Will broke into a jog. He knew Marcus would be here; he felt it. He began to run flat out, images flashing through his mind: the fire at the church, the night at the carnival, the way hed grabbed Ronnie by the arms and Blaze, going up in flames.
Marcus hadnt tried to help her. Hed run away when she needed him, when she could have died.
Will didnt care what might happen to him. He didnt care what might happen to Scott. He was beyond that now. This time, Marcus had gone too far. As he rounded the corner, he spotted them in the distance, seated on pieces of driftwood around a small campfire.
Fire. Fireballs. Blaze
He sped up, steeling himself for what was coming next. He drew close enough to make out the empty beer bottles scattered around the fire, but he knew that the darkness prevented them from seeing him.
Marcus was raising a bottle of beer to his lips as Will lowered his shoulder and slammed into him from the back, just below his neck. He felt Marcuss back whiplash under the impact, the only sound a painful gasp as Will drove him forward into the sand.
Will knew he had to move quickly, in order to reach Teddy before he or his brother could react. The sight of Marcus suddenly being driven to the ground seemed to paralyze them, though, and after Will drove a knee into Marcuss back, he lunged toward Teddy, his legs moving like pistons, driving him back over the driftwood. Will landed on top of Teddy, but instead of using his fists, he reared back and slammed his forehead down onto Teddys nose.
He felt it crunch as it was flattened under the impact. Will rose quickly, ignoring the sight of Teddy rolling on the ground, hands to his face and blood spurting between his fingers, his screams partially muffled by the sound of him gagging.
Lance was already on the move and charging as Will took one large step back, keeping his distance. Lance was almost on him and going low when Will suddenly drove his knee upward, feeling as it connected with Lances face. Lances head whipped back and he was unconscious before he hit the ground.
Two down, one to go.
By then, Marcus was staggering to his feet. He grabbed a piece of driftwood and backed away as Will moved forward. But the last thing Will wanted was for Marcus to be able to position his feet before swinging. Will charged. Marcus swung the wood, but the strike was weak and Will batted it aside before smashing into Marcuss chest. He wrapped his arms around him, locking them and lifting, using the momentum to drive Marcus back. It was a picture-perfect football tackle, and Marcus was slammed onto his back.
Will brought his full weight down on top of Marcus, and as hed done with Teddy, he head-butted Marcus as hard as he could.
He felt the same crunching of bone, but this time he didnt stop there. Instead, he smashed Marcus with his fist. He hit him again and again, giving in to the rage, unleashing his fury at the impotence hed felt ever since the fire. He hit Marcus in the ear, then hit his ear again. Marcuss screams only enraged him further. He swung again, this time aiming for the nose hed already brokenwhen suddenly he felt someone seize his arm.
He turned, ready for Teddy, but it was Ronnie holding his arm, a terrified expression on her face.
Stop! Hes not worth going to jail for! she screamed. Dont ruin your life for him!
He barely heard her, but he registered her tugging as she began trying to pull him off.
Please, Will, she said, her voice shaking. Youre not like him. You have a future. Dont throw it all away.
As she gradually loosened her grip, he felt his energy drain away. He struggled to stand, the adrenaline leaving him shaky and off balance. Ronnie slipped an arm around his waist, and they slowly began walking back to the truck.
The next morning, he went to work with his hand aching, only to find Scott waiting for him in the small locker room. As Scott pulled up his coverall, he glared at Will before shrugging the one-piece over his shoulders.
You didnt have to quit the match, he said, pulling up the zipper. The paramedics were there the whole time.
I know, Will said. I wasnt thinking. Id seen them earlier, but I forgot. Im sorry about having to forfeit the match.
Yeah, well, so am I, Scott snapped. He reached for a rag and tucked it into his belt. We could have won it all, but you had to rush off to play hero.
Scott, man, she needed help
Yeah? And why did it have to be you? Why couldnt you wait for help? Why didnt you call 911? Why did you have to haul her off in your truck?
I told youI forgot the paramedics were there. I thought it would take too long for an ambulance to arrive
Scott slammed his fist against the locker. But you dont even like her! he shouted. You dont even know her anymore! Yeah, if it was Ashley or Cassie or even Ronnie, I could understand it. Hell, if it was a stranger, I could understand it. But Blaze? Blaze? The same chick whos gonna send your girlfriend to jail? The chick that hangs out with Marcus? Scott took a step toward him. Do you think for a second she would have done the same for you? If you were hurt and you needed help? Not a chance!
