<h4>Chapter 31 - After the Apuse</h4>


    As the apuse settled, a small group of girls from my ss came rushing over.


    "That was so cool, Jake!" one of them said, eyes wide with admiration.


    "Yeah, you sang like a real pop star," added another, practically glowing.


    I gave a small nod and a polite smile, but under my breath, I muttered, "Do I have some kind of aura that attracts lolis?"


    Just then, Uncle Charlie walked up with his signature smirk.


    "So," he said yfully, "are you nning to charm every twelve-year-old girl in the city, or just the ones in your school district?"


    I gave him a dry look. "Hrious."


    He chuckled. "I mean, I knew you had range, but you''re starting to get fan mail from the swing set crowd."


    "I need a new audience," I muttered.


    "Hey," Charlie shrugged. "Take the fans where you can get ''em."


    Before I could respond, Miss Tuttle approached with a warm smile.


    "Jake, that was a beautiful performance. Truly moving," she said. "You''ve got real talent."


    "Thanks, Miss Tuttle," I replied.


    Then she turned to Charlie. "And you—you''re excellent on the piano."


    Charlie shed his trademark grin. "I try to keep up with the prodigy here."


    Miss Tuttle chuckled, then slipped a folded note into Charlie''s hand. "If that dinner offer still stands," she said with a yful glint in her eyes, "give me a call."


    Charlie looked down at the note, then back at her with a sly grin.


    She winked and walked away, leaving him blinking in pleasant surprise.


    "Oooh, Uncle Charlie''s gonna getid," I teased.


    "Jake?!" n said, shocked and clearly disapproving.


    "Hey, I''m just pointing out the obvious. If you want to scold someone, scold Uncle Charlie," I said, shrugging in self-defense.


    Charlie folded the note with a satisfied grin and slipped it into his pocket. "I love parent-teacher night."


    n rolled his eyes. "It wasn''t even your kid performing."


    "Details, n," Charlie said breezily. "Details."


    I shook my head. "Can we just go before you hit on the PTA president too?"


    Charlie grinned wider. "Toote."


    n groaned. "Let''s go."


    ———


    Outside, the sun had dipped just enough to cast long shadows over the parking lot. Parents chatted in clusters, kids chased each other between cars, and Charlie took a sip from a bottle—one that definitely wasn''t filled with water.


    "Great job in there, buddy," n said as we walked toward the car. "You really took the spotlight."


    I nodded. "Thanks. I was worried it mighte off too cheesy."


    Charlie snorted. "Kid, if I had a dor for every time I sold a cheesy jingle and cashed a check, I''d have... well, exactly as much money as I already do."


    n turned back to me. "Seriously though, I know we tease, but that was special."


    I nced over at him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. "Thanks, Dad."


    As n pulled out of the school parking lot and we headed toward the car, I remembered that Dad had recently bought Uncle Charlie''s old Jaguar—since Dad''s Porsche only had room for two. Uncle Charlie, of course, had upgraded to a Mercedes.


    The car was quiet for a few minutes, windows down, warm air blowing through. I leaned back, letting the night breeze cool my face.


    "I think I''m gonna miss this ce," I said softly.


    "You''re not even gone yet," n replied.


    "Yeah, but... it''s weird. When you know something''s ending, it starts feeling different. More valuable."


    Charlie nodded thoughtfully. "The nostalgia starts before the farewell. That''s how you know you''re getting older."


    "I''m twelve," I reminded him.


    "Still counts," he said, taking another sip.


    ———


    After a few days, the house smelled like fresh coffee, toasted bagels, and sunscreen—which could only mean one thing: Summer Vacation.


    n sat at the kitchen table with hisptop open, scrolling through travel sites, while Charlie sipped a mimosa like it was already the weekend.


    "So, Jake," n said, looking up, "since you''ve officially wrapped up the school year and—well—leveled up academically, we thought you deserved a proper celebration. I was thinking... Barbados?"


    I blinked. "Barbados? Seriously?"


    Charlie nodded. "Sun, beach, drinks in coconuts. What''s not to like?"


    I paused, thinking. I''d never been to Barbados before, and as one of the most famous Caribbean inds, it had to be gorgeous.


    "Alright," I said, hiding a small grin. "I''m listening."


    n tapped something into hisptop. "Flights are open next week. We could go for ten days, maybe more if you''re up for it."


    "I''m definitely up for it," I said.


    n hesitated a beat. "There''s just... one thing. Mom wants toe too."


    I raised an eyebrow. "My mom or <i>your</i> mom?"


    Charlie, without missing a beat, muttered, "Does it matter?"


    n sighed, clearly ufortable. "Well... both."


    Charlie chuckled and leaned back in his chair, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Fantastic. A tropical ind getaway with not one, but two hurricanes in heels." Then he turned to n. "Why would you even tell them about the trip?"


    n raised his hands in surrender. "They both didn''t want to be left out of Jake''s big vacation. What was I supposed to do?"


    Charlie scoffed. "If I remember correctly, our mother used to <i>pray</i> for vacations without us. She shipped us to camp every summer just to enjoy a martini in silence."


    I leaned forward, grinning. "Yeah, well... you weren''t exactly people she could brag about at brunch or making her win millions."


    Charlie just gave me a look.


    ------


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