by Jamie Loeak
less beautiful than others. She learned this little-known-fact as she grew older and grew into a young woman: friends changed and left, usually for something they thought was better.
“So, how was the rest of yesterday for you?” Rico asked, pulling Kate back to the present. He turned toward her, his bright eyes focused on her mouth.
Kate pulled her lower lip into her mouth self-consciously. “It wasn’t bad,” she said as she tried to think of everything but the attack. Naturally, it didn’t work well.
Rico nodded, his lips turned down in that you-totally-made-sense kind of way. His only response was a single word, a comment. It ended the almost-conversation and the soft silence found its way back to the group.
Kate focused ahead of her, and as they moved up a sandy bank, a dock came into view. It extended far out into the clear waters of the gulf. Kate wondered if it was where they were headed, and before she was able to ask them, the dark-headed girl spoke up, effectively ending the silence.
“My name is Adriana, by the way. It’s nice to meet you, Kate.” Adriana looked at Kate and smiled. Her brilliant, white teeth shone from beneath dark tinted lips.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Kate replied. “So you’re from here, right? Do you like living in Dolphin Bay?”
“I do,” Adriana said. “It’s a small place and there aren’t many people that live here throughout the year. My dad and I are able to enjoy the beaches when they’re quiet, when people aren’t screaming and drinking all the time. It’s nicer then.”
“So you don’t like the summer, then.”
“Don’t get me wrong, Kate. I like the summertime. I mean there’s no school, and I get to meet new people from different places, but there’s something about being able to spend time with your parents, you know?”
“Believe me,” Kate answered honestly, “I know.”
Rico chimed in, joining the conversation. “Your mom said that she leaves you alone every day. Does that only happen during the summers, or does that happen all year?”
Kate sighed before responding, unsure of whether she wanted to let them in. In the end, she decided that it didn’t matter. “My mom is a marine biologist, so it only happens when she gets a grant or a new opportunity to study the wildlife or environment. Unfortunately, my mom is really good at what she does, so we move around a lot, and it does happen a lot - the whole me not seeing her thing.” Kate hadn’t realized that she had been looking down when she spoke and lifted her head up to look at Rico. He was looking into her eyes, and she held his gaze a moment, challenging him, before looking away again.
“I’m sorry,” Adriana commented. She bumped into Kate lightly and smiled at her. “We shouldn’t make this day about the things that we miss, though. Let’s keep things light and enjoy the bright sunshine.” She laughed and took off down the beach. The sound of her easy laughter echoed behind her, compelling Kate and Rico to follow her.
As Kate watched Adriana run down the beach, twirling and jumping as she went, she wondered, again, at how gracefully Adriana moved.
“Come on,” Rico said. “I think we should stay with Adriana since we don’t know where we’re going.” With that, he took off down the beach, following Adriana until he reached her side. The couple ran faster then, and Kate had to rush after them to catch up. Rico turned around once to look back at Kate, stopping just long enough for her to reach him; however, he took off when she did, forcing her to chase after him. It ended up in a short game of tag, with both Rico and Adriana just out of reach.
When the three of them reached the dock, Adriana slipped into a small building and emerged with three fishing poles and bait. She handed one to both Rico and Kate, and the three of them walked down to the end of the wide dock. They sat there, letting their bare feet swing over the edge.
“So tell us about your life, Kate.”
Kate looked to her left and saw that Adriana was looking over at her. Adriana’s dark hair was pushed behind her shoulders, her fair cheeks covered in a faint blush from the summer air. Her dark eyes searched Kate’s as she waited for the answer. When Kate didn’t speak, Adriana clarified her initial question.
“I mean, where are you from? What are your hobbies? Who are your friends?”
Kate blushed but steeled herself, ready to answer. “I’m not from anywhere,” she said. “I move every six to eight months, depending on my mom’s contract. I don’t really have any friends because of it and that’s okay. I do just fine on my own. I don’t mind it.”
“How old are you?” Adriana asked. Kate was surprised by this question but knew that it would’ve come eventually; it just didn’t seem important now.
