Projection
"These egg rolls are delicious," Johnny said between bites. He had taken Nikki and Derrick out to dinner at a nearby Chinese restaurant.
"Do these have eggs them?" Derrick asked.
"Yeah, that is why it's called an egg roll," Nikki told him.
Derrick dropped the egg roll on his plate.
"What is with you and eggs? You wouldn't eat the eggs at breakfast, and now you won't eat your egg roll," she said.
Nikki and Johnny stared at Derrick waiting for him to answer.
"I decided to stop eating eggs," Derrick told them.
"Why is that?" Johnny asked.
"I don't know," Derrick replied meekly.
Across town Bradin sat with his feet in the surf trying to think of the perfect gift for Sarah. He blown the money he had made helping Jay already.
"Hey," Sarah said for behind him.
"Hey," he greeted her.
"What you're not happy to see me?" she question.
"Yeah, I was just thinking," he replied.
"Oh, well I just wanted to tell you that I have everything set for my party. It is going to be the bash of the summer," she told him.
"Great," he responded.
"See my cousin has this band, and they were just signed by a major record label. And they are going to be playing at my party. My cousin said it was his gift to me. It is like the best present ever," Sarah said. She waited for a response from Bradin before asking, "Isn't that awesome?"
"Yeah, awesome," he told her.
"I have to go, but you are coming over tonight right?" she questioned.
"I wouldn't miss it," he said with a smile.
Sarah returned the smile and walked away backwards so she could watch Bradin get on his board and head into the water.
Back at the beach house, Susannah stared at the mountains of fabric that surrounded her. This was unbelievable. Why had she agreed to finish the clothes while Ava went to San Francisco?
"I'm going to go bring this up to Susannah," Johnny told Nikki and Derrick as the stepped into the house. He was carrying a bag of takeout Chinese.
After Johnny was out of site, Derrick headed for the door.
"Where are you going?" Nikki questioned.
"Outside," Derrick told her before slamming the door.
Nikki walked to the couch an slumped down on it. She turned on the TV and waited for Cameron to call.
Outside, Derrick examined the eggs and sat down to watch them.
Nikki suddenly felt a rush of nausea sweep over her body. She ran to the bathroom an made it just in time. Johnny was walking down the stairs at the same time Nikki was stepping out of the bathroom. She looked extremely pale.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
She shook her head.
"Want don't you park it on the couch," he told her.
Nikki complied.
"When did you start felling ill?" he questioned.
"A few minutes ago," she said before sprinting back to the bathroom.
Nikki reappeared a few minutes later looking paler but slightly better.
Johnny was waiting for her. "Do you feel hot?" he questioned.
"No. I don't know," Nikki responded. "It think it was something I ate."
"Can I get you anything? Johnny asked.
"Yeah, you could find a big bowl for me," she told him.
He returned with the bowl, and Nikki took it from him.
"Where are you going with that?" he questioned.
"My room. I'm going to bed," Nikki replied.
Later the night, Jay stumbled around the boathouse. He stepped closer to the boathouse kicking a metal bucket with his sandaled foot. "Damn it," he mumbled to himself. He limped inside the boathouse to nurse his toes.
Nikki was sitting in the bathroom when she heard someone walk by. She opened the door with care and spotted Derrick heading for the backdoor. She waited until he was outside before she left the bathroom. She was going to follow him. Something was going on, and Derrick wasn't letting her in on it.
"What are you doing?" Nikki demanded when she spotted Derrick crouched behind the boathouse.
"My turtle eggs," he said as he tried to collect the scattered eggs.
"So that was all that egg stuff was about. Why didn't you tell me?" she asked as she bent down to feel around for eggs.
"I don't know," Derrick replied.
"We'd better find someplace safe to keep them so they don't get knocked over again," Nikki told him.
Just as Derrick declared all the eggs accounted for, Nikki felt sick again. She walked over to the bushes, and Derrick quickly turned away realizing what she was doing. Nikki waited a few moments before getting up.
"Come on, let's go back to bed," she told her brother.
Down the coast, Sarah sat by the edge of her pool taking periodic sips of her beer. Bradin walked up slowly.
"Hey, you," Sarah said jumping up when she noticed Bradin.
She leaned in to kiss him. Bradin could taste the beer as they kissed, and it wasn't his favorite make-out flavoring.
Sarah pulled away first and asked, "Do you want to swim?"
"Nah, I have get going. I just wanted to stop by and say goodnight," he told her.
"Okay, see you tomorrow at my party," Sarah said giving him one last kiss.
"See you," Bradin said before leaving her alone.
He walked along the beach letting the waves roll over his feet. He still had no idea what to get Sarah for her birthday. It needed to be just right. Something that expressed how he felt about her. When he arrived in front of his house, he decided to stay outside and think. He sat down in sand and leaned back to look at the stars. They were shimmering in between the clouds. If only he could find something as beautiful, he would never not have to look any further for Sarah's present. Even Bradin knew, there was no way the wrap up a star.
Thanks for the reviews. Sorry it took so long for another chapter, but I could not figure out what was missing. Can't wait to here what everyone has to say about chapter two.