Laguna Cove (12 page)

It was like being able to hide in plain view.

Driving through the Laguna Cove gate, she was waving at the guard just as her cell phone rang. Not recognizing the number on the display, she contemplated letting it go to voice mail, but Ellie was nothing if not dependable, and reliable, and she just wasn’t capable of not answering a ringing phone.

“Hello?” she said, cautiously.

“Ellie? It’s Duncan.”

“Oh, hey.” She rolled her eyes, wishing she’d never picked up. Oh well, she’d have to tell him sooner or later, so it may as well be now.

“Sorry to keep calling, I guess I was just a little worried about you. You didn’t sound so hot this morning,” he said, laughing nervously.

“I wasn’t,” she admitted, turning onto her street. “But I’m better now.”

“Good. Um, Ellie, I was wondering.” He paused.

Oh God, here it comes
, she thought, cringing as though something was about to fly through the windshield and smack her in the face.

“Would you want to go out sometime? I mean, like to dinner or something?” He sounded so nervous, it made her feel awful.

“Duncan, I …” She hesitated. She’d turned down plenty of guys before so what was the big deal now?
Maybe it was because you totally made out with him, and led him on
, she thought, shaking her head at her own lack of control. “I just think …” She slowed down as she passed by Anne’s house, which was right next to hers.

Oh my God! Is that Anne and Chris? MAKING OUT ON THE FRONT LAWN?
She adjusted her rearview mirror, just to make sure.

“You just think what?” Duncan asked.

“Sorry, what?” Ellie said, pulling into her driveway, completely distracted, yet still gawking at the house next door. Apparently things were moving along a lot quicker than even she had imagined possible.

“I just asked you out, and you were about to answer me,” he said. He was beginning to sound annoyed.

“Oh, right. Sorry.” She couldn’t help it. She had to look again. It was dark, but it was definitely them. They’d even lit up the motion sensor lights. Which meant they were both moving around.
Oh, God.

“Listen, if you’re not interested, it’s totally cool,” he said, definitely sounding like he didn’t actually think it was so cool.

“Um, Duncan? Actually I’d love to go out with you,” she said, shocked to hear herself actually saying the words, but somehow it just felt right. Then, taking control, as always, she asked, “So what are you doing tonight?”

chapter twenty-nine

Lola sat at the dinner table with her mother and
Abuela. So much for time alone, lying in bed, wallowing in heartache
, she thought.

“So, did he call you yet?”
Abuela
asked, eyes shining with anticipation.

Oh, great, now all the generations are in on it. Well, that just wouldn’t do.
“Who?” Lola asked innocently, cutting into the grilled sea bass on her plate.

“The boy! What’s his name?” She looked at her daughter-in-law.

“Diego. Diego Martinez,” Lola’s mom said, looking right at Lola.

“So?”
Abuela
nodded, as though ready to hear the world’s greatest love story.

But Lola just shook her head. “Nope, not a peep,” she told her, reaching for her glass of iced tea. She wasn’t a very good liar, even though she found herself doing it more and more these days.

“I can’t believe this! I’ve never heard of such a thing!”
Abuela
said, sounding personally affronted that the very desirable Diego had dissed her precious granddaughter. “Who does he think he is?”

Lola looked up to see
Abuela
glaring at her daughter-in-law, as though it was
her
fault he hadn’t called, and she knew she had to say something. Their relationship was strained enough as it is. “I had my phone on ‘vibrate’ all day, so maybe I missed it.” She shrugged, hoping this compromise would be good enough to hold them over until she could think of something better.

“You kids and your cell phones,”
Abuela
said, shaking her head.

Add that to the list of modern conveniences that aren’t to be trusted,
Lola thought.
Along with microwaves, computers, iPods
—although she sure learned to love that flat-screen TV

“I really think it would be good if you two could meet before the cotillion next month. I think he’d make the perfect escort for your debut,” her mother said.

