Read Online Meet Me at the Boardwalk by Erin Haft - Free Book Online

slammed behind her.
    I stared at Turquoise. “Why is Meg so pissed at me?” I asked. My heart thumped. “Did she tell you something? Do you know something?”
    Does she know something?
    “Something about what?”
    Something about what happened between Miles and me, I wanted to say, but I shrugged instead.
    She turned back to the computer. “All I know is that she thinks her best friend should care more about this town.”
    I frowned. Neither of us said anything for a while.
    “Why don’t you read these controversial articles at our local library?” I finally asked in the silence. “I understand it’s very quiet. Fewer arguments. Plus, online porn.”
    “How about this?” Turquoise said, keeping her back tome. “I promise to read at the library if you promise to take the garbage out for once in your life. It’s starting to stink.”
    “Whatever you say, Turkey.”
    “Don’t call me that.”
    “Whatever you say, Turkey,” I repeated.
    “Jade!” she yelled, still furiously pretending to read whatever was on-screen. I glimpsed the faint beginnings of a smile on her lips.
    “Don’t call me Jade,” I said. “Call me…hmm. How about Dwarfish Emo Chick?”
    She turned to me, but I dashed out of the kitchen before she could respond.
    I kept running. I ran out the back door and collapsed into the sand with the sunset behind me. And once I caught my breath, I found myself missing Dad for the first time since he’d left. (Yet another first. Ugh.) I cried a little, too. Megan must have found out what happened. Miles must have told her. Like Dad, he too was honest to a fault. It was a mistake. I should have told her a long time ago.
    Luckily nobody saw me crying, other than some random gray-haired tourist woman, strolling barefoot on the beach with her sandals in one hand. I watched the seagulls circle overhead. They reminded me of an illustrated children’s story Dad used to read me a long time ago, about a bunch of birds in New York City…and how one got lost. I think they were ducks. Or turkeys. Some kind of bird.
    I felt a lot like that right now.

Megan
    I suppose I should explain my little freak-out.
    I didn’t even realize what caused it until Turquoise called me late that night (11:45; I was in bed watching The Colbert Report ). Apparently, right after I’d stomped out, Turquoise had spotted Jade out the kitchen window, crying on the beach. Turquoise didn’t want to interfere.
    Instead, about an hour later, once the sun had set, Jade returned and took a shower. They ordered in more pizza and salad and fought over what music to listen to while they ate. (Jade argued for the Beatles—a pretty random call; she seemed much more into Daft Punk these days—and Turquoise argued for Phish.)
    Then Jade fell asleep on the couch.
    “I think she’s jealous of this Lily-Ann girl,” Turquoise whispered cautiously over the phone. “You know, since you’ve made friends with her. But, ah…and I don’t mean to pry, but is everything okay between you guys? Did Jade do something?”
    I shook my head, my throat tightening.
    “Megan?”
    “No, it’s—I don’t know,” I croaked. “I’m just worried about the boardwalk thing. I guess I’m just mad that Jade isn’t.”
    Turquoise kept quiet.
    I was lying, though. I knew it. It made me feel sick. I began to sweat; my stomach turned—because of the secret I’d kept from myself: I’m jealous of Jade’s relationship with Miles. The whole stupid show with Lily-Ann on the boardwalk this morning…that was just my attempt to try to act as comfortable with someone as Jade was with Miles. Which also fed the problem. Jade was equally as comfortable with both Miles and me. Why wasn’t I as comfortable with Miles? Oh, right. Because I was in love with him, and Jade wasn’t. It made perfect sense and it made no sense at all.
    “That’s really why you’re mad?” Turquoise said. It didn’t sound so much like a question, though. It sounded more like she was