The Summer Pact Read online

  The Summer Pact: A Musical

  A Loving Summer Series

  kailin gow

  The Summer Pact: A Musical

  Published by Sparklesoup.com

  Copyright © 2019 Kailin Gow

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the publisher except in case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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  Printed in the United States of America.

  Prologue

  The Big Move 1988

  Summer has always been my favorite season of all. That’s when I get to get away to sunny California from New York to stay with my best friend Nadine Winters whom I met years ago at a musical theater camp which I took with my older sister Meecham. Staying at Nadine’s family home in Malibu was like magic, especially during the summer after high school and before college. That’s when something wonderful happened. That’s also when the magic turned real for us…especially when we made The Summer Pact. – Susie “Sookie” James, Age 18

  “Sookie!” Meecham called from the living room of our New York apartment in Chinatown, “will you hurry up? We’re going to miss the plane.”

  I took a final look at my room, decorated in bright colors – lavender walls, orange pillows, a lava lamp that was inherited from our grandparents, now deceased, who also provided our small but cozy apartment, which had been home for my older sister Meecham and me for the last 10 years. Posters of classic movie stars still adorn the walls of my room.

  I walked over to the black and white photo of Rita Hayworth, one of my favorite movie stars, and said, “Rita, I’m finally making the move. From the bright lights of Broadway to the Hills of Hollywood, I’m moving to California for good.” I kissed the photo of Rita and said, “I’m going to be a movie star like you. God knows Hollywood needs another redhead in town.” I touched my long copper hair and waved to all the movie stars on my wall. “And you, and you!”

  I was tempted to take the photos down and bring them with me, but I thought it was fitting for them to stay here.

  “Taking one more look around?” Meecham asked at the doorway. She had her arms crossed akimbo and was casually leaning against the door frame. Wearing a sophisticated trench coat and having her smooth dark chestnut hair styled in a pageboy, and wearing red lipstick, she looked more like a cosmopolitan world traveler than a graduate linguistics student.

  “I can’t believe we’re leaving all this behind,” I said.

  “The packers will be here next week when I fly back,” Meecham said. “All this can wait to be packed up, but your interview with the production company for the summer internship and that apartment in Venice, can’t wait. And my meeting with my new supervising professor for my dissertation at USC can’t wait.”

  “Not to mention seeing Nadine and her family’s beach house in Malibu, can’t wait,” I said smiling widely.

  “Yes!” Meecham said excitedly, suddenly looking like my young twenty-three year old sister that she was. Although she had assumed the role of mom and dad to me when our parents disappeared on a missionary trip to Asia, and we had to move in with our grandmother, who had just passed, when it came to Nadine, Malibu, and acting; Meecham was just one of us girls.

  “I can’t wait to jump into the nice big relaxing hot tub they have!” I said, jumping onto my bed, and pretending to flop into a hot tub.

  Meecham grabbed one of my feather boas, wrapped it around her, and a bottled water. “That stage by the hot tub…it’s calling to me,” she posed with the bottled water as a microphone.

  I jumped out of bed and grabbed another bottled water, posed next to her, and together we broke out into song:

  There’s nothing like the taste of metal to your lips

  Sounds of joy springs from the tips

  Of your lungs

  Do do do do do do

  Words sung

  Do do do do do do

  By the Beach

  On full Blast

  I don’t know how long it’ll last

  Singing by the Beach

  On full Blast

  Singing on Top of your lungs

  At the Beach

  On full Blast

  Do do do do do do

  Don’t know how long this will last

  On full Blast

  “Blahhhhhhh!”

  A loud honk outside our window stopped us in mid-song.

  I looked outside and hurriedly grabbed my coat and shoved Meecham out the door with me. “That’s the cab. The guy looked mad, too!”

  Meecham looked at her watch. “We are late! Got everything?”

  I grabbed my small luggage and backpack, tickets, and purse. “Yes, let’s go!”

  Meecham had everything she needed with her by the door. “See you until next week!” she told our apartment.

  “Bye apartment!” I blew an air kiss to the livingroom. “Until next week…”

  Meecham opened the door, and we both marched out briskly.

  When the door slammed shut behind us, I suddenly felt a gust of wind that sent shivers down my spine.

  “Cold?” Meecham glanced at me. “You should wear your coat before going outside.”

  I stopped to put on my coat, but looked back at our apartment. I didn’t feel it was the cold that made me shiver…but something else.

  It was as if the apartment knew I was going away for a while, and on to something new, exciting, but a little scary at the same time.

  If I knew what this summer would bring, would I have stayed here instead and never left?

  Chapter 1

  Sookie

  “Sookie!” I felt a nudge at my side.

  “Hmm?” I murmured half-sleepily.

  “Sookie,” Meecham whispered. “We’ve landed.”

  “I slept the whole way?” I asked, wiping my eyes.

