sitting behind him. It felt intimate, not something she liked to feel with her brother, adopted or not.
"Yeah, the roads up here are so clear. Excellent driving conditions" Michael assured her, still not clicking.
Men are dense, she thought.
"Let's just walk, it's a nice night. It's cool" she suggested.
"It's so much quicker on the bike, what's the problem?"
Elizabeth sighed, "fine, just don't go fast, OK?"
She was going to hold onto the handles at the back of the bike.
They scrawled a little note for Lucy, explaining where Sammy had gone, too. Remembering to fill Nanook's bowl, they locked the door and headed out in what was probably a record time.
It was a lot easier without Sammy holding them up.
Not only did they leave the house fast, but they seemed to arrive at the boardwalk in a flash.
Michael didn't drive too fast yet it felt almost instantaneous. She'd held the handles at the back of the bike for the whole drive and managed to stay both safe and cringe-free.
As Elizabeth ran her hands through her mildly windswept hair, Michael glanced around the area. They were a few minutes away from the boardwalk, he wanted to park his bike somewhere more discreet.
He wanted to see Star, not her friends.
Well..their friends? He corrected himself silently but he wasn't sure.
The boardwalk wasn't too busy, not yet.
The sun was just setting and he was sure it would get busy soon.
He prayed Star would come.
He just had to see her.
"Let's get some food?" he suggested, leading Elizabeth into the depths of the boardwalk.
"I practically ate two cows at the barbecue yesterday and then there was that hunk of steak for lunch" Elizabeth replied, rubbing her arms briskly. She wished she'd worn a jacket for the drive, "what can we eat that isn't fried and isn't meat?"
They wandered aimlessly for a short time before finding a small booth near the pier wall. Michael had been keeping an eye out for something non-meat, taking care to really study his surroundings as he walked. Elizabeth had been partly joking when she made the comment but she smiled at how considerate her brother was.
If only she knew what he was really looking for.
Who he was really looking for.
"Hey, yeah can I get two cokes and two hot dogs and a salad?" Michael ordered as Elizabeth sat down.
The waves were crashing smoothly and already there were bonfires scattering the beach. People started kind of early here. She wondered if she would have parties on the beach after school started, after she had made some friends. It looked like a fun thing to do. Back in Arizona, the only place to really hang out was the mall.
"One salad" her brother interrupted her thoughts as he placed a very sad, wilted looking salad before her. There was a small cherry tomato and some browned lettuce with a drizzling of Caesar dressing. He also delivered her a coke. It took her just four bites to finish the depressing salad and the bowl was empty when he came back, one and a half hot dogs in his hands.
She wondered if she could sneak one from him.
"OK, so I'm definitely going to need dinner later" she laughed, sipping her coke and eyeing the hot dog that he made no move to share, "guess salad was a stupid idea anyway, nobody comes to a boardwalk to eat salad. Wonder why it was even on the menu, that was the limpest..." she trailed off with a small frown.
Michael wasn't looking or even listening to her.
He wasn't even being subtle about it.
"Star!" he called out, standing abruptly, making Elizabeth's coke shake as his thighs hit the table.
Star? Elizabeth frowned a little, confused.
She turned her shoulders a little.
Oh.
It was the girl.
At least, she assumed it was, she seemed to match Sammy's very brief description.
She was coming towards them, her thin and silvery skirt glittering against the flashing lights of the boardwalk. She was wearing an intricate, lace bra top leaving her slender stomach on show. Her thick hair covered her shoulders and it moved gently in the light breeze.
Elizabeth felt self-conscious in her plain jeans.
Star was so beautiful.
"Michael, I was worried I wouldn't see you" Star greeted with a smile.
Her brown, doe eyes lit up as she looked at him.
Michael moved to give her a hug but Star stepped back, shyly glancing at Elizabeth.
Momentarily, Michael looked confused, "oh, sorry" he smiled at Elizabeth as she stood up, "Star, this is my sister. Elizabeth, this is Star"
Elizabeth raised her hand to shake Star's, who was slow to respond. As Elizabeth lowered her hand, Star raised hers. They both made eye contact and laughed, Elizabeth running her hand through her hair.
"So we've got the awkward first meeting thing down?" she laughed lightly, trying not to show how stupid she felt.
Why was she such a hand shaker?
"Yeah" Star replied kindly and with humor, "We could try it again?"
Elizabeth noted how husky, how sexy her voice was but she also noticed that the girl's smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Or we could just sit down?" Michael interrupted, smiling at them both.
He wanted Star to himself but, glancing at Elizabeth he saw she made no move to leave.
"Star, can I get you food? A drink?" he asked, looking away from his sister.
"I don't recommend the salad" Elizabeth intoned.
Star looked tense, not entirely comfortable.
