by Tiffany King
"Wow, really?" I asked as we headed around back. "Shouldn't we be evacuating?" The only hurricane I knew anything about was Katrina, and it practically destroyed New Orleans. If that was what we were in for here, Turtle Bay would be in for some serious trouble.
"We'll probably see an announcement for the evacuation of low-lying areas. It all depends what course the storm stays on. At the moment, the models are showing it barely kissing the coast before heading north."
"That's good, right?" I asked, wondering why the need for sandbags if the storm was going to head north.
"Well, the outer bands of the storm still produce high winds, but more importantly, a ton of rain and big waves. There will probably be some flooding in low-lying areas, which is why they'll evacuate there. Your house will be fine since it sits a little higher. You might get flooding in the backyard, depending on your drainage," he said, opening the back door of the building for me.
He sounded as knowledgeable as the weather people on TV. I guess if you lived here long enough you became an expert on tropical storms and hurricanes.
"Holy smokes, that's one big pile of dirt," I whistled as we stepped outside. We could set the record and build the world's biggest sand castle with the amount of sand that sat behind the patrol building.
"That's nothing. By this time tomorrow we'll get at least three more truckloads. All the residents in Turtle Bay will be coming here for these sandbags," he said, handing me a small burlap sack.
I held on to it while he grabbed one of the shovels leaning against the wall. "Um, I'm not trying to sound dense, but why don't they just use all that sand?" I asked, pointing toward the beach.
Josh shook his head. "That would be the worst thing ever and counterproductive. It would cause beach erosion, which would cause all kinds of other problems. Not to mention the impact it would have on the wildlife."
"Sorry," I mumbled.
"Hey, don't be sorry. How are you supposed to know if you don't ask, right? I just get overzealous with my responses." He moved to the other side of the large mound of sand, away from the other guys, to give us more privacy.
I held the bag open as he dumped a shovelful of sand into the bag. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Why do you care so much? You're what, seventeen years old? Shouldn't you be thinking about other things? Why all this?"
He shrugged. I waited for a real answer as he plunged the shovel into the pile of sand and lifted it to dump into the bag. When he didn't answer, I pulled away, closing the bag in my hands so he would get the hint.
"If we're going to get to know each other, you're going to have to start trusting me."
He sighed. "This is all I have," he said, plucking the bag out of my hand so he could dump the sand into it.
"What do you mean?" I asked. He had said something similar on another occasion and I didn't press him then, but if we were going to turn into something, I wanted him to open up a little.
"I mean this—the ocean, this station, all the wildlife. They're always here for me. The beach is the closest thing I have to a home. The guys at the station are the only family I really have since my mom left." His tone was resolute, but I could detect all the pain behind Josh's facade.
"What about your dad?"
"My dad?" He laughed harshly, making my gut twist. "He's fine when he's not drunk off his ass. The only problem is since my mom left those moments don't come around very often. He works, drinks, and sleeps, in that order," Josh said quietly. He could have been reading the newspaper with the amount of emotion in his voice. It was like he had accepted his home life for the way it was and no longer cared. So much about Josh made sense now, especially his passion for his work and the environment.
"That sucks," I said. I had pushed him to open up a little and now I felt like anything I could offer in the form of comfort would be insufficient.
"It is what it is. Lots of people have crummy lives. No sense in crying about it."
"Doesn't mean it still doesn't suck," I said, reaching out to touch his hand.
He gave my hand a squeeze before handing the bag back to me. "It's not all bad. At least I met you."
I snorted. "It's not like I'm any prize. I was fraternizing with the enemy."
"That's true." He winked.
We worked for a few hours and then took a break to grab a couple sub sandwiches for lunch. Everyone at the patrol office who could be spared was working with us to fill bags. It felt more like a party than actual work the way the guys joked around taking bets to see who could fill up the bags the fastest or who could carry the most. Even though I was still a little worried about the idea of a hurricane hitting Turtle Bay, it was easy to push it to the back of my mind with this crew.
Josh and I stayed together the entire time and we made a darn good team, if I had to say so myself. I'd hold the bags open while he filled them and then I would tie them up and he would add them to the pile. We were like a machine. Some of the locals were already showing up to collect them, so we wanted to stay ahead of the game. One thing was certain, nonjudgmental Josh was a whole lot easier to chat with than the guy who narced on the party. He actually had a dry sense of humor that matched mine. We talked the entire time we worked. Now that I had gotten a look at what lay beneath his tough exterior, I was curious to learn more about him. Luckily, he didn't seem to mind my endless barrage of questions. We stayed so busy filling bags and talking that I lost track of time and forgot about Butch picking me up.
"Hey, what time is it?" I asked when the thought finally occurred to me.
"I'm not sure. Like, four o'clock, I think."
"I forgot Butch was picking me up at three thirty," I said. "He's probably out front waiting."
"Actually, he's right over there," Josh said, pointing to the other side of the building where Butch was helping Larry fill bags. I wasn't surprised he was helping out. Butch thrived in situations like this.
I waved to them when I caught Butch's attention. He grinned while Larry flashed me his famous hang loose hand gesture. Turtle Bay was definitely the town for Butch.
