The fights over! There is no fight! Cant you see this kid is hurt?
Challenging them to contradict her, she pushed her way between Scott and Marcus and stooped to the crying toddler, who had been knocked over in the commotion. He was three or four, and his shirt was pumpkin orange. When the girl spoke to him, her voice was soft, her smile reassuring.
Are you okay, sweetie? Wheres your mom? Lets go find her, okay?
The toddler seemed to focus momentarily on her shirt.
This is Nemo, she said. He got lost, too. Do you like Nemo?
Off to the side, a panic-stricken woman holding a baby pushed through the crowd, oblivious to the tension in the air. Jason? Where are you? Have you seen a little boy? Blond hair, orange shirt?
Relief crossed her features as soon as she spotted him. She adjusted the baby on her hip as she rushed to his side.
You cant run off like that, Jason! she cried. You scared me. Are you okay?
Nemo, he said, pointing at the girl.
The mother turned, noticing the girl for the first time. Thank youhe just wandered off when I was changing the babys diaper and
Its okay, the girl said, shaking her head. Hes fine.
Will watched the mother lead her kids away, then he turned back to the girl, noticing the kind way she smiled as the young boy toddled off. Once theyd moved far enough away, however, the girl suddenly seemed to realize that everyone in the crowd was staring at her. She crossed her arms, self-conscious when the crowd began to part for a rapidly approaching police officer.
Marcus quickly murmured something to Scott before melting back into the crowd. Teddy and Lance did the same. Blaze turned to follow them as well, and surprising Will, the girl with the purple streak reached out to grab her arm.
Wait! Where are you going? she called out.
Blaze shook her arm free, walking backward. Bowers Point.
Wheres that?
Just head down the beach. Youll find it. Blaze turned and rushed after Marcus.
The girl seemed unsure what to do. By then the tension, so thick only moments before, was dissipating as quickly as it had arisen. Scott righted the table and headed toward Will just as the girl was approached by a man he assumed was her father.
There you are! he called out with a mixture of relief and exasperation. Weve been looking for you. You ready to go?
The girl, whod been watching Blaze, was obviously unhappy to see him.
No, she said simply. With that, she strode into the crowd, heading for the beach. A young boy walked up to the father.
I guess shes not hungry, the boy offered.
The man put his hand on the boys shoulder, watching as she descended the steps to the beach without a backward glance. I guess not, he said.
Can you believe that? Scott raged, pulling Will away from the scene hed been observing so closely. Scott was still hyped up, the adrenaline surging. I was about to pound that freak.
Uh yeah, he responded. He shook his head. Im not sure Teddy and Lance would have let you.
They wouldnt have done anything. Those guys are all show.
Will wasnt so sure about that, but he didnt say anything.
Scott took a breath. Hold up. Here comes the cop.
The officer approached them slowly, obviously trying to gauge the situation.
Whats going on here? he demanded.
Nothing, Officer, Scott answered, sounding demure.
I heard there was a fight.
No, sir.
The officer waited for more, his expression skeptical. Neither Scott nor Will said anything.
By then, the condiment area was filling with people going about their business. The officer surveyed the scene, making sure he wasnt missing anything, then suddenly his face lit up with recognition at the sight of someone standing behind Will.
Is that you, Steve? he called out.
Will watched him stride off toward the girls father.
Ashley and Cassie sidled up to them. Cassies face was flushed. Are you okay? she fluttered.
Im fine, Scott answered.
That guys crazy. What happened? I didnt see how it started.
He threw something at me, and I wasnt going to put up with it. Im sick and tired of the way that guy acts. He thinks everyones afraid of him and that he can do whatever he wants, but the next time he tries it, its not going to be pretty
Will tuned him out. Scott was always a big talker; he did the same thing during their volleyball matches, and Will had learned long ago to ignore it.
He turned away, catching sight of the officer chatting with the girls dad, wondering why the girl had been so intent on getting away from her father. And why she was hanging out with Marcus. She wasnt like them, and he somehow doubted she knew what she was getting into with them. As Scott went on, assuring Cassie that he could easily have handled the three of them, Will found himself straining to overhear the police officers conversation with the girls father.
Oh, hey, Pete, the father said. Whats going on?
Same old stuff, the officer responded. Doing my best to keep things under control out here. Hows the window coming?
Slowly.
Thats what you said the last time I asked.
Yeah, but now Ive got a secret weapon. This is my son, Jonah. Hes going to be my assistant this summer.
Yeah? Good for you, little man Wasnt your daughter supposed to come down here, too, Steve?
