“Billy. What are you doing today?”
My schedule flashes up in my brain. It’s my busy day, I have three other lectures after this break staggered, through the day and finishing at six this evening. But I don’t get a chance to tell her this because she carries straight on.
“We’re going to the beach. Do you want to come?”
“What?”
“The beach Billy. Like a big bath. With sand…”
“I know what… but I can’t. I’ve got lectures.”
“So?”
“So I can’t.” I think quickly. Or try to. “I could come at the weekend.” I say it a little hopefully. “Too late. We’re going now. James has decided he’s a surfer.” In the background I can hear a snort of laughter, it sounds like Eric. “It’s his new hobby. His new passion.” She says that really sarcastically, and I can almost see her smiling at me, in her very-slightly goofy way. “And he says there won’t be any waves at the weekend. So it has to be now.”
I think – or maybe I wish – I could somehow move my lectures. But that’s a ridiculous thought, and Lily interrupts it anyway.
“What classes do you have?”
“Evolution and Behavior, Biodiversity, and Physical and Chemical Processes of the Ocean.”
“OK. But didn’t you tell us the other night your course was so easy you could do it in your sleep?”
“Erm,” I start to reply. I might have said something like that, but I didn’t use those exact words.
“So catch up later. When you’re asleep. It’s too nice a day now.” She moves on fast, like it’s settled already. “Where are you?”
“I’m in the library.”
“BU?”
“Huh?”
“We’ll pick you up outside. We’re renting boards and wetsuits, so you don’t need anything. Just clever old you.” She hangs up. She didn’t even say how long they’d be.
So I think about it for all of maybe thirty seconds, and then I get up to put my books back, get my stuff and go outside to wait for her. I feel a bit unsure when I’m there. Like I half-expect one of my lecturers to spot me and ask what I’m doing and where I’m going, but I know they won’t because college isn’t like school. You can actually miss lectures if you want to. There’s no register, no Principal to report to if you don’t turn up. You can do what you want.
Still it feels wrong. Until, ten minutes later when I see a big silver SUV come round the corner, and Lily’s beautiful face peering out of the passenger window looking for me. Then she suddenly points towards me, and starts frantically waving.
Chapter Seventeen
We drive out towards Nantasket Beach, which isn’t somewhere I’ve ever been before. James is driving, with Lily beside him, and Jennifer and Eric are in the back seat. I’m in the middle (Eric got out to let me in – he said he gets car sick if he’s not by the window). Then there’s a third row of seats and Oscar is back there on his own, well – he’s sitting next to a giant wicker hamper, I don’t know what’s in there, but I can smell it, and it smells pretty good.
It takes us about forty minutes to get there, with the traffic, and all the way they’re chattering and excited, and it’s really infectious. Not just because I love the beach, and I’ve been missing it. But because we’re all going.
It’s not busy when we get there. Kind of the same as Silverlea beach on a nice day, but during the week, when most people are at work. James seems to know where he’s going, and pulls into a parking bay outside a little surf shop, and then he and Lily disappear straight inside. I don’t follow them though, I just walk across the street and look out at the ocean, sort of drinking it in. It’s not the most beautiful beach I’ve ever seen – there’s a road running along the top, backed with buildings, and there’s no cliffs or dunes or anything very natural, but at the same time, there’s not a breath of wind, and the surface of the water is so calm it has a glassy look. Yet over the top there’s a small swell that’s rolling in, silvery and lazy in the afternoon sun. It’s not epic, but even so, I feel it luring me out there. I shorten my gaze to take in the beach, pale sand, the tide out. There’s a few dozen little encampments of people stretched out on their towels, or with sun umbrellas, but there’s loads of space. The water’s not busy either, just dotted with the heads and shoulders of a few surfers.
“Eric and Jennifer are going to wait on the beach, but you’re coming in aren’t you Billy?”
I turn to see Lily, standing with another guy. I don’t know him, but I recognize the type right away. “This is Wayne, he runs the store here, I asked him to get you a suit and a board. Take whatever you like, it’s all on my tab.”
I realize I should protest at the generosity of this, and start to do so, but she stops me at once.
“Don’t be silly. I dragged you here. And I’m going in.” She smiles at me, a fresh, encouraging, excited smile. “Come on.” So I glance back at the ocean, and then follow her and Wayne back into the store.
I’ve been in a dozen surf shops before, usually with Dad, and this one’s no different, but I’ve never rented a board before. I’ve never needed to. Dad’s always had tons of boards lying around. Usually people just give them to him, because they want him to ride on their brand, or tell them how to make them better. I’ve never rented a wetsuit either. Back home on Lornea, it’s only tourists who rent wetsuits. Basically I’m just saying the whole thing is a bit weird, but I do my best to ignore that.
I can hear Lily is in
