The Shore (6 page)

“Why?” Polly asked.

“It’s his band,” Avery explained. “He’s trying to get them ready for some gigs.”

Avery seemed nice, and April couldn’t quite understand why she’d want to be with such a jerk, unless this was indeed out of the norm. Maybe, like her, he had a hard time meeting new people for the first time. And, he certainly was hot-looking, so
maybe April could get why Avery was with him. If you don’t mind cigarette breath.

The swells had been great that morning, and Lucas felt quite pleased as he walked toward his summer abode, damp wet suit peeled down to his waist and his surfboard under his arm. As the house came into sight, the angry-looking guy, Curt—he thought that was his name—came out the front door. Lucas gave him a wide berth. Curt looked none too happy, and Lucas didn’t need anything to spoil his rush.

Lucas walked in the front door and caught the smell of cigarette smoke. It came as a shock after the crisp, fresh air outside. Three girls were standing in the kitchen. Two he recognized from the day before. The one he didn’t know was dressed in black.

“Where’s the fire?” he asked, waving his hand in front of him as if to disperse the cigarette smoke.

“I think it just left,” the new girl said.

Lucas was well aware that she was eyeing his bare chest. His own eyes fell on the ashtray on the counter. In it was a smoldering cigarette butt. A pack of cigarettes and a silver lighter lay nearby. Polly, the redhead, picked up the ashtray and doused it in the sink. Avery, the pretty girl with the light brown hair, was opening the kitchen window to let in some fresh air.

“Nicely done,” Lucas said. He turned to the girl in black and
offered his free hand, the one that wasn’t holding a surfboard at the moment. “Sorry, I don’t think we met yesterday. I’m Lucas.”

“April,” the girl in black said, tentatively shaking his hand.

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Lucas said, a bit too formally, before he caught himself. He winced, but no one seemed to catch his slipup.

“You didn’t meet last night?” Polly asked.

“Are you serious?” April said. “I hid in my room.”

“So, I guess this makes seven of us?” Lucas said.

“Yes,” Avery answered, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “Want some? It’s fresh,” she asked, holding up the pot.

Lucas shook his head. “Not today, thanks.” He basically lived a substance-free life, including caffeine, but again, this wasn’t something he felt like broadcasting.

Polly was staring at his bare feet. He glanced down and wiggled his toes. “Something wrong?”

The red-headed girl jumped as though she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t. “Sorry, it’s just, well, you’re tracking in sand.”

Lucas grinned. “So I am. Since you haven’t been to the beach yet, I brought some back for you.”

Avery smiled at the clever remark. When Polly saw Avery smile, she tried to force a smile onto her lips as well, but it looked painful. Clearly the red-headed girl liked everything neat and orderly. The party the previous night must have been a nightmare for her.

“How was the surf this morning?” Avery asked.

“Really good,” Lucas said.

“Why were you out so early?”

Lucas propped his board against the wall. “That’s when you get the best waves,” he explained. “Before the onshore thermals start to blow and the water gets filled with gremmies.”

“Gremmies?” April repeated, puzzled.

“You know, beginners, dilettantes, poseurs. The usual riffraff.”

The front door opened, and Curt trudged back in, looking sullen. He walked to the counter and picked up the pack of cigarettes and the lighter and stuffed them in his pockets.

“I always wanted to learn how to surf,” Avery said, after glancing at Curt. “But it looks really hard.”

“It’s not. I could teach you, if you want,” Lucas offered.

Curt glared at him, and Lucas stiffened. Uh-oh. Male territorial behavior. Lucas had merely been acting friendly. He gave Curt an easy smile. “Offer goes for anyone.”

A door on the second floor opened and closed, and they all glanced toward the second-floor landing. A very attractive blonde, wearing tight jeans and a black wraparound shirt, started down the stairs, eyes squinting and hand pressed to her left temple. Seriously hung over, Lucas thought, suppressing a smile. She is the one I ran into early this morning wrapped in a blanket in the hallway. Without a word to the others, she entered the kitchen and poured herself some coffee.

She took several long sips before she acknowledged the rest of them. “Don’t let me interrupt.”

Lucas could see that despite the hangover she carried herself with poise and self-assuredness. The airs of a good upbringing. She was from money, and she had no intention of letting any of the rest of them forget it. He’d been surrounded by girls like her all his life; had even dated a few at boarding school. He sighed to himself. If he followed the path his parents were insisting on, he’d be surrounded by them for the next four years.