Kate looked out at the smooth, crystal waves, deciding that she should keep an eye on her pole. “I’m sixteen,” she said. “Why do you ask?”
From the corner of Kate’s eye, she could see Adriana nod once. “You’ve never been in love, have you?” she asked her.
Kate snapped her head to the left and glowered at Adriana’s comment. That was the kind of thing girls talked about in private, not something they talked about in front of boys, and not something that they talked about after knowing each other for less than an hour. It was an odd question to Kate, and she almost hated Adriana for embarrassing her.
She decided to reply anyway. “No,” she said simply.
“I thought so,” Adriana commented. Even though she didn’t seem mean about it, the echoing sting from the awkwardness and embarrassment pushed Kate to fire back.
“How many times have you been in love, Adriana?” she asked. On the other side of Adriana, Kate saw Rico turn his head slightly, clearly interested in Adriana’s response. Kate couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him, and he offered a smirk in response.
“I can’t remember how many times I’ve been in love,” Adriana said wistfully.
“How can you not remember how many times you’ve been in love?” Kate asked. “You’re only, what, seventeen or eighteen.”
Adriana turned to face Kate, her features a mask of indifference. “Just know that I regret it, Kate,” she said, ending any further questions.
Shocked and perplexed, Kate turned away and focused on her attempt at catching fish. She wondered how many boys Adriana had loved in her short life and how many of them had loved her back. She wondered how many of them were summer flings, and if Rico was one of the boys added on to her list of regrets. She wondered if Rico wanted to be on that list - part of her didn’t care and part of her hoped he didn’t want to be.
A sudden tug at the line pulled Kate from her reverie. It started out as soft jerks but escalated quickly, the end of the pole bending toward the water, the fish fighting for its life. Kate tightened her grip on the pole; Rico and Adriana watched her attempt to pull the line in. She seemed to have gotten hold of the fish after her original struggle, but in another second the fish regained control.
Kate repositioned herself, afraid of looking weak in front of her new, potential friends. When she couldn’t gain the control she sought from repositioning herself, she began to panic. The line started to pull quickly, the fish escaping, making its way back into the ocean. Kate’s fingers fumbled over the reel, trying to get a grip.
Just when Kate thought that the fish would pull the entire pole from her grasp, she felt Rico’s strong arms around her. He held the pole with her, taking her hand and gripping the reel in one swift motion. Kate couldn’t help but feel Rico’s warmth, his rough hands. Together, they pulled the fishing line back in, and Kate gasped when a decently sized fish emerged from the ocean.
“They can be pretty ferocious,” Rico said, letting go of the pole as soon as the fish was close enough to seize. He leaned over the edge and pulled it closer to the dock, expertly taking the hook from the fish’s mouth before tossing it back out into the water. He baited Kate’s hook and, taking the pole from Kate, cast it for her. She noticed that he made sure not to touch her again. Kate knew better than to fall for Adriana’s type, so she saw no reason for Rico to star
t being careful around her now. He didn’t seem concerned a moment before and his sudden aversion confused Kate. She found her thoughts focusing on the moments he spent touching her skin.
“Thank you,” she said at last, her voice unsteady.
“Hey, there’s no need to be worried about the next one. You’ll get it next time. You’ll be more prepared,” he said reassuringly.
Kate looked at him and smiled, feeling better already.
The sun was setting when Adriana and Rico dropped Kate off at her house. She stepped inside the warm house, the stifling heat already smothering her. After being in the sea breeze all day, the heat inside was almost unbearable, and Kate knew that she would not sleep well. She wandered into the kitchen and placed her leftover lobster in the refrigerator, thinking about the meal she shared with Rico and Adriana. Adriana had pointed out her favorite local seafood restaurant after they made their way back up the dock, and they had wandered into the place, hungry and tired. The food had been delicious, the water refreshing, the conversation delightful.
Kate turned to find her mother and father watching a movie in the living room, snuggling on the couch. She watched them for a moment before walking over and taking a seat on the couch next to them. She ran her fingers over the familiar cracked leather, feeling its cool surface.
“How was your day, honey?” her
