High Tide (9781481413824)

by Stine, R. L.

  “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?

  Chapter 13

  “Sean—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!”

  Chapter 14

  “It 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.

  But my foot caught on the leg of my chair. And by the time I got myself untangled, Leslie had reached the table.

  “Leslie, hi. I . . . uh, didn’t expect to see you here,” I stammered.

  She crossed her arms, her gray eyes flashing again. “I’ll just bet you didn’t. Looks like you’re having a great time,” she added bitterly, glancing at Joy and Raina.

  “Listen, Leslie—” I began to say.

  “Even better than last night, right?” she interrupted. “I mean, this time you’re out with two new friends.”

  “Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I saw you out last night, Adam,” Leslie declared. “You told me you felt lousy and you were going to lie down, remember? So I decided to take a walk. And guess who I saw, strolling along Main Street with another girl?”

  “I’m sorry,” I told her. “I really am, Leslie. That girl—I met her on the beach and we just kind of decided to go out. It’s not a major romance or anything.”

  “Oh, gee, I really feel a lot better now,” she said sarcastically.

  “Leslie, I’m sorry,” I repeated, “It just happened. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “Forget it,” she snapped, glaring at Joy and Raina. “I can see you’re busy anyway.”

  “Hey, come on,” I pleaded. “Joy and Raina are friends from high school.”

  “So what?” she demanded. “You’re out with them instead of me. And you lied to me about last night. How do you think that makes me feel?”

  Before I could think of anything to say, Leslie grabbed my arm and shoved me backward against the table.

  Joy and Raina gasped, and I heard a plate crash to the floor.

  “You hurt me, Adam!” she declared furiously. “And I’m going to find a way to hurt you back!”

  “Huh? What are you saying? You—you don’t mean that!” I cried.

  Without another word, Leslie turned and stormed away from the table.

  “Leslie—stop! You don’t mean that!” I called after her. “You don’t!”

  Chapter 15

  The next day, I hurried to get to my lifeguard post on time. “Don’t bother to come up, Adam,” Sean said, staring down at me from the platform.

  “Why not?” I stopped, one foot on the ladder, and squinted up at him. “Don’t tell me I’m early,” I joked.

  Sean’s lips curved—in a sneer, not a smile.

  So much for hoping he’d be in a better mood today. “Why shouldn’t I come up?” I repeated. “The tide is getting high—somebody needs to put out the warning flags.”

  “No kidding.” He turned away for a few seconds, then turned back, one hand clutching the red flags. “Here. You take care of it.”

  Aiming one of the flags like a spear, he sailed it over the edge of the platform. It stuck in the sand, wobbled, and then fell.

  As I bent to pick it up, another one stabbed the ground inches from my feet.

  “Hey!” I shouted. “Watch it—will you?”

  “Oops. My aim must be off,” Sean replied. He drew his arm back and pitched the last flag straight out toward the shoreline. “How’s that?”

  “Just great,” I muttered, frowning up at him. “Thanks a lot.”

  Sean gazed back, a cold expression on his face. “Better take care of those flags,” he told me. “Tide’s rising, remember?” Without another word he turned away and sat down in his chair.

  I stood there a few seconds, furious. Go up and confront him, I told myself. Tell him he’s acting like a total jerk.

  Right, and get pounded to a pulp. At least wait until he’s cooled down a little.

  Pushing the anger away, I picked up the two flags, then set off toward the water. As I did, I spotted Raina and Joy waving to me from under a pink-and-green-striped beach umbrella.

  Great, I thought. All they probably want to talk about is the ugly scene with Leslie last night at dinne
r.

  All I wanted to do was forget it.

  “Adam!” Joy shouted. She stood up and waved her arms. “Hi, Adam!”

  I waved back, then sighed. Might as well get it over with, I decided.

  I worked my way to their umbrella, sticking one of the flags in the sand as I went. When I strode up, they exchanged a glance, then grinned at me. “I’m so relieved!” Joy exclaimed dramatically. “I mean, you’re still alive!”

  “Yeah, we were afraid Leslie might have mugged you on your way home or something,” Raina agreed. She tsk-tsked. “See what happens when you cheat on your girlfriend, Adam?”

  “You’d better be real careful with your mail,” Joy added. “She might decide to send you a really dynamite package.” She fluffed up her brown hair and giggled. “Dynamite—get it?”

  “Yeah, I get it,” I told her. “Listen, I hurt Leslie’s feelings. I don’t blame her for being steamed.”

  “Well, I don’t either,” Joy told me. “But she was more than steamed—-she was ballistic!”

  The blazing look in Leslie’s eyes flashed into my mind. And I heard her words again—You hurt me, Adam. I’m going to find a way to hurt you back.

  Is Joy right? I wondered. Did Leslie really mean it?

  Of course not, I decided. People say dumb things when they’re angry.

  Shaking away the memory, I began to work a flag into the sand. “I’m sorry about last night,” I told them. “But I don’t feel like joking about it, okay?”

  “Okay. Sorry.” Raina exchanged another quick glance with Joy, then reached into her beach bag and took out a tube of sunscreen. “What’s the flag for?” she asked, rubbing some lotion on her arms.

  “High tide,” I explained. “There’s probably a strong undercurrent.”

  “We can still go swimming, can’t we?” Joy asked anxiously.

  “Yeah, if you really want to,” I told her. “But what’s the rush?”

  “No rush. We’re just dying to get in the water, that’s all,” Raina told me quickly. “I mean, we’re not going to be here all summer or anything.”

  “Well, go ahead,” I said. “Just stay close to shore and be careful.” I left them and walked farther down the beach to post the last flag.