by McKayla Box
Maddie's parents pull around to the opposite end of the crescent-shaped driveway. Her mother leans out of the window. “Madeline. We really need to get moving.”
“Madeline,” Gina says. “You're not fucking Madeline.”
“Shut up,” Maddie says. She waves at her mom. “Coming.”
She extracts herself from Gina's grasp. She steps back and takes a deep breath. “Okay. I guess I'm off to fucking college. How the fuck did that happen?”
We all laugh.
She shakes her head. “I'll text all of you after I move in to tell you how homesick I am and how we should all stay here and open, like, a yogurt shop or something.” She holds up her hand. “Peace.”
She gets in her car and we stand to the side of her driveway. Her parents pull out and wait in the street for her. She backs the car up and rolls down the window.
“Later, bitches,” she says.
But there are tears in her eyes.
She backs out of the driveway and we stand there, watching her follow her parents down the street and around the corner.
I put my arm around Gina. “You okay?”
“No,” she says. “I'm gonna go home and drink all of my mom's vodka.”
“No, you aren't,” Bridget says.
Gina sighs. “No, I'm not. But I'd like to.” She looks down the street. “Getting older is hard, guys.”
Yes.
Yes, it is.
FORTY
Three days later and we're all standing in Gina's driveway.
Her car windows are filled with pillows and stuffed animals. One of her bears has moveable fingers and his middle finger is pressed up against the back window, flipping off the world.
She holds up a bag of Doritos. “Snacks for the road.” She tosses them onto her passenger seat.
“It's like a two hour drive,” Bridget says.
“Yeah,” Gina says. “I get super fucking hungry when I drive. And when I'm anxious.”
“Why are you so anxious?” I ask.
“Gee, I don't know,” she says. “Maybe my roommate will hate me. Maybe I'll flunk out of my classes. Maybe no sorority will want me. Maybe all of the boys will be ugly.”
“None of those things are going to be true,” I tell her. “None of them. Your roommate will love you. Your entire dorm floor will love you. You'll kick ass in your classes. You'll get bids from every sorority you rush. And guys will be making up excuses to knock on your door.”
She points at me. “I like your version better than mine.”
The three of us laugh.
Gina's dad comes out on her front porch. “Gina, I can't back out of the garage until you back down the driveway.”
“Hold your horses, Dad,” she says. “Just gimme a minute.”
He holds up an index finger. “One minute.”
Gina rolls her eyes. “Alright. I guess we gotta say bye. Unless you wanna get in and ride along.”
“I don't think you have room,” Bridget says.
“Sure I do,” Gina says. She taps the window with the bear and the middle finger. “Bob will make room for you.”
“The bear flipping everyone off is named...Bob?” I ask.
“Actually, it's Robert, but he lets me call him Bob,” she answers.
“You're insane,” Bridget says.
“I know,” she says. “I'm hoping my roommate doesn't figure it out too fast.”
We all laugh again.
She grabs Bridget and hugs her. “Goodbye, you big nerd. Don't go build, like, a rocket ship or something and forget about me.”
“Not ever,” Bridget says. “If I build a rocket ship, you'll be invited on the first ride.”
“Sweet,” she says.
They let go and Gina looks at me.
“Girl, who is gonna protect me if I run into some asshole bully or something?” she asks.
“You'll be fine,” I say, holding my arms out.
She crashes into me and squeezes me tight. “You better get your ass down the coast and come visit me.”
“I will,” I say. “I promise.”
“And you can bring your hot ass boyfriend if you want,” she says. “Or just some naked pictures.”
I laugh and push her away. “Whatever. I think your minute is up.”
On cue, the garage door goes up and her dad is standing there.
“I'm getting in the car, Dad,” she shouts. “Slow your roll.”
He rolls his eyes and walks around to the driver's side of his car.
She salutes us. “Alright, bitches. I'm outta here. You'll probably hear from me in about an hour when I get pulled over for speeding. Or killing my dad.”
We both laugh as she gets into the car. She cranks the radio so the bass thumps through the windows.
“My dad hate's that shit,” she says, as she backs out. “Ten bucks says he's gonna call me and tell me to turn it down.” She waves. “Love both of you losers!”
We wave back and watch as her dad follows her down the driveway. She lays on the horn, waves again, and they disappear down the street.
Bridget looks at me. “I guess it's just us now.”
I put my arm around. “It's always been us.”
FORTY ONE
“I've never had a best friend,” I say.
It's the next day and Bridget and I are sitting on her front porch. She's just waiting on her parents to take her to the airport for her flight to San Francisco.
“Sure you have,” she says.
I shake my head. “Nope. Not ever. Not until you.”
“Stop,” she says. “I cried all morning thinking about leaving.”
“Tough,” I say. “I've got things I wanna say.”
She laughs and shakes her head.
“That morning my dad dropped me off here?” I say. “I was terrified. I didn't really have any close friends in Virginia and I was mortified that he'd arranged for me to ride with you. I just knew whoever was waiting for me in the car would think I was the biggest dork on the planet.”
