Someone told me Nemo was cool.
She was lying.
What are we still doing out here? My dads probably gone by now.
Blaze turned. Why? Do you want to go back to the carnival? Maybe go to the haunted house?
No. But theres got to be something else going on.
Not yet. Later there will be. But for now, lets just wait.
For what?
Blaze didnt answer. Instead, she stood and turned around, facing the blackened water. Her hair moved in the breeze, and she seemed to stare at the moon. I saw you earlier, you know.
When?
When you were at the volleyball game. She motioned down the pier. I was standing over there.
And?
You seemed out of place.
So do you.
Which is why I was standing on the pier. She hopped up onto the railing and took a seat, facing Ronnie. I know you dont want to be here, but what did your dad do to make you so mad?
Ronnie wiped her palms on her pants. Its a long story.
Does he live with his girlfriend?
I dont think he has a girlfriend. Why?
Consider yourself lucky.
What are you talking about?
My dad lives with his girlfriend. This is his third one since the divorce, by the way, and shes the worst by far. Shes only a few years older than I am and she dresses like a stripper. For all I know, she was a stripper. It makes me sick every time I have to go there. Its like she doesnt know how to act around me. One minute she tries to give me advice like shes my mom, and the next minute shes trying to be my best friend. I hate her.
And you live with your mom?
Yeah. But now she has a boyfriend, and hes at the house all the time. And hes a loser, too. He wears this ridiculous toupee because he went bald when he was like twenty or something, and hes always telling me that I want to think about giving college a try. Like I care what he thinks. Its just all screwed up, you know?
Before Ronnie could answer, Blaze jumped back down. Cmon. I think theyre getting ready to start. Youve got to see this.
Ronnie followed Blaze back up the pier, toward a crowd surrounding what seemed to be a street show. Startled, she realized that the performers were the three thuggish guys shed spotted earlier. Two of them were break-dancing to music blaring from the boom box, while the one with long black hair stood in the center juggling what seemed to be flaming golf balls. Every now and then he would stop juggling and simply hold the ball, rotating it between his fingers or rolling it across the back of his hand or up one arm and down the other. Twice, he closed his fist over the fireball, nearly extinguishing it, only to move his hand, allowing the flames to escape out the tiny opening near his thumb.
Do you know him? Ronnie said.
Blaze nodded. Thats Marcus.
Is he wearing some sort of protective coating on his hands?
No.
Doesnt it hurt?
Not if you hold the fireball right. Its awesome, though, isnt it?
Ronnie had to agree. Marcus extinguished two of the balls and then relit them again by touching them to the third. On the ground lay an upturned magicians hat, and Ronnie watched as people began tossing money into it.
Where does he get the fireballs?
He makes them. I can show you how. Its not hard. All you need is a cotton T-shirt, needle and thread, and some lighter fluid.
As the music continued to blare, Marcus tossed the three fireballs to the guy with the Mohawk and lit two more. They juggled them back and forth between each other like circus clowns using bowling pins, faster and faster, until one throw went awry.
Except that it didnt. The guy with the pierced eyebrow caught it soccer-ball style and began bouncing it from foot to foot as though it were nothing more than a Hacky Sack. After extinguishing three of the fireballs, the other two followed suit, the entire troupe kicking the two fireballs back and forth between them. The crowd started to clap, and money rained into the hat as the music built to a crescendo. Then all at once, the remaining fireballs were caught and extinguished simultaneously as the song thundered to a close.
Ronnie had to admit shed never seen anything like it. Marcus walked over to Blaze and folded her into a long, lingering kiss that seemed wildly inappropriate in public. He opened his eyes slowly, staring right at Ronnie before he pushed Blaze away.
Whos that? he asked, motioning in Ronnies direction.
Thats Ronnie, Blaze said. Shes from New York. I just met her.
Mohawk and Pierced Eyebrow joined Marcus and Blaze in their scrutiny, making Ronnie feel distinctly uncomfortable.
New York, huh? Marcus asked, pulling a lighter from his pocket and igniting one of the fireballs. He held the flaming orb motionless between his thumb and forefinger, making Ronnie wonder again how he could do that without getting burned.
Do you like fire? he called out.
Without waiting for an answer, he threw the fireball in her direction. Ronnie jumped out of the way, too startled to respond. The ball landed behind her just as a police officer rushed forward, stamping out the flame.
You three, he called out, pointing. Out. Now. Ive told you before that you cant do your little show on the pier, and next time, I swear Im gonna bring you in.
Marcus held up his hands and took a step backward. We were just leaving.
