The Sea Taketh (Alex Singer)

by Teresa Rae

  “Busy, I’m helping my brother tryout for the soccer team.” She takes her Danish from Christian.

  “Soccer!” the guys yell as they break into a strange cheer.

  “Do you play soccer?” she asks with her mouth full of Danish.

  “No, but we love to watch,” Sven says. “Tell your brother we’ll come and watch him when he makes the team.”

  Christian tries to pass me a pastry.

  “I’m not hungry,” I lie as I put on my seatbelt.

  “More for me.” He shrugs and takes a huge bite.

  When we pull up to school, Jackson and Vanessa are sitting on a new, black convertible. Jackson quickly jumps off when he sees me. “Alex, I want to take you for a ride in my new car, afterschool.”

  “Sorry, Jackson, but I’m swamped with homework.” I head to the school.

  “How about I drive you home?” He follows me.

  “She’ll be riding home with us,” Sven says.

  “Alex can speak for herself,” Jackson says irately.

  “Yes, I can, and my grandfather wants me to ride with the Pedersens. We’re going to be late for practice.”

  I spend the school day hiding from everyone. I don’t want to deal with boys or hear Jen tell me how hot Christian is one more time. After school, I sneak out the backdoor and disappear into the village. I walk quickly, ducking into Peggy’s.

  “Alex!” the old woman exclaims. “I was hoping you would come in. I just got in the loveliest dress and immediately thought of you.”

  “I don’t need a dress,” I say. “I’m actually here just to browse.”

  “Come browse the dress rack,” Peggy pulls a dark, green dress off the rack and holds it up for me to see. It is an antique from the early nineteen-hundreds and absolutely breathtaking.” I run my hand along the intricate beadwork, mesmerized.

  “How much is it?” I ask.

  “It doesn’t matter unless you know it fits. Let’s try it on you.”

  The moment the silk touches my skin I adore the dress. Peggy lovingly buttons the back as I inspect myself in the mirror. The dress seems to be made for me. It emphasizes my curves and brings out the green in my eyes.

  “You grow lovelier every time I see you,” Peggy smiles at me in the mirror. “You look so much like your mother and grandmother.”

  “This dress is worth a lot, isn’t it?” I ask.

  “The lace and beadwork were all done by hand,” Peggy answers my question.

  “I can’t afford it.”

  “You are a very special customer of mine. I’m willing to make you a deal.” She smiles.

  “No, you need the money more than I need the dress.” I pat her wrinkled hand. “It would just sit in my closet anyway.”

  The bell on the door sounds. Christian walks into the shop. “Peggy, have you seen…” He stops talking when he sees me. His eyes widen as he swallows.

  “Christian, I’m glad you came in. I have a package that you can deliver to Marjory,” Peggy says. “Just let me quickly help Alex, and I’ll get it for you.”

  She unbuttons the dress, careful to not hurt the antique lace. I go into the dressing room and change back into my school clothes. I carefully hang the dress back up.

  “We were worried about you,” Christian says to me while Peggy is in the backroom getting Marjory’s package.

  “I needed some fresh air.”

  “I drive a convertible.”

  “No, you ride in a convertible. Sven is the one who drives.” I pick up my backpack and turn to the door.

  “Aren’t you forgetting your dress?” he asks.

  “No, I was just playing dress up.” I leave the shop.

  Jen, Sven, and Henrik wave me over to the ice cream parlor. They are sitting under the shade of the awning, eating ice cream

  “Girl, where did you go?” Jen asks.

  “Just for a walk,” I sit next to her.

  Henrik and Sven jump to their feet and quickly cross the street to Christian. Henrik takes the package from him, and Sven unlocks the trunk.

  “They are so hot!” Jen watches with approval as she licks her chocolate ice cream cone. She passes me a couple bucks, knowing I spent all my money on windows. I leave her to admire the Danes as I go into the parlor.

  “Alex, can I get you your regular?” the clerk asks.

  I nod as she grabs an ice cream scoop.

  “You need to be more cautious about Jackson Powers,” Christian whispers in my ear as he joins me.

