She reached over and looked at the price tag, a smile spreading over her face “This one is fine, Elizabeth.” She took the suit and placed it in the cart. “Are you sure you don’t want to look for one of those two-piece bathing suits all the girls are wearing?”
“Mom,” I said, feeling the blush spreading across my face “You know that I don’t like to be that uncovered.”
“Honey, that’s fine, I just wanted to make sure.” She smiled at me. I knew she was just trying to be a good mom. The other girls in the neighborhood had been talking for weeks about their new two-piece suits. Mom knows how modest I am, but I think she still feels like she has to let me know it’s okay. I could see the relief in her eyes that I didn’t want one. It makes me happy to know that she thinks of me as being responsible, but still gives me the option.
I was getting bored rather quickly watching my sisters trying to choose which suits in what color they wanted to try on, while Mom would look at the price, and try to steer them to something a bit less costly. I smiled to myself when I saw that Bess was also trying to help by quietly explaining to the three younger ones that we don’t have much money with five kids and only our father working. The younger ones, of course, don’t pay attention to the cost of things. I guess they don’t understand about that yet. “Mom, is it okay if I go over to the bookstore, since it’s just next door?”
Mom looked uneasy about letting me go by myself, but I could see her thinking about what a chore it would be, taking all four of my sisters and trying to occupy them while I looked through the books. Bess looked up at me, smiling. She winked and leaned over to whisper something into Mom’s ear. Mom nodded before she looked back at me.
“Okay, but please, only to the bookstore, and right back here when you’re done. If your sisters manage to get done before you find a book, we will wait for you by the front door,” she was shaking her head looking apprehensive about letting me go.
“Thanks, Mom. I’ll be in the fiction section. I hope I can find something that will be fun to read this summer.” I smiled at her to let her know how much I appreciated it. “Thanks again.” I gave her a big hug, winked at Bess, and said a silent “thank you” to her before I took off.
Wow, time to myself in the store without having to listen to them all complain that I’m taking too long. I couldn’t believe my luck.
I babysit year-round for some of the other parents in the neighborhood to earn money to spend on little luxuries like my books, since I know my parents are pretty strapped. I never want to cause them any worry, especially where money is concerned.
I hurried into the bookstore and headed right back to the fiction section. I knew exactly where my feet would take me.
I could stay in a library or bookstore for hours. I love books: the way they smell, the feel of them in my hands, and, most importantly, the way that those first few opening lines can either get you hooked or turn you off the characters and the story they are telling.
I walked slowly down the row, reading each book’s title, searching for something that would catch my eye. To me, each book sitting on the shelf was a treasure, just waiting for someone to open its cover and let the story spill out.
I searched the titles until my eyes fell on one that looked promising. I pulled it off the shelf, there on the cover was a beautiful white unicorn, a young girl with wide eyes reaching toward him. I opened the front cover and read those first few lines, penned to grab, hold and pique your interest. This one has promise! I tucked it safely under my arm after checking the price, and realized I might have enough to buy a second book. That would make me so happy, since summer has many long hours of time to fill. Having more than one novel to read would be great. But, by the time I got to the third row I was thinking I was going to be very disappointed this trip because everything else that caught my eye was more money than I had left. I turned the corner and spotted a sale display. Wonderful! Maybe I can find something on this table.
I headed over and started looking through the books in the bin, moving each one and reading a little of their back covers. Just as I was about to give up, I saw it: one copy lying there with the back cover facing up, the author’s eyes looking back at me. I picked it up, turned it over and read the title “A History of Hyattsville’s Dark Times”. I opened it and read the synopsis inside of the front cover. Wow, a book about vampires. I wondered if Mom would be upset if I bought it. I hoped she wouldn’t mind since I had earned the money, the price was right, and I was buying two books for what we both had thought would only be enough money for one.
I decided it would be okay to make the purchase. I’d never had an interest in anything to do with vampires before, but something really caught my attention with this book. I took my treasures to the counter and paid for them.
Once the books were safely in the bag I headed back towards the department store. Just as I got to the door there came my mother, looking much worse for wear with my sisters in tow behind her, talking excitedly about their suits. “Oh, good, you’re done. We can head for home. These girls have worn me out.”
“Here Mom, let me take a couple of those bags,” I said reaching to remove two of them from her hands. Mom was wonderful, but at times I wished that she would be a little harder on my younger sisters. The only one with a bag in their hands was Bess. Sometimes, I think maybe I should be meaner, and yell at them when they act like this. Then I remember that they are pretty young.
We finally got all of them out of the mall and headed for the car. After we put the bags in the trunk and everyone into their seats, June started with her “I’m hungry” chant that all of us know too well.
I turned around. “We are only about twenty minutes from the house, June. I think that you can wait until we get home to eat. Mom just spent a lot of money on us for these suits.”
“I don’t care! I said I am hungry!” June whined, balling her hands into fists and trying to look really angry.
I glared at her “Enough June! Don’t start this again. It’s not always about you.” Bess climbed into the back of the car and quietly told her again to stop.