  “Yup,” Meecham laughed. “Like a rock. I couldn’t even wake you up for the drinks.”

  “I couldn’t sleep last night,” I said. “Too excited.”

  Meecham yawned. “I know what you mean. Me too, but I have to get this paper done in time for my meeting. Switching to a new school and getting a new professor in the last year of my graduate studies is usually a bad idea, but not when everything seems right about us moving to California.”

  I glanced over at Meecham and took her hand in mine, squeezing it tightly. “Sorry I made you change schools and move with me, Sis. I know you gave up a lot to do it. I really do appreciate it. And if it’s something you don’t want to do…we can still go back and keep our place in New York.”

  Meecham squeezed my hand back and said, “Firstly, I’m doing this because I want to. And secondly, I already sold the apartment. The closing is next week when the movers get there just in time.” She touched my chin. “It’s fate. A young family loved the place and bought the place just like that. Now, Sis, we’re stuck here, so let’s make the best of it.”

  I couldn’t help my smile as the guilt of having Meecham move with me to California, lifted, along with the clouds of the early morning air. There was no mistaking being in California as the bright sun hit our windows and I had to pull out a pair of sunglasses to shield it from the glare.

  “Looking like Ms. Hollywood already,” Meecham joked.

  “When in Rome…” I started.

  “Do as the Romans do,” Meecham finished.

  “Speaking of which…” I
gestured at everyone getting up from their seats as the flight attendants announced it was alright to unbuckle our seatbelts and begin deboarding.

  I got up and right when I was going to step into the airplane aisle, a large hard mass slammed into me, knocking me into Meecham, who fell back against the airplane wall, with a large thump. “Owww!” she yelled, rubbing her elbow.

  “What a jerk!” I said, helping Meecham up. I scanned the aisle, looking for the man who had rudely bumped into me. “He didn’t even stop to apologize,” I said, glaring at a large man, wearing a dark suit hastily make his way down the aisle before everyone.

  Meecham craned her head higher to see over the tops of the other people already in the aisle. “I know,” she said. “What a real jerk. If I ever see him in person, I’ll let him have it.”

  “Me too,” I said, remembering the man’s tall well-cut form and his nice blonde wavy but short hair. From the back, he looked strikingly handsome, but…

  “Too bad the looker is such a jerk,” Meecham said, finishing my own thoughts.

  “Exactly,” I agreed.

  I got into the aisle and grabbed my backpack and carry on from the overhead bin.

  When Meecham tried to grab her luggage from the overhead, she winced.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “My elbow,” she said. “It really hurts.”

  “Oh,” I hugged Meecham. “I’m so sorry, Sis. I didn’t mean to bump into you…”

  “It’s not your fault,” Meecham said. “It’s that jerk’s fault. Why couldn’t these guys behave like gentlemen?”

  “Um, excuse me,” a deep voice said to my right.

  I looked over to the area Meecham was staring at with a dreamy look in her eyes, to suddenly stop in mid-stare into the bluest aquamarine eyes I’ve seen before. The blue of his eyes were even bluer against his chiseled lightly tanned face.

  Deep voice. Dreamy blue eyes. Dark hair that was so black, it was almost blue. And…a great sense of style. He was dressed in tight distressed jeans that hugged his body like a glove, a black t-shirt, and a dark denim blazer. Around his neck was a hand-knit scarf that brought out his blue eyes again. Whoever he was, he looked like a rock star.

  I just stared into his eyes when he said, “I believe this is yours.”

  He was holding Meecham’s pink suitcase like it weighed nothing.

  “Yes, it is,” Meecham said, nudging me. “Thank you!” she tried to reach for it, but the rock star hottie grinned and said. “That’s fine. You’ve hurt yourself it seems. Mind if I carry it for you until we’re out of the airplane?”

  Meecham and I quickly glanced at each other in disbelief.

  “Sure,” she said. “If it isn’t any trouble at all.”

  “No trouble,” he said. “I didn’t travel with any luggage myself so I have my hands free. I can help you out.”

  When Meecham and I were in the aisle, walking in front of him as he carried Meecham’s luggage, he leaned in behind Meecham and said, “Not all men are jerks. We can be gentlemanly at times, too.”

  Meecham stopped and I saw a deep blush formed on her cheeks, which made her prettier than usual.

  “I didn’t mean all men,” she said quickly. “I meant some.”

  “Yes,” he said. “Not all. Just like women, there are jerky ones and nice ones.”

  I laughed. “Good comparison.”

  “And then there are smart ones and not so smart ones. Funny ones and not so funny ones…and so on and so on…” he said.

  “Just like there are men who are those things too,” Meecham said. “Gotcha. I shouldn’t have generalized.”

  “Not preaching or anything,” the hottie said. “But I totally understand what women go through sometimes, too.”

  “Meaning?” I had to ask.

  “Not bragging or anything, but some women can be aggressive. Walk right up to me and hit on me without even checking to see if I was interested or even available.”

