High Tide (9781481413824) (7 page)

That was last summer, I thought. The summer I met Mitzi.

The summer Mitzi died.

“Adam?” Joy touched my arm again. “Are you okay? You look kind of serious all of a sudden.”

“Yeah, did we say something wrong?” Raina asked. “We were just kidding around, you know.”

“You didn't really break my heart,” Joy admitted. Then she added. “Well, maybe a little.”

“I still can't believe you're such a heartbreaker, buddy,” Ian said, shaking his head. “Listen, I have to get back to work now. Catch you guys another time.”
He gave a two-fingered salute to Joy and Raina, then trotted toward the boardwalk.

“Are you sure you're okay, Adam?” Joy asked again.

I took a deep breath. Don't think about Mitzi, I told myself. Joy and Raina are here to have fun. Why don't I give it a try too?

“I'm fine,” I told them with a smile. “Really. Except I have to go on duty now and I'd rather hang out with you two.”

“Well, we'll be here a whole week,” Joy reminded me. “You don't work twenty-four hours a day, do you?”

“Nope. Hey, I know—let's have dinner in town tonight,” I suggested. “There's this place on Main Street with great food and a live band. The Sea Shanty.”

“Sounds perfect,” Raina said.

“Great. Meet you there about seven.” I smiled again, then began jogging across the beach toward the lifeguard station.

Sean waited on the platform, watching me. As I drew closer, he began climbing down the ladder. Must be in a real hurry, I thought. The head lifeguard would be really angry if he caught Sean leaving his post before I got there.

“Perfect timing, huh?” I called out as I trotted up. “I'm actually a minute early today.”

Sean skipped the last few rungs and leapt down to the sand. He stood facing me, his dark eyes glaring angrily.

“Hey, what's your problem?” I asked. “What's wrong?”

He didn't answer. Just kept staring at me.

If looks could kill, I thought. “Hey, come on, man. What is it?”

Sean still didn't answer. The muscles in his arms tightened, and his jaw rippled as if he were grinding his teeth.

He took a step toward me and I tensed.

What is he going to do?

“S
ean—wh-what's wrong?” I stammered.

But he didn't answer.

Without uttering a word, he turned and ran off.

I watched for a second as he pounded across the sand. He's furious with me, I thought.

Be careful, I reminded myself. Sean is like a lit fuse. I don't want to be in the way when he blows.

As Sean disappeared into a crowd of sunbathers, I turned and climbed onto the platform. Settling in the lifeguard chair, I gazed out at the ocean.

Not too many swimmers in the water today. Not with the tide this high. But there were always a few who didn't care. Who liked to take chances.

I sighed, hoping nobody got into trouble.

A squeal of laughter from down the beach caught my attention. I glanced over.

Joy and Raina waded in the shallow water near the shore, gasping and shrieking whenever a tall wave crashed against their legs.

I smiled to myself. Having dinner with them would be fun. Joy would flirt and Raina would tease her, and we'd all laugh a lot.

And I wouldn't think about Mitzi.

For a short while, I'd forget.

The sun felt like fire on my head. I reached down to get my cap. And as I did, I spotted something blue and glittery bouncing up and down, on the waves.

A water scooter.

I stood up and squinted.

At first the scooter was just a speck, but then it grew larger. And louder. I heard the buzz of the engine and saw the rider's knees bend as a strong wave slapped against his metallic blue machine.

The scooter kept coming, faster and faster. Getting closer to the shore.

Too close.

Was the guy an idiot? Didn't he know about the hidden rocks near the shoreline?

The dock had signs posted about how dangerous those rocks were. Everybody who took a scooter out got warned about them.

Couldn't the guy read? Didn't he listen?

The engine buzz grew louder.

The scooter roared over the tossing waves.

Closer. Closer to shore.

Moving in a fast, straight line.

The guy wasn't going to turn!

“No!” I shouted. I waved my arms and tried to get the guy's attention.

But the scooter kept coming. Aiming straight for the rocks.

I swung myself over the platform, clambered down the ladder, and raced toward the edge of the water.

“Turn!” I screamed over the noise of the engine. I waved both arms to one side. “Turn, turn!”

The scooter didn't turn. The guy stared straight ahead, but he didn't seem to see me at all.

I splashed into the water, shouting and waving my arms again. “You're going to crash!” I screamed. “Turn that thing! Turn it, turn it!”

The engine's buzz grew to a roar, and I ran farther out, until the waves slapped against my waist.

“Turn!” I screamed again, waving and motioning like crazy. “You're going to hit—”

I stopped suddenly, staring at the rider.

Hair flattened back against his head. Brown hair, exactly like mine.

A scattering of freckles across his slender shoulders. Like mine.

A blue nylon swimsuit with green stripes down the sides.

My suit.

My hair.

My face.

“It's me!” I gasped. “It's
me!”

“I
t was me!” I declared to Dr. Thall that afternoon. “When I stared at the guy's face, it was like looking into a mirror. Except . . . none of it was real!”

Dr. Thall gazed at me from behind his desk, a thoughtful expression in his blue eyes. “Another hallucination,” he murmured. “I'm glad you came to see me right away.”