“Well, I do think that,” she says.
I elbow her in the side. “And then you smiled at me, you introduced yourself, and you asked if I wanted to get coffee and I swear to god, Bridget. For the first time in my life, I didn't hate the first day of school.”
She laughs. “You're full of it.”
I shake my head. “No. I'm not. I'm telling you the truth. By the time we got to school, I knew I'd found a friend.” I look at her. “I just didn't know I'd found my best friend.”
Her eyes water. “Fuck. I told you not to make me cry.”
“Every time I've needed you, you've been there for me,” I tell her.
She looks down. “Not every time.”
“Yeah, you were,” I tell her. “We got a little goofed up for a minute or two, but we figured it out. And you've been there for me when it mattered. Shit.” I shake my head and wipe away my own tears. “You fucking saved me at Derek's house.”
She shrugs.
“You've saved me in multiple ways, Bridge,” she says. “Multiple ways.”
She wipes at her eyes. “You did the same thing. With fucking Kane. You didn't quit on me.”
“I'd never quit on you,” I tell her.
She sighs. “I can't believe that asshole is still running around out there. It's so unfair.”
“They'll get him,” I say. “Eventually.”
“I hope so,” she says.
“If you need me, I will get on a plane and I'll be there,” I tell her. “Or I'll get in the car and I'll drive all night. If you need me, I will get my ass there, Bridge.”
“Same,” she says. “Always. Don't find a new best friend, okay? Because I don't want to have to go looking for another one.”
I shake my head. “Impossible. Not gonna happen. It's me and you forever.”
We hug for a long time. If you'd asked me a year earlier if I thought I'd be sad to leave for college, I would've told you that you were crazy. I thought I just had to get through
the year so I could get onto the rest of my life. But as I hug Bridget, I wish I could make it last. I wish I could squeeze just a little bit more time out of my senior year.
She pulls away from me. “Hey. I wanna say one more thing. And I know this is dumb and I'll text you as soon as I get to the airport, so it's not the end of anything. But I wanna say this.”
“Okay,” I say.
She wipes at her eyes. “Make it work with Trevor.”
I tilt my head. “What?”
“Make it work with Trevor,” she says. “Look, I know you're not breaking up or anything. But I also know that you're gonna be in Santa Barbara and he's gonna be wherever he's gonna be. I know nothing's really settled for him yet. So I know it might be easy to just let distance creep in. Not on purpose or anything like that, but sometimes it just happens.” She pauses. “Don't let that happen. There's just something with you guys, something I see that...you just don't see a lot. And I know. We're young and we have our whole lives and all that shit.” She smiles. “But when I see the two of you together? I don't see either of you with anyone else.”
I lean over and hug her again. “Thank you. For saying that. I'll do my best.”
She kisses my cheek. “I know you will.”
“Bridge,” her mom calls from inside. “You about ready?”
“No,” she whispers. She turns toward the house. “Yeah.”
“Your father's heading to the garage,” her mother says. “We'll meet you in the driveway.”
We both stand and walk across the lawn as the garage door rises.
“Next summer,” Bridget says. “I want you to teach me how to surf.”
“Really?”
“Really,” she says. “And then help me find some hot surfer boy.”
Her dad backs out of the garage and her mother smiles from the passenger side.
“Deal,” I say.
“I'll text you in a bit,” she says, backing toward the car. “Love you, Presley.”
“Love you, Bridget.”
She gets in the backseat and they back down the driveway.
I wipe the tears from my eyes.
This is hard.
She sticks her tongue out at me from behind the window.
I laugh and stick my tongue out.
She laughs and presses her hand to the window.
I wave back.
And they drive down the street, disappearing around the corner.
And my best friend is on her way.
FORTY TWO
“Everyone's gone?” my dad asks. “It's just you now?”
I nod. “Just me now.”
It's later that day and we're sharing a pizza. I've still got two days left before we drive to Santa Barbara. I've put off packing so I know what I'll be doing until we leave.
“How's that feel?” he asks.
I push the plate with the crust away. “Weird. Super weird.”
He laughs. “I'm sure. It'll feel less weird soon enough, though.”
“I hope so,” I say.
“Frank and I were talking about a few things today,” he says.
“Uh, okay,” I say.
“About Kane Tressle,” he says.
“Great,” I mumble.
“He's hiring a private detective,” he says. “To try and find him. He's doing it very quietly, so he's not really making it public. But he wants the guy to run down the rumors about him going to Mexico and all that.” He shrugs. “I don't know if anything will come of it, but I thought I'd tell you.”
“Okay,” I say. “But I'm not giving that guy any more of my energy. I'm done. I hope they find him so he can answer for what he did to Jake. But I'm not going to obsess over it.”
He nods. “Good.”
It's strange. Ever since the paddle out, I've been a little more at peace with what happened. I'm not over it, but I think I'm just learning to accept it. If I obsess over Kane, then it's like he's got some sort of control over me.
Fuck that.
“Your mom called while you were at Bridget's,” he says.
I frown. “I didn't get a message from her on my phone.”
