Crashing Into Blue

Chapter 5

I'm halfway through my shift at Sea Breeze Gift Shop, where I got this year's summer job, when my phone buzzes in my denim shorts, alerting me to an incoming text message. Based on the text tone, a drum roll, I know it's Indigo. Only three people have custom tones in my phone: Indigo (drums), Samson (the annoying robot), and my mom (tinkling chimes). Whenever I hear the preset one, a guitar strum, I always wonder who it could be if not one of my preset three. With Marlene, the shop's owner, doing inventory in the back room (just in case one seashell is unaccounted for, even though I could easily walk outside and grab ten), I sneak a peek at my phone.

The text message reads: Pat Star is here.

Pat Star is Indigo's nickname for Patrick, due to his famous name twin, Patrick Star on SpongeBob. It's definitely better than what Samson calls him, which is the wannabe fourth Hemsworth brother ("he doesn't even have the accent, why is he getting you all twisted?" is his go-to argument).

I reread the message, oh, about ten times trying to make sense of what is literally spelled out right in front of me on my screen. I feel like my brain is scrambling the letters around, like when you play Boggle, trying to decode a new message, one that makes infinitely more sense than Patrick's back in town. Because that's simply not possible. He told me last summer that he wasn't coming back, that he would have to prep for his premed courses, that he had to get serious about his future. He told me all this right after we... I still blush at the thought.

Are you sure? I text back to Indigo.

I see the three grey bubbles pop up on her side of the conversation, bouncing around innocently, not knowing what they're a preview for.

There is only one wannabe fourth Hemsworth brother in our lives and he is unmistakable, is the only reply that I get, and the only hint that I need to know that Indigo is with Samson. I can hear his teasing voice through the words. I put my phone down on the counter to tie my hair up into a ponytail. Feeling flustered all of a sudden, the tickling of the ends on my lower back and the weight pulling down on my scalp is becoming increasingly noticeable and unbearable.

My phone buzzes again. 

We're on our way over to discuss, it reads. 

Now it's Indigo's voice taking control in my mind. I tuck my phone back into my jean pocket, and set my eyes on the front door, praying for it to swing open quickly and bring me news about this uncalled-for development.