walked back alone.
My arm started to hurt, and I realized I’d kept digging the trench without realizing. It was now almost a foot deep. I dropped the rock and the muscles in my hand ached. The stone gleamed red in the light from the bonfire. As I leaned back on my palms, pain shot through my hand and I brought it closer. There was a shallow cut and a few reddish-black drops of blood from gripping the jagged edge of the rock too tight. I’d sliced up my palm and hadn’t even noticed. The redness on the rock was my own blood.
Rubbing my hands on my dark jeans, I tried in vain to get the sand and blood off. Why did this Mia thing have me so messed up? It was hard to believe it hadn’t even been two weeks since I’d first watched her dreams. Sometimes I didn’t even feel like the same person as before. If I’d been smarter, I could’ve handled the whole thing differently, better, but it had caught me off guard.
I glanced back just in time to see Mia waving at Addie and moving toward the parking lot. Jumping to my feet, I ran to cut her off. I only needed a minute, one glance, and then I’d let her go.
I skidded to a stop in front of her, my feet tingly and raw as I realized I’d left my shoes back on the beach. Mia jumped away and gave a little squeak before glaring at me.
“What on earth is wrong with you?”
“Sorry, I … ” My mind went blank.
“Seriously, if it weren’t for Addie telling me you were just acting weird lately, I’d wonder if someone should have you committed.” She laughed a little, but there was a hard edge behind her voice I hadn’t heard before.
I’d have to thank Addie for defending me—assuming she would ever speak to me again, and even though a very strong argument could be made these days for a padded room and a white jacket. I put my hands on my knees and feigned panting, trying to buy time to figure out what to say.
“Look, I’m flattered, really.” Mia’s voice was a little softer when she spoke again. “I mean, you’re really cute, but let’s be honest. You keep showing up everywhere I go, and the way you act—you’re starting to freak me out.”
I stood up straight. “What?”
“Come on, Parker. Do you really think I don’t notice you staring at me? The way you came by my house to talk to Jeff last weekend? Am I supposed to believe you didn’t know he was at a meeting with Coach Mahoney? A meeting, Jeff told me, that you were supposed to be at? Seriously.” She shuffled her feet and looked away. “And just now, I thought you were going to bore a hole through my head back on the beach.”
“I’m sorry. I just really like your … your eyes?” I’d meant it to come out as a statement, not a question. I wanted to kick myself.
She stared at me, unblinking. “My eyes?”
“Yeah, you have pretty eyes.”
Mia flushed and looked over my shoulder. “Oh, thank you.”
My mind grasped for something, anything to say in the stillness. “So, uh, I heard you paint.”
The moment it slipped out, I recognized my mistake. Her dreams were the only reason I knew about her painting. I really hoped it connected to reality somehow.
Her gaze turned cold. “You heard wrong.” She shook her head and looked away again. “I don’t paint anymore.” She focused on something behind me and her eyes widened. Her voice was so low I could barely hear it when she spoke.
“Uh-oh.”
“Uh-oh, what?” I asked just before Thor grabbed my shoulder and pinned me against a nearby pine tree.
“Hello to you too.” I focused my eyes on his neck as I struggled against his grip. I didn’t know why he was involved in this, but since Jeff was the only person he didn’t seem to hate, I guessed it made sense. Jeff stood next to Thor, arms folded across his chest.
“Let him go.” Jeff sighed and pulled Thor’s shoulder until he released me. He seemed irritated, but nothing compared to the anger radiating from his buddy. “Seriously, Parker, what’s going on here?”
My
My arm started to hurt, and I realized I’d kept digging the trench without realizing. It was now almost a foot deep. I dropped the rock and the muscles in my hand ached. The stone gleamed red in the light from the bonfire. As I leaned back on my palms, pain shot through my hand and I brought it closer. There was a shallow cut and a few reddish-black drops of blood from gripping the jagged edge of the rock too tight. I’d sliced up my palm and hadn’t even noticed. The redness on the rock was my own blood.
Rubbing my hands on my dark jeans, I tried in vain to get the sand and blood off. Why did this Mia thing have me so messed up? It was hard to believe it hadn’t even been two weeks since I’d first watched her dreams. Sometimes I didn’t even feel like the same person as before. If I’d been smarter, I could’ve handled the whole thing differently, better, but it had caught me off guard.
I glanced back just in time to see Mia waving at Addie and moving toward the parking lot. Jumping to my feet, I ran to cut her off. I only needed a minute, one glance, and then I’d let her go.
I skidded to a stop in front of her, my feet tingly and raw as I realized I’d left my shoes back on the beach. Mia jumped away and gave a little squeak before glaring at me.
“What on earth is wrong with you?”
“Sorry, I … ” My mind went blank.
“Seriously, if it weren’t for Addie telling me you were just acting weird lately, I’d wonder if someone should have you committed.” She laughed a little, but there was a hard edge behind her voice I hadn’t heard before.
I’d have to thank Addie for defending me—assuming she would ever speak to me again, and even though a very strong argument could be made these days for a padded room and a white jacket. I put my hands on my knees and feigned panting, trying to buy time to figure out what to say.
“Look, I’m flattered, really.” Mia’s voice was a little softer when she spoke again. “I mean, you’re really cute, but let’s be honest. You keep showing up everywhere I go, and the way you act—you’re starting to freak me out.”
I stood up straight. “What?”
“Come on, Parker. Do you really think I don’t notice you staring at me? The way you came by my house to talk to Jeff last weekend? Am I supposed to believe you didn’t know he was at a meeting with Coach Mahoney? A meeting, Jeff told me, that you were supposed to be at? Seriously.” She shuffled her feet and looked away. “And just now, I thought you were going to bore a hole through my head back on the beach.”
“I’m sorry. I just really like your … your eyes?” I’d meant it to come out as a statement, not a question. I wanted to kick myself.
She stared at me, unblinking. “My eyes?”
“Yeah, you have pretty eyes.”
Mia flushed and looked over my shoulder. “Oh, thank you.”
My mind grasped for something, anything to say in the stillness. “So, uh, I heard you paint.”
The moment it slipped out, I recognized my mistake. Her dreams were the only reason I knew about her painting. I really hoped it connected to reality somehow.
Her gaze turned cold. “You heard wrong.” She shook her head and looked away again. “I don’t paint anymore.” She focused on something behind me and her eyes widened. Her voice was so low I could barely hear it when she spoke.
“Uh-oh.”
“Uh-oh, what?” I asked just before Thor grabbed my shoulder and pinned me against a nearby pine tree.
“Hello to you too.” I focused my eyes on his neck as I struggled against his grip. I didn’t know why he was involved in this, but since Jeff was the only person he didn’t seem to hate, I guessed it made sense. Jeff stood next to Thor, arms folded across his chest.
“Let him go.” Jeff sighed and pulled Thor’s shoulder until he released me. He seemed irritated, but nothing compared to the anger radiating from his buddy. “Seriously, Parker, what’s going on here?”
My
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