“She didn't call you,” he says. “She called me.”
“Why?”
“Wanted to know what I thought of her making a trip to Santa Barbara after you get settled,” he says.
I wrinkle my nose. “Gross.”
He frowns. “Pres.”
“What?”
“You haven't made any time for her after you trip there last fall,” he says. “It's time to try again.”
“You try then.”
“Pres.”
I throw my head back. “Fine. Whatever.”
“I gave her the dates for family weekend,” he says. “I also told her she should talk to you before making any plans and that she shouldn't try to communicate through me anymore.”
“Good,” I say. “I can just send her to voicemail then.”
He stares at me.
“I won't,” I tell him. “You know I won't. I'll cave and answer the phone so we can have some stupid argument.”
“Well, with that attitude...”
I sigh. “I will answer her call. I will play nice. But I'm not making any promises.”
He leans back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. “I'm not asking you to be best friends with her. But maybe it's a chance for you to start fresh with her. You're starting college and that's new. Maybe you can find some room to work with her, too.”
I doubt it, but I nod my head. “Okay. Maybe. I'll do it for you.”
“Do it for yourself,” he says.
I sigh. “Sure.”
He stands, picks up our plates, and walks into the kitchen. “I've got a little work to do. Need to get some stuff done since I'm taking a couple of days off to get you up to school. What are you doing tonight? Plans with Trevor?”
“No, we're spending tomorrow together,” I tell him. “He's having dinner with his dad.” I stand up. “But I think I'm gonna go down to the beach. Get some air.”
“Not surfing I hope?” he says. “It's getting dark and I don't want you alone out there.”
I shake my head. “No. Just gonna go walk a little.”
“You okay?” he asks.
I nod. “Yeah. Just...wanna walk my beach. That's all.”
He smiles. “Alright. Don't be gone long.”
FORTY THREE
The beach is mostly deserted, save for a stray jogger and a few dog walkers. The breeze is strong off the water. It's been hot and the heat is still sticking to the air. I walk the length of the beach to the north, just watching the water, and thinking. The sand feels good underneath my feet and the wind feels good in my hair.
I hope the beach is just as inviting in Santa Barbara.
I turn and head back. The water is choppy, the wind stirring it up into a big boiling pot. The sun is halfway down behind the edge of the ocean.
It's weird being on the beach alone. I'm used to being there with the girls or Trevor. The last time I spent any significant alone time at the beach was right after my dad and I moved to Sunset Beach.
And that seems like ages ago.
I walk past our normal break and past the pier. I've spent virtually no time on the south side of the beach. The break sucks and the beach is normally clogged with tourists. But it's nice when it's empty.
I walk along the shore, my feet sinking into the wet, brown sand as the water teases me, inching closer. Seagulls hover and circle above me before moving on to the pier, looking for a late dinner.
I reach the jetty, hop over the rocks, and walk toward the edge. I've never been out on it. I was told it was for the tourists. The most popular spot in Sunset Beach for selfies. So it wasn't cool for us locals to hang out on it.
But the further out I go, I think I'm dumb for not having visited it sooner. The water laps against the rocks and it's almost like I'm walking on water. It's nearly as long as the pier, but because it's only four or five feet, it feel
s like I'm walking toward the edge of the ocean. The sky is a canvas of purples and blues, one big bruise hanging over the ocean.
I reach the edge and stand there. I take a big, deep breath, sucking in the ocean air, letting it fill my lungs. I listen to it fall and crash. I know that for the rest of my life, I won't part with the ocean. No matter what. It's a part of me and I'll never let it go.
“Pretty awesome view, isn't it, sweetheart?” a voice says behind me. “Tough to beat.”
A chill rips through my body.
I know that voice.
I hate that voice.
I turn around slowly.
Kane Tressle is twenty feet away, grinning at me.
“Hello, sweetheart.”
FORTY FOUR
“I've missed you, sweetheart,” he says. “You missed me?”
He's wearing a black T-shirt, a black baseball cap, and black shorts. He has a close to full grown beard on his face. If I wasn't looking closely, I might not recognize him.
But I'd know that voice anywhere.
“I was hoping you were dead,” I say.
He laughs. “No such luck.” He points an index finger at me. “You. You're a hard person to track down.”
“Really?” I say. “I'm not the one that's been hiding.”
“Yeah, maybe track down isn't the right phrase,” he says. “Track down alone. How's that?”
I don't say anything.
“Saying goodbye to your pals,” he says. “Dinner with your dad. Fucking Trevor.” He shakes that index finger at me. “You don't like to be alone.”
He's been watching me.
Stalking me.
The goosebumps pop on my neck and the chill rattles through me again.
“Where have you been?” I ask because I can't find any other words.
“You did miss me,” he says, grinning. “Here and there. Never too far away. I knew I was going to have deal with you sooner or later. I just needed to wait for the right moment.” He spreads his arms wide. “And it's finally here.”
The path on the jetty is no more than four feet wide. On either side, it's layered with large, jagged rocks. There's no way to get past him.