Shes here, the father said.
Yeah, but she left again, the boy added. Shes pretty mad at Dad.
Sorry to hear that.
Will watched the father point toward the beach. Do you have any idea where they might be going?
The officer squinted as he scanned the waterline. Could be anywhere. But a couple of those kids are bad news. Especially Marcus. Trust me, you dont want her keeping company with him.
Scott was still boasting to a rapt Cassie and Ashley. Blocking him out, Will suddenly felt the urge to call out to the police officer. He knew it wasnt his place to say anything. He didnt know the girl, didnt know why shed stormed off in the first place. Maybe she had a good
reason. But as he saw the concern crease her dads face, he recalled her patience and kindness when shed rescued the toddler, and the words were out before he could stop them.
She went to Bowers Point, he announced.
Scott stopped talking in midsentence, and Ashley turned to him with a frown. The other three studied him uncertainly.
Your daughter, right? When the father nodded slightly, he went on. Shes going to Bowers Point.
The officer continued to stare at him, then turned back to the father. When I finish up here, Ill go talk to her and see if I can convince her to go home, okay?
You dont have to do that, Pete.
The officer continued to study the group in the distance. I think in this instance, its better if I go.
Inexplicably, Will felt a strange wave of relief. It must have shown, because when he turned back toward his friends, each of them was staring at him.
What the hell was that all about? Scott demanded.
Will didnt answer. He couldnt, because he didnt really understand it himself.
6Ronnie
Under normal circumstances, Ronnie probably would have appreciated an evening like this. In New York, the lights from the city made it impossible to see many stars, but here, it was just the opposite. Even with the layer of marine haze, she could clearly make out the Milky Way, and directly to the south, Venus glowed brightly. The waves crashed and rolled rhythmically along the beach, and on the horizon, she could see the faint lights of half a dozen shrimp boats.
But the circumstances werent normal. As she stood on the porch, she glared at the officer, livid beyond belief.
No, change that. She wasnt just livid. She was seething. What had happened was so
overprotective, so over the top, she could still barely process it. Her first thought was simply to hitchhike to the bus station and buy herself a ticket back to New York. She wouldnt tell her dad or her mom; shed call Kayla. Once she was there, she would figure out what to do next. No matter what she decided, it couldnt be any worse than this.
But that wasnt possible. Not with Officer Pete here. He stood behind her now, making sure she went inside.
She still couldnt believe it. How could her dadher own flesh-and-blood fatherdo something like this? She was almost an adult, she hadnt been doing anything wrong, and it wasnt even midnight. What was the problem? Why did he have to turn this into something far bigger than it was? Oh sure, at first Officer Pete had made it sound like it had been an ordinary, run-of-the-mill order to vacate their spot on Bowers Pointsomething that hadnt surprised the othersbut then hed turned to her. Zeroed in on her specifically.
Im taking you home, hed said, making it sound as if she were eight years old.
No thanks, shed responded.
Then Ill have to arrest you on vagrancy charges, and have your dad bring you home.
It dawned on her then that her dad had asked the police to bring her home, and there was an instant when she was frozen in mortification.
Sure, shed had problems with her mom, and yeah, shed blown off her curfew now and then. But never, ever, not even once, had her mother sent the police after her.
On the porch, the officer intruded on her thoughts. Go on in, he prompted, making it fairly clear that if she didnt open the door, he would.
From inside, she could hear the soft sounds of the piano, and she recognized the sonata by Edvard Grieg in E minor. She took a deep breath before opening the door, then slammed it shut behind her.
Her father stopped playing and looked up as she glared at him.
You sent the cops after me?
Her dad said nothing, but his silence was enough.
Why would you do something like that? she demanded. How could you do something like that?
He said nothing.
What is it? You didnt want me to have fun? You didnt trust me? You didnt get the fact that I dont want to be here?
Her father folded his hands in his lap. I know you dont want to be here
She took a step forward, still glaring. So you decide you want to ruin my life, too?
Whos Marcus?
Who cares! she shouted. Thats not the point! Youre not going to monitor every single person I ever talk to, so dont even try!
Im not trying
I hate being here! Dont you get that? And I hate you, too!
She stared at him, her face daring him to contradict her. Hoping hed try, so shed be able to say it again.
But her dad said nothing, as usual. She hated that kind of weakness. In a fury, she crossed the room toward the alcove, grabbed the picture of her playing the pianothe one with her dad beside her on the benchand hurled it across the room. Though he flinched at the sound of breaking glass, he remained quiet.
