Fusion (Explosive #5) Page 3

  “Where’d that come from, Jer?” he asked, his eyes shining with amusement.

  My brow wrinkled, and I frowned when Jenna giggled from the other side of the kitchen. “We were playing near the gazebo and Chris started chasing her little sister. Her name’s Lexi, by the way. Anyways, Sierra took one look at him and called him an R.O.U.S. before shoving him down into the sand.” I smiled at the way she had stood over him and told him to leave her sister alone. She was protective, and even though Chris had been joking around, it was nice to see she could stand up to the boys.

  “It’s from a movie, Jeremy. It means rodents of unusual size,” Mom informed me, chuckling. “It’s called The Princess Bride. Maybe we’ll have to invite this Miss Sierra over for a movie night. In fact, why don’t we go over after dinner and introduce ourselves? I’ve been meaning to do that anyway.”

  “Can we?” I asked, a little too excited at the thought even though I’d just seen her a few minutes ago.

  “Well, Lydia,” Dad said, grinning. “It seems our boy here is smitten with the girl next door.” He gave me a wink.

  My cheeks turned red with a hint of warmth. “Eww, no. She’s a girl, Dad. I’m not smitten,” I protested, practically choking on the word. I wasn’t exactly sure what it meant, but the last thing I wanted was my dad thinking I had a crush on the new girl next door. Jenna would go blabbing as soon as she could. Big mouth. “That’s the cool thing. Sierra isn’t girly or anything like that. She didn’t mind playing in the mud or the sand, and when we said we were going to play kickball tomorrow, she got excited. We’re just friends.”

  What I didn’t tell my parents was that Sierra was the prettiest girl I’d ever seen. Or that her big, blue eyes were the color of the sky over the ocean. Her smile was as white as the sand, and so friendly, too. Something about it warmed me right up, so much more than the sun ever had.

  “Just friends?” Dad teased with an eyebrow raised and a half-cocked smile.

  “Yep. And I think she’s going to be my new best friend.” I didn’t tell them we’d spit on it. Mom might have scolded me for that one.

  “Well, then,” Mom said, smiling at me. “We better get on over there. I need to meet this girl who you already know is going to be your new best friend after just one afternoon.”

  I was antsy all through dinner, eating quickly and silently wishing for Jenna to do the same. She spent the meal telling my parents about playing with Lexi, Sierra’s younger sister. Even though we’re twins, I was secretly glad Jenna had Lexi to play with. I didn’t want Sierra playing with her instead of me.

  By the time we finally went next door, I could barely contain my excitement. I rocked back and forth on my heels, only stilling when the door swung open wide as tall man answered our knock. My parents made their introductions, and I peered around the house once we had been invited inside, waiting for a glimpse of her. Her dad called for the family, and another round of introductions happened as her mom, Lexi, and Sierra came in.

  My stomach did a weird flip-flop when I saw her. She was still wearing her Michelangelo shirt, and I couldn’t stop the grin from forming on my face.

  “Mom, this is Jeremy, the boy I was telling you about,” she said.

  Something about knowing she’d told her Mom about me made me happy inside. My grin grew even wider.

  “Ah. Your new best friend?” her mom asked.

  Sierra’s face turned pink. My own mom laughed and handed over the cookies she’d brought.

  Leaning in close, my mom gave my own secret away. “Jeremy said the same of Sierra. I guess we’re fortunate you moved in when you did.”

  When Sierra smiled, I didn’t even care that I’d been outed.

  Her mom smiled warmly and looked from me to my mom. “The girls were just about to watch a movie. Would Jeremy and Jenna like to join them? We can go into the kitchen and chat over a glass of wine if you’d like. Get to know each other.”

  Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes. The chant was so loud in my head that I was almost surprised they couldn’t all hear it.

  “They’d love to,” Mom responded.

  I barely resisted the urge to let out a resounding “Yes!”

  “Sierra, why don’t you go get the movie started? We’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.” Then she turned back to Mom. “Wine?”

