Lauren's Beach Crush (3 page)

Chrissy was not making this easy.

“We aren't, um, actually, never were . . . We aren't friends. I just kind of know him to say hi to.” She paused. “But I have a major crush on him and . . . well, I really want to go out with him!”

That was that. The words were out there. They hung in the air between the two girls. Lauren flinched, waiting for Chrissy to laugh at her. Or to look at her like she was crazy. Or to whip out her phone and text everyone from school with the news.

But she didn't. She smiled. “Okay. Well. So you like him. You have a major crush on him. And you just need to get to know him a little better,” she said, a merry gleam in her bright eyes. “Sounds like we have a little project for this vacation!”

Lauren felt the relief wash over her. Could it really be this easy? “Thanks for not being mad,” she said, feeling a rush of gratitude toward Chrissy.

“Mad? Why would I be mad?”

Lauren shrugged shyly. “Because of how much I talked about him all year,” she said. “I mean, I lied about it.”

Lauren felt uncomfortable for a second. What if
Chrissy had suspected all along that Lauren was making it up?

“Whatever,” Chrissy said, waving her hand. “And you didn't really lie! You just, well, embellished a little, right?”

“I guess,” said Lauren. “I mean I really embellished, though. But I have a plan!”

“What kind of plan?”

Lauren felt encouraged. Chrissy was responding better than she thought she would. Maybe Chrissy could even help her with the Plan. She was going to tell her everything.

“A big plan,” Lauren said in a dramatic voice. She sat down next to Chrissy on the bed. “A foolproof way to get him to realize that he and I are made for each other. It's called . . . ” Lauren stopped. It seemed silly saying it out loud. “Um . . . I've been calling it the Love Plan. But the main part of it is Operation Cell Phone. And, if executed properly, it will not only result in us talking, but it will also give him my number so he can call me and ask me out after he realizes we're meant to be. I have it planned out step by step. I know we'll hit it off and that he'll instantly realize we're soul mates. At the end of the summer, he will have my number and we
can call and text all year until we see each other again next summer.”

“Wow, that sounds awesome,” said Chrissy, nodding enthusiastically.

The girls sat there for a moment, not knowing what to say next.

“So, what do you know about him, besides the fact that he's gorgeous and that you guys are soul mates?” asked Chrissy.

“Well, he's very athletic, for sure. But I know he's really smart too. I've seen him reading some seriously heavy-duty novels at the beach. And he's really into nature and the environment. I saw him walking around in the dunes one day last summer. I'm pretty sure he was looking for garbage to pick up. And I think he might be part of the Youth Conservation Core, because those are the only people allowed to walk in the protected areas of the dunes.”

“Awesome!” said Chrissy. “He sounds amazing. He must—”

“Oh and also?” gushed Lauren. “He loves little kids, just like I do! I mean, how often does that happen, that a boy our age also loves little kids? I know it sounds
too good to be true, but I totally saw him playing at the beach last summer with three little kids. The kids were climbing all over him. He was like, totally sweet with them.”

Chrissy giggled. “He does sound awesome.”

“I know,” agreed Lauren.

“Is he our age?”

“I'm pretty sure he's a year older, going into eighth. But I'm not positive. Last summer he was already a lot taller than me. I think he's taller than most of the boys at school.” Lauren's face clouded. “You won't tell anyone at school, will you? About how I—um, embellished?”

Chrissy stood up and patted her shoulder. “Your secret is totally safe with me. And I'll help with the plan! So by the time we get to school we won't have a secret because you'll really be Charlie's girlfriend!”

Charlie's girlfriend.
Lauren couldn't believe how perfect that sounded.

“So how about you?” asked Lauren eagerly. “Do you have a crush?”

Chrissy nodded and sat back down. “I didn't talk about him much at school, but yeah, I do. His name is Justin. He's back in Santa Monica, at my old school.
We used to take piano from the same teacher and we'd see each other before and after lessons, and at recitals. I had the hugest crush on him forever, and then a few months ago I got up the nerve to text him on his birthday. And he texted me back, and we've been e-mailing and texting ever since. So I think we're actually boyfriend and girlfriend now!”