My debut? Like I’m an actress or a novelist?
Lola had no interest in cotillions, high society, or just about anything else her mother held dear. Where was her father when she needed him?
Oh, that’s right. Working, as always.
She shook her head. She’d had enough—enough dinner and enough of this conversation. “Well, it’s really not up to me if he calls or not, now is it?” she said, looking from her mother to her grandmother. Then, getting up, she excused herself from the table and headed down the hall.

When she got to her room she stripped off her clothes, slipped into some red silk pajamas, and crawled between the sheets. It was just seven forty-five on a Saturday night and she was already in bed. That’s what her pathetic life had come to.

She rolled onto her side and stared at her creamy white walls, wondering what
he
was doing, and if he felt sad, too.

Or if, maybe, he’d barely even thought about her. Maybe he’d already moved on.

chapter thirty

Jade was lying on the couch, with her bare feet propped up on a pile of overstuffed cushions while her head rested on Ben’s lap as he raked his fingers through her long, curly hair. Everything about being with Ben just felt so calm, peaceful, and free, and she thought how lucky she was to have a guy friend like this. One that you could just hang with, and not have to have it get all romantic and complicated. She hated when relationships got complicated.

“My dad’s driving down tomorrow,” Ben said, gazing down at her and rubbing her temples with his thumbs. “He wants to have lunch, so he can explain his side, but I’m not so sure I want to hear it.”

“You should go. At least listen to what he has to say,” Jade said, looking up at him.

“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “I think he’s just gonna give me a bunch of crap about how hard he’s got it. Even though he’s the one who chose to leave.” He looked at her.

Jade just nodded. They’d talked about his parents’ divorce before and it was basically the same old story. Dad has an affair, Mom finds out, Dad vacates, taking most of the money, Mom works two jobs to provide the basics, and the kids feel abandoned by everyone.
Why can’t people just be nicer to each other?
she thought.
What’s with all the greed?

“It’s your call,” she said, unwilling to judge his decisions. “But if you give him a chance and he fails, well then, at least you took the high road, right?”

Ben shrugged. “It’s just, everything is so much more complicated now. My mom’s totally overworked and depressed, and I don’t know, sometimes I just feel like maybe I should bail on school and get a job so I can help her. Or maybe I should just move out. You know, go somewhere and do my own thing, so she won’t have to worry about supporting me anymore.”

Jade sat up abruptly and looked at him. “You can’t quit school! That’s like, a one-way ticket to Loserville! I mean, who’s that gonna help? Certainly not your mother, and definitely not you,” she said, hoping he was just being dramatic and wasn’t actually serious.

Ben gave her a surprised look. “Okay, so tell me how you really feel.”

“I’m serious. And don’t look at me like that. I’m actually very practical.” She smiled.

Ben glanced around the room and then back at Jade. “Hey, you wanna bail?” he asked, standing up abruptly.

“What? Now?” she asked, wondering why he was suddenly acting so anxious and strange. Just five minutes ago everything had been so mellow and perfect.

“Listen, you can hang if you want, but I really need to get some fresh air,” he said, heading straight for the door.

“Hey, wait up! I’ll go with you,” she said, grabbing her purse and hurrying to catch up with him.

chapter thirty-one

“I’m just not sure how much longer I can get away with this,” Lola said, climbing out of Ellie’s car and reaching for her book bag. “I mean, he’s left two messages now and it’s just a matter of time before my mom finds out I’m ignoring his calls.”

“How will she know?” Ellie asked, clicking her car alarm and glancing around nervously for Duncan. Not seeing him anywhere, she relaxed and focused her attention back on her friend.

“We’re talking about
my mom
. She has ways of finding out
everything
. I swear, sometimes I wonder if she has a secret life as a spy or something.” Lola laughed, half joking but half serious as well.

“Have you talked to Jade?” Ellie asked. “I tried calling her a few times on Sunday, but I couldn’t find her.”

“Haven’t seen her.” Lola shook her head. “I surfed a little in the afternoon with Chris and Anne; then we all went for smoothies at the Shake Shack.”

Ellie stopped, right in the middle of the student parking lot, and stared at Lola. “You hung out with Chris and Anne?” she asked, feeling her face go all red but unable to stop it.

