Island Girls (and Boys)

My horoscope for the day. Totally inaccurate. I was taking a journey all right, but it was one Iï¿½d been planning for months. I was exactly where I expected to be: crammed in the backseat of Amyï¿½s tiny car. Boxes were pressed against my side, a heavy sack of groceries rested on my knees, and assorted smaller items had been wedged around my feet, which were now numb.

This summerï¿½the last before I started collegeï¿½was going to be the absolute best of my life. I was embarking on my first summer of total independence, of saying good-bye to high school, good-bye to friends. The lastï¿½saying good-bye to friendsï¿½would be the most difficult, but
I planned to spend three months doing it, saying farewell to the best of the best: Chelsea Franklin and Amy Riley.

We were going to be together the entire summerï¿½just the three of us. Working, living, playing. Saving up our memories for the days, weeks, and months ahead when only phone calls and an occasional weekend spent together would strengthen our bonds of friendship.

ï¿½How long before weï¿½re officially island girls?ï¿½ Chelsea asked.

She was sitting in the front passenger seat with no more room than me. This was our thirdï¿½and finalï¿½trip for the day. When we got to the island, we were staying for the summer.

ï¿½I think Jen and I already look like island girls,ï¿½ Amy said.

And we did. We were wearing shorts, tank tops, sneakers, and baseball caps. Amyï¿½s dark hair was held in place with a clip, and sheï¿½d pulled the long strands through the opening in the back of her cap. Iï¿½d done the same with my blond hair. Chelsea was also in shorts and a tank, butï¿½

ï¿½Are you saying that I donï¿½t look like an
island girl?ï¿½ Chelsea asked.

ï¿½Youï¿½re too put together,ï¿½ Amy said.

Chelseaï¿½s black hair was cut short and fluffed out at various angles. She had deep blue eyes that were almost violet. She was tall, slender, and already totally tan, thanks to a gift certificate to a tanning salon that sheï¿½d received as a graduation present.

ï¿½This is called the ocean breeze look,ï¿½ Chelsea said indignantly. ï¿½I spent three hours working on it.ï¿½

ï¿½Thatï¿½s my point,ï¿½ Amy said. ï¿½I donï¿½t think island girls spend a lot of time primping. Theyï¿½re more relaxed with their looks.ï¿½

ï¿½And theyï¿½re way more tan than us,ï¿½ I said. My skin was almost too pale to believe, almost as pale as my hair. I had to use X-Men-strength sunscreen, while Amy and Chelsea seldom worried if they forgot to use any at all. Two minutes in the sun and I was like a boiled lobster.

ï¿½I still canï¿½t believe weï¿½re doing this,ï¿½ Amy said.

It had been my scathingly brilliant idea: getting jobs on the island, staying at my grandparentsï¿½ beach house over the summer.

A week ago, Grandma and Granddad had left for an extended vacation in Europe. Wouldnï¿½t need the house for several months. We could have it. As long as we agreed in writing to pay for the utilities, maintain the house, fix whatever broke, not have any wild partiesï¿½the last was stressed several timesï¿½and never make them regret leaving it in our care.

Not a chance were they going to regret it. We wanted this too much not to play by their rules.

Convincing our parents had been absolute torture: a series of arguments, pleadings, and promises. My mom had caved in first, narrowing her eyes and saying, ï¿½Jennifer Taylor, youï¿½d better make darn sure that we donï¿½t come to regret our decision.ï¿½

I didnï¿½t see how they could. It wasnï¿½t like we planned to do anything more than work and spend time together.

ï¿½I already miss Noah so much,ï¿½ Chelsea said with a low moan.

All right. So Chelsea also planned to miss Noah. Her boyfriendï¿½when he was in town. Which wasnï¿½t very often.

Noah shared a dorm room with Chelseaï¿½s older brother. Heï¿½d come to town to visit her brother during Christmas breakï¿½and had ended up visiting with Chelsea more. Heï¿½d seen her several times since. I didnï¿½t know him well, but he seemed okayï¿½except for the way that he always leaned on Chelsea like he didnï¿½t have the strength in his legs to hold himself up. Although I had to admit that it was cool to have a boyfriend who was already in college. Heck, it would be cool to have a boyfriend. I didnï¿½t and neither did Amy. But at least we didnï¿½t have to think about anyone except ourselves.

