A Storm in the Making

Chapter 2--Surprise Party

Chapter 2

Surprise Party

I pulled into the marina and cringed as I turned off the engine. There was no sneaking home in Hell Raiser. Uncle glanced up at me from where he sat at the wheel of Storm Runner studying his fingernails. Waiting for me, of course. He gave me one of his looks as he stepped out of the boat and followed me into the house.

“Surprise!” yelled a dozen voices before I even had time to question why the light was off.

I jerked backwards in the doorway of the small duplex I called home. Stunned.

“Oh my God! I can’t believe this!” I said, standing there blinking my eyes stupidly while numerous flashes caught my mouth gaping open. I shuddered. Did I have enough money in the bank to buy all the humiliating pictures of me in just a sandy, wet bathing suit with my hair a stringy mop on top of my head?

Uncle came up behind me, slipped his huge arms around me, and whispered, “Happy Birthday, Baby Girl.”

He steered me forward into the middle of our kitchen, dining, living room combo while my vision cleared. I spotted Andrew first. He leaned against the back of our dilapidated couch. Luke stood next to him. Both were grinning like they had just won the lottery.

“Andrew,” I protested, stepping up to him. “It’s your birthday, too!”

“Yeah,” he grinned. “I know. But I got my birthday present this morning, remember?” He grinned even broader. I mean the Cheshire cat, broader, jangling the keys to his new truck.

Uncle, Luke and I had helped him with his down payment as our combined birthday present to him. It had been Andrew’s dream to own that new Chevy truck forever.

He didn’t have anything against Hell Raiser, or anything. Far from it. He’d even helped Uncle and me with rebuilding Hell Raiser’s engine. A hot rod truck just wasn’t his thing.

I thought it pretty cool that he’d gotten exactly what he wanted for his eighteenth birthday. Personally, I think he was hoping the truck would be a chick magnet. Andrew hadn’t had much success in the girlfriend department, so far anyway. Uncle had arranged for the truck to be delivered this morning, big, red bow and all.

“Besides,” Andrew admitted. “It’s been a lot more fun being the surprise-er rather than the surprise-ee.” Unexpectedly, Andrew threw his arm around me and hugged me tight.

His whispered, “Happy Birthday, Sis,” and kiss on the cheek almost brought me to tears. Andrew was not a touchy, feely person. He never had been. That made his rare hug all the more special. And then, of course, he had to ruin the moment.

“The look on your face when you walked in was priceless,” he said. His green eyes, so like my own, twinkled with the mischief. His comment was more like the Andrew I knew. “I can’t wait to post these on YouTube!” He held up his cellphone like it held priceless jewels, and grinned even broader.