The boys grabbed their coats and began moving up the pier, toward the carnival rides. Blaze followed, leaving Ronnie alone. Ronnie felt the officers gaze on her, but she ignored him.
Instead, she hesitated only briefly before going after them.
4Marcus
Hed known she would follow them. They always did. Especially the new girls in town. That was the thing with girls: The worse he treated them, the more they wanted him. They were stupid like that. Predictable, but stupid.
He leaned against the planter that fronted the hotel, Blaze wrapping her arms around him.
Ronnie was sitting across from them on one of the benches; off to the side, Teddy and Lance were slurring their words as they tried to get the attention of the girls who walked past them.
They were already tankedhell, they were a little tanked even before the showand as usual, all but the ugliest of girls ignored them. Half the time, even he ignored them.
Blaze, meanwhile, was nibbling on his neck, but he ignored that, too. He was sick of the way she always hung on him whenever they were out in public. Sick of her in general. If she werent so good in bed, if she didnt know the things that really turned him on, he would have dumped her a month ago for one of the three or four or five other girls he regularly slept with.
But right now he wasnt interested in them, either. Instead, he stared at Ronnie, liking the purple streak in her hair and her tight little body, the glittery effect of her eye shadow. It was sort of an upscale, trampy style, despite the stupid shirt she was wearing. He liked that. He liked that a lot.
He pushed against Blazes hips, wishing she werent here. Go get me some fries, he said.
Im kind of hungry.
Blaze pulled back. I only have a couple of dollars left.
He could hear the whine in her voice. So? That should cover it. And make sure you dont eat any of them, either.
He meant it. Blaze was getting a little soft in the belly, a little puffy in the face. No surprise considering that lately shed been drinking almost as much as Teddy and Lance.
Blaze made a show of pouting, but Marcus gave her a little shove and she headed to one of the food booths. The line was at least six or seven deep, and as she reached the end of it, Marcus sauntered toward Ronnie and took a seat beside her. Close, but not too close. Blaze was the jealous type, and he didnt want her running Ronnie off before he had a chance to get to know her.
What did you think? he asked.
About what?
The show. Have you ever seen anything like it in New York?
No, she admitted, I havent.
Where are you staying?
Just down the beach a little way. He could tell by her answer that she was uncomfortable, probably because Blaze wasnt there.
Blaze said you ditched your dad.
In response, she simply shrugged.
What? You dont want to talk about it?
Theres nothing to say.
He leaned back. Maybe you just dont trust me.
What are you talking about?
Youll talk to Blaze, but not me.
I dont even know you.
You dont know Blaze, either. You just met her.
Ronnie didnt seem to appreciate his snappy comebacks. I just didnt want to talk to him, okay? And I dont want to have to spend my summer here, either.
He pushed the hair out of his eyes. So leave.
Yeah, right. Where am I supposed to go?
Lets go to Florida.
She blinked. What?
I know a guy whos got a place down there just outside of Tampa. If you want, Ill bring you. We can stay there as long as you want. My cars over there.
She stared at him as if in shock. I cant go to Florida with you. I I just met you. And what about Blaze?
What about her?
Youre with her.
So? He kept his face neutral.
This is too weird. She shook her head and stood. I think Ill go see how Blaze is doing.
Marcus reached into his pocket for a fireball. You know I was kidding, right?
Actually, he hadnt been kidding. Hed said it for the same reason hed thrown the fireball at her. To see how far he could push her.
Yeah, okay. Fine. Im still going over there to talk to her.
Marcus watched her stalk off. As much as he admired that dynamite little body, he wasnt sure what to make of her. She dressed the part, but unlike Blaze, she didnt smoke or show any
interest in partying, and he got the sense that there was more to her than she was letting on. He wondered if she came from money. Made sense, right? Apartment in New York, house at the beach? Family had to have money to afford things like that. But then again, there wasnt a chance shed fit in with people around here who had money, at least the ones he knew. So which one was it? And why did it matter?
Because he didnt like people with money, didnt like the way they flaunted it, and didnt like the way they thought they were better than other people because of it. Once, before hed dropped out, hed heard a rich kid at school talking about the new boat he got for his birthday. It wasnt a piece-of-crap skiff; this was a twenty-one-foot Boston Whaler with GPS and sonar, and the kid kept bragging about how he was going to use it all summer and dock it at the slips at the country club.
Three days later, Marcus set the boat on fire and watched it burn from behind the magnolia tree on the sixteenth green.
