by Laurel Veil
“Dude,” said Jimmy to Dane. “There’s gonna be a cat fight!”
“No there’s not. Come on, there’s the exit,” I said and pulled Toni by the arm. “Where to next?” I asked as soon as we had stepped outside.
“What? You two aren’t leaving us?” Dane asked as he walked up behind us. We made eye contact for a moment and it made me uncomfortable, so I quickly looked away.
“Yeah. Come on and hang out with us,” said Jimmy.
Toni smiled at Jimmy. Jade’s comment hadn’t fazed her at all—she was too enamored by Jimmy. I knew we were doomed to be with them for the rest of the night.
“It’s not safe for you guys to be out alone anyway,” Dane added.
Before I could respond, Jade said, “They want to leave.”
She wasn’t going to answer for me. Besides, Toni wanted to stay. “I am kinda hungry.” I looked at Dane, and I could feel Jade’s eyes boring a hole in me.
“Yeah, let’s eat,” Toni said.
“A girl who’s not afraid to eat—I think I’m in love,” joked Jimmy. “What are you in the mood for?” he asked. “I can go for just about anything.” He patted his stomach, but it didn’t look like he had missed too many meals. “As long as it’s not too spicy.”
“Same here,” said Toni.
Wow. She’d just found her digestive soul mate.
I eavesdropped as they discussed the dos and don’ts of their diets. It was like they were seventy. They were hilarious.
“What’s so funny?” asked Dane.
I looked at him with a confused expression.
“I’m not psychic or anything. You were smiling.”
I covered my mouth and then looked around for Jade and braced myself for more snark. I was surprised to see she had wandered off to another group of teens. She and some guy were hugging like they hadn’t seen each other in a decade.
“Okay, it’s settled,” Toni interrupted. “We’re gonna get ice cream.”
Dane and I followed behind Jimmy and Toni as they led the way to the nearest vendor.
We sat at a picnic table and looked out at the ocean as Jimmy and Toni munched on waffle cones. I opted for a small shake, so I could keep my hands clean, and Dane got a Coke. A few minutes later, Jade returned.
“I’m bored. Let’s get outta here,” she whined.
“Where’s Nick?” asked Jimmy, about the guy Jade had been hanging on only moments earlier.
“He’s running around, trying to find Darren.”
“Ronnie and I were thinking about going to the old orphanage,” said Toni.
“Well, ya better hurry,” said Jade. “They’re tearing it down.”
“Do y’all want to go tonight?” asked Jimmy.
Jade’s eyes lit up. “Yeah. We can ghost hunt and have a séance.”
What? Ghost hunt? Séance? A shiver traveled down my back. The last tour I went on in the area involved a ghost. I’d never thought Toni and I would go to the orphanage at night, and I didn’t want to go now. Suddenly, my cell rang. I jumped, and everyone laughed.
I looked at my screen. “It’s my uncle; I gotta take this.”
“Hey, Uncle Bill.” I stepped off to the side, where I could have more privacy. I wasn’t sure if my uncle was going to ask me to come home, but even if he didn’t, this was going to be my excuse to get out of ghost hunting and head back to the beach house.
A few minutes later, I joined the rest of the group.
“Looks like I’m not going to be able to make it tonight. Uncle Bill said I need to be getting home,” I lied. He’d only been checking in on me, and asked me to text him when I made it home. I tried not to let my relief show as I feigned disappointment.
“Buk, buk, buk,” said Jade, imitating what I thought was a dying chicken.
“I’m not afraid. Seriously, what grade are you in?” I said a little too defensively.
Jade laughed.
Grr! Why had I let her get to me?
“Cut it out, Jade,” said Dane.
“Come on, Dane.” She snuggled up to his chest and looked up at him. “Let’s go ride the Ferris wheel.” She pulled on his arm, but he resisted.
“A ride would be fun! Come on, Ronnie. You can ride with us,” Toni said, referring to herself and Jimmy.
“Great. I get to be a third wheel on the Ferris wheel,” I said.
“You? A third wheel?” said a voice from behind us. It was the guy Jade had been hugging earlier, Nick. He had sandy, windblown hair and blue eyes. He looked like a surfer. “No way. Come on.” He put his hands on my waist and playfully pushed me along. I caught a glimpse of Jade, and I could have sworn I saw steam coming from her ears.
“She has to leave, Nick,” Jade snapped.
“I don’t think twenty minutes is going to hurt anything.” He laughed, and we hopped on the Ferris wheel.
I wasn’t that thrilled to be so high up in the air, but for Jade’s sake, I wasn’t about to act like I wasn’t having the time of my life.
Nick asked me about myself, and when he found out I was here for the summer, he asked me for my number.
When I hesitated he said, “You’re going to be here for the entire summer. That’s a long time not to see a movie.”
I wasn’t sure if it was peer pressure or his dimples, but I gave in and he entered my number into his cell. I smiled inside. If I wasn’t careful, I might accidentally end up having the best summer of my life.
