MicahBarrett
Monday, November 23
I strummy guitar and grab my pencil to write down a chord. A melody has been running through my head, and I need to get it down before it leaves me. I stick my pencil in my mouth and pick out a few notes. As I’m working, a knock comes from my bedroom door. Well, notmybedroom. The guest bedroom in Cricket’s basement.
“Micah?”
“Come in,” I say around the pencil in my mouth. I try a different chord, which sounds better.
Cricket comes in wearing a pink sundress I’ve never seen her wear before. She turns to both sides. “I just bought this, but it looked better on me in the store. Does it make me look fat?”
“What? No. You look fine.”
She comes over and takes the pencil out of my mouth.She holds it out like it has slobber all over it, which it does not. “I couldn’t hear a word you said.”
I snatch my pencil from her hand. “I said you’re not fat, and you look fine. Why are you wearing a dress? Is there something going on today?”
Cricket shrugs. “I wanted a change. Hey, River texted. I’m going to meet him at Centennial Park in a few minutes. If you’re too busy with your music, I can show him around Willow Shade by myself.”
I pull my strap over my head and set the guitar in its case. “No, I’m not busy. Just finishing up here. I’ll go with.”
She slow blinks at me. “It’s fine if you’d rather stay here.”
I grit my teeth and stand. There’s no way I’m letting Cricket be alone with that guy before I’ve vetted him. “It’s all good. I’m coming.”
“Okay, fine. Get ready. We’re leaving in five minutes.” She turns and walks out.
“I was born ready,” I call to her.
She sticks her head back into view. “You were born ready to mess up my date with River?”
“Yep,” I say, emphasizing thepsound.
She sticks out her tongue and disappears around the corner. I chuckle under my breath as I slip on a pair of shoes. I grab a jacket since the forecast said the temperature would be dipping into the fifties today.
Ten minutes later, Cricket and I drive to Centennial Park. River is sitting on a bench near the fountain, scrolling through his phone. When he sees us, he stands and waves.
“Hey!” River calls out, jogging over to us. He’s wearing khakis and a button-down shirt with a pair of sunglasses hanging from the middle that probably costs more than my entire wardrobe. “Thanks for doing this. I really appreciate the local tour.”
Cricket beams at him. “Of course!”
River points to the lighthouse. “Was that a working lighthouse at one time?”
I hold in a snort, because this man has obviously never seen a real lighthouse before. How could he ask such a ridiculous question?
Cricket politely shakes her head. “No, it’s a replica, but kids love climbing to the top. It was built to look like the old lighthouse that used to be on the north end of the island before it was torn down in the 1960s.”
“That’s cool. Can we go inside it?”
“Sure.” Cricket starts in that direction, and River falls into step beside her. I trail along behind them. Why did I insist on coming? This is going to be stupid. I feel like a backup singer who just realized I’m not even in the song.
Cricket points to the top. “Local legend says if you make a wish at the top and ring the little bell they put up there, it’ll come true. Of course, half the island has made wishes there, so either the bell isn’t very powerful or it’s very selective.”
River grins at Cricket. “That sounds like a fun tradition.”
They enter the lighthouse, but I hang back, not in the mood to go up and watch them make wishes. Cricket doesn’t even stop to ask why I’m not following them. I kick at a dandelion and listen to her giggles in response to something I can’t hear him say. Stupid lighthouse. Maybe I should have gone up there. Changing my mind, I sprint up the stairs.
When I get to the top, River is already ringing the bell, and I’m out of breath. He smiles down at Cricket. “Think my wish will come true?”
