Shipwrecked Summer

by Carly Syms

  “Oh, you think that’s funny?” he asked, rubbing the salt from his eyes.

  “Who, me?”

  He wiggled his eyebrows and took a step towards me. “Yeah. You.”

  My eyes widened as I realized what he was about to do and I began to move backwards.

  All of a sudden, he ran full steam towards me and I shrieked and took off in the opposite direction before the water became too deep and I was forced to dive below a breaking wave.

  I came up a few seconds later and stood so I could dry my eyes. I loved the ocean, but the salt burned.

  “Gotcha!”

  Before I could open my eyes, I felt myself lifted into a pair of strong, solid arms. As I catapulted through the air, I had only a few seconds to remember to hold my nose as I came crashing into the water.

  And then I opened my mouth to scream, but was met with nothing but the taste of bitter salt water flooding down my throat.

  I sputtered, choking on the water, arms flailing, not sure which way was up, hands outstretched, begging to break free and touch air. And just as I began to think I’d never reach the surface, a pair of muscular arms encircled my waist and lifted me out of the water.

  I coughed, lungs burning.

  “My…”—cough, cough—“my leg!”

  I’d been injured before, even landing on crutches after a brief but disastrous stint with the JV volleyball team sophomore year, but nothing—nothing—could have prepared me for the dull, stabbing pain in my right thigh.

  Anthony looked down at my leg and I watched his eyes grow wide. “Oh, boy.”

  “Give her to me.” A new, familiar voice entered the conversation. I mustered the energy to turn my head and immediately fought the urge to jump out of Anthony’s arms and swim to Europe, bum leg be damned.

  “I got her.” Anthony stared at Jeff the Lifeguard as if he was issuing him a challenge.

  “It’s my job,” Jeff replied icily.

  I suppose I shouldn’t have been too surprised to see him, but the thought of running into him on the beach hadn’t even crossed my mind. I never thought his lifeguard station would be right in front of my shore house.

  And I thought they said Fate didn’t have a sense of humor.

  “You can do your job once I get her to the beach.”

  “What were you thinking?” Jeff demanded as the three of us, the unlikeliest trio of all, made our way back to the shore. “It’s low tide! This water isn’t nearly as deep as it looks! You threw her so high there was no option other than a crash landing.”

  “What…happened?” I asked, struggling to find my voice.

  They either didn’t hear me or chose not to listen.

  “She could have been hurt!” Jeff continued to yell.

  “I…was,” I stammered.

  “She’ll be fine,” Anthony replied through gritted teeth. He glanced down at me.

  I just narrowed my eyes in response. Being ignored wasn’t high on my list of favorite things.

  We reached the shoreline then and Anthony bent down and laid me on the sand, head and all. I’d be washing sand out of my hair for the next week.

  “Let me see it,” Jeff said, tossing his rubber rescue dinghy aside and glancing at the other lifeguard. “Jen, can you grab me the first-aid kit?” He grabbed my thigh and I jumped. His hands were warm and calloused like I’d imagine a guitar player’s fingers would feel.

  “Yikes,” he said.

  “Great,” I muttered. “That’s what you want to hear from your doctor.”

  He looked at me with a raised eyebrow. “I’m not your doctor.”

  “What’s wrong with me?”

  “Just a sand burn,” Jeff said. “I’ll clean it out and you’ll probably wake up with a nice shiner there. But you’re fine. Lucky that Romeo here didn’t break your leg.”

  Anthony sighed. “She wouldn’t break her leg from that.”

  Jeff shrugged. “You’d be surprised what we see around here.” He looked down at me. “This might sting a little.” He rubbed some kind of cool liquid on my leg and I jerked it back.

  “Ow! Jeez! A little?” I glared at him, growing more annoyed as he struggled to suppress the smile forming on his lips.

  “You can either suck it up for a few seconds now or risk an infection later.”

  I sighed and bit down on my lip as he finished cleaning out what I figured was probably a nasty-looking gash on my thigh.

  “There,” Jeff said as he helped me sit up. “Good as new.”

