coming back from my jog. I remember we used to hang out on this rock and it was your favourite place. Took a chance.â âSince the time we were little and used to pretend we were explorers in a new world.â I immediately regretted getting nostalgic. It wasnât a great way to get him thinking of me as having aged past twelve. Tyler laughed. âYou were always the one dreaming up the games. I just played along. I always wished I had half your imagination.â He was looking at me with his head tucked, stealing a glance to see if Iâd gotten over whatever had made me mad the summer before. I hadnât spoken to him for most of July and the whole month of August, and wasnât sure heâd cared all that much since heâd spent the entire time with his new friends: Jane Ratherford and the in-crowd. âHow do you like working construction?â I asked. âSucks, to tell you the truth, but the moneyâs okay.â âI canât believe youâre out jogging before work.â âHockey team tryouts come early. I want to make first line.â We sat silent for a bit, looking at the lake. I thought about the number of times I would relive this moment after he was gone. Tyler shifted forward and leaned on his elbows on his knees. âYour cousin â¦â âElizabeth.â âYeah, Elizabeth. Are you close?â âNot really. I guess weâll be closer by the time the summer is over.â âYou donât look alike.â âYeah, Elizabeth gives thanks every day.â Tyler turned toward me. âI donât know. I always liked your red hair. Suits you.â âThanks ⦠I think.â Tyler gave me a little push on my arm. âYou gotta learn how to take a compliment, Dar. No wisecracks.â âYeah, well, easy for you to say. Are you going to the beach party this weekend?â Tyler stared at me like he wasnât going to let me off that easily. He stopped what he was about to say and looked out at the lake. âProbably. If Iâm not too tired. Iâm not used to working all day shovelling gravel. Uses a whole new set of muscles. Say, I saw the man thatâs living in the Davidson cottage for the summer. He was talking to your mom outside the store the other morning.â âReally? His nameâs Johnny Lewis. Mom probably was helping him out with something.â âThey were still talking when I jogged by on my way back. I was surprised anyone else was up that early.â I shrugged as if I wasnât concerned. âMomâs an early riser.â Tyler started pushing himself into a standing position. âWell, my ride should be here in a few minutes, so I better get back to the road.â He hesitated and looked over at me. âDo you come here every morning?â âUsually.â âSee you around sometime then.â âYeah, see you around.â I watched him scramble down the rocks and bend to pick up his lunch pail before he started jogging down the beach. The shape of him and the way he moved were as familiar to me as breathing. I hit my forehead with the palm of my hand. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. He only wanted me as a friend. Heâd made that clear when he started up with Jane. It was even clearer now that he was checking out my beautiful cousin Elizabeth. I didnât know if I could bear Tyler being with Elizabeth, even if I never stood a chance of being his girlfriend. Compared to Tyler dating Jane Ratherford, him going out with Elizabeth would be like going from a paper cut to a leg amputation. Mom met me at the front steps to the store. She looked harried, like she was late for something. âAt last, there you are. Madelaine Brassard called and wants you to look after her baby around eleven. Iâm going to town for a bit but will make sure Iâm back in time to take over, if you watch the store for me while Iâm