Atlantic Island (2 page)

Mark stepped forward. "Top of the morning, good sir! My colleagues and I request your finest room."

The manager scowled but said nothing, shifting his glance to the computer monitor on the desk. He found a room and took Bill's credit card. The others would split the charge at the end of the trip.
And so,
Theo thought,
the ritual of the motel check-in is complete.
He wondered how many strangers the manager had seen pass through the lobby doors. Families seeking easy access to the beach, co-ed groups of teens seeking easy access to each other. This made him think of the girls in the Mazda. They should have been here by now, if they were actually staying at the Sea Sons. Clearly Mark's intuition was off, not that that came as a surprise.
 

Their room was on the second floor on the far side of the building. It faced the street but the ocean wasn't far away. The second floor walkway wrapped around the whole building. Theo had once been visiting his grandparents and had seen kids jumping off the top of the motel into the pool. Someone called the police and the nonsense was resolved. Theo always enjoyed seeing obnoxious people get their comeuppance.
 

 
Bill slipped the key card into the scanner, saw the light turn green and opened the door. They entered a small living room with a sofa bed along one wall. A small television sat on a shelf, and a comfy red chair (just a shade darker than the red of the sofa) nestled in the opposite corner. A small hallway led to a back bedroom with two twin beds.
 

The group quarreled briefly over sleeping arrangements before agreeing on a rotation that forced each boy to have to share the sofa bed at least once. Ryan grabbed the remote from on top of the television and pressed the power button while he walked backwards toward the chair. The television, a thick, old-fashioned model, came on and he flipped through the channels.
 

Ryan paused on CNN, which at the moment featured Anderson Cooper interviewing a seismologist about some suspicious tremors somewhere in Iowa. "So you're saying the American people don't have any reason to be concerned?" Cooper asked.

The scientist, wearing thick spectacles beneath his greasy hair, stared into the camera. "I'm saying that we have no evidence to suggest that anything significant is happening. What we have seen are a few minor incidences that barely register on the scale."

Bill reached over and grabbed the remote from Ryan. He turned the television off. "Enough of that crap. Let's get changed and hit the beach while the sun is still good."

The four teenagers, now dressed in swim trunks and flip-flops, walked down to ground level and crossed over the boardwalk onto the sand. The beach was crowded and Theo had to carefully avoid a minefield of sand castles and kid toys as he ran to the ocean's edge.

Theo sat down on the wet, hard-packed sand and allowed the waves to lap around him. He looked out into the great expanse in front of him. Off to the side, the Pier Mall was visible even here, miles away from Atlantic City. Beyond that, nothing. Theo loved that about the ocean. Sure, he knew that Europe or Africa or whatever was somewhere on the other end of that vastness, but for all intents and purposes, this was the edge of all things. There was a strange peace in that thought.
 

"You know, you might want to look around you and check out the girls instead of the fish." Bill spoke from behind Theo. He wore a sleeveless shirt, though he was the only one of the four with a defined six-pack.
 

"Hey man," Theo said, "If you want to go and be a creeper that's fine but I'm good right where I am."

"Alright bro. You and Ry can do your thing. More for Mark and me."

They stayed on the beach for three hours. Bill and Mark spoke to every girl they could find and Theo eventually joined them in tossing a Frisbee. Exhausted, they made their way back to the motel to shower and change for the night.
 

At 6 PM, they piled back into Mark's car for the half hour drive to Ocean City. They settled on one of the numerous pizza parlors for dinner, choosing one by the entrance to the boardwalk. Walking up the wooden ramp, Theo was swept up in the atmosphere. The boards were packed with people, mainly teens of both genders. Theo felt his eyes drawn from one girl to the next. The bright lights of the signs above the shops hypnotized him.

The pizza parlor was different from the usual hangout at home. With its doors wide open, the oceanfront shop filled with the scents and sounds of the boardwalk. The guys ordered a giant pepperoni. Mark wanted to discuss the plans for the evening. Bill had his heart set on going to the Surf Mall, a collection of shops selling t-shirts, collectibles and other, unusual items. Ryan and Mark insisted on hitting up at least one arcade. Theo didn't really care where they went. He was enjoying himself and drinking in the experience.