The afternoon melted away as we all continued working until well after six. My arms felt like cooked spaghetti as I massaged my sore shoulders while Josh collected our tools and supplies. When he was done he filled out my community service worksheet, which felt odd. Sure, I was tired, but today felt more like a party than actual work. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had so much fun.
"I'll see you tomorrow," he said, handing the sheet back to me. He looked like he wanted to say more, but must have changed his mind because he gave me an odd little wave before heading for his truck. I had been expecting that. I mean, could he really kiss me in front of everyone without it turning awkward? Obviously not.
Waving wearily at Larry, Butch and I shuffled off to the van, too exhausted to do anything else. Buttercup had dinner warming on the stove when we got home, but we both headed off to shower first. I grimaced when I held up my sand-covered clothes that I had painstakingly picked out. Tomorrow I would go back to cutoffs and an old T-shirt.
As Butch and I ate, we filled Buttercup in on all the activity happening at the patrol station. She had been watching the news updates on the storm throughout the day. We were finishing up when Farrah showed up to see if I wanted to hang out.
"Sure, but we'll have to just veg. I'm beat," I said, heading for my room.
"You look rough. Who knew cleaning up trash was that hard," she teased.
I sank on my bed and tossed a pillow at her. "Very funny. I spent the day filling sandbags for the storm."
"Oh, right. Dad had a whole crew out weathering the house in case the storm hits. My parents already reserved us a hotel room inland for this weekend. I don't know why they don't just ride it out. All the models show it barely even making landfall before heading north. I think my mom likes the melodrama of the whole thing. She calls all my relatives up north and they watch the TV together, obsessively bemoaning Mother Nature."
"Josh?" Farrah asked curiously, clutching the pillow I'd thrown to her chest.
"I'm not sure if you know him. Evan did. He works down at the station where I'm doing my community service," I answered, not mentioning he was the reason we had gotten busted. No reason to ruffle any feathers.
"You mean lifeguard Josh?" she asked.
"Yeah," I admitted hesitantly. "I guess you do know him?"
"Not really. I mean, I know of him from whenever he and Evan would give each other shit, but I never really met him. Judging by the goofy smile on your face, I'm guessing he kisses better than Evan," she teased, running her hand over my comforter so Player would chase it.
A total girly giggle tickled up my throat. "You could say that." There really was no comparison for me. I didn't feel it with Evan. Josh, on the other hand, made my toes curl.
"You trampy beach bunny. I want deets," she demanded.
Her choice words made me burst out in laughter. I launched into a detailed description of my somewhat complicated relationship with Josh. Farrah was a great listener and let me get it all before adding her two cents.
"Wow, this guy sounds hot. Let's hope he has a friend," she joked, rubbing her hands together with glee.
I sighed. "He is hot, but he's good at tying me all up inside."
"Wow, kinky," she said.
"Don't be a perv," I said, tossing a stuffed animal at her. "He makes my insides all twisty and out of sorts."
She smirked at me. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
My laugh turned into a yawn. The day's activities were catching up to me.
"I should head home," Farrah said. "You think maybe I could go with you tomorrow?"
"Sure, I don't see why not," I said, surprised. "There were other volunteers there today. I'm sure they'd appreciate any help they can get. We have to leave early though, before nine," I warned.
"That's fine. I want to help out. It hardly seems fair that you didn't do anything and you're stuck doing all the work."
I smiled, appreciating her sentiment. "Don't sweat it. It's not like I was some angel back home. I've gotten into my share of trouble, which is why the judge stuck it to me. Besides, it's not all that bad."
"Funny. I can't wait to check out Josh."
Chapter 10
That night I had no trouble falling asleep. I could have told myself it was because I was so exhausted, but I suspected it had something to do with everything coming together in my life. What had seemed so overwhelmingly bleak a few weeks ago now held a promise of better things on the horizon.
True to her word, Farrah was at my house the next morning fifteen minutes before we had to shove off. She had taken my advice and was wearing an old T-shirt and comfortable shorts. Butch and Buttercup were dressed much the same since they both planned on helping out.
Arriving at the station as a group, I introduced Vanessa to our honorary volunteers and asked if it was okay.
"Are you kidding, honey? The more volunteers, the better. Two more truckloads of sand were dropped off early this morning, and we're expecting another one later this afternoon. The phone has been ringing off the hook with residents asking when we're going to have more sandbags ready," she said as the phone rang, proving her point.
"I guess that's our cue to get to work," I told my crew, leading them through the building and out the back door.
Larry called out a greeting to us and I introduced him to Farrah, who would be responsible for holding the bags open for him. Buttercup and Butch paired off while I looked around for Josh, who suddenly appeared at my side.
"Ready?" he asked, handing me a bag. I ignored the little flip in my stomach when I realized he had waited to team up with me again.
"Sure. Let's make this pile our bitch," I joked, holding the bag open.