  “Thanks,” I said. Anthony extended a hand to help me to my feet. I looked at Jeff who was busy returning a few items to the first-aid kit. “Didn’t even need your lifeguard stand for this.”

  He looked up at me and smirked. “You really are a smart ass.”

  I couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across my face as I shrugged. “Just calling it how I see it.”

  “Come on, Lexie,” Anthony said, as he stood a few feet away from us, watching our exchange. “I’ll buy you that ice cream now.”

  ***

  Anthony and I sat at a picnic table outside my favorite ice cream shop on Fresh Water Island. I slowly ate my vanilla and banana swirled cup topped with rainbow sprinkles and caramel, while Anthony downed a chocolate cone.

  “How’s your leg?” he asked, wiping his hands on a napkin.

  “It’s okay,” I said. “Not too bad.”

  Truthfully, it was one of the sorest injuries I’ve ever gotten, but I wasn’t about to tell him that. I didn’t want to make him feel any worse.

  “That was the same guy from last night? At the fire?”

  I nodded. “Jeff.”

  “Jeff.” Anthony pursed his lips. “Yeah.”

  “He’s the lifeguard,” I said as if this needed an explanation.

  Anthony looked at me as if he couldn’t quite figure out why I felt the need to say that. “I got it before.”

  “Lexie?”

  I spun around in my seat and came face-to-face with Joey and Pia, each with an ice cream cone of their own in hand.

  “Hey!” I said, suddenly feeling a wave of guilt rush over me. I’d been ignoring them all day to hang out with Anthony. “What are you doing here?”

  Joey looked me funny. “Getting ice cream. We texted you to see if you wanted to come, but….”

  “My phone’s at home,” I said. “Had kind of a whirlwind afternoon and I’m not totally put together.”

  Joey nodded and dropped into the seat beside me.

  “Guys, this is Anthony,” I said, remembering my Southern hospitality. “He moved into our duplex. Anthony, these are my two closest friends in Ship’s Wreck, Joey and Pia.”

  Anthony and Joey nodded at one another, seemingly uninterested in engaging in any kind of conversation. Pia, however, looked like a different story.

  “Hi,” she said to him, her eyes wide and doe-like. “Pia Ritto.” She held out her hand and he stood to shake it.

  “There’s a seat over here if you’d like to sit down,” he said, gesturing to the empty spot beside him on the picnic bench.

  She walked over to sit next to him, her eyes never leaving his the entire way. She sat with her body angled toward him and took a lick of her dripping strawberry ice cream cone.

  “Where are you from?” she asked.

  “Pennsylvania,” he replied, and I immediately started kicking myself. I hadn’t thought to ask him that. I hadn’t thought to ask him much about himself at all. “Our shore house used to belong to my grandparents but they moved down to Florida so now its ours for the summer. Except for Lexie, I don’t really know anyone here.” He smiled at her. “And now you.”

  Pia beamed. “And now me. Well, you should definitely hang out with us while you’re down here. We always have a good time!”

  “Were you at the bonfire with Lexie last night? I didn’t see you.”

  “Yeah, I wasn’t hanging out with her too much though.”

  He glanced over at me and I tried to dazzle him with a smile.
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  “We didn’t realize we were neighbors until this morning,” he said.

  “I’m so glad you are! I live just down the street from you guys! This is going to be great.”

  “Lexie,” Anthony said. “How come you didn’t tell me you had such nice friends?”

  Pia beamed, her dark skin turning pink with embarrassment.

  I shrugged. “I figured you’d meet them when you met them.”

  “Nice one,” Joey muttered under his breath with a chuckle and small shake of his head.

  “What’s going on tonight?” Pia asked. “Another bonfire?”

  Joey shrugged. “Tack didn’t say much about that. Think they’re just chilling tonight.”

  “Then we’ll just have to come up with something super fun to do ourselves!” Pia said.

  Anthony smiled at her. “Sweet. Let me know what you decide. I should be getting back. My mom hates when I’m late for dinner.” He looked over at me and winked. “And you feel better.”