As Theo reached for a second slice, Ryan changed the subject. "Have you guys figured out where you want to go to school?"
 

Bill faked a yawn. "Really? You want to talk about this now?"

"Well," Ryan said, "I just think it's important that we focus on the future. We aren't going to be young forever."

"And I think," Bill said, "that you're killing me. Can't we focus on the present?"

Ryan shrugged and went back to playing with his iPhone. Theo heard female laughter and looked up toward the entrance. Leaning against the counter was the blonde from the Mazda. Next to her were the thin brunette and a short, Asian girl. She was almost definitely the girl from the passenger seat.
 

"Guys, we've got company," Theo said. The others looked up.
 

"I can't believe it," said Mark, "this is fate." He was already getting up and making his way over to the girls. Theo and the others followed. Mark introduced himself and his friends.
 

The blonde girl (whose name was Jamie) clicked with Mark right away. She invited the guys to sit with them. Over the course of the next hour, Jamie and Mark laughed it up while Bill awkwardly flirted with Michelle, the Asian girl. Ryan seemed more interested in his phone, so Theo had no trouble focusing on Kylee, the brunette.
 

Kylee was beautiful. She had her hair styled so that a chunk of it fell over one eye and she continuously brushed it back with her hand as she talked. Theo was entranced. The girls were all from the town next to Mifflin and were about the same age as Theo and his friends. Jamie and Michelle had been friends since childhood, much like Bill and Ryan. Kylee had met them in middle school and they had been close ever since.
 

Theo found himself second-guessing almost everything he said. For someone who had spent a good amount of time drifting through life, he was suddenly quite focused. He wanted Kylee to like him, and it seemed like she did. Of course, Theo thought, it's not like he hadn't misread those kinds of things before.
 

The girls followed them to the arcade. Bill wowed Michelle by defeating the robotic arm wrestling game, while Theo and Kylee played skee-ball and air hockey. Ryan went from machine to machine, playing all the fighting games he could find. Mark and Jamie were nowhere to be found. Theo knew what that meant; Mark was not known for wasting time when he found a girl he liked.
 

Theo was one point away from defeating Kylee in air hockey. He intentionally gave up the next two points. "Are you letting me win?" Kylee asked with a smile.

"No…" Theo couldn't help but smile back. It was amazing just how much he liked Kylee. She was gorgeous, sure, but he actually wanted to talk to her and not let himself drift away into his thoughts like he usually did.
 

 
Kylee won the last point without any help. Theo walked around the table and high-fived her in a show of good-sportsmanship. As the group all headed for the exit, Theo made a calculated gamble. He stuck out his hand, intentionally brushed it against Kylee's, and breathed a sigh of relief when she closed hers around his.
 

On the walk back to the parking lot, Theo took time to marvel at how much fun he was having. Mark and Jamie had found them outside the arcade and were laughing it up loudly. Mark's arm was around Jamie's waist. By contrast, Bill walked next to Michelle, keeping a small distance between them. Bill was always so nervous when he met a girl he liked. Theo couldn't help but smile.
 

The girls were staying at Jamie's mom's place not far from the Sea Son's Motel. Somewhere in the conversation it was decided that they would all go back to the motel to hang out and see where the night went.
 

Theo sat in the back of Jamie's Mazda with Kylee. Mark sat up front in the passenger seat. Ryan drove the Accord, with Bill and Michelle in the backseat. Bill kept the same small gap between him and Michelle.
 

Kylee leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Let's go for a walk when we get back." Theo looked at her as she brushed back that errant piece of hair. A walk sounded like a very good idea.
 

When the cars were parked, Theo and Kylee walked up on the boards leaving the others to their own fun. "So," Theo said, "tell me something interesting about you."

Kylee shrugged. "I don't know; I'm not really all that interesting."

Theo took her hand. "I can't imagine that. Well, what are you planning to do this summer?"

"I have a job at the pharmacy a couple minutes from my house. I do gift-wrapping and help people find greeting cards. See? You've found a really interesting girl."

