Paper Hearts

by Ali Novak

  Boomer, who’d paid for the meal, waved him off. “Nothing, dude. This won’t come close to covering gas.”

  “You don’t have to worry about gas,” he responded. “I’m the one who offered to drive, remember? I’ve got it.”

  Asha crossed her arms. “And we have your soup covered.”

  The two stared at each other with set jaws, neither wanting to relent, but when Asha leaned in and narrowed her eyes, Alec sighed. “Fine, but I pay for my own meals after this, okay?”

  She pretended to consider this for a moment, and then offered him a crisp nod. “Deal.”

  My stomach growled again, and everyone turned to look at me. A sheepish grin crossed my face. “Can we eat now or…?”

  “Yes,” Alec said with a laugh. “How about we take our food down to the beach? I know a great place for us to sit.”

  • • •

  The walk was quick, two minutes at most, and we arrived at a surprisingly large pier. It was nowhere near as big as the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, which I’d visited once on a school field trip, but considering the small size of Pismo, it was massive. About halfway down, there was a snack bar/souvenir stall, and at the end, a dotting of fisherman. Their poles jutted into the air like radio antennas, and seagulls hovered on the breeze above them, waiting for an easy meal.

  I expected Alec to lead us down the pier, but instead we descended a wooden staircase into the sand below. Scattered along the beach were weather-worn picnic tables, and Alec chose the one farthest from the crowds. We all sat, and I dove into my bread bowl before anyone else had their containers open. The soup was steaming, but I was too impatient to wait for it to cool. I scooped up a huge spoonful, and the scorched-tongue pain was worth it. I’d never tasted a creamier clam chowder in my life, and I quickly shoveled another bite into my mouth.

  When I looked up from my food, Alec was watching. “You like?”

  Oh no. I’d been eating like a total pig. I swallowed, and the heat of my cheeks was almost as painful as the chowder burning down my throat.

  “It’s delicious.”

  He offered me a knowing smile. “I’m glad.”

  After that, I ate slowly and in silence. The boys talked cars for a while, but Alec was nowhere near as knowledgeable or passionate about them as Boomer was. Alec glanced at me during one of Boomer’s particularly detailed discussions about the Porsche 918 Spyder, the world’s first plug-in hybrid super car, and I recognized the look on his face. I’d seen it on Asha a million times before, whenever Boomer got excited about a car—eyes crinkled in the corners, lips pushed together to keep from smiling. No doubt, I’d worn the same expression a few times myself. While the subject of his rants was often boring, it was hard not to find Boomer’s enthusiasm entertaining.

  When everyone finished eating, Asha decided to walk down to the water to dip her feet in. She dragged Boomer along with her, while Alec and I stayed behind.

  The sun was scorching. I didn’t understand how Alec could stand wearing a hoodie. I could already feel my skin starting to fry.

  On the off chance that there was sunscreen buried somewhere in the depths of my bag, I hoisted it onto the table and emptied out the contents. Which were a lot. There were the usual suspects like my wallet, phone, and books, but I also carried a collection of odds and ends with me: double-A batteries for Boomer’s Game Boy, a compact first aid kit, enough writing utensils to supply an entire school, a spare charger… Asha called it my Mary Poppins bag, because even though it looked small, I could fit a house worth of stuff inside.

  Alec watched me with raised brows as I retrieved a bottle of hand sanitizer and a smushed granola bar. “And what exactly do you need this for?” He held up flat-nose pliers.

  “Jewelry making. You use it to bend wire and hold beads and such,” I explained. And that’s when I remembered. “Oh, I almost forgot! I have something for you.”

  I unzipped the small pocket inside my bag and retrieved a tiny drawstring pouch. Inside was the leather-wrap bracelet I’d made for Alec, which I finished after my shift the day he came to the Electric Waffle. This morning when I was getting ready, I’d packed it with the intention of giving it to him at the party.

  “Here.”