Hed told no one what hed done, of course. Tell one person, and you might as well have confessed to the cops. Teddy and Lance were cases in point: Put them in a holding cell and theyd crumple as soon as the door clanged shut. Which was why he insisted they do all the dirty work these days. Best way to keep them from talking was to make sure they were even more guilty than he was. Nowadays, they were the ones who stole the booze, the ones who beat the bald guy unconscious at the airport before taking his wallet, the ones who painted the swastikas on the synagogue. He didnt necessarily trust them, didnt even particularly like them, but they always went along with his plans. They served a purpose.
Behind him, Teddy and Lance continued to act like the idiots they were, and with Ronnie gone, Marcus was antsy. He didnt intend to sit here all night, doing nothing. After Blaze got back, after he ate his fries, he figured theyd go wandering. See what came up. Never knew what might happen in a place like this, on a night like this, in a crowd like this. One thing was certain: After a show, he always needed something more. Whatever that meant.
Glancing over to the food booth, he saw Blaze paying for the fries, Ronnie right behind her.
He stared at Ronnie, again willing her to turn his way, and eventually, she did. Nothing much, just a quick peek, but that was enough to make him wonder again what shed be like in bed.
Probably wild, he thought. Most of them were, with the right kind of encouragement.
5Will
No matter what he was doing, Will could always feel the weight of the secret pressing down on him. On the surface, everything seemed normal: In the last six months, hed gone to his classes, played basketball, attended the prom, and graduated from high school, college-bound. It hadnt been all perfect, of course. Six weeks ago, hed broken up with Ashley, but it had nothing to do with what had happened that night, the night he could never forget. Most of the time, he was able to keep the memory locked away, but every now and then, at odd times, it all came back to him with visceral force. The images never changed or faded, the images never blurred around the edges. As though viewing it through someone elses eyes, he would see himself running up the beach and grabbing Scott as he stared at the raging fire.
What the hell did you do? he remembered screaming.
Its not my fault! Scott had screamed back.
It was only then, however, that Will realized they werent alone. In the distance, he noticed Marcus, Blaze, Teddy, and Lance, watching them, and he knew at once theyd seen everything that happened.
They knew
As soon as Will grabbed for his cell phone, Scott stopped him.
Dont call the police! I told you it was an accident! His expression was pleading. Come on, man! You owe me!
News coverage had been extensive the first couple of days, and Will had watched the segments and read the articles in the paper, his stomach in knots. It was one thing to cover for an accidental fire. Maybe he could have done that. But someone had been injured that night, and he felt a sickening surge of guilt whenever he drove by the site. It didnt matter that the church was being rebuilt or that the pastor had long since been released from the hospital; what mattered was that he knew what had happened and hadnt done anything about it.
You owe me
Those were the words that haunted him most.
Not simply because he and Scott had been best friends since kindergarten, but for another, more important reason. And sometimes, in the middle of the night, he would lie awake, hating the truth of those words and wishing for a way to make things right.
Oddly enough, it was the incident at the volleyball game earlier in the day that triggered the memories this time. Or rather, it had been the girl hed collided with. She hadnt been interested in his apologies, and unlike most girls around here, she hadnt tried to mask her anger. She didnt simmer and she didnt squeal; she was self-possessed in a way that struck him instantly as different.
After shed stormed off, theyd finished out the set, and he had to admit hed missed a couple of shots he ordinarily wouldnt have. Scott had glared at him andmaybe because of the play of lighthed looked exactly as he had on the night of the fire when Will had pulled out his cell phone to call the police. And that was all it took to set those memories loose again.
Hed been able to hold it together until theyd won the game, but after it ended, hed needed some time alone. So hed wandered over to the fairgrounds and stopped at one of those overpriced, impossible-to-win game booths. He was getting ready to shoot an overinflated basketball at the slightly too high rim when he heard a voice behind him.
There you are, Ashley said. Were you avoiding us?
Yes, he thought. Actually, I was.
No, he answered. I havent taken a shot since the season ended, and I wanted to see how rusty I am.
Ashley smiled. Her white tube top, sandals, and dangly earrings showed off her blue eyes and blond hair to maximum effect. Shed changed into the outfit since the final volleyball game of the tournament. Typical; she was the only girl hed ever known who carried complete outfit changes as a regular rule, even when she went to the beach. At the prom last May, shed changed three times: one outfit for dinner, another for the dance, and a third for the party afterward. Shed actually brought along a suitcase, and after pinning on her corsage and posing for photographs, hed had to lug it to the car. Her mother hadnt found it unusual that she packed as though she were heading off on vacation instead of a dance. But maybe that was part of the problem. Ashley had once taken him to glimpse inside her moms closet; the woman must have had a couple of hundred different pairs of shoes and a thousand different outfits. Her closet could have housed a Buick.