Despite three Advils and the two cups of coffee, Sabrina’s head was still pounding like a drum. She was glad Owen wasn’t up yet. She had peeked out of her door to make sure before she came downstairs. She wasn’t ready to face him, certainly not when her head hurt and her stomach was lurching at random intervals.

“Has everyone met Sabrina?” Avery asked.

“We have now,” said a girl dressed in black with heavily mascaraed eyes.

“And you are?” Sabrina asked her.

“April.”

“I’m Polly,” the red-haired girl with the lame clothes said, a little too cheerfully.

“Delighted,” Sabrina replied drolly.

“And I’m Curt,” said the good-looking guy with the wild black hair. “I’m the one you snaked the big bedroom from.”

“I didn’t snake a bedroom from anyone,” Sabrina replied. “I
saw one I liked and asked Fred if I could have it. If you have a problem with that, you should take it up with him.”

“That’s all been settled,” Avery said. “Come on, Curt, you know what I’m talking about.”

Curt made a face, but said nothing more. Sabrina was used to men undressing her with their eyes, but this one took it to a whole new level. If he tried any harder, he’d be seeing straight through her. And it wasn’t like she was looking her best this morning either.

“Um, Sabrina, if I could talk to you later in private . . . ,” Polly started, and then drifted off.

“Why?” Sabrina asked.

“It’s about some clothes,” Polly said.

Oh . . . Sabrina smiled to herself. Fashion advice. I should have guessed.

“Burn everything you own, starting with that.” In her hung-over state, Sabrina didn’t realize she had actually spoken her thoughts out loud until everyone started staring at her.

Polly’s face hardened a little. “It’s not about my clothes. It’s about yours.”

“Mine?” Sabrina didn’t follow.

“From last night,” Polly explained. “I have them.”

Sabrina’s stomach suddenly heaved, and for a moment she thought she might throw up. She could see the others turning away or covering their mouths with their hands, all except Curt, who openly grinned at her. They’re all laughing at me!

“How?” Sabrina asked, instantly flushing.

“They were all over the stairs,” Polly said. “I thought you’d appreciate it if I picked them up.”

Sabrina felt her heart plummet. It was all over. Everyone must have known about her and Owen. It was her worst nightmare. Not only being with Owen, but not even being subtle about it. My clothes all over the stairs? The image made her cringe.

“I can get them . . .” Polly trailed off, clearly unsure what else to say. Lucas and Avery had averted their eyes. April and Curt were still smirking.

Sabrina glared at them. “Just forget it, okay? It’s not what you think.”

“Then what is it?” Curt asked archly.

Sabrina wanted to kill him. Amazingly, Polly came to the rescue. “Hey! Now that we’re all here, wouldn’t this be the perfect time to discuss house rules?”

“We’re not all here,” Curt said dryly, casting a knowing leer at Sabrina, who felt her face color.

“Six out of seven is almost everyone,” Polly said, and turned to Sabrina. “You could fill Owen in later.”

Sabrina wasn’t sure if she wanted to scream, or strangle someone. Not only had last night been a huge mistake, but now they all assumed she and Owen were a couple. She felt like shouting that there was no way she was talking to Owen later about anything, ever.

Polly continued: “Some of us have already worked out a plan
for the refrigerator. Everyone gets half a shelf for personal food, and communal food goes in the door.”

“Avery and I have the top shelf,” Curt announced.

“I think we need a schedule for chores,” Polly continued. “How we’re going to shop for communal food and supplies, party etiquette, and noise levels.”

Did she really just say “etiquette”? Sabrina thought.

Curt lit up a cigarette, and April shot him a look that seemed to say, “Don’t you ever stop?”

“He usually doesn’t smoke this much,” Avery said. Sabrina could tell she was the perceptive type.

“I think there should be a no smoking in the house policy,” said April.

“Good,” Polly said. “I agree with that.”

“Yawn. Don’t care,” Sabrina said. It wasn’t like she planned to spend much time in this house, anyway.

“I’d have to vote for smoking outside too,” Lucas added.

“But what about . . . ?” Polly trailed off.

“What about what?” Lucas asked.

“Well . . . the bong,” Polly said, her face coloring slightly.