What? Nothing to say?
He cleared his throat. Your bedrooms the first door on the right.
She didnt even want to dignify his comment with a response, so she stormed down the hall, determined to have nothing more to do with him.
Good night, sweetheart, he called out. I love you.
There was a moment, just a moment, when she cringed at what shed said to him; but her regret vanished as quickly as it had come. It was as if he hadnt even realized shed been angry: She heard him begin to play the piano again, picking up exactly where hed left off.
In the bedroomnot hard to find, considering there were only three doors off the hallway, one to the bathroom and the other to her dads roomRonnie flipped on the light. With a frustrated sigh, she peeled off the ridiculous Nemo T-shirt shed almost forgotten she was wearing.
It had been the worst day of her life.
Oh, she knew she was being melodramatic about the whole thing. She wasnt stupid. Still, it hadnt been a great one. About the only good thing to come out of the whole day was meeting Blaze, which gave her hope that shed have at least one person to spend time with this summer.
Assuming, of course, that Blaze still wanted to spend time with her. After Dads little stunt, even that was in doubt. Blaze and the rest of them were probably still talking about it. Probably laughing about it. It was the kind of thing Kayla would bring up for years.
The whole thing made her sick to her stomach. She tossed the Nemo shirt into the cornerif she never saw it again, it would be too soonand began slipping off her concert shirt.
Before I get too grossed out, you should know Im in here.
Ronnie jumped at the sound, whirling around to see Jonah staring at her.
Get out! she screamed. What are you doing in here? This is my room!
No, its our room, Jonah said. He pointed. See? Two beds.
Im not going to share a room with you!
He tilted his head to the side. Youre going to sleep in Dads room?
She opened her mouth to respond, considered moving to the living room before quickly realizing she wasnt going out there again, then closed her mouth without a word. She stomped toward her suitcase, unzipped the top, and flung open the lid. Anna Karenina lay on top, and she tossed it aside, searching for her pajamas.
I rode the Ferris wheel, Jonah said. It was pretty cool to be so high. Thats how Dad found you.
Great.
It was awesome. Did you ride it?
No.
You should have. I could see all the way to New York.
I doubt it.
I could. I can see pretty far. With my glasses, I mean. Dad said I have eagle eyes.
Yeah, right.
Jonah said nothing. Instead, he reached for the teddy bear hed brought with him from home. It was the one he clutched whenever he was nervous, and Ronnie winced, regretting her words. Sometimes the way he talked made it easy to think of him as an adult, but as he pulled the bear to his chest, she knew she shouldnt have been so harsh. Though he was precocious, though he was verbal to the point of annoyance at times, he was small for his age, more the size of a six-or seven-year-old than a ten-year-old. It had never been easy for him. Hed been born three months prematurely, and he suffered from asthma, poor vision, and a lack of fine-motor coordination. She knew kids his age could be cruel.
I didnt mean that. With your glasses, you definitely have eagle eyes.
Yeah, theyre pretty good now, he mumbled, but when he turned away and faced the wall, she winced again. He was a sweet kid. A pain in the butt sometimes, but she knew he didnt have a mean bone in him.
She went over to his bed and sat beside him. Hey, she said. Im sorry. I didnt mean it.
Im just having a bad night.
I know, he said.
Did you go on any of the other rides?
Dad took me on most of them. He almost got sick, but I didnt. And I wasnt scared at all in the haunted house. I could tell the ghosts were fake.
She patted him on the hip. Youve always been pretty brave.
Yeah, he said. Like that time when the lights went out in the apartment? You were scared that night. I wasnt scared, though.
I remember.
He seemed satisfied with her answer. But then he grew quiet, and when he spoke again, his voice was barely above a whisper. Do you miss Mom?
Ronnie reached for the covers. Yeah.
I kind of miss her, too. And I didnt like being here alone.
Dad was in the other room, she said.
I know. But Im glad you came home anyway.
Me, too.
He smiled before looking worried again. Do you think Mom is doing okay?
Shes fine, she assured him. She pulled up the covers. But I know she misses you, too.
In the morning, with sunlight peeking through the curtains, it took Ronnie a few seconds to realize where she was. Blinking at the clock, she thought, Youve got to be kidding me.
Eight oclock? In the morning? In the summer?
She plopped back down, only to find herself staring at the ceiling, already knowing that sleep was out of the question. Not with the sun shooting daggers through the windows. Not with her father already hammering on the piano in the living room. As she suddenly remembered what had happened last night, the anger she felt at what her father had done resurfaced.