Dont let me stop you. Id hate for you to be out a dollar.
Will turned away, and after zeroing in on the rim, he sent the ball arcing toward the basket.
It bounced off the rim and backboard before dropping in. That was one. Two more and hed actually win a prize.
As the ball rolled back, the carnival worker sneaked a glance at Ashley. Ashley, meanwhile, hadnt seemed to have even noticed the workers presence.
When the ball rolled down the net and back to Will, he picked it up again and glanced at the carnival worker. Has anyone won today?
Of course. Lots of winners every day. He continued to stare at Ashley as he answered. No surprise there. Everyone always noticed Ashley. She was like a flashing neon sign for anyone with an ounce of testosterone.
Ashley took another step forward, pirouetted, and leaned against the booth. She smiled at Will again. Ashley had never been one for subtlety. After being crowned homecoming queen, shed worn the tiara all night.
You played well today, she said. And your serve has gotten a lot better.
Thanks, Will answered.
I think youre almost as good as Scott.
No way, he said. Scott had been playing volleyball since he was six; Will had taken up the game only after his freshman year. Im quick and I can jump, but I dont have the complete game Scott does.
Im just telling you what I saw.
Focusing on the rim, Will exhaled, trying to relax before shooting the ball. It was the same thing his coach had always told him to do at the free-throw line, not that it ever seemed to improve his percentage. This time, though, the ball swished through the net. Two for two.
What are you going to do with the stuffed animal if you win? she asked.
I dont know. Do you want it?
Only if you want me to have it.
He knew she wanted him to offer it to her as opposed to asking him for it. After two years together, there were few things he didnt know about her. Will grabbed the ball, exhaled again, and took his final shot. This one, however, was a touch too hard, and the ball bounced off the back rim.
That was close, the worker said. You should try again.
I know when Im beat.
Tell you what. Ill take a dollar off. Two dollars for three shots.
Thats all right.
Two dollars and Ill let both of you take three shots. He grabbed the ball, offering it to Ashley. Id love to see you give it a try.
Ashley stared at the ball, making it obvious shed never even contemplated such an idea.
Which she probably hadnt.
I dont think so, Will said. But thanks for the offer. He turned toward Ashley. Do you know if Scott is still around?
Hes at the table with Cassie. Or at least thats where they were when I went to find you. I think he likes her.
Will headed in that direction, Ashley right beside him.
So we were talking, Ashley said, sounding almost casual, and Scott and Cassie thought it might be fun to head over to my place. My parents are in Raleigh for some event with the governor, so wed have the place to ourselves.
Will had known this was coming. I dont think so, he said.
Why not? Its not like anything exciting is happening around here.
I just dont think its a good idea.
Is it because we broke up? Its not like I want us to get back together.
Which was why you came to the tournament, he thought. And got dressed up tonight. And came to find me. And suggested going to your place, since your parents arent home.
But he didnt say those things. He wasnt in the mood to argue, nor did he want to make things any harder than they already were. She wasnt a bad person; she just wasnt for him.
Ive got to be at work early tomorrow morning, and I spent all day playing volleyball in the sun, he offered instead. I just want to go to sleep.
She grabbed his arm, bringing him to a stop. Why dont you take my calls anymore?
He said nothing. There was really nothing he could say.
I want to know what I did wrong, she demanded.
You didnt do anything wrong.
Then what is it?
When he didnt answer, she gave him a beseeching smile. Just come over and well talk about it, okay?
He knew she deserved an answer. The only problem was that it was an answer she wouldnt want to hear.
Like I said, Im just tired.
Youre tired, Scott bellowed. You told her you were tired and you wanted to go to sleep?
Something like that.
Are you insane?
Scott stared at him across the table. Cassie and Ashley had long since headed up the pier to talk, no doubt dissecting everything Will had said to Ashley, adding unnecessary drama to a situation that probably should have remained private. With Ashley, though, there was always drama. He had the sudden sense that the summer was going to be a long one.
I am tired, Will said. Arent you?
Maybe you didnt hear what she was suggesting. Me and Cassie, you and Ashley? Her parents place at the beach?
She mentioned it.
And were still here because?
I already told you.
Scott shook his head. No see, thats where you lose me. You use theIm tired excuse on your parents when they want you to wash the car, or when they tell you to get up so you can make it to church. Not when it comes to an opportunity like this.
Will said nothing. Though Scott was only a year youngerhed be a senior at Laney High School in the fallhe often acted as if he were Wills older and wiser brother.
