Page 27 of The Other Brother

“Eight. And only people you trust won’t trash the place,” Cody’s voice is firm.

I’m already halfway through typing a message to Oz. “Done.”

Chapter8

Trying to choose only eight friends to invite to the beach is like trying to choose my favorite pizza toppings, Marvel film, or Dr Seuss quotes. A herculean task requiring intense contemplation.

Oz and Harvey are a given. In the end Nico, Eddie, Annabel, Grace, Anika, and Mia also make the cut.

Mel leaves around midday on Saturday. We haven’t mentioned our little plan to have people over. As long as everyone leaves by lunchtime Sunday and we clean up properly, I figure she never needs to find out. I extend the parental principle "What they don’t know won’t hurt them" to older sisters as well.

Oz’s rusty beast of a car grinds onto the gravel driveway around four o’clock, and Harvey, Eddie, Anika, and Mia tumble out. I go out to greet my friends with a huge smile on my face.

“Dude, this is a sweet place,” Eddie says, looking around, taking in the house and the sand dunes behind. “How did you get hooked up staying here?”

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” I reply as I lead them inside.

Cody's coming down the stairs as we walk in. His hair is still damp from his shower, and he’s wearing a tight navy T-shirt and Levi’s. He stops at the bottom of the stairs and flicks his eyes at me.

“Hey, this is Cody,” I say. “This is his parent’s place.”

I try to ignore the eyebrow raise that Harvey shoots Oz, or the speculative looks the girls give Cody.

“Cool digs,” Oz says to him.

Cody swallows. “Thanks.”

“You’re the pianist, right?” Mia says. She’s cut her hair since I’ve last seen her, so it’s almost as short as mine now. Although she’s also dyed hers a vivid red. With the three studs in her left ear and her nose ring, she looks like a Maori punk goddess.

“Um… yeah.” Cody looks mildly alarmed that she knows that about him.

“My sister studies with Marilyn Adams too,” she explains.

“Oh, okay.”

“You in a band?” Eddie asks, studying Cody with interest.

Cody clears his throat. “No. I only play classical stuff.”

He’s spared more of my friends' interrogation by the sound of another car crunching its way onto the driveway. It’s a dark blue, new model BMW.

I don’t recognize the car or the bunch of people who emerge from it, but Cody’s face lights up, and he heads out the door to greet them.

As he leads his friends back to the house, a knot forms in my stomach. Is it going to be weird having two different groups together? What if Cody’s friends are all private school assholes? It occurs to me that this evening could crash and burn spectacularly.

But as soon as they come inside, Eddie recognizes Cody’s friend Jake from cricket, and then the next carloads of our friends pulls up pretty much simultaneously, and there’re already hellos and banter exchanged between them before they make it inside.

Soon everyone is lounging around the living space while Billie Eilish blares from the speakers.

Oz and I are at the breakfast bar together sorting out the drinks. Oz methodically removes the tops off bottles of Coronas. I’m making a bowl of punch, diluting the alcohol with lots of soft drink. I want our friends to have a good time, but I’m not excited about cleaning up anyone’s puke.

Harvey comes over and rests his chin on his hands as he watches us work.

“Cody is your sisters’ other brother, right?” he asks in a low voice.

I glance over at the couch where Cody’s perched on the edge, having an animated conversation with Jake and Eddie. He tips his head back and laughs his deep laugh, and something stirs low in my stomach.

“Yeah,” I say.