Welcome to another day in paradise.
Outside the window, she heard the distant roar of engines. She rose from the bed and pulled aside the curtain, only to jump back, startled at the sight of a raccoon sitting atop a torn bag of garbage. While the strewn garbage was gross, the raccoon was cute, and she tapped the glass, trying to get its attention.
It was only then that she noticed the bars on the window.
Bars. On. The. Window.
Trapped.
Gritting her teeth, she whirled around and marched into the living room. Jonah was watching cartoons and eating a bowl of cereal; her dad glanced up but continued to play.
She put her hands on her hips, waiting for him to stop. He didnt. She noticed that the picture shed thrown was back in place atop the piano, albeit without the glass.
You cant keep me locked up all summer, she said. Its not going to happen.
Her dad glanced up, though he continued to play. What are you talking about?
You put bars on the window! Like Im supposed to be your prisoner?
Jonah continued to watch the cartoon. I told you shed be mad, he commented.
Steve shook his head, his hands continuing to move across the keyboard. I didnt put them up. They came with the house.
I dont believe you.
They did, Jonah said. To protect the art.
Im not talking to you, Jonah! She turned back to her dad. Lets get one thing straight.
Youre not going to spend this summer treating me like Im still a little girl! Im eighteen years old!
You wont be eighteen until August twentieth, Jonah said behind her.
Would you please stay out of this! She whirled around to face him. This is between me and Dad.
Jonah frowned. But youre not eighteen yet.
Thats not the point!
I thought you forgot.
I didnt forget! Im not stupid.
But you said
Would you just shut up for a second? she said, unable to hide her exasperation. She swiveled her gaze back to her dad, whod continued to play, never missing a note. What you did last night was She stopped, unable to put all that was going on, all that had happened, into words. Im old enough to make my own decisions. Dont you get that? You gave up the right to tell me what to do when you walked out the door. And would you please listen to me!
Abruptly, her dad stopped playing.
I dont like this little game youre playing.
He seemed confused. What game?
This! Playing the piano every minute Im here! I dont care how much you want me to play! Im never going to play the piano again! Especially not for you!
Okay.
She waited for more, but there was nothing.
Thats it? she asked. Thats all youre going to say?
Her dad seemed to debate how to answer. Do you want breakfast? I made some bacon.
Bacon? she demanded. You made bacon?
Uh-oh, Jonah said.
Her dad glanced at Jonah.
Shes a vegetarian, Dad, he explained.
Really? he asked.
Jonah answered for her. For three years. But shes weird sometimes, so it makes sense.
Ronnie stared at them in amazement, wondering how the conversation had been hijacked.
This wasnt about bacon, this was about what happened last night. Lets get one thing straight,
she said. If you ever send the police to bring me home again, I wont just refuse to play the piano. I wont just go home. Ill never, ever speak to you again. And if you dont believe me, try me. Ive already gone three years without talking to you, and it was the easiest thing Ive ever done.
With that, she stomped back to her room. Twenty minutes later, after showering and changing, she was out the door.
* * *
Her first thought as she trudged through the sand was that she should have worn shorts.
It was already hot, the air thick with humidity. Up and down the beach, people were already lying on towels or playing in the surf. Near the pier, she spotted half a dozen surfers floating on their boards, waiting for the perfect wave.
Above them, at the head of the pier, the festival was no more. The rides had been disassembled and the booths had already been hauled away, leaving behind only scattered garbage and food remnants. Moving on, she wandered through the towns small business district.
None of the stores were open yet, but most were the kind shed never set foot in anywaytouristy beach shops, a couple of clothing stores that seemed to specialize in skirts and blouses that her mom might wear, and a Burger King and McDonalds, two places she refused to enter on principle. Add in the hotel and half a dozen upscale restaurants and bars, and that was pretty much it. In the end, the only interesting locales were a surf shop, a music store, and an old-fashioned diner where she could imagine hanging out with friends if she ever made any.
She headed back to the beach and skipped down the dune, noting that the crowds had multiplied. It was a gorgeous, breezy day; the sky overhead was a deep, cloudless blue. If Kayla had been here, shed even consider spending the day in the sun, but Kayla wasnt here and she wasnt about to put on her suit and go sit by herself. But what else was there to do?
Maybe she should try to get a job. It would give her an excuse to be out of the house most of the day. She hadnt seen any Help Wanted signs in the windows downtown, but someone had to be hiring, right?
Did you make it home okay? Or did the cop end up making a pass at you?