Theo smiled. "I happen to think it's fascinating. I mean, I've always wanted to know how to tie one of those fancy curly bows."

"Oh it's very simple, you take scissors and…" Kylee raised an eyebrow. "Are you making fun of me?"

"Maybe…a little?"

Kylee grinned. "Okay, I'll remember that." She walked over to the railing and pulled herself up on top of the metal bar. "So what do you do, funny man?"

Theo looked toward the water. "I don't really do much right now, I mean, I hang with the guys and I'm obviously thinking about college. I just haven't figured out exactly what I want to do." He turned back to Kylee. His eyes wandered over her body and focused on her lean legs in short jean shorts, perched on the railing. He returned his gaze to her face. Making eye contact with Kylee was a challenge he hadn't expected.
 

"You'll get there," Kylee said. "Just enjoy the summer."

"Oh I am," Theo said. "It's off to a great start."
 

Theo stepped in front of Kylee and she nudged him playfully with her foot. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the bar. With a grin she shoved him backwards and ran for the stairs leading to the beach. "Come on!" she called.

Theo, captivated, shed his sandals and followed Kylee on to the sand. He chased her down to the water where she splashed in the edge of the tide. Kylee's silhouette in the moonlight beckoned to him. He reached out and pulled her around. This time she didn't push him away.

 
Theo felt Kylee's lips against his. His arms were secure around her waist and she wrapped hers around his neck. He was so lost in the experience, so overwhelmed by the force of nature that was this new girl, that he didn't hear the low rumbling on the horizon.

A louder series of booms in the distance made Kylee pull away. "What was that?"
 

"I have no idea," Theo said, pulling her back toward him. "Maybe a plane breaking the sound barrier or something. I think there's an airport near..." A massive, echoing bang interrupted him.

The sky lit up with a series of flashes emanating both from miles behind the condos along the boardwalk and far out over the ocean. The rumbling continued and began to intensify. Theo's ears were ringing. "Okay, not a plane!"
 

Kylee was holding her head. "What? I can't hear anything!"

Well, thought Theo, the noise took her hearing too, so at least I'm not having a stroke or something.
 

The ground began to shake, vibrating like a massive motor. The sand shifted around Theo's feet as he stumbled toward Kylee who was struggling to stay upright. The ocean began to churn and the waves rolled higher up the shore. Theo looked at the frothy surf reflecting the flashes of light in the sky. He took Kylee by the shoulder and pointed to the boardwalk. Run.

They took off together, bobbing and staggering through the agitated sands. Small explosions and booms intermingled with pulses of light as they ran, and through it all, that roar of an ancient machine suddenly and angrily awakened. They made it onto the boardwalk, which seemed to be holding strong against the shaking ground.
 

Kylee leaned with her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. Theo was fascinated by how calm she was continuing to be in what was, clearly, a pretty messed up situation. He spun around to face her and the beach and gestured with arms wide. "What the hell is going on?" he asked.
 

Kylee read his lips and began to answer when her eyes suddenly widened. "Look out!" She dove toward him and tackled him onto the boards. Composing himself on the shaking wooden structure and not ignorant of the light but firm weight on top of him, Theo looked to the left. Where he had been standing a second earlier a deck chair was on its side, bent out of shape. The chair and the boards around it were covered with a crumbled concrete. Looking up, Theo saw the missing piece of the third floor balcony.
 

His mind fought to process what he was experiencing. Somehow, this earthquake, or whatever it was, had torqued and bent the motel enough to crack the concrete, surely in many places. The fact that the chair had tumbled through the opening and fallen forward seemed to imply that the land was tilting toward the ocean, yet the waves were coming closer with increasing ferocity.
 

Theo looked into Kylee's eyes and mouthed "thank you." She nodded and rolled off him. The two of them sat side-by-side, afraid to stand as the shaking increased. Theo had been able to hear, or maybe it was feel, the bass of the rumbling, but now he could hear the rumbling more clearly, and other sounds. Sirens in the distance mingled with an electrical crackling.