but that’s all it takes. A small group of girls who have been hanging by the back door turn away at this possessivegesture, and I smile. Eli’s taken, all right. At least for tonight. He reaches behind me for the glass that contains mostly brown-tinted melted ice. “Can I have the rest of this?”
“Of course,” I say, enjoying his assumption that we share glasses now.
Melissa comes over and hands Eli a small white envelope. She’s the band manager and is the only one in the group legally allowed to drink. “Here’s your cut.”
“Thanks,” Eli says, shoving the envelope into his back pocket. He glances at the clock up on the wall above the bar. “Do you have to go home soon?” he asks me.
“No,” I say. No school tomorrow because of spring break—not like Alicia would care. I almost tell him I don’t have to be home at all, but I tuck that information into my back pocket like my own small white envelope, ready to pull it out if I need it later. When Cecilia’s not working, she spends her days and nights at her sister’s house, and her cousin Francesca comes to stay with us if Dad’s gone. Unlike Cecilia, who stays up and waits for us even when she pretends she’s not, Francesca is a deep sleeper, so as long as we’re home by daybreak, it’s fine. Information that is usually only useful for Ava. I smile up at him. “I’ve got time tonight.”
“Excellent,” he says, flashing me a smile.
Melissa’s girlfriend, Amy, walks up and gives her a big kiss on the back of her neck. She’s as tall and blond as Melissa is tiny and dark, but somehow they suit each other perfectly. Melissa turns and kisses her squarely on the mouth, and for a second I’m jealous—of their closeness, of the ease they have together and the permission they have to kiss each other inpublic. I can feel Eli standing so close to me, and I wonder if he’ll ever kiss me like that.
“It’s still like a million degrees out there,” Amy complains. “And the AC in the van is broken.”
“Let me go give out the rest of the money and I’ll meet you outside,” Melissa answers.
Everyone drags themselves toward the open back door, where the air is only a few degrees cooler than it is inside. It’s one of those stagnant inland nights with no breeze, and for a moment I wish I could invite everyone back to my house for a midnight pool party. “So, what now?” Amy asks. “Denny’s in Carlsbad? At least it’ll be cooler by the beach.”
“How about WaterRidge?” Linzey tosses out, one hand tucked into Adam’s back pocket.
Amy whirls around. “Oooh, yes! We haven’t done that for ages.” Nods and murmurs go through the group, and it seems like the decision is made.
“I don’t feel like WaterRidge,” Rebecca says, walking up and grabbing Danny’s arm possessively.
“Then don’t come,” Amy says, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
“Come on. What else are you going to do?” Linzey asks.
Rebecca glares at Eli and me standing so close together. I almost expect him to say something in view of such open hostility, but he doesn’t, just looks at the ground sheepishly.
“Fine,” she finally says. “I’ll go to stupid WaterRidge with you guys.”
“Put your crap in the van and let’s go,” Melissa agrees, and the guys shove the black instrument cases and amps intothe back of the dented white panel van. I keep my eyes on Rebecca as she climbs into Danny’s car.
“What’s WaterRidge?” I ask.
Eli turns to me, his features made sharper by the lights of the passing cars. “You’ve never been to WaterRidge?”
“Nope,” I say. “Never even heard of it.”
“And here I thought you hadn’t had a deprived childhood,” he says. “Don’t worry, you’ll like it.” He grins. “You can run fast, can’t you?”
“Um …,” I say, not sure how to answer that.
“Don’t worry. If there’s trouble, I’ll take care of it.”
I study Eli, who has an expectant look on his face. Everyone else in
“Of course,” I say, enjoying his assumption that we share glasses now.
Melissa comes over and hands Eli a small white envelope. She’s the band manager and is the only one in the group legally allowed to drink. “Here’s your cut.”
“Thanks,” Eli says, shoving the envelope into his back pocket. He glances at the clock up on the wall above the bar. “Do you have to go home soon?” he asks me.
“No,” I say. No school tomorrow because of spring break—not like Alicia would care. I almost tell him I don’t have to be home at all, but I tuck that information into my back pocket like my own small white envelope, ready to pull it out if I need it later. When Cecilia’s not working, she spends her days and nights at her sister’s house, and her cousin Francesca comes to stay with us if Dad’s gone. Unlike Cecilia, who stays up and waits for us even when she pretends she’s not, Francesca is a deep sleeper, so as long as we’re home by daybreak, it’s fine. Information that is usually only useful for Ava. I smile up at him. “I’ve got time tonight.”
“Excellent,” he says, flashing me a smile.
Melissa’s girlfriend, Amy, walks up and gives her a big kiss on the back of her neck. She’s as tall and blond as Melissa is tiny and dark, but somehow they suit each other perfectly. Melissa turns and kisses her squarely on the mouth, and for a second I’m jealous—of their closeness, of the ease they have together and the permission they have to kiss each other inpublic. I can feel Eli standing so close to me, and I wonder if he’ll ever kiss me like that.
“It’s still like a million degrees out there,” Amy complains. “And the AC in the van is broken.”
“Let me go give out the rest of the money and I’ll meet you outside,” Melissa answers.
Everyone drags themselves toward the open back door, where the air is only a few degrees cooler than it is inside. It’s one of those stagnant inland nights with no breeze, and for a moment I wish I could invite everyone back to my house for a midnight pool party. “So, what now?” Amy asks. “Denny’s in Carlsbad? At least it’ll be cooler by the beach.”
“How about WaterRidge?” Linzey tosses out, one hand tucked into Adam’s back pocket.
Amy whirls around. “Oooh, yes! We haven’t done that for ages.” Nods and murmurs go through the group, and it seems like the decision is made.
“I don’t feel like WaterRidge,” Rebecca says, walking up and grabbing Danny’s arm possessively.
“Then don’t come,” Amy says, a hint of annoyance in her voice.
“Come on. What else are you going to do?” Linzey asks.
Rebecca glares at Eli and me standing so close together. I almost expect him to say something in view of such open hostility, but he doesn’t, just looks at the ground sheepishly.
“Fine,” she finally says. “I’ll go to stupid WaterRidge with you guys.”
“Put your crap in the van and let’s go,” Melissa agrees, and the guys shove the black instrument cases and amps intothe back of the dented white panel van. I keep my eyes on Rebecca as she climbs into Danny’s car.
“What’s WaterRidge?” I ask.
Eli turns to me, his features made sharper by the lights of the passing cars. “You’ve never been to WaterRidge?”
“Nope,” I say. “Never even heard of it.”
“And here I thought you hadn’t had a deprived childhood,” he says. “Don’t worry, you’ll like it.” He grins. “You can run fast, can’t you?”
“Um …,” I say, not sure how to answer that.
“Don’t worry. If there’s trouble, I’ll take care of it.”
I study Eli, who has an expectant look on his face. Everyone else in
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