The Summer of Moonlight Secrets (23 page)

64

Allie Jo

Clay takes one look at me and tackles Mr. Smith, or whoever he really is. Minutes later, the police arrive and get our stories. Chase and I tell them everything—how that man grabbed me, how he said he was going to take me, how he slapped Chase down—we tell them everything except about Tara.

The officers lead him away in handcuffs. The whole way to the patrol car, he's spouting off about a seal girl and a skin. We shake our heads like he's crazy.

My arm's purpling up really badly, and Chase is acting woozy.

“Know what?” he says to Clay. “I think I've got a concussion.”

“Don't worry,” Clay says. He gestures toward the police. “They called for an ambulance. Can you make it back in?”

Chase gives him a lopsided smile. “Totally, dude.”

Clay cracks a grin. “Okay,
dude
.” He makes us sit in the office, “where I can keep an eye on you,” he says.

Through the window, I see the police waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Moments later, our parents rush in, looking all worried and scared. The room bursts with voices and movement, and Chase and I tell once again about the crazy man harassing us, thinking we had something that belonged to him.

When the ambulance comes, Chase raises two fingers. “Peace out,” he says to me.

“See ya later, alligator,” I respond.

In the snuggly blankets of my bed, I can't fall asleep. It's not my arm, which is really sore, and I'm not scared, like if that man could escape.

It's just I can't stop thinking about Tara.

“You are good,” she'd said and kissed me. Then she hugged Chase too.

My eyes got blurry with tears after she dove into the springs, but I know I saw what I saw: a seal bobbed up and winked at me.

65

Chase

The doctor at the hospital diagnosed me with a mild concussion and, after taking X-rays, said my arm was fine and healing in the right places. A week later, my headaches are gone and my arm is fine.

Allie Jo and I decided it was best to keep Tara's story to ourselves; we couldn't risk more Mr. Smiths looking to make money off Selkies. We didn't even tell Sophie, and we saw her nearly every day. Sophie and Allie Jo have been knitting furiously, as if they have some kind of deadline. Which I guess they do. Sophie and her family are leaving today.

I get up quickly and slap the button on the alarm. Let Dad sleep; he deserves it. I pull on my shorts and a blue skateboard shirt, brush my teeth, and try to fix my hair, which is standing up at all angles. Rub in a little of Dad's gel and, yeah, my hair's chillin'.

Before I leave the room, I grab the little white box that's been sitting for weeks on my nightstand and slip it into one of my pockets. It's now or never.

Mrs. Duran, Sophie, and Allie Jo are sitting in the parlor by the grand staircase when I come down. Mr. Duran's getting the suitcases together and finalizing his bill with Mr. Jackson.

“Morning,” I say, acting all casual even though my heart beats a million miles a minute. They all look up at me, smile, murmur, “Good morning,” and “Hi, Chase,” and I realize I need to get Sophie alone if I'm going to do this.

I look right at her. “One last game of air hockey?” I ask.

Allie Jo stands up. “Sounds good to me. Sophie can be on your team on account of your arm.”

No, no, no!
I shout in my mind. But what can I do with Mrs. Duran sitting right there? When we turn down the hall, my hand slips into Sophie's and she squeezes back, causing my heart to overflow. I wonder if this is what love feels like.

“Allie Jo, could you go back?” I blurt.

She furrows her eyebrows for a second, then glances at our hands and smiles. “Oh.
Lovebird
stuff.”

My face heats up. Sophie giggles.

After we're alone, I take Sophie into the game room and tell her I don't want to play games. “I have something to say.”

Her blue eyes sparkle up at me. It's a rush having her look at me this way.

My lips open and close. I gaze into her eyes and that calms me. “I like you,” I say.

She breaks out in a big smile. “I like you too.”

My heart soars. I dig into my pocket and open the box.

Her hands fly in front of her face. “Oh! It's so pretty!”

“A green heart,” I say. “Just like the one you gave me.” I gesture with my cast.

Then I take the ring and slip it onto the third finger of her right hand. “If I could, I would put it on your other hand.”

She turns her face up to mine, and I kiss her softly, hug her tightly.

Then she's gone.

Later, I grab my skateboard and head up to the third floor, laughing at the
Guests Prohibited
sign. Ah, the third floor; so nice, so long. So perfect.

I slap the board down and plant my right foot near the tail. Pushing off with my left, I glide down the hallway, stopping at the place I fell before. I pop the board up.

“Hey!”

I whip my head around and see a girl standing all sergeantlike, hands on her hips, legs apart. I grin, throw my board down, and I'm off.

She pounds down the hallway. “Is it time for my lesson yet?” she shouts.

I laugh. “Come and get me!”

66

Allie Jo

“I got this for you,” Nicholas says to Chase. From his pocket, he hands him a little red car. “I got it at a party, but I don't like it, so I'm giving it to you for going away.”

Chase examines it properly in his hand, shoves it into his pocket, and pats Nicholas on the head. “Thanks, bud. I'll take good care of it.”

We stand in the front-desk area on one of the worst days of summer. Chase is leaving today. But I remind myself that Melanie will be back in ten days.

Ryan gives Chase a quarter and a drawing of a stickman that's supposed to be Chase. The head is fifty times larger than the body, and the stick arm has a circle on it.

I bend down to Ryan's height, making sure my newly finished scarf doesn't drag on the floor. “Good job, Ryan. Is that Chase's cast?”

He nods, looks shyly up to Chase, who makes a big show of inspecting the picture.

“I'm definitely framing this when I get home,” Chase says.

Ryan's cheeks puff out with a great big smile.

“You boys run back to your room now,” I say. “Your mom's waiting on you.”

Mr. Dennison trudges over from the front desk with Clay, carrying suitcases and his typewriter. Chase and I trail behind them, past the grand staircase, past the game room, out to the parking lot and their car.

As they load up, I say to Chase, “I'll never forget this summer.”

“Me neither,” he says. “I'll never tell either.”

I nod my agreement. We sigh, looking at each other. The sun beats down, promising to fry the skin right off my bones this afternoon. I hand him an envelope with my address and a stamp already on it. “Make sure you write me.”

“I will.” Neither of us smiles.

Clay claps Chase on the back. “Be cool.”

Chase grins. “I'm always cool, dude!”

“Oh, Allie Jo,” Mr. Dennison says. He shakes Clay's hand before Clay leaves; then he comes over to me with a big envelope. “I had some extra photos made for you.” He slides one out.

The deep emerald green water of Hope Springs shimmers in waves, and the plants and pebbles below look purple. I see big shapes in the shadows.

“Manatees!” I say.

“Sea cows,” Mr. Dennison replies.

Chase and I laugh. “They hate that name,” we say at the same time.

I give Chase a bear hug before he climbs into the car. A world of understanding passes between us.

Their car crunches over the gravel, then spins out some dirt as Mr. Dennison turns onto the driveway.

My mouth quivers, but I wave my arm wildly. “Bye, Chase!”

Chase sticks his head out the window. “Bye, Allie Jo!” he yells. Mr. Dennison toots the horn a few times.

I sit on the porch steps and watch Chase waving his cast at me all the way down the driveway until I can't see them anymore. Even then I stare after him for a minute.

The morning breeze ruffles my hair and whispers through the trees. A couple of lizards dart by my feet. Lizard earrings. I can't wait till Melanie gets back. I've got so much to tell her and a lot I can't tell her, but at least I can teach her to knit. I glance over to the jacaranda, standing in a pool of its own lavender petals, and I see Jinx up high, crossing the branch to our garden room.

I guess that's enough sitting on my butt for one morning. I whirl my scarf around my neck and stand up. Time to get started on my rounds.