  “Omigod!” she said as soon as he walked out of earshot. “Lexie! Tell me you weren’t keeping him all to yourself today!”

  I shrugged. “Gram made me go over and meet the neighbors and Anthony’s mom suggested we go for a tour of the island, but he wanted to swim instead. It all happened so fast.”

  Pia raised her eyebrows. “Whatever. He seems so nice! I can’t believe he lives right by us. Joey, you have to find us something to do tonight. He can’t think we’re lame.”

  Joey raised his eyebrows. “Whadda ya want from me? I’m not your party planner, Pia.”

  “No, but you’re usually the one with things to do! Well, Tack is, but still.”

  “I already told you,” he said. “It’s quiet tonight.”

  Pia rolled her eyes, but didn’t ask me for suggestions. “Oh, well. I guess we’ll just have to wait to show Anthony how awesome it is here.”

  “I better go, too,” I said. “I think it’s almost six and if I’m not back for dinner, Grandma’s going to think something’s going on with me and Anthony. Let me know if you wind up doing something tonight.”

  “See ya, Lex,” Joey said, standing up to toss his trash in the garbage can. Pia hadn’t finished her cone yet, which was exactly what I wanted. I had no desire to walk home with them and listen to her gush about how nice Anthony was.

  I didn’t need to hear it from her.

  I already knew it myself.

  ***

  “You’ll never guess who called this afternoon,” Grandma said as I scooped a healthy spoonful of macaroni salad onto my dinner plate.

  I racked my brain for an unbelievable answer. I knew better than to just ask who it was. Grandma always wanted you to guess.

  “Um,” I said, frowning. “Francine?”

  Grandma rolled her eyes. “Francine? Oh, please, you can do better than that, Alexa. Your mother.”

  “Mom?” I reached into the pocket of my shorts and pulled out my phone. No missed calls, just like I thought. “She didn’t call me.”

  My grandmother shrugged. “Who knows with your mother? Anyway, she probably called me because she didn’t want to give you the news herself.”

  “What?” I said, my heart starting to race. “Is it Dad?”

  “Gertrude,” Poppy said, putting his fork down long enough to take a breath. “Don’t scare the girl. Out with it.”

  “She…well, she got you a job for the summer,” Grandma said, suddenly developing a huge interest in rearranging the dishes on the table.

  I rested my fork against my plate and stared at my grandmother. “She what?”

  “You heard your grandmother.”

  I glared at Poppy. “A job? Why? Where?”

  “Like I said before, who knows with your mother. It’s at the Treasure Chest,” she said.

  “The Treasure Chest?” I took a deep breath. “What the heck is going on? Where did this come from?”

  “Your mother only said that she and your father thought you should be earning some money this summer for school,” Grandma said. “Quite frankly, I don’t disagree. You’ll be here for three months. Can’t run around with those kids every day. You need something to do.”

  “But…the Treasure Chest?”

  “What’s wrong with that? It’s busy almost every night. People love the amusement park!”

  “Exactly,” I said, thinking of flashing lights, whirring rides, and ringing bells at the carnival games. “It’s a migraine waiting to happen.”

  “Oh, Alexa,” Grandma said, looking at me as if I was being stupid. “You love going to the Treasure Chest.”

  “Yeah, once a week it’s okay! But a whole shift? A few days a week? Grandma, that’s a living nightmare.”

  “Well,” she said, leveling me with a sympathetic smile. “Sorry to tell you, darling, but your nightmare begins tomorrow night.”

  v.

  I woke up the next morning to a seagull screeching overhead. A light pink ray of sunlight cast a warm glow over my body.

  As I sat up, disoriented, I realized that I’d fallen asleep on the rooftop balcony last night, the latest James Patterson thriller spread open on my stomach.

  I sat up on the couch and looked out over the ocean as the sun rose above it. It had to be early, but I didn’t have a clock. There wasn’t a soul on the beach yet, but the sand was usually full of joggers by seven in the morning.