  Mom laughed and looped her arm through Sierra’s mom’s. “Vicky, I believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

  I couldn’t help looking at Sierra and thinking the exact same thing. By the beaming smile that was returned to me, I could tell she agreed. At least, I hoped so.

  She mimicked her mom and grabbed my arm, pulling me into the living room, where Jenna and Lexi were already sprawled out. For the next couple of hours, our sisters played together on the floor with Barbies while Sierra and I watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II. I might have watched her more than the movie, but I didn’t mind. I’d already seen it at least fifteen times and could recite almost all of the words—much to Mom’s annoyance. I wasn’t sure why I was so fascinated by the way her eyes lit up every time there was a “cowabunga,” but I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was entranced by the movie; I was entranced by her.

  When the movie was over, we chanted, “Go Ninja!” repeatedly, not plopping down on the couch until we were worn out and out of breath. Still, it felt all too soon when Mom and Dad came into the living room, saying it was time to go home. I wanted to protest, but Mom reminded me that Sierra lived right next door and I’d probably see her the next day. I didn’t know what my problem was, but I wanted to be around her all the time. Saying bye, even if just for the night, sucked. But, as I went to protest again, Mom gave me her don’t push it look and I zipped it.

  Later on that night, I was lying in my bed, tossing my football up into the air, unable to sleep. I couldn’t stop thinking about Sierra and how pretty she was the first time I’d seen her. Her long, blonde hair, which looked so soft that I wanted to touch it to see if it really was. Her skin, tan and smooth, with freckles I wanted to play connect the dots with. Bright, blue eyes that watched my every move. And her smile, big and wide. I wanted to make her smile all the time.

  I shook my head at the thought. She’s just a girl.

  Just a girl.

  A girl I was going to marry one day.

  It didn’t quite hit me like a bolt of lightning or anything like that. I just knew. It kind of dawned on me, and I had no reason to question it.

  Because let’s face it. Why wouldn’t I want to spend my life with a girl who was as pretty as she was and who liked the same things I did? To me, we were already a match made in Heaven. It was kind of a no-brainer.

  And, with that, I fell asleep, a smile on my lips and the memory of Sierra Sullivan in my dreams.

  When my parents sat Lexi and me down to tell us that we were moving to Florida because of my dad’s job, I was devastated. Even though I was only eight years old, I’d already thought I’d made lifelong friends, and I couldn’t imagine saying goodbye.

  Those friends had nothing on Jeremy Banks, and from the moment I met him, I knew he was going to be my new best friend. I just hoped he’d felt the same.

  I soon found that he did. He didn’t look at me like I was another annoying girl trying to pal around with him. In fact, I fit right in with him and his other friend, Chris—even if I had threatened him for messing with Lexi the first time we met. All the kids from the neighborhood played together, and I was excited to make friends before school even started. Still, I was drawn to Jeremy the most. No matter what kind of mood I was in, he never failed to make me laugh. I liked being around him. He was so nice and inviting, and he made me feel brave. I’d like to think I did the same for him.

  Late one night, we were in his backyard, pretending to be camping. School was starting soon, and we wouldn’t be able to hang out as much, so we were both savoring our last “sleepover.” We lay in our sleeping bags, looking up at the stars as the crick
ets chirped around us. Lexi and Jenna had already fallen asleep, but my dad was snoring, keeping me and Jeremy in a fit of giggles. I snuck a peek at him, thinking about the scary story Chris had told us about some creature called Big Foot, who apparently liked to eat little kids.

  “Did that story scare you?” I asked.

  He looked over at me and shook his head. “Sierra, I’m a boy. Nothing scares me,” he declared, his jaw set tight.

  I sat up and narrowed my eyes, peering at him. “Oh, come on, Jeremy. There has to be something you’re scared of. Like me… I’m scared of the ocean.”

  His eyes widened as he rose, twisting so he was facing me. “You are? Why?”

  Dad let out a deep snore, so I scooted over until I was closer to him. “Jellyfish and sharks,” I admitted, feeling silly.

  “Really?” he asked.

  I nodded as I bit my lower lip. “Yeah. My mom says I don’t need to be worried about sharks and just that I need to keep my eyes out, but it still scares me. I’ve only put my feet in the water so far. I haven’t even been able to go into the water completely.”

