I followed Jared and Jasper into the foam, paddling after them as they headed out to where Jonas bobbed leisurely in the water. The four of us fell into a sort of rhythm, each taking our turn as the waves rolled in, riding left or right so as not to drop in on each other. The sun slowly moved across the sky.
When the sets started to turn choppy, I returned to the beach and went for a walk at the water’s edge. Pres and I were supposed to be together all day, so I didn’t want to return home too early. It was probably a mistake to let the Jacobsens see me without him, but it wasn’t like they’d tell his parents.
Later, I packed up the rest of my gear and started for the trail. The Jacobsens were busy cooking something over one of the fire pits. “Hey, brah,” Jonas called after me. “You want a tofu burger?”
“No thanks,” I said. Those things barely even counted as food.
“Well, if you ever want to ride again, you know where to find us.”
“Cool. I’ll see you around.” I ran a hand through my hair. Sand rained down on my shoulders. I wasn’t good at approaching people, making friends, whatever. But you could surf without talking, and Preston would be going off to college somewhere next year. It made sense for me to get to know the local guys.
I sent Pres another text to tell him I was heading home. Still no answer. Either he had let his phone battery die or he and Violet were having too much fun to be bothered.
Back at the car, I clipped my board to the roof. There was a gray SUV that I had never seen at the overlook before parked in the corner spot. It reminded me of the car I had almost hit across the street from my house. The sun was reflecting off the windshield. I shaded my eyes with one hand, but I couldn’t tell if there was anyone inside.
The engine sputtered a little as I started my car. The latest from Kittens of Mass Destruction, “Burst into Flames,” was on the radio. I cranked up the volume as I turned out of the parking lot and headed for home.
I didn’t realize how starving I was until I pulled into my driveway ten minutes later. I left the gear in the car and took the porch steps in a single leap. My whole family was at the table, throwing back bacon-wrapped chicken nuggets and green beans. Amanda was going through a vegetarian phase, something probably inspired by Parvati, so Darla had cooked her a veggie burger in addition to the beans.
I grabbed a clean plate from the dishwasher and helped myself to the chicken nuggets. “You know those veggie burgers are glued together with horse’s hooves,” I said.
“They are not.” Amanda rolled her eyes at me.
Normally I would have screwed with her some more—I mean, come on, an eleven-year-old vegetarian?—but the long day of surfing had worn me out.
“Hey, Max,” she said. “Where’s your shark’s tooth?”
I reached up to where it usually hung, right at the top of my breastbone, but the pendant wasn’t there. Had I forgotten to take it off before I went in the water? I couldn’t remember. Hopefully it was tangled up with my tent or sleeping bag. If it had come off while I was surfing, it was gone for good.
My phone buzzed and I fished it out of my pocket. It was a number I didn’t recognize. Darla gave me a disappointed look as I answered, but she didn’t say anything.
“Max?” The voice was familiar, but I couldn’t place it.
“Yeah?” I said. “Who is this?”
“It’s Quinn, from school . . . from the football team?” He said it like maybe I knew seven or eight guys named Quinn. “I need your help with something.”
“Yeah, just a second.” I pushed my chair back from the table. “I’ll be back. I need to take this in my room.”
Darla’s face drooped even further.
“Sorry.” Holding the phone with my neck, I grabbed my plate of chicken nuggets. “School project stuff.”
Once I was safely inside my room with the door shut, I flopped down on my bed. “Okay. What’s up?”
Quinn didn’t answer right away. I could hear him talking to a girl in the background—probably Amy.
“Hey,” I said sharply. “You there?”
“I’m here,” Quinn said. “Preston was supposed to write me a note that says I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow so I can leave school after second hour. But he’s not answering his phone. Do you know how to reach him?”
“He’s actually . . . busy tonight,” I said. “But he’s supposed to be back later. Maybe try him around midnight?” I took a quick bite of a chicken nugget.
“I can’t get out of the house that late.”
I swallowed before replying. “So then just get it from him tomorrow morning at school.”
“Yeah, but what if he forgot or he’s absent or something?” Quinn lowered his voice. “Is there any way you could write it? I can come pick it up.” He paused. “Amy and I have lunch reservations downtown tomorrow. It’s our one-year anniversary, and she wanted to go to Troff. I tried to get a dinner reservation, but that place is booked for months.”
I made a face. Troff was one of those places that put feta cheese and seaweed on a burger and charged forty bucks for it. Thank God Parvati wasn’t into fancy restaurants like that.
“Fine. But I don’t have any parental-looking letterhead or anything. Pres probably made something on the computer.”
“I’ll snag some of my dad’s legal stationery from his study,” Quinn said.
“Okay.” I gave him directions to my house. “Come on by and I’ll take care of you.”
I waited outside on the porch. I wasn’t sure what Quinn drove, but I had a feeling I’d know it when I saw it. Sure enough, about ten minutes later a black Lincoln Navigator slowed to a stop in front of my house.
Quinn started to get out of the car. I strode across the grass and met him at the curb. “Let’s go somewhere,” I said, “so Dar—so my mom doesn’t wonder what we’re doing out here.”
Quinn shrugged but let me in the back of the Navigator. Amy smiled at me from the passenger seat. I nodded to her as Quinn pulled away from the curb. We turned into the parking lot of a Burger Barn a few blocks away, and he parked the car in a corner spot. He cut off the engine and coached me on his dad’s signature until I had it close enough.
Quinn pocketed the piece of off-white stationery after I signed it and then removed a crisp fifty-dollar bill from his wallet. “Thanks again,” he said.
“You’re a lifesaver,” Amy added. She tossed her reddish-brown hair back behind her shoulders.
“Pleasure doing business with you.” I slipped the money in my pocket. “Have a nice lunch.”
Quinn fired up the engine and I tapped him on the shoulder. “It’s cool. I’ll just walk home.” I hopped out of the Navigator before he could reply.
“You sure?” Quinn asked through his open window.
“Yeah. It’s a nice night.” With a little wave, I loped toward the sidewalk. As I turned and headed for home, I wondered where Preston was, if he had the windows down on the Beamer as he headed back to Vista P. I debated if I should keep his share of Quinn’s money since I had to cover his ass, not that he would care one way or the other. I was pretty sure Pres was only doing Liars, Inc. for the potential thrills.
EIGHT
December 5th