ï¿½You wouldnï¿½t have seen him that much anyway, Chels. Itï¿½s not like he lives near you on the mainland,ï¿½ I said.

Not seeing him was the big objection sheï¿½d had to my idea. It had irritated me at the time. Still did. It was such a small inconvenience compared to the brilliance of my plan.

ï¿½Yeah, but if Iï¿½m working, and he comes to visit,
when will
I see him?ï¿½

Iï¿½d gotten us jobs at Coastal Campground Resorts where Iï¿½d worked last summer.

ï¿½There are twenty-four hours in the day,ï¿½ I
reminded her. ï¿½Youï¿½ll work six. The rest are yours. How many would Noah need?ï¿½

ï¿½Every single one!ï¿½

ï¿½Youï¿½re crazy.ï¿½

ï¿½Weï¿½re still defining our relationship, and I just donï¿½t know if I should have made this kind of major decision without considering him. Noah and I hadnï¿½t really talked much about our summer plans. Since you donï¿½t have a boyfriend, I donï¿½t expect you to understand.ï¿½

Nice, Chels.

Chelsea and I were supertight, but since Noah had come into her life, sheï¿½d started acting like she thought she was the first girl in the history of the world to have a boyfriend.

ï¿½Iï¿½ve
had
a boyfriend,ï¿½ I pointed out. Over a year ago. But I had
had
a boyfriend. So I did know what it was like. ï¿½Besides, absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that.ï¿½

ï¿½I never understood what that meant.ï¿½

ï¿½By the end of the summer, heï¿½ll care more about you than he does now.ï¿½

ï¿½I donï¿½t see how, if he never sees me.ï¿½ Chelsea threw up her hands.

ï¿½Thatï¿½s the whole point. Since he never sees
you, he dreams about you all the time so he misses you more and you become like a fantasy for him.ï¿½

ï¿½Iï¿½d rather be a reality.ï¿½

ï¿½Trust me. By the end of the summer, heï¿½ll want you way more than he does now.ï¿½

ï¿½Speaking of summer, I canï¿½t believe weï¿½re going to be living completely alone,ï¿½ Amy said, gracefully changing the subject. She was the peacekeeper of our group.

ï¿½Weï¿½ve never even had a
weekend
completely alone together,ï¿½ she continued, ï¿½and weï¿½re going to have three whole months. I donï¿½t think it really hit me how alone we were going to be until we brought our first load of stuff over. Did anyone else get a really creepy feeling walking through the house? You know, like
isolation
?ï¿½

I knew we shouldnï¿½t have rented
Dawn of the Dead.
Amy is a quiet soul, a total nurturer. One of the reasons that she wants to be a veterinarianï¿½she and animals can relate.

ï¿½Thank goodness!ï¿½ Chelsea said. ï¿½I thought I was the only one who noticed. That house really creaks and moans.ï¿½

ï¿½Itï¿½s old, guys, thatï¿½s all. Rustic. Quaint,ï¿½ I tried to reassure them.

ï¿½But what if there are likeï¿½dangers?ï¿½ Amy asked.

ï¿½My grandparents have spent thirty summers there. Itï¿½s completely safe. And the Coast Guard station is like a block down the road.ï¿½

ï¿½I thought they just took care of stuff at sea,ï¿½ Chelsea said.

ï¿½If we call, the Coasties will come. Theyï¿½re not going to tell us to jump in a boat first.ï¿½

ï¿½Thereï¿½s the bridge!ï¿½ Amy shouted excitedly, just as she had every time that weï¿½d neared it today.

Like she thought we couldnï¿½t look out the window and see the bridge that connected the mainland of Texas to this island. We lived an hour away, so it wasnï¿½t a complete mystery to us.

ï¿½Hope this old rattletrap can make it over the bridge one more time,ï¿½ Chelsea said.

ï¿½Itï¿½s not a rattletrap,ï¿½ Amy said indignantly. ï¿½Besides, if you donï¿½t like riding in it, you should have said something sooner. We would have taken your car.ï¿½

ï¿½I donï¿½t have a car,ï¿½ Chelsea said.

Amy gave her a satisfied smirk. ï¿½Exactly.ï¿½

Amyï¿½s car was an ancient Gremlin her parents had bought to get her through the summer. Since it was our only mode of quick transportationï¿½quick being a relative termï¿½I wasnï¿½t complaining. Iï¿½d tied my bicycle to the roof when we took our first run so Iï¿½d have it handy for short trips and emergencies.