  “I’m scared of sharks, too,” he whispered in return.

  I choked on a gasp, my eyes widening. “You are?”

  “Yeah. My dad made me watch Jaws and it scared the crap out of me. I haven’t gone in the water since.”

  I laughed and poked his shoulder. “I thought you weren’t scared of anything.”

  He shrugged and then yawned before lying back down. “Just sharks. But if you want, maybe we can face our fears and go in the water together.”

  I snuggled up in my sleeping bag and looked over at him. “You’d do that for me?”

  Jeremy smiled. “I’d do anything for you, Sierra.”

  That was the last thing either of us said before we fell asleep, but I knew I’d do anything for Jeremy, too. I hoped he knew it.

  The next morning, we got Jenna and Lexi to beg our moms to take us to the beach. Fortunately, they said yes, so they packed a picnic lunch and we all went to play. The girls started building a sand castle, and our moms were talking about some book they’d both been reading.

  Jeremy seemed as nervous as I felt. When I scanned the water and saw no signs of predators, I knew I had to force myself to do this. It was now or never, and the last thing I wanted was to act like a chicken in front of him. At the same time, though, I didn't want to force him to face his fears if he wasn't ready.

  “Are you sure about this, Jeremy? I know you’re scared of sharks, too, and that’s okay. I won’t be mad at you if you want to stay here.”

  He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment while his eyes surveyed the water, becoming alert and focused when they returned to mine. His jaw set with determination as he grabbed my hand, curling our fingers around each other.

  “Where you go, I go,” he said with a confidence I wasn’t feeling.

  “Are you sure?” I asked, a twinge of nervousness swirling in my belly.

  He nodded again. “Positive. Now, let’s do this before I chicken out.”

  I laughed, and as we started strolling to the shore, the tide surged and rushed over our toes. The emerald water was warm, just like a bathtub.

  We held hands for the next hour as we played in the surf. Tiny fish nipped at our toes, causing me to squeal and Jeremy to laugh. As the minutes passed, I completely forgot about my fears and enjoyed my spending time with my new best friend.

  Until I saw the fin.

  The slippery, gray object bobbed up and down in the water not too far away from us. I screeched and jumped up onto Jeremy’s back as the fear settled in. Even at eight, Jeremy was already a few inches taller than I was, and he had no problem carrying me around. I loved it, even if I wasn’t sure why.

  “I think I saw a shark!” I shrieked in his ear, which caused him to wince. Without hesitation, I wrapped my legs around his waist and he ran with me in a piggyback position.

  As soon as we were out of the water, he turned us around so we could gaze out at the gulf. Both of us were breathing heavily, and I was elated to be back on the shore. I didn’t mind facing my fears, but a girl could only be so brave, no matter how much she trusted the boy holding her hand.

  “Where, Sierra?” he asked, trying to catch his breath.

  I shielded my eyes from the sun and pointed in the fin’s direction. Sure enough, it rose again, and I braced my hands on his shoulders, my fingers digging into his warm skin. But he didn’t freak out along with me. Instead, his shoulders started shaking from laughter. I frowned and tilted my head to see his face.

  Yep, he was laughing at me.

  I slid off his back and placed my hands on my hips. “What’s so funny, mister?”

  “I… That’s… Oh my gosh…” he said between fits of giggles. He even had the nerve to double over, clutching his stomach as if it hurt from laughing too hard.

  I wrinkled my brow, my irritation growing the longer he carried on.

  “Sierra, that’s not a shark. That’s a dolphin!”

  My cheeks warmed and probably reddened from blushing. “Oh,” I said. “I knew that.”

  When his laughter died down, he smiled at me. “It’s okay, Sierra. Better safe than sorry, ya know?”

  I adored how easily he went from laughing at me to trying to make me feel better for having been such a chicken.

  “True,” I agreed. “And hey, we just spent a lot of time in the water, too! It was fun, don’t you think?”

  “It was fun,” he echoed. “Maybe we can do it again soon.”