"Oh can I just have a…" Star paused, glanced at the table and upon seeing the coke asked for one herself.
She sat beside Elizabeth as Michael walked back to the booth.
"I love your top" Elizabeth said sincerely, trying to be kind but not knowing what to really say.
Star looked nervous, a bit tense.
"Thank you. It's vintage. There's a really cool vintage shop around here, I can show you sometime" she turned her body so they were facing each other, "I love your hair. Mine's so curly, I've never been able to straighten it"
Elizabeth tugged on a strand of her hair, "hah, I always tried to curl my hair. When I was a kid, I'd wrap it with newspaper and pray it would take. Never did"
Star laughed, "yeah, that newspaper trick is the oldest in the book right?"
Elizabeth mused on how easy it was for girls to bond over their clothes or hair.
"Here you go" Michael said, setting down an extra-large coke in front of Star.
Star smiled at Michael and took the smallest sip of her drink.
"So do you have any plans tonight?" Michael asked Star, leaning forward on the table, "Elizabeth and I are kind of aimless"
Elizabeth thought that wasn't necessarily true, she thought they were just going to ride some of the attractions, grab dinner and head home.
She wouldn't call him out on it though, not in front of Star.
Star looked up at him through her lowered eyes, "well, the guys and I were going to see the concert"
Elizabeth set her drink down, momentarily wondering on the way Star had said 'guys'.
Did she hear bitterness?
"Oh. That's cool" Michael smiled at Star, his eyes lingering on her face.
Star now raised her head fully, "they um, they said that if I bumped into you today that you should…you should come" she glanced at Elizabeth, as if she wasn't supposed to be in on the conversation, "they had fun the other night"
"I'd love that, Star" Michael said happily, "I-", he stopped, glanced at his sister.
"Hey, you two go ahead! I'm good" she assured her brother, knowing that he wanted to spend time alone with Star.
She was nothing if not a good sport though she was already wondering what she should tell Sammy when he inevitably asked how their night went.
"No, no, you're more than welcome, Elizabeth" Star said, facing her, "please don't think I was being rude. It's an open invitation"
"I um..." she looked between Star and her brother, "...I don't. Sorry, I just kind of…I don't want to be a third wheel?" she said, ending in somewhat of a question.
Star blushed and bit her lip, glancing away.
She was hiding a smile.
Michael laughed lightly and also glanced away.
He was thrilled when Star didn't reject her statement.
"At the concert, we'll be in a group, you won't be a third wheel" Star said, smiling up at Michael again.
But until the concert, she was all his, Michael thought with glee.
"It'll be fun" Star said, looking fully at Elizabeth, "it's a smaller concert, smaller than the one the other night. I always think the atmosphere is lovely, it attracts a more relaxed crowd. And there's food, nice food-"
Elizabeth wondered briefly why Star was advertising this concert so much.
Did she really want her around?
"-and it's closer to the beach. And my friends are...they're...um...really friendly-"
"Yeah, they're great, Liz. I met them last night" Michael added.
Elizabeth paused a little. Did she really want to hang out with the people that had Michael home at 4am, drunk? And did it seem like Star was finding it hard to dredge up a compliment?
"Michael only met them briefly...but..he's right.." Star murmured, as if she could read Elizabeth's thoughts, "I promise you'll have fun"
When Star spoke, her voice sounded bright and sincere for the first time.
Elizabeth smiled.
Surely Star was just being kind and she was overthinking?
"OK. Uh yeah. Yeah. That all sounds amazing, Star."
Star smiled widely, "so you'll come with us?"
Elizabeth nodded and Star seemed to relax, the previous tension in her neck and shoulders releasing.
"Do I have time to go to the toilet?" she asked.
"Absolutely" Star said "that would be great"
Elizabeth tilted her head.
Great?
"Oh just" Star fumbled a little, "I meant because the toilet...the toilet by the concert area is you know. It's kind of trashy.."
"Oh, cool. Thanks for the heads up" Elizabeth replied politely, a little confused. It was an odd thing to say and Star seemed like she was reaching for an explanation.
Elizabeth smiled.
Star was probably nervous. Elizabeth had said and done worse when nerves got the best of her..and it was understandable. Who wants to be introduced to a potential boyfriend's family so early on?
Slapping her hands on her thighs, Elizabeth stood.
Star turned to Michael again, her eyes darting towards Elizabeth as she moved away.
"I wanted to spend time with you again. I couldn't stop thinking about you…" Michael said quietly to Star, reaching out to touch her hand.
Elizabeth frowned as their voices faded.
Was it really Michael's style to come on so strongly?
She grimaced internally.
She didn't think her brother was this intense with the dating game.
"The more you know..." she muttered to herself, hitching her bag strap over her shoulder.