High Tide (9781481413824) (8 page)

But my foot caught on the leg of my chair. And by the time I got myself untangled, Leslie had reached the table.

“Leslie, hi. I . . . uh, didn't expect to see you here,” I stammered.

She crossed her arms, her gray eyes flashing again.
“I'll just bet you didn't. Looks like you're having a great time,” she added bitterly, glancing at Joy and Raina.

“Listen, Leslie—” I began to say.

“Even better than last night, right?” she interrupted. “I mean, this time you're out with
two
new friends.”

“Huh? What's that supposed to mean?”

“I saw you out last night, Adam,” Leslie declared. “You told me you felt lousy and you were going to lie down, remember? So I decided to take a walk. And guess who I saw, strolling along Main Street with another girl?”

“I'm sorry,” I told her. “I really am, Leslie. That girl—I met her on the beach and we just kind of decided to go out. It's not a major romance or anything.”

“Oh, gee, I
really
feel a lot better now,” she said sarcastically.

“Leslie, I'm sorry,” I repeated, “It just happened. I didn't mean to hurt you.”

“Forget it,” she snapped, glaring at Joy and Raina. “I can see you're busy anyway.”

“Hey, come on,” I pleaded. “Joy and Raina are friends from high school.”

“So what?” she demanded. “You're out with them instead of me. And you lied to me about last night. How do you think that makes me feel?”

Before I could think of anything to say, Leslie grabbed my arm and shoved me backward against the table.

Joy and Raina gasped, and I heard a plate crash to the floor.

“You hurt me, Adam!” she declared furiously. “And I'm going to find a way to hurt you back!”

“Huh? What are you
saying?
You—you don't mean that!” I cried.

Without another word, Leslie turned and stormed away from the table.

“Leslie—stop! You don't mean that!” I called after her. “You don't!”

T
he next day, I hurried to get to my lifeguard post on time. “Don't bother to come up, Adam,” Sean said, staring down at me from the platform.

“Why not?” I stopped, one foot on the ladder, and squinted up at him. “Don't tell me I'm early,” I joked.

Sean's lips curved—in a sneer, not a smile.

So much for hoping he'd be in a better mood today. “Why shouldn't I come up?” I repeated. “The tide is getting high—somebody needs to put out the warning flags.”

“No kidding.” He turned away for a few seconds, then turned back, one hand clutching the red flags. “Here. You take care of it.”

Aiming one of the flags like a spear, he sailed it over the edge of the platform. It stuck in the sand, wobbled, and then fell.

As I bent to pick it up, another one stabbed the ground inches from my feet.

“Hey!” I shouted. “Watch it—will you?”

“Oops. My aim must be off,” Sean replied. He drew his arm back and pitched the last flag straight out toward the shoreline. “How's that?”

“Just great,” I muttered, frowning up at him. “Thanks a lot.”

Sean gazed back, a cold expression on his face. “Better take care of those flags,” he told me. “Tide's rising, remember?” Without another word he turned away and sat down in his chair.

I stood there a few seconds, furious. Go up and confront him, I told myself. Tell him he's acting like a total jerk.

Right, and get pounded to a pulp. At least wait until he's cooled down a little.

Pushing the anger away, I picked up the two flags, then set off toward the water. As I did, I spotted Raina and Joy waving to me from under a pink-and-green-striped beach umbrella.

Great, I thought. All they probably want to talk about is the ugly scene with Leslie last night at dinner.

All
I
wanted to do was forget it.

“Adam!” Joy shouted. She stood up and waved her arms. “Hi, Adam!”

I waved back, then sighed. Might as well get it over with, I decided.

I worked my way to their umbrella, sticking one of the flags in the sand as I went. When I strode up, they exchanged a glance, then grinned at me. “I'm so relieved!” Joy exclaimed dramatically. “I mean, you're still alive!”

“Yeah, we were afraid Leslie might have mugged
you on your way home or something,” Raina agreed. She tsk-tsked. “See what happens when you cheat on your girlfriend, Adam?”

“You'd better be real careful with your mail,” Joy added. “She might decide to send you a really dynamite package.” She fluffed up her brown hair and giggled.
“Dynamite
—get it?”

“Yeah, I get it,” I told her. “Listen, I hurt Leslie's feelings. I don't blame her for being steamed.”

“Well, I don't either,” Joy told me. “But she was more than steamed—-she was ballistic!”

The blazing look in Leslie's eyes flashed into my mind. And I heard her words again—
You hurt me, Adam. I'm going to find a way to hurt you back.

Is Joy right? I wondered. Did Leslie really mean it?

Of course not, I decided. People say dumb things when they're angry.

Shaking away the memory, I began to work a flag into the sand. “I'm sorry about last night,” I told them. “But I don't feel like joking about it, okay?”

“Okay. Sorry.” Raina exchanged another quick glance with Joy, then reached into her beach bag and took out a tube of sunscreen. “What's the flag for?” she asked, rubbing some lotion on her arms.

“High tide,” I explained. “There's probably a strong undercurrent.”

“We can still go swimming, can't we?” Joy asked anxiously.