Looking behind her, Ronnie saw Blaze squinting up at her from the dune. Lost in thought, she hadnt even noticed her.
No, he didnt make a pass at me.
Oh, so you made a pass at him?
Ronnie crossed her arms. Are you done?
Blaze shrugged, her expression mischievous, and Ronnie smiled.
So what happened after I left? Anything exciting?
No. The guys took off and I dont know where they went. I ended up just crashing at Bowers Point.
You didnt go home?
No. She got to her feet, brushing the sand from her jeans. Do you have any money?
Why?
Blaze stood straight. I havent eaten since yesterday morning. Im kind of hungry.
7Will
Will stood in the well beneath the Ford Explorer in his uniform, watching the oil drain while simultaneously doing his best to ignore Scott, something easier said than done. Scott had been haranguing him about the previous evening on and off since theyd arrived at work that morning.
See, you were thinking about this all wrong, Scott continued, trying yet another tack. He retrieved three cans of oil and set them on the shelf beside him. Theres a difference between hooking up and getting back together.
Arent we done with this yet?
We would be if you had any sense. But from where I stand, its obvious you were confused. Ashley doesnt want to get back together with you.
I wasnt confused, Will said. He wiped his hands on a towel. Thats exactly what she was asking.
Thats not what Cassie told me.
Will set aside the towel and reached for his water bottle. His dads shop specialized in brake repairs, oil changes, tune-ups, and front-end alignments, and his dad always wanted the place to look as though the floor had been waxed and the place just opened for business. Unfortunately, air-conditioning hadnt been quite as important to him, and in the summer, the temperature was somewhere between the Mojave and the Sahara. He took a long drink, finishing the bottle before trying to get through to Scott again. Scott was far and away the most stubborn person hed ever known. The guy could seriously drive him nuts.
You dont know Ashley the way I do. He sighed. And besides, its over and done. I dont know why you keep talking about it.
You mean aside from the fact that Harry didnt meet Sally last night? Because Im your friend and I care about you. I want you to enjoy this summer. I want to enjoy this summer. I want to enjoy Cassie.
So go out with her, then.
If only it was that easy. See, last night I suggested the same thing. But Ashley was so upset that Cassie didnt want to leave her.
Im really sorry it didnt work out.
Scott was dubious. Yeah, I can tell.
By that point, the oil had drained. Will grabbed the cans and headed up the steps while Scott stayed below to replace the plug and dump the used oil into the recycling barrel. As Will opened the can and set the funnel, he glanced at Scott below.
Hey, by the way, did you see the girl who stopped the fight? he asked. The one who helped the little boy find his mom?
It took a moment for the words to register. You mean the vampire chick in the cartoon shirt?
Shes not a vampire.
Yeah, I saw her. On the short side, ugly purple streak in her hair, black fingernail polish?
You poured your soda over her, remember? She thought you smelled.
What?
Im just saying, he said, reaching for the pan. You didnt notice her expression after you slammed into her, but I did. She couldnt get away from you fast enough. Hence, you probably smelled.
She had to buy a new shirt.
So?
Will added the second can. I dont know. She just surprised me. And I havent seen her around here before.
I repeat: So?
The thing was, Will wasnt exactly sure why he was thinking about the girl. Particularly considering how little he knew about her. Yeah, she was prettyhed noticed that right off, despite the purple hair and dark mascarabut the beach was full of pretty girls. Nor was it the way shed stopped the fight in its tracks. Instead, he kept coming back to the way shed treated the little boy whod fallen. Hed glimpsed a surprising tenderness beneath her rebellious exterior, and it had piqued his curiosity.
She wasnt like Ashley at all. And it wasnt that Ashley was a bad person, because she wasnt. But there was something superficial about Ashley, even if Scott didnt want to believe it.
In Ashleys world, everyone and everything was put into neat little boxes: popular or not, expensive or cheap, rich or poor, beautiful or ugly. And hed eventually grown tired of her shallow value judgments and her inability to accept or appreciate anything in between.
But the girl with the purple streak in her hair
He knew instinctively that she wasnt that way. He couldnt be absolutely sure, of course, but hed bet on it. She didnt put others into neat little boxes because she didnt put herself in one, and that struck him as refreshing and different, especially when compared with the girls hed known at Laney. Especially Ashley.
Though things were busy at the garage, his thoughts kept drifting back to her more often than he expected.
Not all the time. But enough to make him realize that for whatever reason, he definitely wanted to get to know her a little better, and he found himself wondering whether he would see her again.