The Language of Seabirds by Will Taylor

Author:Will Taylor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

They had just turned onto Main Street when Jeremy heard a grown-up voice calling his name. He looked around, puzzled, and jerked to a stop at the sight of his father and Uncle Becker waving at them from the other side of the street.

“Who’s that?” asked Evan, stopping beside him.

“Um, my dad.” Jeremy’s heart was racing. Why did this have to happen now, when things with Evan were only just feeling okay again? “And my uncle.”

“Oh, cool.” Evan raised a hand and waved back.

The two men headed over, cutting through the slow tourist traffic. Jeremy’s dad was wearing his aviator sunglasses again. Jeremy couldn’t read his expression.

“Hey, Jer!” said Becker, grinning as he reached them. “Who’ve we got here?”

Evan held out a hand. “Hi, I’m Evan. Evan Sandford.”

“Becker Ryden, Jeremy’s uncle.” They shook.

“Mike, his father,” said Jeremy’s dad, and he and Evan shook, too.

Jeremy stood to the side, awkward and silent.

“So, are you a local?” his dad asked Evan. “You and Jeremy just meet?”

“I spend summers here,” Evan answered. He glanced over at Jeremy. “But we’ve been hanging out for almost a week now. We go on runs and stuff.”

Jeremy’s dad pulled off his sunglasses. “Wait, you’ve been running with a friend this whole time, Jer?” His eyebrows knotted. “Why didn’t you say? How come you haven’t invited him over to the house?”

Jeremy flushed, remembering the night before, with Evan sprawled in a pile of magazines on his bedroom floor. “I just, um, haven’t gotten around to it yet.” He kept his gaze fixed over his dad’s shoulder, but he still saw Evan’s look of surprise. This whole situation was becoming way too complicated. He felt sweat running down his back.

“Huh,” said his dad. “Well, that’s kind of weird. Obviously, you’re gonna have to bring your new friend to the party tomorrow.”

Jeremy finally looked at his father. “The … party?”

“Yeah! I’m throwing a party! For the Fourth, obviously, but also ’cause your uncle here is leaving the day after to work on his properties up the coast. Won’t be back until the day we leave, he says! He’s calling all his friends to come tomorrow; should be fun.” He looked happier at the idea than Jeremy had seen him in months. “Of course,” his dad went on, “the first year I’m allowed to shoot fireworks again, and I can’t find anything better than snap-its left in this whole darn town!”

“He’s making me search store to store with him to see what else we can find,” said Becker, rolling his eyes. “Which is such an obvious excuse to end up at Sandy’s Grill I’m embarrassed to call him my brother.”

He dodged away as Jeremy’s dad punched him on the shoulder.

“So, we’ll see you tomorrow, yeah, Evan?” Becker said, grinning. “You’ve gotta be there. Jer’s gonna need at least one friend his own age to hang out with!”

Jeremy wondered how many ways there were to melt into the pavement from embarrassment, but Evan nodded. “It sounds like fun. Thanks.”

“Okay, come on, Becks.” Jeremy’s dad pulled his sunglasses back on.

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