Its just a game, Will objected, feeling his own anger begin to surface.
To you! Scott screamed. To you its a game! But for you, everythings a game! Dont you get that? Because nothing matters to you! You dont need to win things like this, because even if you lose, you still get life handed to you on a silver platter! But I needed this! Its my future on the line, man!
Yeah, well, it was a girls life on the line, Will lashed back. And if you could stop being so self-centered for once, youd see that saving someones life is more important than your precious volleyball scholarship!
Scott shook his head in disgust. Youve been my friend for a long time but you know, its always been on your terms. Everything has always been what you want. You want to break up with Ashley, you want to hang out with Ronnie, you want to blow off practice for weeks on end, you want to play hero. Well, you know what? You were wrong. I talked to the paramedics.
They told me you were wrong. That by hauling her to the truck the way you did, you might have made things worse. And what did you get? Did she thank you? No, of course she didnt. And she wont. But youre perfectly willing to screw a friend over because what you want to do is most important.
Scotts words were like blows to his stomach, but they only stoked his anger. Get over yourself, Scott, Will said. This time, its not all about you.
You owed me! Scott screamed, slamming the locker again. I asked for this one simple thing! You know how much it meant to me!
I dont owe you anything, Will said with quiet fury. Ive been covering for you for the past eight months. Im tired of Marcus playing us. You need to do the right thing. You need to tell the truth. Things have changed.
Will turned and strode to the door. As he pushed it open, he heard Scott behind him.
What did you do?
Will turned, holding the door half-open and meeting Scotts gaze with steely intent. Like I said, you need to tell the truth.
He waited until Scott absorbed his words, then stepped out, letting the door slam shut behind him. As he made his way past the cars on lifts, he could hear Scott calling after him.
You want to ruin my life? You want me to go to jail for an accident? Im not going to do that!
Even as he neared the lobby, he could still hear Scott slamming his hand into the lockers.
Ronnie
The next week was tense for both of them. Ronnie wasnt comfortable with the violence shed seen Will display, nor was she entirely comfortable with the way it had made her feel. She didnt like fights, she didnt like to see people get hurt, and she knew that it rarely improved a situation.
Yet she couldnt force herself to be angry at Will for what hed done. As much as she didnt want to condone what happened, watching Will completely dismantle the three of them made her feel just a bit safer when she was with him.
But Will was stressed. He was certain that Marcus would report what happened and that the police would come knocking at his door any minute, but Ronnie sensed that something else was bothering him, something he wasnt letting on. For some reason he and Scott werent on speaking terms, and she wondered whether that had something to do with Wills unease.
Then, of course, there was the family. Particularly Wills mother. Ronnie had seen her twice since the wedding: once as she waited in the truck at Wills house while Will ran inside to pick up a clean shirt, and once at a restaurant in downtown Wilmington when Will took her out. As theyd taken their seats, Susan had walked in with a group of her friends. Ronnie had a perfect view of the entrance, but Will was facing in the other direction. On both occasions, Susan had pointedly turned her back to Ronnie.
She hadnt told Will about either incident. While Will was lost in his own world of retribution and worry, Ronnie noticed that Susan seemed to believe Ronnie was somehow personally responsible for the tragedy that had befallen Blaze.
As she stood in her bedroom, she watched Wills sleeping figure from a distance. He was curled up near the turtles nest; because a few of the other nests had begun to hatch, theyd removed the cage this afternoon, and the nest was completely exposed. Neither of them felt good about leaving it unattended for the night, and because Will was spending less and less time at home anyway, hed volunteered to watch it.
She didnt want to think about their newfound troubles, but she found herself replaying all that had happened this summer. She could barely remember the girl shed been when shed first arrived at the beach. And the summer wasnt over yet; in a couple of days, shed turn eighteen, and after one last weekend together, Will would be leaving for college. Her next court appearance was scheduled a few days after that, and then shed have to go back to New York. So much already done and so much left to do.
She shook her head. Who was she? And whose life was she leading? More than that, where would it take her?
These days, none of it and all of it felt real, more real than anything shed known: her love for Will, her growing bond with her father, the way her life had slowed down, so simply and completely. All of it sometimes seemed to be happening to someone else, someone she was still getting to know. Never in a million years would she have considered the idea that a sleepy beach town somewhere in the South would have been filled with so much more life and drama than Manhattan.
