Laguna Cove

by Alyson Noel

  “Oh, really? Um, no, I had no idea,” Jade said, cautiously.

  “Can I see your license and registration, please?”

  Jade reached for her wallet with hands that were shaking so bad she could barely open it. “Here,” she said, handing over her license while Ellie searched through the mess of papers in the glove compartment, looking for the registration.

  Tomorrow I will clean out this car. Tomorrow I will fix my taillight. Tomorrow I will organize my life. I really hope I make it to tomorrow, Jade thought.

  “Who’s been drinking?” the cop asked, watching Jade closely as he handed the papers to his partner.

  “Um, they have,” Jade said, pointing at Ellie and Ben. “I was just making sure everyone got home safely.”

  The cop stood there, eyes narrowed, looking at all three of them. “I’d like you to step out of the car, please.”

  “What? But why?” Jade asked, totally panicked now. No good could come of this.

  “Just step out of the car,” he said. “All of you.”

  chapter forty-six

  “Do you really have to call all of our parents?” Jade asked, glancing nervously at Ellie, whose face had gone completely white and who looked like she was about to pass out at any second. She was way more worried about Ellie than herself, especially if they called Ellie’s dad.

  They were sitting in a small room at the Newport Beach police station, where they’d been for the last half hour—ever since Ben had failed the Breathalyzer test and they found the Baggie full of pot he’d thrown on the floor of the car. At first, Jade was being held responsible for the pot—her car, her possession, they’d reasoned. But since she’d breathed clean, while Ben was obviously drunk and stoned, and since the bag was found on the floor right next to his feet, they decided to let her off with just a minor curfew violation, while Ben was in another room being processed for possession and underage drinking.

  The only crime poor Ellie committed was being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Jade thought, looking at her friend and feeling really guilty for getting her into this mess.

  “I mean, I was the driver, so if you have to call my parents, then fine. But Ellie just needed a ride. I swear, she didn’t do anything wrong. So can you maybe just like, let her go?” Jade pleaded.

  “Sorry. Your parents have already been notified. They’ll be here any minute,” the cop said, leaving them alone in the room to wait out their fate.

  Ellie looked at Jade, her eyes welling up with tears. “Well, it’s been nice knowing ya,” she said, looking nervously toward the door.

  “Oh God, El, I am so sorry. I don’t know what else to say.” Jade hugged her. Even though technically it was totally Ben’s fault, Jade took full responsibility where Ellie was concerned. But what made it even worse was knowing how Ellie felt about Ben, and how she’d tried to warn her.

  Jade also thought it was weird how Ben was always ragging on his dad, and yet he’d been the one to come bail him out. And even though Jade had only gotten a quick glimpse of him, he really didn’t look so awful. He just looked really worried.

  “That’s it. I’m dead,” Ellie whispered, seeing her dad enter the room.

  “Ellie, honey, are you okay?” he asked, swooping her into his arms and hugging her so tight she could barely catch her breath.

  “Yeah. I’m fine, really. It wasn’t that big of a deal,” she said, raising her eyebrows at Jade as her dad continued to hug her, refusing to let her go. “It was just an overinflated fix-it ticket.” She laughed, obviously relieved that he wasn’t reacting in the way she’d expected.

  “Let’s get you home.” He put his arm around her protectively and walked her to the door. Then, turning to look at Jade, he said, “I just spoke to your parents. They’re on their way.”

  Jade watched Ellie and her dad leave, feeling totally relieved that he hadn’t been nearly as angry and upset as she had assumed he’d be. And if he was acting that cool and casual about it, then surely her own parents would be a total breeze.

  “Hey!” Jade said, seeing them standing in the doorway. She smiled and jumped up from her chair, in anticipation of a big group hug.