Once everyone was off, Jade asked Nick for a ride home and he obliged.
What? I thought she was with Dane. I guessed she was making a point. This was her domain and she had dibs on everyone.
As they were walking off, Nick turned and called back to me as he waved his phone. “I’ll call ya soon, Ronnie.”
I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the look on Jade’s face. I almost felt guilty—almost.
I returned his wave, only realizing afterward that Toni, Jimmy and Dane were looking at us the entire time.
“What?” I asked nervously. They all raised their brows and exchanged looks.
“That was fast,” Jimmy teased. “You don’t waste time.”
I playfully punched him in the arm.
Toni laughed. “Come on, we better go.”
Dane and Jimmy wouldn’t let Toni and I walk to the Jeep alone.
“Thanks for walking with us,” said Toni. Jimmy took her hand and they went to the other side of the Jeep to say goodnight in private. That just left me and Dane. Awkward. A-w-k-w-a-r-d. Awkward.
“What are you doing?” asked Dane.
“Whatta ya mean?”
“You stare off into space. But it’s not like you’re daydreaming. You’re concentrating.”
Hm. Observant. O-b-s-e-r-v-a-n-t. Observant.
“I guess that’s what people with brains do. We concentrate. Ya know? Think intensely.”
The way he grinned was suddenly very irritating—like he thought he knew something secret about me. I wasn’t exactly sure why, but it was really starting to piss me off. He didn’t even know me. Who does he think he is?
“So, I hear you’re going to grace our little water town with your presence for the entire summer. You don’t think you’ll get bored here, being away from the big city, do ya?”
“It looks like there’s plenty to keep me busy.”
“I guess. It’s temporary though.”
“Whatta ya mean?”
“During the summer, there’s lots going on. But when the fall comes, people go, and things die down. Water towns become ghost towns in the off seasons.”
The way he said, “ghost town” made my scalp prickle.
“Ready?” asked Toni as she and Jimmy stepped from around the Jeep.
“Yeah, let’s go,” I said as I opened my door.
“So… I’ll see ya tomorrow,” said Dane.
What is he talking about? I felt nervous all of a sudden.
He could tell, because he said, “To help at your Uncle’s. Remember?”
Ho
w could I have forgotten?
“I know. It’s not like I thought you were coming to see me.” The pitch of my voice was a little high.
Again, with the stupid smirk! Grr. I slammed my door shut and we left.
I had the pleasure of listening to Toni go on and on about Jimmy all the way home, so I was relieved when I saw the turn-off for our neighborhood.
“So where exactly in Lighthouse Cove do you live?”
“Oh yeah, sorry. Turn right at the next intersection.”
After a couple of more turns, she suddenly said, “Stop here.”
“Here?”
“Yeah.”
I stopped my Jeep in the middle of the road. “Which one?” I asked, trying to get a better look at which house was hers.
She was already out. “I don’t want you to get to close. My mom’s a light sleeper.” She smiled. “I had so much fun! See ya in the morning!” She disappeared into the darkness.
A minute later I was back at the beach house. I texted Uncle Bill to let him know I’d made it back safely and then took a quick shower. Thank goodness Aunt Pam had put body wash, shampoo and conditioner in the bathroom. And there were towels in the closet too.
I went to the lounge chair outside on the back deck and curled up inside my sleeping bag. I checked my phone, but my dad hadn’t called, so I sent him a text and then looked at the stars until I stumbled into a dream.
4.
Danielle
I jumped when I opened my eyes and saw a young girl, about the age of ten, staring back at me.
I put my hand on my chest and tried to catch my breath. “Oh my gosh, Danielle, you scared me.”
She continued sitting there, on the other lounge chair, and didn’t say a word. Her wavy, blond bangs were pulled back in an ornate pink barrette, and she wore a classic yellow sundress with smocking across the chest.
She started to get up. Is she leaving? Does she not like me? Ugh. My aunt and uncle were going to fire me before my first babysitting job. “Hey, you’re not going to leave, are you?”
She smiled.
“Let me change; then we can run and get donuts before everyone gets here.”
I rushed inside to brush my teeth and get dressed, but when I stepped back outside, she was already gone.
I watched as a truck pulled in, Dane driving. Great. Toni wasn’t here yet and I wasn’t in the mood to face Jade alone.
I was pleasantly surprised when I realized it was just Dane and Jimmy.
“Where’s Jade?”
“She said she may come by later,” said Dane.
“I wouldn’t count on it,” Jimmy said as he looked around. “Where’s Toni?”
I pointed. She was on the street, walking toward us. I waved.
“Hi!” she called back.
Uncle Bill came over and gave us one more, quick rundown. Then we cleared the deck off and got to work applying a coat of waterproof sealant. It was hot out, but at least the paint wouldn’t take long to dry.