Today was different than the previous day since the newest models showed Hurricane Alexia gaining strength. More residents were taking the storm seriously, and a line for sandbags quickly formed. Many of the people pitched in and filled their own bags¸ but the elderly residents had no choice but to wait. Bags were loaded into the trunks of cars the moment they were filled in a never-ending stream. We had to take breaks in shifts because it was so busy. The big treat came when Sal from the local pizza shop down the road showed up for sandbags with a dozen pizzas he had donated for the workers.
Surprisingly, even Buttercup and Butch inhaled a couple slices, but I was more impressed by how tirelessly Farrah worked beside me. We had to force her to eat since she kept insisting she would get something after she filled the next sandbag, which would turn into the next one, and then the next one. Mitch, the station chief, literally had to take the bag out of her hands. Farrah looked like she wanted to argue, but Mitch held an air of authority that made you listen. Larry laughed at her expression as the four of us headed inside to wash up as best we could before sitting in the station break room to eat our lunch. The air conditioning felt amazing, and Farrah and I sighed with pleasure as we sat down at the table with ice-cold sodas and plates loaded with food.
Like the first day I met him, Larry kept up a running commentary throughout the meal that had all of us laughing as he regaled us with stories of surfing experiences that had gone awry. My senses were hyperaware of Josh sitting beside me. I couldn't resist shifting slightly, so we were barely touching. I could tell he noticed by the small smile prying at his lips, but he said nothing. He only leaned across me to grab a napkin on the other side of the table as if to tease me. I wanted badly to take him by the shirt and pull him in close to lay a big kiss on his lips, but I wasn't sure what the guys in the office would think about it. I didn't want to get Josh into any trouble.
The afternoon was more grueling and much hotter than the morning had been, but even more surprising was the fact that the sky was clear blue. If not for the reports on TV, I wouldn't have believed a storm was headed our way. The sun was shining so bright that it hurt my eyes as it reflected off the black asphalt of the parking lot. By mid-afternoon we were all drenched in sweat, which caused the sand to cake to our bodies. It was miserable. The only one who seemed unaffected was Farrah. She bounced around happily, like we had spent the day at a theme park.
The pile of sandbags we created was enough to keep up with the demand of the local residents, but Vanessa said she was still receiving calls for them all day long. My body was spent. There wasn't a muscle on my body that didn't cry when I moved. Even worse than muscle soreness was the way Josh gave me the same nod and grin before heading off to his truck. My aggravation was beginning to boil.
"What's up with that?" Farrah asked as we stood off to the side by ourselves.
"I don't know. We're figuring things out. Part of it is my fault because I kinda said we needed to get to know each other more, but I didn't mean we had to come to a halt."
Farrah nodded as if agreeing with me. "What did he say to that?"
"We haven't talked about it again since that night. I don't know if he's waiting for me or worried about the guys at work finding out," I said, kicking a shovel that was leaning against the wall.
On the way home we dropped Farrah off at her house after she made us promise we'd wait for her in the morning. Waving at her through the window, I watched as she gingerly made her way up her front steps. The work high must have worn off because she no longer had the same bounce in her step. I felt her pain.
The next morning there seemed to be a heightened sense of urgency in everyone at the patrol station. The wind had begun to pick up slightly and finally you could feel a change in the weather that hadn't been noticeable earlier in the week. Just as Josh predicted, the residents in low-lying areas were asked to evacuate, while those in higher non-flood zones were put on alert. Temporary shelters were opened farther inland, and residents were busy boarding up their homes. Butch abandoned sand detail to use his saw to help people who had purchased plywood b
ut had no power tools. Farrah's parents insisted she join them at the hotel rooms they had reserved. They volunteered to let me tag along, but I insisted I needed to stay for my community service obligation. Truthfully, I only used my sentence as an excuse. My sheet was quickly filling up with all the extra hours I had been working, but I didn't want to leave. I was beginning to feel a sense of pride in helping out and in a kooky way considered it making up for my past sins. Josh and I remained in a holding pattern. My resolve to take it slow was disappearing as quickly as the sand piles we had used to fill the bags.
"You want some lunch?" he asked, pointing inside the building as I tied up what felt like my millionth sandbag.
"Sure." I grinned. The weariness I had felt on previous days was gone. My body was quickly adjusting to the physical labor.
"Are you guys still going to ride out the storm?" Josh asked conversationally, handing me a paper plate with a six-inch sub on it.
"Thanks," I said, reaching for a bag of chips and a can of soda. The local beachside businesses had gone all out to make sure the workers and volunteers remained well fed. It was the least they could do since many of the guys from the station helped them get their storefronts ready for the storm. "We have a few suitcases ready to go in case things escalate, but for now, we plan on staying."
Butch had already told Mitch that he would be on hand if he needed him. I was more worried about Player, but Farrah was able to talk her parents into letting him hang out at the hotel with them.
"Maybe you should think about joining Farrah," Josh said, opening his bag of chips.
"I thought you weren't worried about this storm?" I teased.
"I'm not, but you never know. It's just that things will probably get hairy around here. There's always some yahoo who decides to do something stupid like try to catch the next big wave to Australia or some shit like that."
I chuckled at his words. "I bet Larry will be one of them," I teased.