“That's awesome,” breathed Lauren. Chrissy had with Justin exactly what Lauren planned to have with Charlie!

“It's not like we're going out exactly. I was really hoping I'd be able to see him this summer, that I could go back there with my parents, but they said it was too expensive to fly.” She sighed. “It's not like I could tell them that I needed to see Justin, so I just had to accept it. I was so upset! Coming to your beach house was like the only good news I've had in ages.”

Lauren wondered for a bit why Chrissy had kept Justin a secret from everyone at school. But then she realized that there were some things you just didn't want to share with everyone.

“Girls!” called Mrs. Silver. “We're leaving! Chrissy has to say good-bye to her mom, and you guys have to
get all your last-minute packing into the car!”

The girls jumped up. Chrissy helped Lauren by grabbing one of her two small bags, and both raced down the stairs. Plans or no plans, the long anticipated vacation was about to be under way.

THE TRIP WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE TWO HOURS,
but traffic was bad getting out of the city and it was closer to three by the time they finally pulled into the shaded, gravel driveway alongside the brown clapboard house. Chrissy's eyes widened as she peered out at it from the back seat.

“Wow,” she breathed. “It's so pretty here.”

Again, Lauren felt relieved. She thought the house was pretty, but it wasn't a very large house. And it wasn't right on the beach. Still, Lauren loved it, and she had been a little nervous wondering what Chrissy would think of it. She felt the same amazing feeling she always felt, ever since her family had bought it as a major fixer-upper from an elderly lady when Lauren was only five. In the front yard stood a huge old tree with a knotted rope for climbing. On the side of the house, facing south, orangey-pink
climbing roses grew up a trellis all the way to the roof. As they got out of the car, Lauren could smell the rose-scented, salty sea air.

“Why don't you two bring your things up to Lauren's room? Mom and I will unpack the rest while you give Chrissy a tour, all right?” suggested Mr. Silver.

The girls pulled their suitcases from the mass of stuff in the back of the minivan, and Lauren led the way around to the back of the house, leaning to one side with the weight of her bag, her opposite arm high in the air for balance.

“Here's where we always keep the key,” she said, showing Chrissy a loose shingle that swiveled to the side, revealing a key on a hook. She fiddled with the key in the lock and then banged the door open with her hip.

They stepped into the kitchen. It smelled faintly of polish, of the bacon that had been cooked for countless breakfasts over so many years, and ever so slightly musty and damp. Lauren loved this kitchen. The afternoon sunbeams, dancing with dust motes, played across the battered old table in the middle of the floor. They glinted off the gleaming old appliances. There was the old-fashioned mixer on the counter, with which she and her dad had created
countless cakes and cookies. She led the way through the kitchen and into the hallway, then up the central staircase to the room at the top of the stairs and on the right.

Lauren's room was bright and sunny, with two twin beds separated by a battered table stacked with Lauren's old books, and gauzy white curtains that billowed in the afternoon breeze. Faded, flowered wallpaper gave it an antique feel that Lauren loved. It had been the same way ever since Lauren could remember, but she always liked it. Lauren realized that no one had ever slept on the spare bed in her room, besides Grampy when he came to stay with them.

“This. Is. Totally. Awesome.” said Chrissy, putting down her bags. “It's so great that you don't have to share it with anyone. Well, I mean except for me this summer!” she said, laughing.

Lauren agreed. “Being an only child does have some advantages. We have our own bathroom, too,” she said, gesturing to a door off the far end of the room. “Go ahead and unpack if you want, and then we can walk around and I'll show you the town and the beach. It's probably too late for swimming, but my dad says tomorrow is supposed to be a perfect beach day.”

Chrissy moved over to the window. “The roses have grown all the way up and around the windows. It's like Rapunzel's tower or something!” she said excitedly, glancing over her shoulder to grin at Lauren. “I'm totally expecting a bluebird to land on the windowsill, or to see Prince Charming down there on a white horse. And look! You can see the ocean from here!” she squealed as she pointed out the window.

