The Shore by Todd Strasser

while I was shopping with Polly,” Avery said. “Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s cool that you’re trying to help out.”
    “Thanks.” Once again he moved his fingers softly through her hair as if reluctant to let go. “Everything looks okay here. The skin isn’t broken or anything.”
    He started to pull his hand away, but she didn’t want him to. As if it had a will of its own, her hand reached up and grabbed his wrist, holding him close. They stared into each other’s eyes, then Lucas’s lips began to move toward hers.
    Before either of them could move or say anything more, the front door opened and Curt entered.
    • • •
    Lucas was fully aware that he’d kept his fingers in Avery’s hair longer than necessary. He was aware that if Curt hadn’t come in just then, he would have kissed her. He’d wanted to touch her since he’d first seen her the day before. The words “soft” and “pretty” described both the girl and her hair, and he had to remind himself that he already had enough on his mind this summer without having the headache of messing with another guy’s girlfriend.
    And yet . . . there was something about her.
    Almost irresistible.
    At the sound of the door opening, Lucas backed quickly away from Avery. Avery slid off the counter and went to greet her boyfriend. Lucas wasn’t sure what Curt had seen, and now he saw a suspicious look in Curt’s eye and braced himself. But Curt’s attention went to his girlfriend, and Lucas felt a strange mixture of relief and jealousy as the handsome scraggly rocker took Avery in his arms and gave her a hug.
    “So what’s up?” Curt asked.
    “Just talking,” Avery said brightly, as if she too was relieved that he hadn’t noticed how close she and Lucas had come. “Did you have a good rehearsal?”
    Curt’s eyes lit up. “Great news. Darek got us a gig. One of those sunset concerts in the park. It’s free, but it’s the kind of exposure we need.”
    “Curt, that’s awesome,” she said, flinging her arms around his neck. Lucas turned away, thinking back to what she’d saidabout Habitat for Humanity. So she’d seen him while shopping.
    “When’s the show?” Avery was asking Curt.
    “Two weeks.”
    “See, I knew good things would happen here,” she said.
    Lucas knew it was time to leave them alone. “That’s awesome, bro,” he said, offering Curt his hand. As Curt shook it, his eyes hardened slightly. “Thanks.”
    Lucas crossed the living room and headed for his room. He’d made a mistake, but fortunately it was a small one. Just the same, he wouldn’t make it again.

Four
    Polly checked her watch while she waited for Avery at the bottom of the stairs. It had been two weeks since she’d helped get Avery a job at The Seashell Restaurant. And every morning it was the same thing: Polly always up early and waiting. She knew she wasn’t waking early because she was so eager to go to work. It was Avery she was eager to see. Avery, who was the nicest and sweetest friend she’d ever had.
    I’ll give her another five minutes, then I’ll knock on her door, she thought, just as she did every morning. The minutes ticked by. Just as she was about to start up the stairs, Avery’s door opened and she came out, closing it behind her.
    Polly breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t want to be responsible for waking up Curt. That was definitely not her idea of fun.
    “Am I late?” Avery said.
    “No,” Polly answered.
    They smiled at each other. It had become a routine, a privatejoke they shared. As Avery came quietly down the stairs she glanced over at one of the sofas and saw something that was not routine. “He been there all night?”
    Polly turned. Owen was sprawled on a couch. She hadn’t noticed him before. Then again, she hadn’t seen much of him recently. He was out partying every night and, she suspected, not always home in the morning. His clothes were badly wrinkled and stained in a few places. He was unshaven and a