I decide to take my brothers to Plumbite Pier in Copperdale, but the place is practically abandoned when we arrive.
Wade: Where is everyone?
Mason: At the prom
Wade: That’s tonight? Why aren’t you there?
Mason: I just didn’t want to go.
I hope this has nothing to do with me going to the prom with Perla. How can I get him to understand that that was in the past? I won’t address it now. I pull out my cell instead.
Wade: Oh well, now we can ride everything as much as we want. Let’s take a picture. Say Banks Boys on three; one, two, three –
Wade and Drake: Banks Boys!
Wade: I didn’t hear you, Mase.
Mason: I’m not in a picture mood.
Wade: You’re never in a picture mood, but we’re taking another anyway.
I give up on Mase. He’ll have to find a way to cheer up on his own. But at least I have a decent picture to put up on my wall when I get my new place.
You can’t have a real birthday celebration without ice cream, so Dray and I head to the vendor for a sweet treat. But Mase doesn’t want any. I guess he’s not in the mood for that, either. But after I place my order, I turn and see something he might be in the mood for. A girl is standing behind him; better than that, she seems to know him. Is this who he’s been texting and talking to on his phone?
Zoe: Hi, Mase!
Mase turns around.
Mason: Zoe! What are you doing here?
Zoe: I saw your post on the social bunny app that you’d be here, and I thought I’d come to hang out.
Mason: Oh, cool.
Dray and I sit down with our ice cream. I get a closer look at the girl Mase has been hiding. She’s cute, real cute – like top-tier cute.
Wade: Mase, who’s your friend?
Mase turns and leads the girl over. Do I detect some reluctance in his steps?
Mason: Oh, uh – this is Zoe. Zoe, these are my brothers – Wade and Drake.
Wade: Yeah, but everyone calls me Dub. Nice to meet you!
Zoe: Hi, Dub – and Drake!
Uh oh! She’s giving me that look and staring way too long. If she is the key to pulling Mase out of his funk, I don’t want to do anything to derail that. Like I said, I’m a grown man – no time for teen drama.
Wade: You don’t attend Copperdale. How did you and Mase meet?
Zoe: At a chess tournament. I attend Windenburg High School, and Copperdale is our chess rival.
So she goes to school with Perla. I’m not about to ask if she knows her.
Wade: Oh, cool.
I need to keep her attention on Mase, not me.
Wade: Mase, we’re good here – if you and Zoe want to hang out.
Mase takes the hint. He probably can’t wait to get away from us anyway.
Mason: *to Zoe* Do you want to go on any rides?
Zoe: Yeah, I’ve been dying to get on that Ferris Wheel.
Mason: Me too. Want to go now?
Zoe: Sure
It looks like Mase will be alright. He knows a pretty girl when he sees one. They step away and head off toward the Ferris Wheel. Now I have to find something for Dray and me to do.
Wade: Want to check out the haunted house?
Drake: Yeah, okay.
We leave the bench and find our way to the haunted house. It seems that Mase will have a much better time than us. This place is screaming ‘date spot.’ As we approach the haunted house –
Drake: How scary do you think this will be?
Wade: I don’t know. I’ve never been here before. Just don’t try to grab my hand.
We enter the ride and take a seat. The scares are cheesy, but the atmosphere is spooky enough to warrant a nice snuggle with your date. Too bad I’m stuck in here with my little brother instead.
Wade: What did I say, bro? Don’t touch my hand!
Drake: Sorry, that got me.
We finish the ride with no further incidents.
We leave the haunted house.
Drake: Let’s get on that one next.
Wade: That’s the tunnel of love. I’m not about to go there with you, but you can go alone.
I wait outside the ride like somebody’s dad while Dray enters. After he returns, we walk over to the other side of the park. Mase is across the street saying his goodbyes to Zoe.
Wade: *to Dray* Let’s wait a minute to give him some privacy.
Mase and Zoe talk for a few moments but don’t hug or kiss, so I can only hope things went well on the ride.
After Zoe leaves, Dray and I approach Mase.
Wade: So, how did it go?
Mason: Terrible. The ride operator played a prank on me, so I was terrified for the entire ride.
Wade: Oh, dang. Did you at least grab her hand?
Mason: Why would I do that? She’s my friend.
My poor Mase is clueless.
Wade: But she wants to be more than that.
Mason: Why do you say that?
Wade: Because she wouldn’t have come all the way here from Windenburg if she wanted to be friends, bro.
Mason: Really?
Wade: *deep sigh* I have a lot to teach you! Next time take her on the Tunnel of Love, and you’ll see what I mean.
Mason: Okay
Back home, Dad meets us outside and gives us our birthday gifts. He hands me mine first. I open it and see a seed.
Kai: It’s a money tree seed. It’s a family tradition to pass this down to each new generation. Ma gave it to me on my wedding night and told me that it would secure the financial future of each generation. Plant it when you settle down into your new home, and pass a seed down to each of your children.
I’ve been paying attention. I know exactly what my father just handed me – freedom to pursue my dreams and room to fail if it doesn’t work out.
Wade: Thanks, Dad! I’ll plant it right away.
Kai: Good!
Dad walks over to Dray to give him his birthday gift. I begin walking towards the house to give them some space.
I enter my room and place the picture of me and my brothers on the wall. That’s when it hits me – I’ll be on my own soon. I won’t have them around me daily like I do now. I remember when I was about to age up to a teen, and Dray was still a toddler. He woke up after having a nightmare and came straight into my bedroom because he was scared. I read to him, and shortly after, Dray forgot all about the monsters in his dream. Then I think about Mase and his evening tonight out with a girl for the first time. If it wasn’t for me, who knows how long it would have taken him to realize that Zoe likes him.
What if they need me when I’m gone?
And then there’s Perla. She has no idea that I plan to leave Henford soon. Who knows, I might end up on the other side of the world. What does that mean for us?
I sink on my bed as it all weighs on me. Being a grown-up is suddenly not as easy as I thought. Sure, I’m an adult and can do whatever I want, but where does that leave all the people I care about?
(Generation 4 Chapter Summaries)
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