  I undid the clasp and held it out to him, but instead of taking my gift, Alec pushed up a sleeve and offered me his arm. Biting back a smile, I leaned over the table and wrapped it around his wrist. My fingers fumbled as I tried to push the wooden toggle through the loop on the end. I could feel Alec’s gaze on me as I struggled, which made fastening the bracelet that much harder. But the bead finally popped into place, and I dropped back into my seat.

  He held up his hand for a closer look, and the amber beads blazed in the sunlight. “Thanks, Felicity. I love it.”

  “Yeah?” I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or polite.

  “Yeah” was his reply. He pushed himself up from the bench like he was ready to leave.

  Shit, was the bracelet too much? Did I freak him out?

  I was worrying for nothing. Alec took a seat on top of the table and grinned at me over his shoulder. “Come here,” he said and patted the empty spot next to him.

  His straightforward request threw me off guard, but after a moment’s pause, I mirrored his grin, pushed the junk from my bag out of the way, and climbed up onto the table. As I settled beside him, our knees knocked together and a trail of goose bumps shot down my leg. I cast a sidelong glance at Alec, but he was too busy staring out at the ocean to notice. The swells were large, and there was more than one surfer bobbing up and down in the waves.

  “Your friends are nice,” he said.

  I scanned the shoreline until I found Boomer and Asha. They were running through the surf, splashing water at each other like little kids. If they stayed out there much longer, one of them was going to end up soaked.

  I smiled. “You mean crazy?”

  “Sometimes crazy is good,” he said. “And what I meant was that they seem like loyal friends.”

  “They are,” I said. “After Rose left, Asha became my substitute sister. Boomer’s family moved to California our freshman year of high school. I think he felt out of place in LA, and I was the first friend he made, so we’ve been close ever since. They’re insane, but amazing. I’m lucky to have them.”

  Alec was quiet for a moment. “What I’ve noticed is that when people have real friends in their lives, it’s because they’ve earned them.”

  I ducked my head, blushing fiercely. “Thank you, Alec. Your friends seem…” I trailed off, unable to come up with a suitable adjective. My goal had been to say something nice, but all I could remember were JJ’s pervy comments, how Stella unnerved me, and feeling embarrassed.

  “One step past crazy?” he suggested. I clamped my lips together and tried not to smile. That was a perfect description, but I wasn’t going to admit that to him. Apparently my opinion of his friends was more transparent than I thought, because Alec chuckled. “They’re more like my family than friends, so I suppose it comes with the territory.”

  We shared a smile, but then Alec’s expression unexpectedly stiffened. A barely there shade of pink spread across his cheeks, and he ducked his head with a sigh.

  “Alec?” I asked, confused as to what had gone wrong.

  A second of silence passed. He touched his hair, checking to make sure every strand was in place before looking back at me. “I’ve been meaning to apologize about before,” he said. “JJ is one of my closest friends, but that doesn’t excuse what he said to you.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I mumbled, not wanting to relive the Skype call.

  “He’s a great guy, really,” Alec went on. “But he’s also…”

  “Extremely horny?” I offered, as he said, “Immature.”

  We burst out laughing.

  “So,” I said, changing the subject while the mood w
as still light. “How’d you guys all meet?” I could have looked up the answer online or asked Asha, but I wanted to hear it from him.

  Before he could answer, we were interrupted. “Excuse me.”

  Standing a few feet from the picnic table were two girls—a tall blond wearing a swimsuit cover-up and a brunette with Audrey Hepburn sunglasses. When Alec looked in their direction, they both gasped and grabbed each other for support.

  “Oh my God,” the blond whispered. “I told you it was him.”

  The brunette detached herself from her friend and stepped forward. “Hi, Alec,” she said, clutching her phone. “I know you probably get this a lot, but could we possibly get a picture together?”

  Alec hesitated, and for a split second I thought he’d refuse, but then he stood and brushed sand off his shorts. “Of course.”

  When he positioned himself between the two girls, slipping an arm around both their backs, the blond started shaking. “I can’t even,” she sobbed, waving a hand in front of her face.