Smiling, she had to admit that with a few exceptions, it hadnt been all that bad, either. She was sleeping in a quiet bedroom beside her brother, separated only by glass and sand from the young man she loved, a young man who loved her back. She wondered whether there could be anything greater in life. And despite all that had happened, maybe because of it, she knew she would never forget the summer theyd spent together, no matter what the future might bring.
Lying in bed, she began to drift off to sleep. Her last conscious thought was that there was more coming. Although that sensation often foretold the worst, she knew that couldnt be possible, not after all theyd been through.
In the morning, however, she awoke feeling anxious. As always, she was acutely conscious of the fact that another day had passed, meaning one less day left with Will.
But as she lay there, trying to make sense of the unease she felt, she realized it wasnt just that. Will was heading off to college next week. Even Kayla was heading off to college. Yet she still had no idea what was coming for her. Yeah, shed turn eighteen, and yeah, shed deal with whatever the court decided, but then what? Was she going to live with her mom forever? Should she apply for a job at Starbucks? For an instant she flashed on a image of herself holding a shovel and following behind elephants at the zoo.
It was the first time shed confronted the future so directly. Shed always held to the breezy belief that everything would turn out okay, no matter what she decided. And it would, she knew for a while. But did she still want to be living with her mom at nineteen? Or twenty-one?
Or, God forbid, twenty-five?
And how on earth was someone supposed to earn enough on her ownand afford to live in Manhattanwithout a college degree?
She didnt know. All she knew for certain was that she wasnt ready for the summer to end.
She wasnt ready to go back home. She wasnt ready to think about Will wandering the green quads at Vanderbilt, walking beside coeds in cheerleader outfits. She didnt want to think about any of it.
* * *
Is everything okay? Youve been kind of quiet, Will said.
Im sorry, she said. Its just that Ive got a lot on my mind.
They were sitting at the pier, sharing bagels and coffee, which theyd picked up on the way.
Usually the pier was crowded with people fishing, but this morning they had the place to themselves. A nice surprise, considering he had the day off.
Have you given any thought to what you want to do?
Anything that doesnt involve elephants and shovels.
He balanced his bagel on the Styrofoam cup. Do I want to know what youre talking about?
Probably not, she said, grimacing.
Okay. He nodded. But I was talking about what you wanted to do for your birthday tomorrow.
Ronnie shrugged. It doesnt have to be anything special.
But youre turning eighteen. Face itthats a big deal. Youll legally be an adult.
Great, she thought. Yet another reminder that time was running out to figure out what she was going to do with her life. Will must have read her expression because he reached over to put a hand on her knee.
Did I say something wrong?
No. I dont know. Im just feeling weird today.
In the distance, a pod of porpoises broke the water beyond the swells. The first time shed seen them, shed been amazed. Even the twentieth. Now, they were a regular part of the scenery, but even so, shed miss them when she was back in New York, doing whatever it was she was going to do. Shed probably end up addicted to cartoons like Jonah and insist on watching them upside down.
How about I take you out to dinner?
No, scratch that. Shed probably end up addicted to Game Boy. Okay.
Or maybe well go dancing.
Or maybe Guitar Hero. Jonah liked to play that for hours. And so had Rick, now that she thought about it. Pretty much everyone without a life was addicted to that game. Sounds fine.
Or how about this? We paint our faces and try to summon ancient Incan goddesses.
Addicted to those lousy games, shed probably still be living at home when Jonah went off to college in eight years. Whatever you want.
The sound of Wills laughter was enough to bring her attention back to him. Did you say something?
Your birthday. I was trying to figure out what you want for your birthday, but obviously youre out in never-never land. Im leaving on Monday, and I want to do something special for you.
She thought about it before turning toward the house, noticing again how out of place it was along this stretch of beach. You know what I really, really want?
It didnt happen on her birthday, but two nights later, Friday, August 22, was close enough. The staff at the aquarium really did have the whole thing down to a science; earlier that afternoon, workers and volunteers from the aquarium had begun to prepare the area so the turtles could reach the water safely.
She and Will had helped smooth the sand in the shallow trench that led to the ocean; others had put up caution tape to keep the crowd at a safe distance. Most of the crowd, anyway. Her dad and Jonah had been allowed inside the taped area, and they were standing off to the side, out of the way of the bustling workers.
Ronnie didnt have any idea what she was supposed to do, other than make sure no one got too close to the nest. It wasnt as if she were an expert, but when she wore the Easter-egg-colored aquarium outfit, people assumed she knew everything. She must have answered a hundred questions in the last hour. She was pleased that shed been able to remember the things Will had first told her about the turtles and also relieved that shed taken a few minutes to review the loggerhead fact card the aquarium had printed up for onlookers. Pretty much everything that people wanted to know was already there in black and white, but she supposed it was easier to ask her than glance at the card they held in their hands.