Mom got in the car sighing loudly as she put the key in the ignition. She glanced at me and smiled. She had heard the exchange, and knew better than to ask what was going on, in case June would start throwing her usual temper tantrum again. We pulled out of the parking lot and headed home, June sitting in her seat, pouting, with her arms crossed. I guess since Bess and I had been in charge of them while Mom was sick, the “being the boss” thing had stuck, so they knew they had to listen when one of us got stern. I hated it when any of them argued with Mom. I knew by the time we got home, June would forget all about her tantrum and Mom would have to remind her that she was hungry.
The drive home didn’t take long, and when we pulled in the driveway Stacy and her sisters came running over to see everyone’s suits. The excitement was building because we knew that we would be getting our usual summer pass to Crane’s pool soon, and everyone wanted to know what the other was going to be wearing. Of course we all grabbed our suits and paired up with each of our friends so we could show off what Mom had just bought for us.
“I love it! That color is perfect for you. I think it will make your eyes look great. I’m so happy that you bought a one-piece, too,” Stacy said as I showed her what I had picked out. “So, do you think that we’ll be able to talk our moms into taking us out to Crane’s tomorrow?” she asked me her eyes wide with hope.
“I don’t know, Stacy. You know neither of our moms are keen on going the first day it opens. They both always say it’s a madhouse. Maybe we should wait and ask them to take us on Monday. Don’t you think?” I knew many of the families that lived in the surrounding area had two working parents, so Monday would be a lot less crowded, making it easier to get our passes. That would mean more time in the pool, and less time with my sisters being antsy and driving Mom crazy. Stacy sighed, and I could see that she was thinking the same thing about her four younger sisters, too. We lo
oked at each other and started laughing.
Stacy noticed the other bag I was holding. “What do you have in there?”
“I found some books at the bookstore to read this summer,” I told her, all excited. “Mom let me take some of my babysitting money and I found two that I could afford, because one was on a sale.” I was just getting ready to take them out to show her when her mother called them all in for lunch.
She looked at me, and shrugged. “Okay, I will catch you later,” Stacy called as she waved and headed back across the road with her sisters right behind her.
I walked into the house and told Mom I was going to put my things in my room, and I would come right back to help her with lunch. I carefully laid my suit on the bed, and took my books out of the bag. I put them on my desk, and headed back out into the kitchen.
Mom and I fixed lunch for all of us, and after everyone ate, Bess herded our sisters outside while Mom and I cleaned up. After the last dish was dried and put away, I asked if I could get one of my books and read for a little while.
“Are you sure that you don’t want to go play for a while?” Mom asked. She was always worried that I didn’t get enough sun and fresh air.
“Mom, I’ll take my book onto the back porch, okay? I don’t want to get burned before I even get to go to the pool Monday with everyone,” I can just see it now, burned to a crisp before I ever set foot in the water. Yeah that would be a great start to my summer. Suddenly I remembered that I had not yet asked her about taking us. Sheepishly I said, “Oh, by the way, Stacy and I were talking about the pool. Do you think you could talk to her mom and see if we could go on Monday?”
“Okay honey, you can read on the back porch, at least you will be getting some fresh air. I’ll give Peggy a call and see if she wants to run out to Cranes on Monday,” Mom replied.
I ran back to my room and grabbed both my books, since I wasn’t sure which one I wanted to read, and headed for the back porch. I sat down and curled up on the cushioned chair. Looking out over the yard, I had to smile. Bess had the girls on the swing set, and they were singing “Johnny Angel.”
I decided to start with the little one that I had found on the sale rack. It had caught my eye because it was about supernatural happenings in Hyattsville, which is the town where my father had grown up. Dad never talked much about the town he had grown up in, and I know he had never mentioned anything to us about supernatural happenings.
Opening the book, I read the dedication the author had written to his wife who had died in childbirth. The book had originally been written in 1849, four years after Christopher Hyatt had founded the city. I glanced at this editions publishing date and wondered why someone had thought to publish it again just last year.
I turned the page and started reading. The author believed that there were not only witches in Hyattsville, but vampires roaming the city as well. This was supposed to be a nonfictional account of the early settling of the town.
I got lost in the book, and Mom had to call me three times before I heard her. Marking my page, I gathered my things and headed back inside to help her with dinner. It surprised me that I had been reading for so long.
“Mom, did you talk to Stacy’s mother yet? Can we go to Crane’s on Monday?” I asked her as I walked into the kitchen.
“Yes, her mom called me this afternoon right after you went outside, and said Stacy had asked her the same thing. I think Monday will be fine. It should be much less crowded. I told her that we could leave together and get the memberships setup. I suppose you want to go early so you can get that favorite spot of yours?” she asked me, smiling.
Mom knew, even though I loved the pool, I always wanted to sit in the shady spot. It was so hard for me to keep from burning, so it seemed to work out better for me to sit there. “That would be great. Thanks Mom.” I gave her a big hug.
I was really looking forward to going to the pool. I think all of us were. We liked to hang out with the friends we only saw over the summer.