  To my surprise, Alec’s lips twitched into a gentle smile. “Come on now,” he teased her. “No crying allowed.” Her tears fell in steady streams, but she laughed and nodded her head. “All right, are we ready?” he asked them.

  Audrey Hepburn stretched her arm out to take the picture, but struggled with her phone. I hopped off the table before she dropped it in the sand.

  “Let me help,” I said, holding out my hand.

  “Ahh! Thank you.” She handed over the phone, but did a double take when she looked at me. Her eyebrows dipped below the top of her sunglasses as she frowned, and I knew she was trying to figure out why I looked familiar. A second later, the connection clicked. “Wow, you look so much like Violet James.”

  “You think so?” I joked. She nodded, and I smiled in spite of myself. “Okay,” I said and took two steps back. “On the count of three.”

  A photographer I was not, so I took multiple pictures to make sure the girls got one they liked. Afterward, we stood around for a few minutes chatting. Apparently the blond lived on the same street as Alec’s grandmother used to, and both girls commented on how much they loved my bag. Then Boomer and Asha reappeared, and Alec told the girls we had to leave. Ten hugs and a chorus of thank-you’s later, they finally retreated to the pier.

  “Should we head out?” Alec asked. He was surveying the beach, probably on the lookout for more fans. I nodded. If we lingered any longer, it would be well past dark by the time we reached the city.

  “Probably a good idea,” Asha said. “If Felicity spends any more time in the sun, she’s going to look like a lobster.” She poked my shoulder, and I felt as if someone had pressed a branding iron to my skin.

  I winced and Alec looked at me in concern. “That bad?”

  “I’m fine,” I grumbled as we trudged back toward the street. “Just another day in the life of Casper, the Pasty Girl.”

  Chapter 10

  “You’ve been driving all afternoon,” Boomer said to Alec when we got back to our parking spot. “Want me to take a turn?”

  I knew he was itching to drive the car, and from the half smile on Alec’s face, he could tell too. Pulling out his keys, he said, “Know where you’re going?”

  Boomer hesitated. “Won’t 101 take us all the way there?”

  Alec nodded. “You’re not going to drive and play that game of yours, are you?”

  “I can’t tell if you’re being serious or giving me a hard time, but in case you need reassurance, I’ll keep it in my pocket.”

  “That was a joke,” Alec said with a laugh.

  “You need to work on the whole joking part,” Boomer responded, his forehead pinched together. “Maybe next time you can smile or something.”

  “How about this?” Alec dangled these in front of Boomer. “I’ll trade you these for the game. I haven’t played one of those in years.”

  Boomer’s face lit up like Alec had told him he’d won the lottery. “You so have yourself a deal.” He handed over the purple Game Boy. In turn, Alec tossed him his key chain.

  Asha leaned over. “Is it just me,” she whispered. “Or does Boomer actually think he gets to keep the car?”

  We both snorted.

  Once we on the road again, I plucked my ACT book out of my bag and tried to study, but it was impossible to concentrate. Alec was sitting across from me playing Boomer’s game, and my whole body was conscious of his proximity. Every time my mind wandered to him, I had to reread whatever passage I’d been working on. When twenty minutes had passed and I’d barely made it through a chapter, I tossed the book on the seat between us. Alec glanced up from the Game Boy.

  “Sorry,” I told him, but he waved me off.

  “It’s okay. I completed Boomer’s Pokédex anyway.”

  “What?” Boomer turned and gaped at Alec. “You caught Chansey? No freaking way. I’ve been trying to capture that damn thing for three weeks!”

  “Boomer!” Asha shouted as the car drifted into the next lane. “Eyes on the road!”

  Alec just smiled and set the Game Boy aside. Then, he unbuckled his seat belt and slid over to re-buckle next to me. When he pulled out his phone and offered me an earbud, I took it without a second thought.

  “I want you to give me your honest opinion about this band,” he said as he scrolled through his music library. “They’re called Raining Bullets. This is their demo.”