It also helped to pass the time. Theyd already been out here for hours, and though theyd been reassured that the nest might begin to hatch any minute, Ronnie wasnt so certain. The turtles didnt care that some of the little kids might be getting tired or that someone might have to get up early to go to work the next morning.
Somehow shed imagined that there would be only half a dozen people out here, not the hundreds massing all along the caution tape. She wasnt sure she liked it; it kind of made the whole thing feel like a circus.
As she took a seat on the dune, Will came over to her.
What do you think? he asked, gesturing at the scene.
Im not sure yet. Nothings happened so far.
Its not going to be long now.
So I keep being told.
Will took a seat beside her. You need to learn patience, young grasshopper.
I am patient. I just want the hatching to happen sooner rather than later.
He laughed. My mistake.
Shouldnt you be working?
Im just a volunteer. Youre the one who actually works at the aquarium.
Yes, but Im not being paid for my time, and technically, since youre a volunteer, I think you should man the caution tape for a while.
Let me guesshalf the people ask whats going on, and the other half ask questions that are answered on the card you hand them.
Pretty much.
And youre tired of that?
Lets just say that it wasnt as much fun as dinner the other night.
Hed taken her out to a cozy little Italian place for her birthday; hed also bought her a silver necklace with a silver turtle pendant, which she loved and had been wearing ever since.
How do you know when its almost time?
He pointed to the head of the aquarium and one of the biologists on staff. When Elliot and Todd start getting excited.
Sounds pretty scientific.
Oh, it is. Trust me.
Mind if I join you?
After Will had gone off to retrieve some extra flashlights from the truck, her dad had walked over.
You dont have to ask, Dad. Of course you can.
I didnt want to bother you. You looked sort of preoccupied.
Im just waiting, like everyone else, she said. She moved over, making room as he took a seat beside her. The crowd had grown even larger in the last half hour, and she was glad her dad had been allowed inside the caution tape. Lately, he looked so tired.
Believe it or not, growing up, I never saw a nest hatch.
Why not?
It just wasnt the big deal it is now. I mean, Id sometimes stumble across a nest and think it was neat, but I never thought much about it. The closest I ever came to seeing an actual hatching was coming across a nest the day after it happened. I saw all the broken shells around the nest, but it was just part of life around here. In any case, Ill bet this isnt what you expected, huh? All these people around?
What do you mean?
Between you and Will, you watched that nest every night, keeping it safe. And now that the exciting part is about to happen, you have to share it with everyone.
Thats okay. I dont mind.
Even a little?
She smiled. It was amazing how well her dad had come to know her. Hows your song coming?
Its a work in progress. Ive probably written a hundred variations of it so far, but its still not right. I know its kind of a pointless exerciseif I havent figured it out yet, I probably never willbut it gives me something to do.
I saw the window this morning. Its almost done.
Her dad nodded. Its getting close.
Have they figured out when theyre going to install it?
No, he said. Still waiting for the money for the rest of the church. They dont want to put it in until the place is being used. Pastor Harris is worried some vandals might throw rocks at it.
The fire has made him a lot more cautious about everything.
Id probably be cautious, too.
Steve straightened his legs out on the sand, then drew them back in, wincing.
Are you okay? she asked.
Just been standing too much these last few days. Jonah wants to finish the window before he leaves.
Hes had a good time this summer.
Yeah?
He told me the other night that he doesnt want to go back to New York. That he wants to stay with you.
Hes a sweet kid, he said. He hesitated before turning toward her. I guess the next question is whether you had a good time this summer.
Yeah, I did.
Because of Will?
Because of everything, she said. Im glad we spent time together.
Me, too.
So whens your next trip to New York?
Oh, I dont know. Well play that by ear.
She smiled. Too busy these days?
Not hardly, he said. But you want to know something?
Whats that?
I think youre a terrific young lady. I never want you to forget how proud I am of you.
What brought that up?
I wasnt sure Id told you that lately.
She rested her head on his shoulder. Youre okay, too, Dad.
Hey, he said, motioning to the nest. I think its starting.
She turned toward the nest, then scrambled to her feet. As Will had predicted, Elliot and Todd were moving around with great excitement while a hush came over the crowd.