“Yep. It's just a two-block walk to our beach. But the one all the kids our age like to go to is a block from town, on the other side. It's called Crane's Beach, and it's literally a five-minute walk from here.” Lauren was delighted that Chrissy liked the house, and her room. And she hadn't even seen the beaches yet! Lauren's dad had travelled all over the world for work, but he'd said many times that the beaches around East Harbor were among the most beautiful he'd ever seen.

They both changed into clean shorts and tees. Chrissy scrutinized Lauren's bright pink striped tee and white shorts, and suddenly snapped her fingers. “Oooh, what size shoes do you wear?” she asked Lauren as she knelt and began digging around in her suitcase. Lauren told her and Chrissy grinned. “I knew it—same size as
me!” She pulled her hands from her suitcase and Lauren could see she was holding three different pairs of neon rubber flip-flops—green, pink, and yellow. “These were on sale buy-two-get-one-free and so my mom let me get all of them! I'm going to wear the yellow, but do you want to borrow the pink? They would look totally cute with your T-shirt.”

Lauren happily kicked off her blue flip-flops and tried on Chrissy's pair. They did look perfect with her outfit. “Are you sure?” she asked tentatively.

“Of course! My flip-flops are your flip-flops!” Chrissy said happily. “This vacation you have doubled your wardrobe!” She giggled. “I take my sister's stuff all the time and she yells at me, but you're welcome to borrow anything.”

“Thanks,” said Lauren. She looked down at her feet, admiring how nice they looked in Chrissy's shoes. She knew they were just rubber flip-flops . . . so not a big deal . . . but she had never had anyone to share stuff like this with, and it felt really good.

As they headed downstairs, they could hear Lauren's parents unpacking in the kitchen. “Mom! Dad! We're heading out!” called Lauren.

“Where are you going?” asked Mom.

“To show Chrissy the beach and Main Street,” said Lauren. “We'll be together.”

Mr. and Mrs. Silver exchanged a look, and then Mrs. Silver nodded.

“Take your cell phone with you and be back by seven!” her dad called back. “I'm grilling tonight!”

Lauren grabbed Chrissy's hand and pulled her out of the house before they could change their minds. Having Chrissy here was already a bonus. Normally Lauren wasn't allowed to go anywhere by herself.

“Dad loves to grill,” Lauren explained. “Be sure to heap him with compliments about his grilling skills. It will totally make his night!”

“Will do,” said Chrissy, giving her a tiny salute.

They turned right, toward town. Lauren's was a sleepy dead-end street with very little traffic. “Our beach is that way,” said Lauren, pointing in the other direction, toward the ocean. “It's usually full of little kids because it faces the Sound and doesn't have huge waves. We can check that out later.”

Chrissy closed her eyes and breathed deeply. “I love how the air smells like the ocean,” she said. “Salty and fishy, but in a good way.”

Lauren nodded. She did too. Several seagulls darted above their heads, heading toward the ocean.

After a short walk, turning right and then left, they arrived in the middle of town. “So this is Main Street,” said Lauren, sweeping her arm in a
ta-da!
gesture. “It's not a very big town, as you can see, but it gets really crowded in the summer. Main Street goes all the way down to the pier. There are a lot of old houses and antique stores and stuff on the side streets.” She shrugged casually. “I can show you those later, if you want.” She pretended it wasn't a big deal, because she didn't know if Chrissy liked that sort of thing. Lauren loved the hidden treasures of the town—all the funky old houses, clumped so closely together with “widows' walks” on their top floors. Lauren's mom had told her that a really long time ago women and children would stand out there to watch and wait for the return of the whaling ships in the harbor. Those ships held their husbands and fathers, and sometimes they never returned because the voyages were so long and dangerous back then. Lauren got the chills just thinking about it. She hesitated to tell Chrissy about it though. She also wanted to show Chrissy the whaling museum, and best of all, the town's wonderful old library, but she decided not to do
that today. What if Chrissy thought that stuff was boring or dorky? Maybe she'd just see what Chrissy liked and go along with that.

Main Street was busy, full of slow-moving cars and bicycles, the wide sidewalks crowded with people milling along. Officially dressed village traffic officers, most of them college kids on break for the summer, directed traffic, gave directions, and politely asked idling drivers to move on.