  “Grab your belongings,” her father said sternly, while her mother stood silently, with her arms folded across her chest. “We’ll talk when we get home.”

  chapter forty-seven

  With Surf Fest now just three days away, it was taking all of Ellie’s concentration not to be distracted by everyone around her. First, there was Duncan’s insistence on ignoring her. Not that she expected anything different, and not that she even really cared, but still, she’d really hoped they could just move on and go right back to their old, platonic ways. But apparently Duncan had other ideas. Because not only had he stopped calling, but now he barely spoke to her at school, despite the fact that they shared two classes and sat at the same lunch table. She was surprised that she was so bothered by it—but it was probably only because she couldn’t stand to hurt anyone’s feelings.

  And then there were Chris and Anne. The perfect, happy couple, who seemed to be everywhere Ellie was. Seriously, there was no safe place. They shared the same neighborhood, the same school, the same lunch table, the same friends, the same gym, and, worst of all, even the same waves. There was just no avoiding them, so Ellie had simply stopped trying. She was learning to ignore them just like Duncan ignored her.

  And ever since the party, Lola and Diego were rarely apart. The only time Ellie got to see her now was at school, and Ellie was certain that was only because Diego was enrolled elsewhere. But even at school it was always Diego this and Diego that. It kind of bugged Ellie when girls did things like that—got all impressed over every little thing their boyfriend did. But still, it was pretty great to see Lola so happy and in love—even if Diego was kind of a strange choice.

  And then there was Jade, who was under severe house arrest and was only allowed to go to school and then straight home again. Who would have thought that Ellie’s dad would be so understanding and forgiving, while Jade’s parents would totally lay down the law?

  Even Ellie’s brother, Dean, had been acting really bizarre lately, not going out with his friends, barely surfing. He just sat in his room, staring at his computer for hours on end, almost like he was stuck in his own, self-inflicted house arrest.

  But unfortunately, her dad was right back to his normal, domineering self. The emotional generosity he’d shown at the police station had lasted only until the next morning. Then it was back to the usual pep talks, lectures, and dire warnings.

  Ellie zipped up the back of her wetsuit, grabbed her board, and headed down the beach stairs toward the ocean. Dropping her board in the water, she paddled out, determined to clear her mind of everything but her surfboard and the waves. The competition came first right now, and everything else would just have to wait.

  chapter forty-eight

  Lola was lying on her bed, with the phone to her ear, talking to Diego and laughing hysterically—until her mom barged in without knocking.

  “I gotta go. I’ll call you later,” she told him, tossing her phone onto her nightstand and giving her mother an annoyed look. “Excuse me, but could you please knock next time? Is that too much to ask?” she said, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. She’d been getting away with all kinds of rude behavior lately—ever since Diego came into her life. It’s like her mom was so elated at her obvious matchmaking success that she was letting all the usual infractions slip past without mention.

  “In case you’ve forgotten, we need to be at the dressmaker’s in fifteen minutes.” Her mother gazed into Lola’s mirror and adjusted her blazer.

  “What for?” Lola asked, rifling through some books on her shelf, searching for the one she promised to lend Diego.

  “Today is your final fitting. Cotillion is this weekend! Or have you forgotten that, too?” She turned to look at her daughter.

  Oh God, the dreaded cotillion. All the etiquette classes, all the waltzing, all the
sweaty-palmed geeks insisting on leading when she knew the dance better than they did—it all culminated in this one big, overblown moment that she wanted nothing to do with. She had no interest in showing off her newly acquired curtsey, her fancy manners, her slick dance moves, or her dad’s hefty bank account. Not to mention that hideous poufy white dress she was supposed to wear.

  “Mom, I really don’t feel up to it today,” she said.

  “Don’t say another word. You are going and that’s final. Abuela is already in the car, waiting. She’s waited her whole life for this moment and you will not disappoint her.”

  Poor Abuela, that can’t be true, Lola thought, hoping her mom was exaggerating as usual.

  “Now, put on some shoes and let’s go,” her mother said as she walked out the door.