  A door creaked open downstairs and I figured Grandma, who usually fell asleep somewhere around 7:30 each evening, had realized I wasn’t in my bed and decided to come look for me.

  With a yawn and a stretch, I stood up and walked over to the rooftop railing to call down to Grandma that I was up here and would be right down for coffee and maybe some chocolate chip banana pancakes.

  I peered over the railing but didn’t see her. I was about to turn around and grab my book to head downstairs when I caught sight of the source of the noise.

  Anthony stood on the balcony next door, glass of orange juice in one hand, cell phone pressed to his ear. I wondered who he could be talking to so early, but shrugged. It was none of my business, even though I sort of wanted it to be.

  I wandered down the steps and, okay, I won’t lie to you—I was hoping Anthony would notice me and ask me to hang out that day.

  As soon as I reached the bottom of the staircase, he turned, saw me and smiled. He said a few more words into his phone that I couldn’t hear before he slid it into his pocket and walked over to the railing that divided our balconies.

  “Morning, you,” he said. “How’s the leg?”

  “Been better,” I replied. It absolutely killed. “But no big deal. You’re up early.”

  He shrugged. “I’m not much for sleeping in. Hate wasting the day. Speaking of, what are your plans?”

  “Don’t know, I just got up. Haven’t had a chance to look at my phone yet.”

  He looked at the rooftop balcony. “You sleep up there?” I nodded. “I bet that was amazing. I’d love to do that sometime, but we don’t have anything to sleep on.”

  I hesitated for a second, debating whether or not to tell him he could use our couch any time he wanted.

  “We should have a sleepover there sometime,” he went on, and I flushed at the idea, but had to smile. “We could do it big! Get sleeping bags and stuff. We could even roast marshmallows on the grill.”

  My eyes grew wide. “Marshmallows? Say no more. I’m in.”

  He laughed and I breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted to have a slumber party with me. I pushed the possibility of Grandma vetoing the whole plan out of my mind. This was too perfect to think of it not happening.

  And you want to know the very best part about it?

  It had been his idea.

  Perfect.

  “This’ll be fun,” he said. “We should do it tonight.”

  I nodded, ready to suggest a shopping trip to the local grocery store for supplies, when I remembered what I had to do tonight.

  “Ugh,” I said with a groan. “I want to
, but tonight’s out. I have to work.”

  Anthony grinned. “You work down here?”

  I didn’t want to tell him, but he’d just find out anyway if my plan for us this summer worked out like I knew it would. “At the Treasure Chest.”

  “The amusement park?” he said. “You didn’t tell me that when we talked about it yesterday!”

  “I didn’t know then. My mom called yesterday and told me she got me a job there. Don’t ask,” I said, catching sight of his bewildered expression. “It doesn’t make a lot of sense but that’s my family.” He smiled. “Point is, I start tonight.”

  He nodded. “Okay, no big deal. We’ll just have to push the sleepover to a night you aren’t working. It’ll give us some time to get what we need. Anyway, I was going to head out for a jog so I’ll catch you later. Have a good one.”

  He disappeared inside his house, leaving me standing on the balcony alone, unable to control my smile.

  After a little unpredictable skid with Jeff the Lifeguard, my summer had found its way back onto the fast track to perfect.

  ***

  I didn’t see Anthony for the rest of the day and apart from one text from Joey telling me about a party later that night, I didn’t hear from my Ship’s Wreck friends all afternoon.

  It was a little unsettling not to hear from them more, especially Pia, but I didn’t have a whole lot of time to dwell on it. Five o’clock was here and that meant I needed to be on my way to the Treasure Chest.

  I biked along the cleverly named Central Avenue that divided the island between bayside and oceanside. If you were into sailing, bayside was the way to go, but I wouldn’t trade life on my side of Central Avenue for all the boats in the world.

  The ferris wheel loomed in the distance. Apart from the lighthouse at the north end of the island, it was the tallest thing around, impossible to miss, and one of my favorite landmarks.

  I steered my bike alongside the entrance to the Treasure Chest, chained it to the guardrail, and sighed. Here goes nothing.