  “No,” Meecham and I both gasped. “Really?”

  “Yes,” he said. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, but I do like the attention and it’s flattering, but what if I had a girlfriend? Isn’t that just aggressive and wrong?”

  “I could see that,” Meecham said.

  “Especially if you already have a girlfriend…” I said, wondering if he really did have one.

  “So, in all fairness to both genders,” the hottie said. “there can be all types of people, regardless of their genders.”

  “Exactly,” Meecham and I agreed.

  We had walked out into the airport and was on our way to baggage claim.

  “Listen,” Meecham said. “Thank you so much for carrying my luggage, but I can get one of those carts from here on out.”

  “Oh, it’s no trouble,” the hottie said.

  “Well, thank you,” Meecham said, trying to take her luggage from the hottie. I tried to help her when I heard a familiar voice shout out to us.

  “Sookie! Meecham!”

  We turned to see bubbly dark-haired beauty Nadine run towards us with the biggest smile on her face.

  “Nadine!” I shouted.

  “Nadine!” Meecham shouted.

  Nadine had reached us and was hugging me before reaching over to Meecham, then she stopped.

  “John?” Nadine was looking at the hottie standing next to us, still carrying Meecham’s suitcase. “What are you doing here?”

  Meecham and I shared a glance as Nadine stared at John. With a look of close familiarity. Love? Jealousy? Anger?

  “Nadine,” the hottie said. “I just got in from New York. Thought it would be a good surprise for Mom and Dad.”

  Mom and Dad?

  So when did Nadine suddenly have a sibling? A pretty hot brother at that?

  Meecham and I turned towards Nadine with a big question mark on our forehead. Or so it would seem if we were some animae.

  Nadine suddenly snapped out of her hero-worship adoration of the hottie to look at Meecham and I. “I don’t know how you two are with this guy, but yes, he’s suddenly related to me.”

  “How?” I asked.

  “What? Suddenly?” Meecham asked. “A long lost sibling?”

  “No, a just recently acquired one…as in step-siblings,” John the Hottie said.

  “What and how?” I asked.

  “Our parents just got married in Las Vegas,” John and Nadine said together…like siblings.

  “Unfortunately,” Nadine said. “John and his older brother Daniel were in Vegas the same time I was there with Mom…so we became an instant family right after.”

  John nodded, “Awkward.”

  “Very,” Nadine said. “You go on a mother daughter getaway to Vegas from Malibu to celebrate Mom turning 40, and then suddenly, you come home with half a Brady Bunch – the male half, minus Bobby.”

  “So you’re the Peter Brady?” I guessed.

  “Yes,” John grinned. “The younger brother. While Dan is the older more groovy one.”

  Meecham laughed. “Dan is the Greg Brady then.”

  “Yes,” Nadine said. “Like you’re Marcia, the oldest girl. I’m Jane Brady, and Sookie there is little Cindy Brady.”

  “I personally thought Mrs. Brady was the grooviest one because she was literally just four or five years older than the actor who played Greg,” Meecham laughed.

  “Speaking of which…here comes our Mrs. Brady,” Nadine said, as a stylish brunette beauty who looked about 35 years old rather than 40 came out way, followed by two handsome men.

  “Hi Girls,” Ms. Winters said coming towards Meecham and I to give each of us a kiss on the cheeks. “I’m so happy you arrived. Nadine and I couldn’t wait to have you here. And…John! I thought you were going to be in New York for the conference this week.”

  “No, the conference was canceled,” he said. “I took an early flight home after I saw some sights.”

  “John,” a booming deep voice came from behind Ms. Winters. “We came to the airport to pick up
some ravishing beauties that Willa said would be our guests this summer, and saw you instead. What gives, son?”

  We all turned to look at the tall broad-shouldered handsome man in a casual sports wear. He was about 45 or so, and looked like a distinguished businessman. He had the same coloring as John.

  “Like I was explaining to the ladies,” John said. “The computing world conference in New York was canceled so I flew straight back.”

  I had him pegged for a rock star. But…

  “Computing Conference?” I asked.

  “John’s a genius when it comes to technology,” Willa said.

  “True,” the older gentleman said. “Don’t let his appearance fool you, he’s actually a lot smarter than he looks.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” John said, looking uncomfortable.

  “Hey John!” another male voice said from behind Willa and her new husband. Meecham and I stopped and stared. Apparently handsome hotness genes run deep in the male pool of this family. The gorgeous young man of twenty-five was taller than John, but had the same aquamarine eyes, full lips, and high cheekbones as his father and brother.

  “Hi,” he extended his hand to Meecham first, “I’m Dan. John’s older and taller brother,” he smirked.

  “Meecham James,” Meecham said.

  “Susie James,” I said. “Just call me Sookie”.

  Dan’s eyes lit up when he saw me, and he reached out to shake my hand. “Sookie? What an interesting name.”