  Fine, Lola thought. I’ll play along today, but Saturday is another story.

  chapter forty-nine

  If I have to spend one more second inside this house, I’m going to burst, thought Jade. She’d always liked school, though she definitely liked it most when the final bell rang. But now that her parents had put her under strict house arrest, the hours between eight and three had suddenly become a lot more meaningful. It was the only time she had for any social interaction, not to mention freedom. And the really sad, sick thing was that now she actually found herself dreading the sound of the final bell.

  The only good thing (and she’d searched high and low to find one) was that she now had complete possession of the remote control between the hours of three and six, when nobody else was home. But unfortunately she’d also discovered that it was only worth having the remote when someone else wanted it.

  Getting up from the couch, she walked over to the big bay window, pressing her forehead against the glass and staring with longing at the distant ocean view, wondering if this meant the end of her competing in Surf Fest. She’d competed every year since she first learned to surf, and even though she didn’t take it as seriously as Ellie, she still looked forward to the event all year. But even though her parents had gone totally overboard with her punishment, she was positive that if she just kept to her best behavior, and observed all the rules, then she’d ultimately be awarded a reduced sentence and get to compete on Saturday.

  She thought about Ben, wondering how he was doing. His mom had called a few days ago to apologize for everything and tell her he was living with his dad now. Jade was glad he was trying to work things out, but more than a little annoyed that he hadn’t bothered to call himself. After all, she’d gone out of her way to help him, had done everything she could to be there for him. Still, lately she’d begun to realize that he hadn’t exactly asked for her support. And, just maybe, he had never actually wanted it.

  chapter fifty

  Anne was really nervous about mentioning Surf Fest to her dad—partly because she was nervous about it in general, and partly because she was afraid he wouldn’t show. Yet she was also equally worried that he would show. Because then he might bring Brooke. And Brooke was a subject that neither one of them seemed very willing to talk about.

  Ever since they’d caught each other making out at the party, they seemed to adopt this silent agreement to never, ever mention it again. Which was fine by Anne. Just thinking about it still totally grossed her out.

  The only one who knew about her surfing, other than her friends at school, was Jake. And there was no way he’d tell, as Anne had blackmailed, bribed, and basically sworn him to secrecy.

  A few days ago she’d been in the home office printing all the contest info, when he walked in.

  “You’re competing in Surf Fest?” he’d asked, peering over her shoulder, eyes wide with surprise.

  “Maybe. I haven’t actually decided yet, so don’t say anything to anybody. Especially my dad,” she’d said, turning to look at him.

  “Why not? He’ll be totally stoked.”

  “Jake, I’m serious. If you so much as tell him, then I’ll …” She hesitated, trying to think of something good. “I’ll tell him you drink beer with your bros on our terrace.” She narrowed her eyes at him.

  “Dude, what’s with the threats? You need to relax, okay? I’m not gonna say anything.” He looked at her and shook his head. “But FYI, your dad’s pretty Hollywood. I’m sure he’s seen a lot worse than a couple of guys drinking a beer.”

  Anne just looked at him, not saying anything. Unfortunately, he was right. Her dad definitely led a way cooler life and went to way better parties than she did.

  But now, with the event just days away, she really had to focus. And knowing she was nowhere near good enough to impress any of the judges, her only goals were to have some fun, learn the ropes, and hopefully not make a total fool of herself.

  Going into her room, she got down on her hands and knees and slid her Indo Board out from under her bed. She was just about to hop on when her phone rang.

  “Hello?” she said hurriedly. She was in no mood for conversation.

  “Anne? How are you, honey?”

  Oh, great. It was her mom again. She’d been leaving lots of messages in the past few days, but Anne hadn’t gotten around to returning any of them. She’d been too busy with school, surfing, and Chris to even bother. Besides, the last thing she needed right now was another fight with her mom. “Oh, hey,” she said, getting herself balanced on her board and positioning down into a low squat.

  “I’ve been trying to reach you for days,” her mother said.