In a pinch, I figured I could even cycle to work. The island was a narrow strip of land about twenty miles long, with the bay on one side and the gulf on the other.

ï¿½Itï¿½ll get us over the bridge,ï¿½ I said, hoping that it would. The bridge had a high arch because it had to allow room for boats and barges to move beneath it along the waterway.

We reached the arch. A sense of peace filled me as I took in the spectacular view, just before we started our descent. Palm trees lined the road that divided the islandï¿½the ocean was on one side, the coastal waterway on the other. So much sand and water. Sun and surf. Freedom!

In the distance, I saw Surf Town. It was a typical beach community, with small shops
weathered by the wind and salt air. A few restaurants. The bold owners built right on the land. The not-so-bold, or, as I thought of them, the wise, built on stilts so they were protected from flooding when the tide unexpectedly rose more than normal.

And of course, along the beach were the usual touristy things: surfboard rentals, horse rentals, snow cone shacks.

Amy brought us to a lurching stop at the intersection. Straight ahead was the beach, but we werenï¿½t ready to go there yet. Soon, though. Very soon.

Amy turned right, and her little Gremlin puttered along. My grandparentsï¿½ beach house was located at the far end, on the back side of the island.

ï¿½Do we need to stop at the convenience store?ï¿½ Amy asked, as we neared a small store where the marquee boasted,
LIVE BAIT
!

ï¿½No,ï¿½ Chelsea said. ï¿½Letï¿½s just get to the house. My feet are going to sleep.ï¿½

ï¿½Not
the
house,ï¿½ I corrected her. ï¿½
Our
houseï¿½ï¿½

ï¿½ï¿½for the summer!ï¿½ we all finished at once.

ï¿½No parents!ï¿½ Chelsea said.

ï¿½No brothers or sisters!ï¿½ Amy said.

ï¿½No hassles!ï¿½ I said.

ï¿½We can come and go when we want,ï¿½ Amy said.

ï¿½Not if your car breaks down,ï¿½ Chelsea teased.

ï¿½Itï¿½s not going to break down,ï¿½ I said. ï¿½Be optimistic.ï¿½

ï¿½I canï¿½t believe my parents agreed to this,ï¿½ Amy said.

ï¿½Why not?ï¿½ Chelsea asked. ï¿½Weï¿½ll all be going to college in the fall. Theyï¿½ll have no idea what weï¿½re doing then. So weï¿½re getting a head start.ï¿½

ï¿½But weï¿½re not going to do anything theyï¿½d have a problem with, are we?ï¿½ Amy asked.

Chelsea rolled her eyes. ï¿½Of course not. Weï¿½ll be
good
girls.ï¿½ Although the way she said
good
made it sound like she meant the absolute opposite. That maybe she had plans to be a little bit bad. Then she laughed. ï¿½Weï¿½re on our own!ï¿½

We reached the end of the island, and Amy turned toward the bay. We passed the Coast
Guard station and drove further along the sand-packed road.

Then the beach house came into view. White, wooden, it stood on stilts, surrounded on two sides by the bay. It had never looked more beautiful to me.

Amy brought the car to a halt beside the house.

ï¿½Weï¿½re here!ï¿½ she cried.

ï¿½Letï¿½s get everything inside,ï¿½ I said. ï¿½We have a lot of planning to do.ï¿½

I opened the door and climbed out, my legs stiff and prickling as the blood rushed to my feet. I held the groceries in one arm, slung my backpack over my shoulder, and picked up another bag that had been at my feet.

The excitement grew intense as I led the way to the door. Although the main portion of the house was on stilts, there was a utility room on the ground where we went in.

At the top of the stairs was a short hallway. The door ahead of us led into the living room, where weï¿½d dumped all our boxes during our previous trips. To the right was the kitchen. I went in and put the sacks on the counter.

All the blinds were open. I could look through the windows and see the dolphins jumping in the bay. I could hear the seagulls and the wind. I could smell the salt of the ocean and hear the roar of the surf.

I couldnï¿½t stop myself from bubbling up with exhilaration and anticipation as I faced my two best friends and flung my arms wide open.

ï¿½I hereby announce that as of this moment weï¿½re officially island girls! Let the best summer ever begin!ï¿½

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