  “He thinks the same thing about you,” I retort.

  “Yes, I would be worried if I were him,” he says grimly.

  “Oh, Christian, what can I get for you?” the clerk says loudly as she absentmindedly hands me the vanilla cone. She fully turns her attentions to him without even asking for my money. She bats her eyes at him. I roll mine.

  “I’ll have the biggest banana split on the menu,” he says behind a beautiful smile.

  The girl quickly whips up an enormous banana split. Before she can hand it to him, Sven and Henrik show up. Sven grabs the banana split, some spoons, and napkins. Henrik pulls out a bank card.

  “I will pay for Alex’s ice cream, too,” Christian says.

  I elbow him in the ribs as Henrik swipes the card. Christian just laughs before whispering in my ear with his hot accent, “Second date!”

  Sven and Henrik help themselves to Christian’s banana split. I glower as I eat my ice cream cone. Christian texts on his phone.

  “A girlfriend back home?” Jen teases.

  “No, it’s my father. He expects a daily report from me about our schooling here.” He puts the phone away. “Henrik is the only one with a girlfriend.”

  Just then Gramps’ truck pulls up.

  “Gramps!” I sprint to the truck. “You’re early!” I exclaim.

  “We just got in,” he gets out of the truck and hugs me, very excited. “And you should have seen the catch! We filled that old boat! I’ll get your window replaced in the morning.”

  “I already replaced them all,” I hug him again. “I sold some photos to a crazy tourist who thought they were worth a couple thousand dollars.”

  Gramps smiles like he hadn’t smiled in a long time. He kisses my forehead.

  “Then we’ll put it in the bank for a rainy day.” He turns to the Pedersens and Jen. “Do you kids want to come to the house for a fish fry? I have some of the prettiest halibut you ever saw.”

  “We would love to,” Sven smiles. “You know how much we love fresh fish.”

  I jump in the truck with Gramps, happy that he’s home and grateful that I don’t have to ride with the frustrating Christian.

  “How’s school?” he asks as we drive.

  “I’m about halfway through my required reading list.”

  “And Christian?”

  “What about him? He’s so annoying!”

  Gramps laughs. “I knew you would like him.”

  I give him a dirty look. “I do not like him! He actually thinks we’re dating because he bought me a lousy ice cream cone? He and Jackson act like long-lost brothers with their mightier-than-thou attitudes. What is the deal with all these spoiled boys?”

  “What’s the food situation like at home?” he changes the subject, the smile lingering on his face. “I think we better stop and buy some groceries on the way.”

  After a quick stop at the grocery store, we pull up to the house. I help Gramps carry in the groceries. Henrik, Sven, and Jen are starting a fire on our old barbeque grill, and Christian is texting on the steps.

  “Do you mind?” I ask, trying to get around him.

  “Not at all,” he says with a chuckle. He puts his phone into his pocket and grabs the bags from my hands. He carries them into the house and places them on the table. I start putting the food away.

  “Alex, leave out the herbs and seasonings,” Gramps tells me while washing his hands.

  “Yeah, and I’ll get started on a salad as soon the groceries are put away,” I say as
Gramps goes out the door.

  Christian’s phone beeps. He takes a seat at the table and pulls out the phone. The kitchen soon fills with Danish. I’m not exactly a language expert, but I can tell that Christian isn’t happy with the person on the other end. I finish putting away the groceries and cut tomatoes in silence.

  When he hangs up, I ask snidely, “Someone cancel your pedicure appointment?”

  “I know. Can you imagine the nerve?” he retorts, unfazed.

  I roll my eyes and move onto the cucumbers. Setting a cucumber on the cutting board, I begin slicing it. I am about halfway through when I feel Christian’s warm breath on the back of my neck. I twist around and hold up the knife.

  “Stay out of my personal space!” I demand.

  He smirks and takes a step forward. The knife presses slightly into his chest, but I will not lose the standoff. I hold my ground.

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that,” he says. One of his long arms reaches up, and pulls the elastic from my hair. It falls down my back. “You have bewitched me,” he whispers. The intense look in his blue eyes tells me that he is being completely honest. Christian really likes me, and, for some reason, the thought is terrifying.