“Oh, you see, it’s an outdoor bong,” Lucas said. Sabrina smiled. So this one has a sense of humor. The others looked puzzled, except Avery, who also smiled. Sabrina paid careful attention when Lucas winked at Avery.

They were suddenly interrupted by a loud, cheerful voice. “Whoa! Democracy in action!”

Everyone jumped. Owen, smiling, hair glistening from a shower, had caught them all by surprise. Everyone turned to him so quickly, it was like a spotlight had just come on. “Whoa, peeps, eyes back in your heads, please. Well, except for those who really want to stare,” he said, paying particular attention to Sabrina.

The eyes now left Owen and focused on Sabrina, who groaned inwardly. If she was going to have to spend the rest of the summer associated with this idiot, she’d pack her bags and leave right now.

There was nothing Owen enjoyed more than a big entrance with all eyes on him. Even better, he could tell from their reactions that word of his previous night’s conquest had already spread near and far. While the Avery chick was definitely pretty, there was no doubt in his mind that hot-body Sabrina was the prize catch of the house. And he’d succeeded on his very first night. Life couldn’t get better than this.

“So what are we voting on?” Owen asked.

“Whether or not to allow smoking in the house,” Polly answered. “We’re up to Avery.”

All eyes turned toward Avery. Owen had been there last night when Curt and Martin almost went at it, so he knew Curt was Avery’s boyfriend. This vote meant that she was basically being asked to vote for or against her boyfriend.

“For the sake of the others in the house, I say keep it outside,” Avery said.

“Gee, thanks,” Curt grumbled.

“I’m not saying you can’t smoke,” Avery said. “Just not in the house.”

In the meantime, Owen found himself sneaking a peak at Sabrina. Despite the humiliation she was facing, she held her head high and proud and he couldn’t help admiring her for that. No wait, what am I thinking? After the way she acted this morning, I can’t believe I’d admire her for anything!

To get his thoughts away from Sabrina, Owen looked at the one girl in the room he hadn’t met. The one dressed in black. “Hey, where you been hiding?” he asked.

April held her hand up to him, palm facing his direction, as if saying, “Don’t even try to go there,” and didn’t utter a word. Owen took the rebuff and was annoyed to see Sabrina looking so smug.

“So, Owen, what do you think about smoking?” Polly asked him.

A lot of Owen’s friends smoked, and he had no problem with it. Actually, the idea of setting up nonsmoking rules in the house seemed like a bummer. Who wanted to party when you couldn’t smoke? And if he agreed to ban smoking, who knew what else they’d decide to ban?

“I don’t know, what do you think, Sabrina?” he asked. Maybe if he voted with her it would be like a peace offering or something.

She gazed up at the ceiling and said nothing. “She abstained,” Polly said after a minute.

It was on the tip of his tongue to say that he had it on good authority that she didn’t abstain. Owen knew it would get a laugh. Normally he’d just blurt it out, but this morning something made him choke the comment back. Sabrina would not appreciate sexual barbs aimed at her.

Owen said, “I’ll abstain too.” He glanced at Sabrina out of the corner of his eye. She seemed not to care. Even hungover and moody, she looked hot.

“It’s official, then,” Polly said brightly. “This is a nonsmoking house. Now we can talk about parties. I think we shouldn’t throw one without everyone agreeing.”

Owen winced. “Whoa! Wait a minute! This is getting out of hand. All we need is one person to always say no and there’ll never be another party.”

“So?” April asked.

Owen knew it. “You’ll be the one, right?”

“Maybe,” April replied.

Owen turned to the others, almost pleadingly. “Come on, guys, what do you want from me? If I knew I was going to need permission to throw parties, I would have stayed with my grandparents this summer.”

“All in favor of getting permission for parties, raise your hand,” Polly said. She and April raised their hands. “All against getting permission, raise your hand.” Owen raised his hand quickly and was gratified that Curt and Sabrina did the same. Even with Lucas and Avery abstaining, those against asking permission succeeded.

“Okay, so I guess that didn’t work.” Undaunted, Polly continued. “Let’s move on to chores. We have to divide up the work. There’s trash to be taken out, vacuuming to be done, scrubbing of bathrooms and kitchens, and shopping for food.”

Owen may not have had a headache before, but he was starting to get one now. This was summer vacation. Who wanted to think about all this crap? Luckily, he was not alone.