It unfolded the way Will had originally described it, except that words didnt really do it justice.
Because she was able to get so close, she could see it all: the first egg beginning to crack open, followed by another and then another, all the eggs seemingly wiggling on their own until the first turtle actually emerged and began to scramble over the wiggling eggs and out of the nest.
Still, it was what followed that was most amazing: first a little movement, then some movement, and then so much movement that it was impossible for the eye to capture it all as five and then ten and then twenty and then too many turtles to count joined in a massive frenzy of activity.
Like a crazy beehive on steroids
And then there was the sight of the tiny, prehistoric-looking turtles trying to escape the hole; clawing their way up and slipping back down, crawling over the tops of one another until one finally got out, followed by a second, and then a third, all moving along the sandy trench toward the light Todd was holding as he stood in the surf.
One by one, Ronnie watched them crawling past, thinking them so incredibly small that survival seemed almost inconceivable. The ocean would simply swallow them up, making them disappear, which was exactly what happened as they reached the water and were tossed and rolled in the surf, bobbing briefly to the surface before vanishing from sight.
Shed stood beside Will, squeezing his hand tightly, immensely happy that shed spent all those nights by the nest and that shed played some small part in this miracle of new life. It was incredible to think that after weeks of absolutely nothing happening, everything shed been waiting for would be over in a matter of minutes.
As she stood beside the boy she loved, she knew shed never shared anything more magical with anyone.
An hour later, after excitedly reliving the hatching in detail, Ronnie and Will said good night to the others from the aquarium as they headed toward their cars. Aside from the trench, all evidence of what had happened was gone. Even the shells were nowhere in sight; Todd had gathered them up because he wanted to study the thickness of the shells and test for the possible presence of chemicals.
As she walked beside him, Will slipped his arm around her. I hope that was all you thought it would be.
It was even better, she said. But I keep thinking about the baby turtles.
Theyll be okay.
Not all of them.
No, he admitted. Not all of them. When theyre young, the odds are stacked against them.
They walked a few steps in silence. That makes me sad.
Its the circle of life, right?
I dont need philosophy from The Lion King right now, she sniffed. I need you to lie to me.
Oh, he said easily. In that case Theyre all going to make it. All fifty-six of them.
Theyll grow larger and mate and make little baby turtles and eventually pass away from old age after living far longer than most turtles, of course.
Do you really think so?
Of course, he said confidently. Theyre our babies. Theyre special.
She was still laughing when she saw her dad step out onto the back porch with Jonah.
Okay, after all the ridiculous buildup, Jonah started, and watching the whole thing from start to finish, I just have one thing to say.
Whats that? Will prompted.
Jonah grinned broadly. That. Was. So. Cool.
Ronnie laughed, remembering. At Wills puzzled expression, she just shrugged. Private joke, she said, and in that instant, her dad coughed.
It was a loud, wet cough, sounding sick but just as had happened in the church, it didnt stop with one cough. He coughed again and again, one racking sound followed by another.
She watched as her dad grabbed the rail to keep his balance; she could see Jonahs brow furrowing with worry and fear, and even Will was frozen in place.
She watched her father try to stand straighter, arching his back, struggling to control the hacking. He brought both hands to his mouth and coughed one more time, and when at last he drew a ragged breath, it sounded almost as if he were breathing through water.
He gasped again, then lowered his hands. For what seemed like the longest few seconds of her life, Ronnie was frozen in place, suddenly more scared than shed ever been. Her fathers face was covered in blood.
30Steve
He received his death sentence in February, while sitting in a doctors office, only an hour after giving his last piano lesson.
Hed started teaching again when hed first moved back to Wrightsville Beach, after failing as a concert pianist. Pastor Harris, without consulting him, had brought a promising student to the house a few days after Steve had moved in and asked that Steve do him a favor. It was just like Pastor Harris to realize that by returning home, Steve was broadcasting the fact that he was lost and alone and that the only way to help him was to bring a sense of purpose back into his life.
The student was Chan Lee. Both her parents taught music at UNC Wilmington, and at seventeen she was a wonderful technician, but she somehow lacked the ability to make the music her own. She was both serious and engaging, and Steve took to her immediately; she listened with interest and worked hard at incorporating his suggestions. He looked forward to her visits, and for Christmas, he gave her a book on the construction of classical pianos, something he thought she would enjoy. But despite the joy he felt in teaching again, he found himself increasingly tired. The lessons drained him when they should have given him energy. For the first time in his life, he began to take regular naps.