  When he hit Play, I closed my eyes and concentrated on the song. It was fast and upbeat with loud guitars and a whole lot of rock. They reminded me a bit of the Heartbreakers…only a girl version. Alec didn’t say anything when the demo finished, just looked at me expectantly.

  “They weren’t what I was anticipating,” I said, pulling out the headphone so we could talk, “but I liked them a lot.”

  “Yeah?”

  I nodded. “The world needs more awesome rocker chicks.”

  “My dad’s been going back and forth on whether he should sign them. Says they’re not radio-friendly, so he’s leaning toward no, but I’m working to convince him.”

  “Are they friends of yours?”

  “Actually, we’ve never met,” he said. “But I’m trying to get into the production side of the music business. There’s something about finding new talent and working with other musicians that I love.”

  “Trying?” Alec was part of a successful band, and his father owned a record label. How hard could it be to get into the production side of music?

  “Let’s just say my dad and I don’t see eye to eye when it comes to creative decisions.”

  “So he doesn’t trust you.”

  “It’s more that he has a blueprint for running the business and doesn’t like to stray from it,” Alec said. “But last month I got him to agree to let me produce a record for this new client he’s signing.”

  “Congrats, Alec!”

  “Thanks, I’m really excited about it.” He gestured for me to put my earbud back in. “Here… How about I play you some more demos?”

  As we continued toward San Francisco, making our way closer to Rose and the answers I so desperately needed, Alec showered me with music. Unlike the playlist he’d shared with me earlier in the day, none of the melodies were familiar, and I didn’t know a single lyric, but I couldn’t care less. Each time I heard a new song, I felt like I was getting another piece to the puzzle that was Alec Williams.

  • • •

  Not long after leaving Pismo, we stopped at the Gas Exchange. As promised, Alec refused to let anyone pay for gas. While he fueled the car, Asha and Boomer took charge of stocking up on snacks so we wouldn’t have to stop for dinner. They were halfway across the parking lot when Asha spun back around.

  “Your usual?” she called. She was still following Boomer, walking backward as she waited for my answer.

  “Yeah, and something with caffe
ine in it.” I grabbed a squeegee from the bucket bolted on the side of the pump and said to Alec, “You sure you don’t want anything?”

  He already had the gas cap off and was selecting a grade. “No, I’m good.”

  “All right, but don’t look at me when you get hungry,” I teased. “This girl doesn’t share Cool Ranch.”

  Before he could answer, his phone rang.

  “Sorry,” he apologized and pulled it from his pocket. He didn’t bother looking at the ID. “Hello?” The person on the other end responded, and whoever it was made Alec frown. He listened for a moment before saying, “Something came up.” Alec’s voice was flat, like whoever he was speaking to had sucked life out of him.

  I kept my gaze focused on the windshield, scrubbing a spot that was already clean, and tried my best to look uninterested in his conversation. In reality, I wished he would put the phone on speaker.

  “Why? Can’t land a deal without me?”

  Whoever he was talking to started to yell. Alec flinched away from his phone, and I could make out muffled ranting on the other end. He let it go on for a good minute before finally interrupting.

  “King—King!” His face went slack, like interrupting had zapped all Alec’s energy, and he was too exhausted to fight. “I’m sorry, okay? I promise I’ll make it up to you… Well, no. Not right now. I kind of, er, left town.”

  Was Alec in trouble with this King person because he offered to drive me to San Francisco? The thought made me go stiff. I dumped the squeegee back in the bucket of gray-looking water and stepped out of earshot. Alec’s conversation went on for another thirty seconds or so, but I only moved back toward the car after he shoved the phone into his shorts with more force than necessary. I waited for him to say something, but he glared at the cars whizzing by on the road as if I wasn’t there.

  Mind your own business, Felicity. If he wanted you to know, he’d tell you…

  I tried to bite my tongue, but the tension in the air built between us like an invisible wall. I needed to break it down before Alec clammed up. “So…” I said warily. “Who’s King? A business partner or something?”