“Yeah, if you really want to,” I told her. “But what's the rush?”

“No rush. We're just dying to get in the water, that's all,” Raina told me quickly. “I mean, we're not going to be here all summer or anything.”

“Well, go ahead,” I said. “Just stay close to shore
and be careful.” I left them and walked farther down the beach to post the last flag.

Heading back toward the lifeguard station, I saw them in the water, splashing each other and laughing. The waves didn't come any higher than their knees, so I knew they'd be okay.

When I climbed onto the platform, Sean gave me a quick glance, his eyes narrowed to slits. Then he turned his gaze back to the ocean.

Definitely not in a better mood, I decided.

Stepping over his feet, I climbed into my chair and checked out the beach. On the right, a bunch of little kids built a sand castle, digging a moat and letting the waves fill it up.

Farther down, an old couple walked slowly, their heads bent as they searched for shells.

A group of noisy high school kids played keep-away with a Frisbee.

Plenty of people were in the water, but most of them stayed close to shore. I spotted Joy in her bright pink swimsuit and Raina in a black one. They were still only knee-deep.

Everything seemed under control.

I turned to Sean.

He sat like a statue, his face straight ahead. Only his eyes moved, swiveling back and forth as he kept watch on the crowd.

Shrugging, I reached into my bag and pulled out a bottle of water. I tilted my head back for a drink—and heard a high, shrill scream.

“Huh?”

I leapt to my feet, my heart pounding in fear, my eyes scanning the water and the beach.

Another scream. A flash of red to my right.

“It's mine!” a little girl shrieked as she tried to yank a red pail away from another little kid. “Let go, you dummy, it's mine!”

Her voice spiraled up and up, into another ear-splitting scream.

The other little kid finally let go. The girl plopped into the sand and immediately stopped screaming.

I shook my head. Get a grip, I told myself. It was just a battle over a plastic pail.

Nobody's in trouble.

I stretched my arms and scanned the beach again.

And then I saw Joy and Raina.

Waving to me from far out in the water.

Too far out.

Why did they go out so far? I wondered.

Did the undertow pull them? Are they in trouble?

Raina's blond head disappeared for a moment. Then it bobbed up again. The two of them frantically waved their arms over their heads.

My heart raced.

The current is carrying them farther and farther out, I realized. They
are
in trouble!

Another wave swelled, covering both girls completely.

This time neither one of them came up.

T
his isn't happening. It can't be real! I told myself. It's another hallucination!

I told them to stay close to shore. They're not stupid. They wouldn't take chances.

It
has
to be another hallucination. I'm seeing things again.

I squeezed my eyes shut, then snapped them open.

Both girls had surfaced. I could see them clearly, bobbing up and down in the water.

But they were still too far out.

And still waving frantically.

I squinted to see better.

Raina had tilted her head back, trying to keep her mouth and nose above water.

Joy stared straight ahead, slapping the water wildly. Thrashing and kicking.

Out of control.

Both girls had lost control.

The current was carrying them away.

I blinked again. Stared hard.

Joy had disappeared.

But I could still see Raina, waving and thrashing. Her face was a pale smudge on the dark water. Her mouth was open in a desperate scream.

It's really happening! I realized to my horror.

It's real!

“Let's go!” I shouted, shoving away from the railing. “Come on, Sean, we—”

I broke off, stunned.

Sean's chair was empty.

He's already on his way, I thought as I hurried toward the ladder.

But then I noticed the life preserver. Still in its place.

And Sean's duffel bag was gone.

He left. He left to take his break without telling me.

I'm on my own.

Grabbing the life preserver and the rope, I pitched them over the platform, then clambered down the ladder.

I picked up the preserver and charged down the beach. As I raced across the sand, I grabbed my whistle and gave it several piercing blasts. Maybe the head lifeguard would hear me from his office on the boardwalk.

People scattered in front of me. The little girl with the red bucket shrieked again. The high school kids dived out of my way as I pounded toward the water.

I blew the whistle again. Maybe Sean will hear it, I thought desperately. Maybe he didn't go very far and he'll hear the whistle and come back to help.

At the water's edge I paused and stared out at the ocean, gasping for breath.

I couldn't see Joy and Raina at all.

Had the current pulled them under?

I glanced back and forth.

No sign of Sean.

He didn't hear me, I realized. He's not coming.

Everyone else on the beach stood frozen, staring out at the water.

Watching. Waiting. Wondering what was happening. All over.

“There!” a guy shouted hoarsely. “I see something over there!”

My gaze snapped to where he pointed.

At first I saw only waves. Frothy, churning, sounding like thunder as they rolled in.

But then I saw the hands.

Two hands above the water, the fingers stretched up to the sky.

Slowly, they sank beneath the surface.

Only
two
hands? I thought as I dashed along the wet, hard-packed sand. Joy's? Raina's?

Had one of them already drowned? Would I be too late?

No! Don't even think it! I told myself.

Get out there and get them!

I slung the life preserver over one shoulder and raced into the water.

Sucking in a deep breath, I plunged under the first wave and began swimming toward Joy and Raina.