“I don’t want to play, okay? Am I allowed to make my own choices? Why does everything in this house have to be about sports and school and good grades and church and stupid trophies?” She burrowed under her pillow. “Just go.”
Caleb paused at the door. “By the way, Shift called. The West End Panthers trashed our beach. And by trashed, I mean stuff from like dumpsters or something. Shift said it smelled like a sewer.”
Cassidy threw aside her pillow and scrambled out of bed. “When? How do you know it was the West End?” She peered out her window. “Who did it?”
“Who else? The football team. They’ve been pranking us everysummer since we started winning the rivalry game. We’ve never retaliated, but this year, we want revenge. Want to come?”
“No.” She turned from the window. “It’s so dumb, trashing the beach over a football game.” Cassidy picked up a brush from her dresser, then set it back down. “Wh-who all was with them?”
“How should I know? Those cowards work at night. All because they can’t beat us on the field. And yes, it’s dumb, but they started it.” Caleb started to leave but stuck his head back in for a final word. “Give Mom and Dad—especially Mom—a break, will you?”
She said nothing as he closed her door, just stared at the floor, looking lost and sad.
He met the team on the beach with trash bags, a cooler of drinks, and a whole lot of grumbling about the smell.
“We have to get revenge this time,” Jumbo said to Caleb as he passed out the trash grabbers he’d borrowed from his dad’s refuse company.
Hollingsworth set up a speaker for some tunes, and the Eagles football team got to work. Shift drove his dad’s ATV over the sand, collecting full bags.
A photographer from theGazettesnapped a few pictures while a reporter asked questions.
When the sun rose high and hot, a couple of the guys abandoned cleanup for a pickup game on the beach.
“My nose can’t take it anymore,” Kidwell hollered.
“Come on, Kidwell, Alvarez, get to work. Then we can get up a game.” Caleb reached in the cooler for a Gatorade, and as he tossed one to Shift,shewalked by. The girl from the Sands Motor Motel.
“Hey! You...” He moved around the cooler toward the Beachwalk.
Emery slowed, glanced over at him, lifted her chin, and kept going.
“Hey, Quinn, what’s up?” Caleb started to follow. One of the guys let loose with the “Brick House” whistle, but Emery didn’t even break stride.
“Okay, I see how it is. You too good for me, Emery Quinn?”
She slowed this time and looked at him through the loose hair blowing around her face. She wore shorts and a T-shirt, and her sunburn had faded to a soft tan.
“It’s me, Caleb Ransom,” he said. “How’s the Boyfriendinator?”
“He’s great, practicing Krav Maga.” She pointed to the trash bag in his hand. “Punishment for some criminal activity?”
“No, this was done by the idiots at our rival school. Emery, come meet the guys!” She waved and started on down the Beachwalk. “Yo, Emery Quinn, you leaving me hanging?”
When she disappeared inside the Blue Plate, Caleb returned to picking up trash, checking every few minutes to see if she’d exited the diner. But what if she left out the front?
Yanking off his gloves, he handed his trash grabber to Clubber, who’d done nothing but drink Gatorade and toss the football for the last hour. “Here, put yourself to good use.”
“Bro, where are you going?”
“To see a girl.” He spotted her in the back booth, going over the menu, and slid in across from her. “Look, Quinn, I know you’rewaycooler than me, but really? Shooting me down in front of the bros?” He slapped his hand over his chest. “How could you do me that way?”
“I gave you a look.” She proved it by recreating that coy glance. “Even smiled and waved. What do you want from me?”
“I want you to—” What did he want? To hold her hand. Work up the nerve to kiss her. The warm flush on his cheeks was embarrassing, so he grabbed her menu and ducked behind it. “Did you order yet?”
“Hey, Caleb.” He looked up to see Sarah, a girl in his class,setting down Emery’s orange juice. “I thought you were picking up trash with the rest of the team.” She gave him a flirty smile before dully asking Emery, “What’ll it be?”
“I don’t know, someone stole my menu.” She made a face at Caleb, who promptly handed it over.