* * *
“It looks great, kids,” said Aunt Pam. “Why don’t you guys go down to the water and rest? Come back up in a few minutes for lunch; I’ll make sandwiches.”
Jimmy and Toni were already up to their ankles in the water, but I was still tiptoeing through the scorching sand, certain the bottom of my feet had blisters on them.
Suddenly, Dane swooped me off my feet. “You need to toughen up if you’re going survive here all summer.” I was too shocked to speak, and his arms were so well-defined, it made me blush. If he noticed, I would blame it on the sun.
Seconds later, he put me down in the water. The sting in my feet left and cool relief ran through me, making me shiver.
I looked up at him briefly. “Thanks,” I said when I finally managed to start speaking again.
“You’re welcome.” He smiled, and I looked back down at the waves.
“So, you two ready to go to the orphanage tonight?” Jimmy asked me and Toni. Here we go again. I cringed inside. I had hoped I’d gotten out of that for good.
Toni looked at me for an answer. I could see the eagerness in her eyes; she was dying to go. I was still apprehensive, terrified we might actually find a ghost. But then I thought about how sweet Dane had just been and how he’d carried me with ease. He was strong—he would keep us safe.
I looked back at Jimmy. “OK,” I said hesitantly.
“All right! This is gonna be fun!” Jimmy yelled.
“Come and eat!” Aunt Pam waved at us from the house.
As we turned to go, Dane bent down and pulled something from the water.
“Here,” he said.
I held out my hand and looked down at the sand dollar he’d rested in my palm.
“It’s so beautiful,” I said. And then, I made the mistake of looking up at him as the breeze blew around his dark, wavy hair. He was so cute, it made me nervous and I couldn’t think straight. For fear of sounding like an idiot, I said nothing else and walked away.
* * *
Aunt Pam served us turkey sandwiches on wheat bread with lettuce and tomato. We sat at a picnic table on the deck, munching on potato chips and drinking lots of sweet tea.
When we were finished, Aunt Pam whispered to me, “Why don’t you go inside and say something to Danielle? She’s been through a lot recently and she’s becoming a bit of a recluse. Maybe you can convince her to come outside and have a brownie with us. They’re sitting on the counter—grab them on your way out.”
“Sure,” I said as I stepped through the sliding glass door, and wondered what in the world my aunt had been referring to. What had Danielle gone through?
I saw Danielle’s name written in big, bright wooden letters on the door down the hall. It was cracked open, so I knocked first and then stepped inside.
I saw a head of blond hair hunched over a desk, writing. I slowly walked up so I wouldn’t startle her, in case she hadn’t heard me knock. I jumped when she turned to face me. Though they looked similar, with the same hair color and around the same age, this was not the girl from this morning.
I swallowed. “H-Hey, Danielle. Remember me? I’m Rhonda. Everyone calls me Ronnie.”
She nodded and gave me a tiny smile and little wave.
“Your mom… and I… were wondering if you might want to come outside and have a brownie?”
She nodded, but I didn’t think she really wanted to. It seemed like she was just too afraid to tell me no. That was probably why her mom had sent me in to ask.
“Danielle!” said Aunt Pam when she saw her daughter. “I’m so glad you’re here!” She smiled at me and then mouthed, thank you.
It was going to take time to get to know Danielle, I thought as I set the plate of brownies down on the table. I knew two things about her already, though—she was well behaved, and she seemed like a really sweet kid.
Judging by how Aunt Pam was acting, it was a big deal Danielle had joined us. But I was so preoccupied wondering who the girl from this morning was, I couldn’t appreciate the enormity of it.
I wanted to tell Aunt Pam about the little girl, but a tiny part of me was beginning to think maybe I’d dreamt her. I also worried my aunt might freak out if I told her I’d woken up to a stranger staring at me—even if it was just a kid. She might panic about my safety and not let me stay at the beach house by myself.
The others went to get started on the second coat of sealant and Danielle walked down to the water. I stayed behind to help my aunt pick up.
“So… Danielle is pretty shy, huh?”
Aunt Pam nodded.
“Well, at least there’re kids her age around here she can play with, right?” I said, hoping to indirectly get an answer for who my mysterious little visitor from this morning might’ve been.
Aunt Pam was busy clearing the table, but I couldn’t help but feel like she was avoiding making eye contact with me. Did I say something wrong? I replayed our short conversation in my head. Was I being overly sensitive?
“I’m afraid not,” s
he finally responded. “Not in the neighborhood, anyway. When school starts in the fall she’ll have plenty of friends. I’ve got this, sweetie, you can go.” She smiled.
“Okay. Well, thanks for lunch. It was delicious.” I was glad to get out of there. I didn’t think I could have carried on a conversation much longer. If there were no children Danielle’s age in Lighthouse Cove, who the heck was on my deck this morning? I knew I hadn’t imagined her. Then it hit me—she was probably a tourist. Even if she was though, what was she doing on my deck? It was almost ninety degrees and I felt like I had the chills.