  “I know you were scared. And I was scared, too, but I’m glad we faced our fears together. Thanks for doing this, Jeremy. I don’t think I could have done it without you here with me,” I admitted.

  “I told you. Where you go, I go,” he said.

  “Always?” I asked.

  He grabbed my hand, squeezing tight. “Always, Sierra. You’re my best friend.”

  I squeezed back. “You’ll always be my best friend, Copper,” I told him, thinking of my favorite Disney movie.

  He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at me. “Hey, why do you get to be Tod? I want to be the fox!” he exclaimed, pretending to be offended.

  A smile crossed my lips as I studied his features. “Because your hair. And your eyes,” I admitted, hoping I didn’t sound too much like a girl. “It’s the shade of brown. It’s copper, like a penny. So you’re Copper.”

  His head remained half-cocked as he mulled it over. I emitted a sigh of relief when he smiled.

  “Oh, okay. That makes sense. And, just so you know, you’re mine, too, Tod.”

  Warmth seeped into my bones as if the rays of the sun were penetrating my skin and settling in. Except it wasn’t the sun. It was Jeremy.

  I spat on my hand and held it out, just like we’d done the day we’d met. “We’ll always be friends forever?”

  He didn’t even hesitate. He hawked a big one in his hand and slapped his palm to mine. “Yeah. Forever.”

  Neither of us knew it at the time, but it truly was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. A lifelong one.

  The foundation of our futures was laid out right there, and we had no clue that the coming years would only strengthen our bond. Little did we know how much we’d come to rely on that strength in our future. We'd need each other more than we'd ever know, and it still it might not be enough. Only time could tell.

  1998

  NEITHER ONE OF US made an effort to walk inside the expansive brick building before us. Students were milling about, chattering with their friends, even though most of them had spent the summer together on the beach. A buzz of both excitement and discontent filled the air. Excitement of a new school year; discontent for the same reason. Most of us were still in beach mode. Still, nerves attacked my belly. This was finally it.

  High school.

  Jeremy shoulder-checked me, nearly knocking me off-balance. I gave him a mock scowl, but he laughed as he brushed the messy hair out of his eyes. I reached over and d
id it for him, my fingers not missing how soft it felt beneath my fingertips. I swallowed hard and tried to forget that thought. Over the summer, I’d started noticing Jeremy in a different light, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. He’d gone through a growth spurt and decided he wanted to make the football team, so he’d trained hard. In just a few months’ time, he had gone from my tall, lanky, goofy best friend to a taller, muscular, hot guy.

  Hot.

  I’d actually referred to Jeremy Banks as hot. The guy with whom I’d made many a spit pacts and spent hours pretending we were characters from The Mighty Ducks. I wasn’t sure how to process the way he’d begun giving me butterflies. The way I studied his features and wondered how his lips would feel pressed against mine. Would I be able to tell that his lower lip was much fuller than the top one, or would it even matter? Would his eyes light up as we kissed, or would he close them, savoring the taste of me? Would his large hands fist my hair with passion, or would he hold my hips firmly in place?

  He snapped his finger in front of my face, breaking my trance. My cheeks heated as I hoped he hadn’t caught me ogling him. That’s just what I needed—him reading my thoughts and running screaming in the opposite direction. When my eyes reached his, he was watching me with concern.

  “You ready for this, Tod?” he asked, not acting the least bit weirded out. It was more like he was worried I wasn’t ready.

  That was Jeremy. So freaking sweet.

  I let out a sigh of relief even though I was still reeling from the visions I’d had of Jeremy kissing me. Like that’d ever happen.

  “Tod? Hello?” he repeated, eliciting a sheepish grin from me.

  Get it together, Sierra.

  A comfortable wave of contentment poured out of Jeremy and flowed over me. For a moment, I was transported back six years to the first day of third grade. It had been my first time ever in a new school, and I’d been so nervous. Jeremy had held my hand (not literally—GROSS. Or, at least, it would’ve been at the time) every step of the way, putting me at ease. And, now, he was doing the same thing, even if he didn’t realize it. I peeked back up at him and found his copper eyes dancing playfully yet still watching me with traces of concern.