Snared

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Lindsay replied. “I cut the leash a long time ago.”

“Exssssssssssellent,” Ev said, rubbing her hands together.

“Totally.” “Awesome.” “Cool.” Ev’s entourage chimed in.

“So,” Ev said. “Here’s the schedule. We’ll be on the beach at like ten A.M. every morning, because morning sun isn’t as harsh on the skin. Around lunch, we hang here or over at the Java Pit, so we can plan our world domination. Afternoons, we totally relax, right? Mannies. Peddies. Facials. Whatever. At night we do the bonfire thing. I’m only in for the next four days, so join the carnival before it leaves town. Know what I’m saying?”

“Sure,” Lindsay said, excited to know she wouldn’t be totally dependent on her parents for entertainment.

And there’s always Mark.

She wanted to see him again. Something about him touched her. Maybe it was the fact that he seemed trapped, and she wanted to help. Maybe it was just his bod. She didn’t know, but she hoped their first conversation wouldn’t be the last.

“Add another name to the VIP list,” Ev said, wrapping an arm around Lindsay’s shoulders. “Girl’s got a full- access pass.”

Lindsay smiled and leaned into Ev’s hug.

This was going to be a very cool vacation after all.

6

At night we do the bonfire thing.

The bonfire was a tradition with Redlands Beach teens that went back generations. There on the beach, they built a cone of wood and lit it up, allowing the flames to illuminate their parties, giving each gathering a sense of celebration. Not that there was much to celebrate in Redlands Beach, not for teenagers anyway. Though most kids dreamed of getting out of town and leaving it all behind, few ever made it. Those that did often traded Redlands Beach for a town just like it. Against such a gloomy background, any star, even one as small as Ev, shined brightly.

The ocean roared on her right as Lindsay picked her way over the sand toward the dancing flames in the distance. She didn’t even know if this was the bonfire Ev meant, as she didn’t get specific directions. In fact, Ev only said “You totally can’t miss us. We’re like full-on tribal.”

Her parents were thrilled to hear that she’d made friends already. Her mother gave her an I-told-you-so look, and her dad just looked pleased, like he’d introduced her to Ev and the other girls with fractured names. Whatever, Lindsay thought. She was happy, and they were happy, so it didn’t really matter.

Or at least, she was mostly happy. Poor Mark. All cooped up in his room. She’d walked through the alley between the houses when she left, but his window was covered by a black shade, so she didn’t see him. She thought about tapping lightly on the glass, maybe asking him to sneak out, but she didn’t know him (or his guardians) well enough to try a stunt like that.

And of course, there was Kate’s party. Lindsay called to check in on Kate after dinner. She could hear how nervous her friend was, even though Kate tried to play it cool. Fortunately Trey was there, helping Kate set up, keeping her distracted with jokes.

For a minute Lindsay was pissed off at her parents again. Hearing Kate on the edge of panic hurt, because Lindsay was too far away to do anything about it. Plus, there was the party itself. All of the fun. All of her friends. She should have been there, not here on some beach with a bunch of strangers.

After another ten minutes, Lindsay found herself at the edge of the bonfire’s light. A stack of wood that came up to her waist burned and crackled. All around the flames, two dozen kids, boys and girls, sat in the sand. Some drank from beer cans, others upended bottles of cheap whiskey and vodka. A Shakira song blasted from a portable player, seemed to stoke the fire with a dense bass beat.

Ev’s laugh, like a siren, drew Lindsay to the far side of the fire. The girl and her friends were all giggling wildly, rocking forward with the power of their own amusement. Around them, a group of boys, some in nice shorts and others in ragged cutoffs, sat listening and smiling.

“Totally!” Ev cried amid a splutter of shrill giggles. “He’s like Rob Schneider, only creepier. And he was like trying to French me, like ‘eat my tongue,’ ahhhhhh.” She waved her hands in the air as if fighting off the boy she was describing. Tears were filling her eyes, she found the moment so funny. “And I’m all, nooooooooooooo!”

The kids around the fire broke up laughing.

“Supergirl,” Ev shouted, her voice slurring.

“Hey,” Lindsay said.

“Pull up a boy and get comfortable.”

A second later someone handed her a beer. She turned to thank whoever had given it to her. A guy with light brown hair smiled down at her. At first glance he was cute, but as Lindsay looked at him, she realized he was older than most of the kids around the fire. A lot older. Maybe twenty-three or twenty-four. Lindsay also noticed his teeth were kind of crooked, which made his smile look sinister. He worked out though. His pecs were huge and his arms were feathered with thick veins. She had to admit the guy had a nice body, but Lindsay preferred tighter bodies like Mark’s.

“Thanks,” she said.

“Anytime,” he replied, his voice heavy with flirtation.

“That’s Doyle,” Ev called. “He has a lot to offer a girl. Know what I mean?” This sent Ev into another round of hysterics. Lindsay noticed she was already drunk.

Next to her, Ev’s entourage said, “Totally,” “A lot!”, and “So much to offer.”

Lindsay decoded the less-than-subtle message, and felt uncomfortable. She sipped at her beer. Doyle just kept smiling, nodding his head as if she’d already agreed to date him.

“Well, thanks,” Lindsay said, then knelt on the sand to join in Ev’s conversation.

Char slid closer to Ev until their butts touched and put an arm around her friend as if protecting her.

“So, Lindsay, do you have a boy back in Pittsburgh?” Tee asked. Her green eyes reflected the fire and they glowed like emeralds.

“Helensburgh,” Lindsay corrected.

“Like there’s any difference,” Char said. She burst out laughing, but since no one else did, she reeled it in fast.

“Ease up on the meds, Char,” Mel said. Lindsay looked her way.

“She’s always trying to be funny, and it somehow continues to elude her,” Ev added.

“Man, Ev,” Char said, pouting.

“So, do you have a boy, or what?” Tee asked again. She flipped her hair over an ear and leaned toward Lindsay. It was obviously information she really wanted.

“No,” Lindsay replied, though she thought about Mark. “No boy at home.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. I’ve gone out with a couple guys.”

“You weren’t in love?”

“Third degree much?” Ev interrupted. She took a long drink of beer and tossed the can in the sand. “Tee is a total perv. She wants like all of these private details.”

“I do not!” Tee protested loudly. “Why are you being such a bitch tonight?”

“Because it’s free and it’s low-carb.”

Doyle plopped down in the sand on the other side of Lindsay and flashed her a smile. She crossed her arms over her knees.