Chapter Twenty-Nine

I helped with the cooking as Jason showered in my bathroom and uncle showered in his. While I rinsed out a large fish, I heard a knock on the front door. Swiftly, I put the fish down and skipped to the door with my wet, slimy, hands up. I used my elbows to turn the door nob and open it then looked up to see Earl, Jason's father, towering over me. Did I shrink?

"Hello, Little Sting-Ray." He smiled, his accent thick.

"Hi." I smiled, my hands still up. He held a bucket in one hand and a bag in the other. He was staying in our house for the night so I guessed the bag was extra clothes. "What's in the bucket?"

"Oh, this is a Giant Lobster." He opened the top of the bucket. "I know your uncle and Jason just got back from fishing and thought I'd bring something." I made a face, seeing the lobster move.

"Poor thing." I mumbled.

"Blake! Let him in! Stop standing there and talking, he's probably tired!" My aunt yelled, waving a rag.

"Oh!" I jumped out of the way, letting him in then closing the door behind him.

"Hello, Earl. I'm Mary. Nice to meet you. My husband and Jason will be out of their showers shortly." My aunt came over and shook his hand.

"Thank you for letting me stay in your home so that I can attend the graduation."

"No worries, Honey! We are so proud of both of them." She smiled then sniffed. "Oh! The fish!" She rushed back to the kitchen and I went to wash my hands.

"Well, there's a spare bedroom down the hall." I pointed. "Next to my room. I'm going to get Jason." I went to my room, which was at the end of the hall against the end wall, going in and closing the door behind me. Jason was standing shirtless by the bed as he dried his hair with a towel. His black jeans rode low on his hips, exposing his V-Line.

"Sexy." I bit my lip, looking at his body. He turned slightly, our eyes connecting.

"Come here." He put the towel down and wrapped his arms around me, picking me up. I squealed and he kissed me, smiling.

"Your dad is here." I giggled.

"Well, let's go see him." He held me in one arm and opened the door with the other.

"I have to brush your hair." I tried stopping him. He continued out. "Jason!" I laughed as he carried me.

"No." He poked my side repeatedly, causing me to squirm in his arm. Briskly, he threw me onto his shoulder, holding an arm over the back of my knees.

"Jay!" I put my hands on his lower back, afraid of falling. "Just because I'm small, it doesn't mean you can just toss me over your shoulder!" I huffed, his shoulder pressing into my stomach.

"Hey, Pops!" I could hear Jason high-five his dad.

"Did you catch a good one?" Earl glanced behind him, looking at me.

"Oh, a keeper." Jason replied. I looked around Jason as Earl stood straight to see him smiling.

"Take good care of that keeper." Earl advised. "You don't want to lose it."

"Always." I felt pressure in my face as I struggled to breathe. I smacked his butt and kicked my legs, trying to get him to put me down.

"Alright, alright. Let her down." My uncle said. Jason pulled me up and off his shoulder in a fluid motion, holding me in his arms.

"Thank you." I gulped, the pressure fading from my face.

"Okay, food is done. Time to eat. Let's go to the beach." My aunt grabbed some plates. She had already cooked the Giant Lobster and had it in a large pan.

"Don't you think that's a little insensitive to other sea life?" I frowned, pulling my shirt down.

"They won't know. And we will be a few feet away so they won't see." She put the rest of the food in the large pan. We had fried fish, clams, scallops, and lobster.

"Okay." I looked at her as she carried it outside. We followed her under the dark sky, to the beach. There were a few stars that sparkled through the clouds that were forming.

"Blake, can you do something about the clouds before it starts raining?" She asked, setting the food on a rock wedged partly in the sand. This was our designated area.

"Do something about... the clouds?" Earl looked up confused as I put my hair up in a ponytail and fixed my shirt.

"Watch." Jason pointed to me. I put my hands together, one over the other with my palms up. I closed my eyes, focusing as I breathed slowly. Wind blew past me and up into the sky. Slowly, I looked up to the sky, the clouds fading slowly and clearing the way for starlight.

"Incredible." Earl exhaled deeply. Jason smiled, picking up a scallop. I jerked my hand towards me, the scallop flying from his hand and past Earl. When it landed into my hand, I could feel how heavy it was with liquid. I loved my ability.

"Hey!" Jason frowned. I smiled it, opening the shell and eating it. We all sat down and began eating.

"So, how did you two meet?" Earl questioned as he snapped a crab leg.

"When I switched schools, none of the girls could keep their eyes off me. The popular group took me, but I wasn't fond of them." Jason nibbled on some fish. "But in Science, I saw Blake. I felt... drawn to her. I was told she was very smart and loved the ocean, but was afraid of it."

"She thought I wasn't looking, but she begged the teacher to pair us for a project. Ever since, we've been friends." Jason looked at me.

"Last piece of lobster." My aunt informed us. Jason took it, but I quickly snatched it away. "Hey!" He tried to take it back as I got up and ran. In the wink of an eye, I had shoved the lobster in my mouth and began chewing. He caught up to me and enveloped me in his arms, and lifted me up. I yelped, the lobster nearly choking me as I swallowed it. He turned me in his arms and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

"That... was mine." He huffed.

"It's gone now." I snickered.

"You little thief." His voice was soft and his eyes twinkled in the starlight. Unable to stop myself, I kissed him. We kissed him for a long time.

"Alright, enough kissing!" My uncle yelled at us. I looked over as Jason walked down to the water, throwing me in.

"That's for taking my lobster!"