Read Online The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sarah Dessen
Ads: Link
them was saying.
“I can’t believe you hooked up with that guy last night,” one of the others replied. “Since when are you into chest hair?”
“He did not have chest hair.”
Her friends burst out laughing, clearly disputing this. “Deidre,” one finally said, “it was like
fur
.”
They started giggling again, while the girl with the headache sighed. “I think you guys are forgetting the vacation code we decided on during the trip down here.”
“Code?” the girl on her right asked.
“We said,” her friend continued, “that what happened here, this week, would not be part of our permanent record. Pizza at last call, chest hair, belly shots—they all apply. They’re to be filed away and forgotten.”
“Belly shots?” the girl on the left said.
The other two looked at her. “You don’t remember the belly shots?”
“Who, me? No
way
. I would never do that.” They kept staring. “Would I?”
“Next in line!” the guy behind the counter called out, and they moved up. I smiled at Daisy, who was shaking her head disapprovingly.
“Oh, come on,” I said. “You have to admit, it would probably be fun.”
“What?” she replied. “Belly shots?”
“No, that whole down-for-a-week, anything-goes, summer-fling thing.”
“Please don’t start up about how the tourists have more fun than us again,” she warned me. “I can’t take it today.”
“I’m not saying they have more fun,” I replied. She gave me a doubtful look. “I’m saying that, you know, we never get to go to the beach and just, you know, let loose. Fall in love and be different, with no permanent record. We
live
in our permanent record.”
“There are other beaches besides here,” she said.
“I know. But we’ve never gone to any of them, have we?”
“Emaline, I look at the ocean all year long,” she told me. “If I travel, I want to do something different.”
“Which is exactly what I’m saying. You go on vacation, youcan be different. We see people do it all the time. But we’re always just supporting players in someone else’s summer, so we stay the same.”
“I like my same, though,” she said. “And don’t forget, things are about to change, in just a month or two, with college. Right?”
I nodded, but really, that was different. College was for four years, not one week. It was permanent, whereas a vacation—like the ones I saw beginning, in progress, and ending all around me, every day—had a set duration, only a finite amount of time before it was gone for good. Just once, I would have liked to find out how it felt to come to a place like Colby, have the time of my life, and then leave, taking nothing but memories with me. Maybe someday.
“Next!” the heavyset guy behind the counter called out. We stepped forward. “Crazy Daisy, my favorite customer.”
“Eddie Spaghetti,” she replied. “How’s it going?”
“Wednesday,” he said with a shrug, like this was an answer.
She put down a twenty-dollar bill. “She wants her usual. No mayo.”
“You got it,” he said, scribbling something on his order pad. “You guys eating?”
“Slice of cheese,” I told him, and Daisy held up two fingers. I reached for my money, but she shook her head, sliding the bill towards him. “Hey. I can pay.”
“I know.”
Eddie comped us two fountain drinks, which we got before claiming a booth to wait for our food. “So,” Daisy said, unwrapping her straw, “why’d you really just take a shower?”
I raised my eyebrows. “Does there have to be a reason?”
“For you, yes.” She flicked her eyes to the TV over my head, then back at me. “I know for a fact you’ve been up since six thirty, at work at eight sharp. Last I checked you didn’t take bathing breaks.”
I poked at my ice. “Luke and I, um, met up for lunch at my house.”
She exhaled, shaking her head. “I thought you said never again.”
“I did. Apparently this is never.”
“Apparently you
want
to get
“I can’t believe you hooked up with that guy last night,” one of the others replied. “Since when are you into chest hair?”
“He did not have chest hair.”
Her friends burst out laughing, clearly disputing this. “Deidre,” one finally said, “it was like
fur
.”
They started giggling again, while the girl with the headache sighed. “I think you guys are forgetting the vacation code we decided on during the trip down here.”
“Code?” the girl on her right asked.
“We said,” her friend continued, “that what happened here, this week, would not be part of our permanent record. Pizza at last call, chest hair, belly shots—they all apply. They’re to be filed away and forgotten.”
“Belly shots?” the girl on the left said.
The other two looked at her. “You don’t remember the belly shots?”
“Who, me? No
way
. I would never do that.” They kept staring. “Would I?”
“Next in line!” the guy behind the counter called out, and they moved up. I smiled at Daisy, who was shaking her head disapprovingly.
“Oh, come on,” I said. “You have to admit, it would probably be fun.”
“What?” she replied. “Belly shots?”
“No, that whole down-for-a-week, anything-goes, summer-fling thing.”
“Please don’t start up about how the tourists have more fun than us again,” she warned me. “I can’t take it today.”
“I’m not saying they have more fun,” I replied. She gave me a doubtful look. “I’m saying that, you know, we never get to go to the beach and just, you know, let loose. Fall in love and be different, with no permanent record. We
live
in our permanent record.”
“There are other beaches besides here,” she said.
“I know. But we’ve never gone to any of them, have we?”
“Emaline, I look at the ocean all year long,” she told me. “If I travel, I want to do something different.”
“Which is exactly what I’m saying. You go on vacation, youcan be different. We see people do it all the time. But we’re always just supporting players in someone else’s summer, so we stay the same.”
“I like my same, though,” she said. “And don’t forget, things are about to change, in just a month or two, with college. Right?”
I nodded, but really, that was different. College was for four years, not one week. It was permanent, whereas a vacation—like the ones I saw beginning, in progress, and ending all around me, every day—had a set duration, only a finite amount of time before it was gone for good. Just once, I would have liked to find out how it felt to come to a place like Colby, have the time of my life, and then leave, taking nothing but memories with me. Maybe someday.
“Next!” the heavyset guy behind the counter called out. We stepped forward. “Crazy Daisy, my favorite customer.”
“Eddie Spaghetti,” she replied. “How’s it going?”
“Wednesday,” he said with a shrug, like this was an answer.
She put down a twenty-dollar bill. “She wants her usual. No mayo.”
“You got it,” he said, scribbling something on his order pad. “You guys eating?”
“Slice of cheese,” I told him, and Daisy held up two fingers. I reached for my money, but she shook her head, sliding the bill towards him. “Hey. I can pay.”
“I know.”
Eddie comped us two fountain drinks, which we got before claiming a booth to wait for our food. “So,” Daisy said, unwrapping her straw, “why’d you really just take a shower?”
I raised my eyebrows. “Does there have to be a reason?”
“For you, yes.” She flicked her eyes to the TV over my head, then back at me. “I know for a fact you’ve been up since six thirty, at work at eight sharp. Last I checked you didn’t take bathing breaks.”
I poked at my ice. “Luke and I, um, met up for lunch at my house.”
She exhaled, shaking her head. “I thought you said never again.”
“I did. Apparently this is never.”
“Apparently you
want
to get
Similar Books