“Yeah.” Lola looked more than a little confused by Ellie’s reaction.

“Are they like,
a couple now
? I mean, like boyfriend and girlfriend?” Ellie felt her throat go all tight.

“I’m not sure I want to put a label on it,” Lola said, tugging on Ellie’s arm. “Come on, you’re gonna make us late.”

Ellie reluctantly followed Lola. “I just don’t get what you all see in this Anne chick. I mean, what’s so special about her? She seems pretty ordinary to me, yet you guys act like she’s
so great.
”

“She’s actually pretty nice. And I really think you should cut her some slack, give her a chance.”

“I don’t trust her.” Ellie looked right at Lola. “And I’m not sure you should, either.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lola asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

“I mean, what do we really know about her?
Nothing!
And if you think about it, it’s like, she just came here out of nowhere and already she’s dating Chris, learning to surf, and you guys are all totally falling for it! You’re totally hanging out with her!”

“It’s called making friends and fitting in. And you really need to relax. Just think how she feels. Having to move all the way across the country and trying to fit in somewhere new.
Especially
here! People around here can be pretty exclusive, you know,” Lola said, shooting her friend a look.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ellie asked, folding her arms in front of her and sounding really defensive.

But Lola just shrugged.

“Well, I’m only saying you shouldn’t go around trusting
everyone
. And I’m more than a little hurt that you could find the time to surf with
her
and not with
me
,” Ellie said.

Lola took a deep, exasperated breath. “Look, for one thing, it’s not like it was o’ dark hundred, like when you’re ready to surf. It was a normal time, for normal people. And for another, you seriously need to lighten up.”

“Normal people?”
Ellie just stood there looking at her. She couldn’t believe Lola had just said that.

“Look, I’m sorry. But I’ve got my own problems right now and I’m not going to do this with you, okay? Just try to loosen up a little, would you?” she said, turning and heading toward her locker.

Ellie stood there and watched her walk away. She knew she was acting crazy, possessive, out of control, and ridiculously jealous, but the problem was, she didn’t know how to stop.

“Hey El,” Duncan said, approaching her with this huge grin on his face.

Ellie took one look at that smile and felt her heart sink. It was her fault he was so happy today. If she hadn’t asked him out Saturday night, then he wouldn’t be approaching her now. Well, he might be, but not like that. Not like he expected something. “Hey,” she said, giving him a tight half smile.

“You have AP English now, right?” he said, as though he was all ready to walk her to class.

“Yeah, but I have to go to the restroom first, so you really don’t have to wait for me. I’ll see you at lunch, okay?” she said, feeling bad about the disappointed look on his face, but happy about the four-hour cushion between first period and lunch.

She headed toward the bathroom until she was sure he was no longer watching, then turned and went to class. She felt bad about blowing him off like that, because the truth was she
did
have fun with him Saturday night. They’d gone to dinner at a cozy little Thai restaurant and then they’d walked around some of the galleries in downtown Laguna, both surprising each other with their appreciation of art. And when he’d dropped her off at her door, she’d even let him kiss her again. And this time she was completely sober.
And
, she had to admit, it was pretty nice.

But still, he wasn’t Chris. And by the time she was back in her room, changing for bed, she’d come to her senses, deciding that she definitely had to cut it off as soon as possible.

chapter thirty-two

Anne had initially set out to get back at Ellie, so she was pretty surprised when she found herself liking Chris as much as she did.
But what’s not to like?
He was cute, smart, funny, sweet—she really couldn’t find anything wrong with him. And the fact that he’d given her a ride to school (sparing her from being chauffeured by Jake), and then even walked her to class, kissing her briefly just outside the door, made her feel so happy and dreamy,
nothing
could get her down.

Until she saw Ellie glaring at her from across the room.

Anne just didn’t get it. All of Ellie’s friends were great, but no matter how hard she tried, Ellie refused to give her a chance. And Anne was getting tired of trying. Yet she also couldn’t stand to keep things the way they were.