  “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry I haven’t called; I’ve just been super busy with school and stuff,” Anne said, walking slowly to the end of the board, while attempting to keep it perfectly balanced.

  “Well, I was really wishing we could have talked sooner, because now you won’t have much time to prepare.”

  “Prepare for what?” Anne asked, carefully studying her reflection in the full-length mirror.

  “I’ve reserved you a ticket on the nonstop to New York this weekend.”

  “What?” Anne struggled to maintain her balance.

  “Your flight leaves Friday at twelve thirty your time, and lands in New York around nine fifteen our time. I’ve arranged for a limo to pick you up and bring you straight to the Four Seasons. That’s where we’ll all be staying.”

  “What are you talking about?” Anne asked, standing very still, while the muscles in her legs worked overtime, trying to keep her from tipping over.

  “I’m getting married. And I want you to be my maid of honor.”

  “Mom. Oh my God. You can’t be serious.” Anne gripped the phone so tightly, her knuckles were fading. “I mean, are you and Dad even divorced yet?”

  “The divorce has been final for weeks,” her mother said, in the clipped voice she usually reserved for the courtroom.

  “Weeks? You’ve been divorced for just a few weeks? And you think that’s a sufficient amount of time to just jump back in and do it all over again?” Anne waited for a response, but all she got was the sound of light breathing. “It’s like, did it ever occur to you to run it by me first? I am still your daughter, right? I mean, how could you do this? I’ve only met him once!”

  “Twice, Anne. You’ve met him twice.”

  “Whatever! Twice. Fine. Do I get any say in this?” she asked, starting to feel really nauseous and fighting to keep her balance.

  “I’m sorry, Anne, but no. I’m the adult. It’s my decision. And it’s already been booked and paid for. All I request from you is your presence as my maid of honor,” she said.

  Maid of honor? More like maid of horror! There’s no way she’s guilting me into this, Anne thought. And if she thinks she’s acting like an adult, well, then she’s totally delusional. “I’m sorry, but I can’t make it,” Anne said, watching herself in the mirror as she broke her mother’s heart.

  “Why not?”

  “Well, for starters Friday is a school day, in case you’ve forgotten. And I can’t go missing a whole day of school just because you started feeling all romantic and decided to p
ull a Britney Spears. And second, for your information I’ve made a life for myself here. I have friends, I have plans for this weekend, and I just can’t put everything on hold because of your whims.”

  “It’s hardly a whim, Anne,” her mother said, blowing loudly into a tissue.

  “Oh, that’s right; I forgot. You two have been having a relationship for years now.”

  “Anne, I don’t have time for this. So just tell me, are you coming or not?”

  “I just don’t get what the rush is. I mean, you’re not pregnant, are you?” Anne laughed. The thought of her mother being pregnant was ridiculous. She was old. She was like, over forty, for God’s sake. But when she stopped laughing, she realized the line had gone silent. Oh God. Oh no. Please don’t let it be true! “Mom?” she whispered. “Is it true?”

  “Is what true?” She sounded sad and very, very tired.

  “What I just asked. Are you?” Anne couldn’t finish the sentence. Now that it might be true, she couldn’t bear to say the word out loud.

  “I wasn’t going to tell you until you got here,” her mother said quietly.

  “Oh.” Anne’s eyes started to sting as she fought back the tears. “Well, I wish you all the best. But I just can’t support this. I’m sorry, but I just …” She stopped and wiped her hand across her eyes. “I just can’t. And I’ve already got plans this weekend. I’m doing something that means a lot to me. Something that you know nothing about. But I guess there’s a lot we don’t know about each other these days,” she said, swallowing hard.

  “If you change your mind, there will be a ticket on hold for you at the Delta ticket counter,” her mother told her, suddenly sounding all businesslike and professional again.

  “I’m sorry, but that’s not gonna happen,” Anne said, flipping her phone closed, and allowing herself to fall straight off the Indo Board and right onto her ass.