  “Why can’t you take a hint?” I ask. “I told you that I’m not looking for any sort of relationship.”

  “I wasn’t looking for a relationship either, yet here we are. You’re holding a knife to my heart.”

  “You don’t know anything about me,” I counter.

  “I know enough…”

  The door opens, and Sven plods into the house. He takes one look at me, holding a knife to his cousin’s chest, and screams. The high pitched sound is startling. I have to give it to him, the Dane has great lungs. I drop the knife and cover my ears. Sven charges me with Henrik bursting in the door behind him. Christian steps in front of them, and they stop inches from his face. A furious screaming match in Danish ensues. Gramps and Jen poke their heads into the house to see what’s happening.

  Christian smiles reassuringly at them. “I apologize. We’ve just had a bit of a misunderstanding.”

  “It’s not a problem,” Gramps says with a knowing twinkle in his eyes. “Alex, the fish is almost done. Why don’t you bring out the green salad and orange juice?”

  I grab the salad and juice off the counter, not even caring that I didn’t finish slicing up the cucumber. I am grateful to let the Pedersens argue in private.

  Hypothesis #8 is upgraded to Theory #6 – Neither Sven nor Henrik like me.

  Observations – Dirty looks, telling off Christian for trying to hang out with me, and now the knife incident.

  “What was that all about?” Jen asks as I put the food on the picnic table.

  “They got mad when I warned Christian to keep his distance with a knife.”

  Gramps surprises me when he starts laughing. “That’s my girl! Singer women take no guff!”

  “No, they do not.” Christian smiles as he walks out of the house followed by the red-faced Sven and frowning Henrik.

  “My own little Helen threatened me with an ax before she decided to date me.” Gramps slides over to make room for Sven and Henrik.

  Christian takes a seat next to me. I move closer to Jen, not happy with him for causing the problem in the first place.

  “And how long did it take her to decide?” he asks.

  “A long time, but it was worth every second.” Gramps winks at me. I roll my eyes.

  Thankfully, Jen changes the subject. “Hey, are you guys going on the Senior Ditch, tomorrow?”

  “We don’t know what the Senior Ditch is,” Sven says. His face is still red with anger.

  “It’s really fun! All the seniors get a day on the beach before the weather turns bad. Coach Jones and Mr. White will be going as our faculty advisers, and we’ll spend all day playing in the sand before the swim meet.”

  “Does everyone go?” Henrik asks.

  Jen shakes her head. “All the seniors are excused for the day so some go to work or get homework done instead.”

  “Are you and Alexandra going?” Christian asks.

  “Of course we’re going,” Jen scoffs. “We’re only seniors once.”

  He picks a cucumber slice out of the salad and smiles to himself. “A day at the beach sounds entertaining.”

  4

  Senior Ditch

  Sunshine and blue skies make me grateful to be on the beach instead in the classroom. With a beach bag in tow, I stake out a secluded spot behind a sand dune, hoping for some quiet time to read. I lay out a beach towel and pull out a stack of books. Nothing is better than a day spent sunning and reading on the beach. Making sure no one is around; I lower my silk robe, exposing the dark green bikini top from the photo shoot with Colin. Becky gave me all the swimsuits I wore for the shoot, and since nothing else fits, besides my swim uniform, I’m stuck with the bikini. I just don’t want to expose the whole thing, hence the robe.

  “There you are!” Jen runs up to me, dripping wet in a sporty two-piece. “How long have you been here?”

  “I just arrived. I enjoyed the walk here a little too much. It’s a really beautiful day.” I push back my sunglasses. “How was the ride with the Pedersens?”

  “You really missed out. We stopped for breakfast on the way, and they have these great wetsuits that protect their skin, so we’ve been swimming since we got here. You should see them swim!” She glances at the water. “They are so HOT!”

  “Well, go have fun. I’ve got three more books to read, and I’m hoping to get them read today.”

  “I hope you make it, but plan on having lunch together,” she says before running back to the beach.