Except that night at the church
See that guy over there at the basketball booth? Now him, I get. He stands there all day trying to get people to play the game so he can earn a little money and buy himself some beer and cigarettes at the end of his shift. Simple. Uncomplicated. Not my kind of life, but one I can understand. But you, I dont get. I mean did you see Ashley tonight? Shes gorgeous. She looks like that chick in Maxim.
And?
My point is, shes hot.
I know. We were together for a couple of years, remember?
And Im not saying you have to get back together with her. All Im suggesting is that the four of us head over to her place, have some fun, and see what happens.
Scott leaned back in his seat. And by the way? I still dont understand why you broke up with her in the first place. Its obvious shes still into you, and you two always seemed perfect together.
Will shook his head. We werent perfect together.
Youve said that before, but what does that mean? Is she, like psycho or something when you two are alone? What happened? Did you find her standing over you with a butcher knife, or did she howl at the moon when you went to the beach?
No, nothing like that. It just didnt work out, thats all.
It just didnt work out, Scott repeated. Can you even hear yourself?
When Will showed no signs of relenting, Scott leaned across the table. Cmon, man. Do this for me, then. Live a little. Its summer vacation. Take one for the team.
Now you sound desperate.
I am desperate. Unless you agree to go with Ashley tonight, Cassie wont go with me. And were talking about a girl whos ready to Romance the Stone. She wants to Free Willy.
Im sorry. But I cant help you.
Fine. Ruin my life. Who cares, right?
Youll survive. He paused. You hungry?
A little, Scott grumbled.
Cmon. Lets get some cheeseburgers.
Will got up from the table, but Scott continued to pout. You need to practice digging, he said, referring to the earlier volleyball games. You were sending the ball in every direction. It was all I could do to keep us in the games.
Ashley told me I was as good as you are.
Scott snorted and pushed up from the table. She doesnt know what shes talking about.
After standing in line for their food, Will and Scott moved to the condiment stand, where Scott drenched his burger in ketchup. It squeezed out the sides as Scott put the bun back on.
Thats disgusting, Will commented.
So get this. There was this guy named Ray Kroc and he started this company called McDonalds. Ever heard of it? Anyway, on his original hamburgerin many ways the original American hamburger, mind youhe insisted that ketchup be added. Which should tell you how important it is to the overall taste.
Keep talking. Youre just so fascinating. Im going to get something to drink.
Get me a bottled water, will you?
As Will walked off, something white flashed by him, heading in Scotts direction; Scott saw it, too, and instinctively lunged out of the way, dropping his cheeseburger in the process.
What the hell do you think youre doing? Scott demanded, spinning around. On the ground lay a wadded-up box of French fries. Behind him, Teddy and Lance had their hands stuffed in their pockets. Marcus was standing between them, trying and failing to appear innocent.
I dont know what youre talking about, Marcus answered.
This! Scott snarled, kicking the box back at them.
It was the tone, Will would later think, that made everyone around them tense. Will felt the hair on his neck prickle at the palpable, almost physical dislocation of air and space, a tremor that promised violence.
Violence that Marcus obviously wanted
As if he were baiting him.
Will saw a father scoop up his son and move away, while Ashley and Cassie, back from the pier, froze on the outskirts. Off to the side, Will recognized Galadrielshe called herself Blaze these dayscircling closer.
Scott glared at them, his jaw clenching. You know, Im getting sick and tired of your crap.
Whatcha gonna do? Marcus smirked. Shoot a bottle rocket at me?
That was all it took. As Scott took a sudden step forward, Will pushed his way frantically through the crowd, trying to reach his friend in time.
Marcus didnt move. Not good. Will knew he and his friends were capable of anything
and worst of all, they knew what Scott had done
But Scott, in a fury, didnt seem to care. As Will surged forward, Teddy and Lance fanned out, drawing Scott into their midst. He tried to close the gap, but Scott was moving too quickly, and suddenly everything seemed to happen at once. Marcus took a half step backward as Teddy kicked over a stool, forcing Scott to jump out of the way. He slammed into a table, toppling it.
Scott caught his balance and balled his hands into fists. Lance closed in from the side. As Will forced his way forward, gaining momentum, he vaguely heard the wailing sounds of a toddler.
Breaking free of the crowd, he veered toward Lance when all at once a girl stepped forward into the fray.
Just stop! the girl shouted, thrusting her arms out. Knock it off! All of you!
Her voice was surprisingly loud and authoritative, enough to make Will stop in his tracks.
Everyone else froze, and in the sudden silence, the cries of the toddler sounded shrill. The girl pivoted, glaring at each of the brawlers in turn, and as soon as Will saw the purple streak in her hair, he realized exactly where hed seen her before. Only now she was wearing an oversize Tshirt with a fish on the front.