I nodded.

The whole thing had been a hallucination. No water scooter zooming toward the hidden rocks. No rider with my face, staring at me with my eyes.

None of it had happened.

Except for what I did, of course. Running into the ocean like a madman. Waving my arms at nothing. Screaming at a rider that didn't exist.

I shuddered, remembering how the people on the beach stared as I waded out of the water. At least Joy and Raina had been too far away to notice, I thought with relief.

But the others! The way they whispered to each other. The looks they gave me.

They thought I was a total wacko.

I raised my eyes to Dr. Thall. “Why does this keep happening?” I asked. “Am I really crazy?”

The doctor shook his head sharply. “I don't believe that for a minute, Adam. And I don't think you do either.”

“I don't know what to think!” I told him. “I mean, why do I keep seeing things that aren't real? It's been a whole year since Mitzi died. You tell
me,
Doctor. If I'm not crazy, then what's going on?”

“The answer is still hidden,” he replied. “That's what we have to work on, Adam. Something is still troubling you about Mitzi's accident. Something is still nagging at your mind and won't let go.”

“But I thought we already worked all that out,” I argued. “Mitzi died. I cracked up from guilt. I started seeing you. And now I realize it wasn't my fault. What else is there to work out?”

He shook his head. “Something hidden. Buried, deep down inside your mind. Something trying to work its way out. Something important.”

He must be right, I thought with a sigh. Nothing else could explain the hallucinations.

But what was it?

As I thought hard about it, Dr. Thall rose from his chair. “Our time's up for today, Adam. But don't give up hope. We'll find out what's troubling you.”

“How?” I demanded. “If it's buried so far down, how do we get it out? With dynamite?”

“Nothing as drastic as that,” he assured me with a smile. “But there are still some experimental treatments we haven't tried.”

“I'll try anything,” I declared. “I have to find out what it is.”

• • •

“Come on, Adam, let's dance!” Joy cried over the music blasting from the Sea Shanty's tiny stage. “I never did get a chance to dance with you in high school!”

“Neither did I,” Raina told her. “But you went out with him two times. I dated him only once, so I should dance with him first.”

“Whoa!” I said, laughing. “Don't I get to say anything about this?”

“Nope.” Raina turned to Joy. “Let's flip for it,” she suggested.

With a giggle, Joy fished around in her bag and finally pulled out a nickel. As she flipped it into the air, Raina called out heads.

We all watched as the coin spiraled halfway across the restaurant, landed on the floor, and skittered out of sight under a table.

Joy started to reach into her purse again, but I stopped her. “There's a simple solution to this problem,” I announced, grabbing both their hands. “We all dance together.”

As the band started a new number, the three of us squeezed our way through the tables and began to dance.

“I'm really glad you invited us, Adam!” Joy
shouted, her brown curls bouncing. “I'm having a great time.”

“Me too,” I told her. And I was. Not that I'd forgotten my hallucination that morning. I couldn't.

But with Joy and Raina around, I could shove it to the back of my mind.

I'd felt so low after I'd left Dr. Thall, I thought about canceling the dinner.

I'm glad I didn't, I thought as I spun around and faced Raina. This is more fun than sitting in the apartment, worrying about going nuts.

I'd had a good time last night too, but this was better. Raina and Joy were old friends. And they really liked to laugh and goof around.

Dr. Thall said he wanted to try some experimental treatments. Fine. In the meantime, I decided to have as much fun as I could.

As I turned back to dance with Joy, I spotted Ian. He sat at a table way across the room. I waved, but he didn't notice.

Maybe I should go over there, I thought. Ask him to eat with us.

Then Ian leaned his elbows on the table and said something, and I saw that he wasn't alone. Across the table from him sat a girl with long black hair and a great tan.

No wonder he didn't notice me, I thought with a grin. And he wouldn't want to join the three of us either. He's too busy trying to impress his latest date.

“Hey, our food's ready!” Raina called out, pointing toward the table. “Let's eat.”

We hurried back and sat down. The waiter set out bowls of corn-on-the-cob and salad, then dumped three boiled crabs onto the paper-covered table.

With bibs around our necks, we cracked the crabs and began dipping the meat into melted butter. As I reached for a piece of corn, I suddenly saw her.

Leslie.

She stood inside the doorway, staring across the crowded dining room, straight at me.

She wore a yellow sundress that showed off her tan, and her dark hair gleamed under the lights. She looked fantastic.

But her eyes flashed with anger.

Oh, great, I thought unhappily. She thinks I'm sneaking around on her or something. She doesn't know Joy and Raina are just good friends.

When Leslie saw me staring at her, she pushed away from the door and began striding toward our table.

She's going to make a big scene, I thought. Stop her.

I shoved my chair back and stood up, yanking the paper bib off.

“Hey, as long as you're up, could you find the waiter and order me another ginger ale?” Raina asked.

“Sure.” I dropped the bib on the table and turned to go, but Joy grabbed my arm. “Me too,” she said.

“Huh?” What was she talking about?

“A ginger ale,” Joy repeated. “I'd like another one too, please.”

“Right. Two ginger ales.” I gave them a quick smile and started to hurry away.