  I rub sunscreen on all my exposed skin before opening my first book. I immediately dive in. I soon become immersed in A Tale of Two Cities. I’m about third of the way through when water drops fall on me.

  Thinking it’s Jen I ask, “Do you need my sunscreen?”

  “I think you’ve had your nose in a book for too long,” Jackson answers. “It’s time you went in the water.”

  Before I can say anything, he’s thrown me over his shoulder and is heading to the ocean. My body fills with terror. My heart starts racing, and it feels as though the air’s been sucked out of my lungs. I immediately begin thrashing around, pounding on his back with my fists. A scream is stuck in my throat as I am thrown in the water.

  Every muscle in my body tenses as the waves swallow me. My mind screams in terror while my arms and legs flail about. No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to find the bottom. It is a scene right out of my worst nightmare. I’m going to drown and leave Gramps alone.

  My foot hits something sandy, and I am able to find the ground. I kick off toward the surface. I emerge, gasping for air and crying hysterically.

  Dan and Kyle are instantly at my side, pulling me from the water.

  “Alex, are you okay?” Dan asks, helping me stand.

  Jen runs in from the ocean. She pushes Jackson. “Why do you have to be such a jerk?” she demands furiously.

  “I was just teasing …” he begins.

  “By throwing her in the ocean? Everyone knows that Alex never goes in the ocean!”

  Jackson’s face pales. “Alex, I’m so sorry! I wasn’t thinking!”

  I continue to sob as Jen protectively puts an arm around my shoulders. Kyle fishes my robe out of the ocean and hands it to me. I’m so upset that I can barely hold onto the wet cloth. If I wasn’t so horrified at having been thrown in the ocean it would be very embarrassing to be crying in front of the whole senior class in nothing but a bikini. I shiver, thinking about the water. Falling beneath the waves is a nightmare I relive every night. Jackson has made my worst nightmare a reality.

  “That conceited, self-important, arrogant, brat, I don’t know where he gets off!” Jen directs me to my towel. She pulls her own towel out of her beach bag and wraps it around me. Then she squeezes the water out of my robe and hangs it on a rock to dry. She comforts me for several min
utes.

  “He just grabbed me off my towel,” I eventually say, wiping the tears off my face with Jen’s towel.

  “Yeah, what a moron!” Jen spits in Jackson’s direction in disgust. He’s watching us in the distance.

  “This is the worst day of school, ever! It’s even worse than the time I threw up on my desk in the second grade!” I hide my face in the towel. “I’m going home.”

  “No, you won’t. We won’t give him the satisfaction.” Jen lifts my chin so she can see my eyes. “You’re going to stay, and we’re going to have the best Senior Ditch ever!”

  “It’s too embarrassing. Everyone just saw me crying in a bikini,” I argue.

  “And I must say your swim uniform doesn’t do you justice.” She shakes her head. “If I had your body, I would always wear a bikini, even in the winter.”

  “Yeah, your mom would love that, especially at church.”

  Jen laughs.

  I towel off my hair and stand up. “I’ll see you at the meet.”

  “You can’t leave before lunch,” Christian says, picking up my book, flipping through the pages to get the sand out. Jen’s right, he looks incredibly hot in his wetsuit, not that I’m looking.

  “My robe’s wet, and I just made a complete fool of myself in front of everyone. I’m going back to bed.”

  “I have a shirt you can wear until your robe dries. Furthermore, Jackson is the one who made the fool of himself, and he knows it. The day would be ruined for everyone if you were to leave now,” he says adamantly.

  Sven and Henrik join us. Sven hands Christian a bag. He opens it and places a white, dress shirt over my shoulders. I immediately put my arms in the sleeves and button it up, grateful for the covering. The other seniors start pulling out their lunches, and I relent. I want to leave but would feel guilty about ditching Jen. I decide to stay, at least long enough to have lunch with her.

  “You should see what we picked up for lunch!” Jen says with excitement as she sets out a picnic blanket. “We stopped and got that sushi you really like. The guys paid for it.”

  “I brought a peanut butter sandwich. I already owe them too much money,” I say.

  “You don’t owe us anything,” Henrik says as he opens a cooler.