I was already planning what to throw in my bag as I called Stacy, so we could start planning our day. I had a feeling that this weekend was going to drag by, and Monday seemed a long way off.
Just as I thought, Monday hadn’t come fast enough for any of us. But Mom had no trouble getting any of us up this morning. Breakfast was eaten with no complaints or reminders for anyone to finish and put their dishes in the sink. As we piled into the car, I saw Stacy’s family getting into their car, as well. I waved, smiling at her, knowing we were going to get there ahead of most of the crowd. We drove out onto the country road that would lead us to Crane’s.
Mr. Crane’s son had talked his father into building the pool a few years ago. It is built on a small section of the forty-acre ranch his father owns. The pool has two big slides, and a diving board, and is fenced in. They even built a small concession stand with two changing rooms and two bathrooms.
We love the pool and the ranch. I have always thought it’s a perfect place for a pool—since it’s in the middle of nowhere and The Cranes’ always have plenty of lifeguards at the pool, the parents feel safe if they have to drop their kids off and run errands.
We arrived early enough that we beat the crowd. Our summer passes were bought, and we happily ran to get our favorite table under the shade. Our younger sisters were hitting the pool before Stacy and I had even started setting out the towels on the chairs.
I set my bag and towel on the chair I knew would stay in, covered by the shade for the entire day. No one else wanted the spot because they loved sitting in the sun. I took off my shorts and shirt, carefully folded them, and put them in the bag. Stacy waited patiently for me, and, as we walked to the edge of the pool, I saw that we were about the only two girls wearing one-piece suits. Most of the other girls were in two-pieces, or those new skimpy ones that they were calling bikinis. I blushed just looking at them. When I glanced over at Stacy, she was blushing as well.
We saw most of the same kids we saw last summer, and many of our friends from school were also starting to arrive. Everyone was moving to sit at his or her favorite spot.
The water was slightly cool when we got in, and of course I got goose bumps on my arms. The water didn’t feel as cold as I remembered it being at the start of last summer.
Stacy screamed as her sister Jennifer splashed her. “The water is freezing. Stop!”
When the lifeguard blew the whistle to signal the fifteen-minute break, we headed back to our table. I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around myself. Everyone sat down in their chairs and picked up their conversations that were going on in the pool.
I smiled, thinking how perfect this summer was going to be. That’s when I glanced at the parking lot and saw a red sports car pull in. I had no idea what kind it was, but it looked fast, new and expensive. As the car door opened, a very handsome young man climbed out. I think every girl at the pool turned and held their breath at the same time.
He was tall and slender with dark hair that was just a little longer than what most of the boys in our school wore theirs. Sunglasses covered his eyes. He turned and waited as the passenger door opened, and a younger version of him climbed out. I looked at Stacy, and whispered, “Who are they?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “My guess is that they’re new to town, because I’ve never seen them before. I think I would have remembered seeing them.”
We watched as they made their way to the concession stand to buy their passes. I knew what every girl in the place was thinking: “Please let them sit by me.” It was on all their faces. When I turned to look back at the boys, the oldest one had a smile on his face. The kind of smile that I thought meant he knew every girl there was watching him. Well, he is out of my league.
Looking around, it seemed every girl there was much prettier than me, not to mention that they were wearing much less. I figured a boy like that wouldn’t give me a second look.
I turned and started talking to Stacy again, and realized that she wasn’t paying one bit
of attention to anything I was saying—she was too busy looking at them. I leaned over and pinched her arm.
“OUCH!” she said, jumping. “What did you do that for?” She rubbed her arm, and giving me a dirty look.
“You aren’t listening to anything I said. You were too busy ogling them,” I whispered, giving her a look right back.
“Was not!” she whispered, still rubbing her arm glaring at me.
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, what did I say to you?” I asked her, a bit more sternly than I had intended.
She looked at me with that funny little smile of hers and replied, “I have absolutely no idea.”
Both of us started laughing. Once we had control of ourselves, I stole a glance to see where the boys were sitting. They were two tables down and some of the girls were attempting to get their attention. One or two were stretching on their chairs, Tracy was actually walking over in front of them stretching and trying to get one of them to look at her. I was actually surprised to see that they weren’t paying attention to any of them.
Suddenly, the older one turned and seemed to look right at me. I quickly looked down, embarrassed that he had caught me. I turned back towards Stacy and tried to start talking again. Suddenly her eyes widened I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Oh, please don’t let him be coming over here. What will I say? What will Stacy say if he is coming to talk to her? I knew from the look on her face that she would have no more to say to him than I would. I heard him clear his throat and turned around slowly to face him.
He was smiling from ear to ear. “Hello,” he said leaning down towards me.
It was the sweetest voice I had ever heard. I found myself smiling right back at him. “Hello,” I said softly.
“My name is Isaiah. My brother and I are new in town and we just wanted to introduce ourselves.” He smiled again. “This is Samuel,” he said, gesturing to the boy standing on his left. Samuel looked like he was the same age as Stacy.
Magic and Shadows: A Collection of YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romances Page 173