18 Things by Jamie Ayres

people.”
    “You kids be careful.” Mom propped her hands on her hips. “Someone could’ve really gotten hurt. What if Sean had gone to check on it and it exploded in his face? You could’ve shot his eye out!”
    I rolled my eyes. “Relax, Mom. This is no
Christmas Story
.” I turned to Nate and took a bite of my s’more. Then, forgetting my manners, spoke with my mouth full. “You should put ‘pulling the perfect prank on your life list’,” I mumbled, the best my lips allowed, before shoving the rest of the s’more into my mouth.
    His gaze darted around the fire, then to each of our friends. “But I don’t have a list. You do.”
    I sighed. “Precisely, and I think we should change that. You should all write your own.”
    “Mission number one accomplished,” Sean said. “Find a new singer.”
    “I think I want to join or start a book club,” Tammy said, folding her long legs.
    “Like school doesn’t provide you with enough reading homework for a lifetime,” Sean said.
    Tammy waved her hand in the hand, as if dismissing his remark. “Please, I hardly ever do my homework. Popularity takes up a lot of time. But maybe I can put it to good use. Get kids to read and bring in some commission for Olga at The Bookman.”
    I tried picturing Tammy reading an old classic like
Little Women
, but I couldn’t. Though the music blasting from the radio didn’t help my concentration any. “I don’t make commission.”
    Tammy raised her eyebrows. “Really? Oh well. Truth is I only read magazines. I’m starting to feel a little ignorant since I started hanging out with you.”
    Kyle held up his hands. “Wait, time-out. Starting to?”
    Tammy gave him a purple-nurple that, no doubt, would’ve made school bullies everywhere proud.
    “Mercy! Geez. It was a joke, girl. Way to defend your band mate,” he said to Nate and Sean.
    They laughed.
    “Sorry, dawg,” Sean said. “You got an idea for your list?”
    Kyle turned to Tammy. “Just one. Would you like to go out with me?”
    A light flickered across Tammy’s face as a car pulled out of the Anderson’s driveway. The headlights highlighted her blush. “Aww. Sure I would.”
    “Okay, get ready to laugh,” Nicole said matter-of-factly. “I’m thinking maybe I can postpone college and live on a cruise ship for like five years. You know, save money for college. I could be their resident photographer and teach scrapbooking classes and stuff, since I absolutely love doing that and am actually good at it. Like Tammy here, I’m no bookworm.”
    “Hey!” Tammy swatted at Nicole’s arm.
    Nic tipped her head back toward the sky. “No offence. I don’t even have popularity as an excuse. And my parent’s own a bookstore.”
    “Don’t sweat it, babe. You always have your looks to fall back on,” Sean said. Then, in a somewhat more serious tone, he turned to Nate. “You’ve been quiet over there.”
    “I don’t know. Maybe just returning to the simpler things in life.” His voice was soft, and he stretched his hands behind his head. “Take up skateboarding again. Learn to play the piano. Adopt a dog from a shelter. Become a regular at a restaurant every Saturday morning. Pulling the perfect prank.” He looked right at me as he said all this, and I wondered what he saw when he looked at me.
    “You said simple stuff sounded lame when I wrote mine.” I thought back to Memorial Day. Even though our beach picnic took place only a month ago, it was already so easy to imagine completing all the things on our lists together. Moving on still scared me, but it suddenly felt like it was happening with Nate.
    “Only because that’s not what you needed, so I encouraged other things.”
    I shook my finger at him. “Don’t get all Freud on me again.”
    “Well, I’m down for Saturday morning breakfast,” Sean said.
    “How about Morning Star Café?” Nicole rested her head on my shoulder. “Olga and I can meet ya’ll there before our shift every