Page 59 of Stranded

A blush rises in my cheeks as I smile at him, just studying him. He looks so natural here, like this is where he belongs. His hair wafts in the ocean breeze, and his jaw reminds me of the sleek cut of the boat’s wake in a crystal-calm ocean.

Finally, Alph’s eyes widen. “Oh.” He rubs the back of his neck. “For two?”

“Yeah. Two.”

Alph grins and salutes at me, standing up a little straighter. “Okiedokie. I’ll do that straight away.”

I flutter my fingers in a wave as I trot through the little waiting room and up to the wharf ramp that leads to the sidewalk.

From here, it’s a long walk or a short bus ride. But it’s a beautiful day, and I suddenly have a lot of excitement to burn off before I can focus on what I’m going to say to Professor Meyer. Maybe I should walk?

“Hey,” a familiar voice snaps.

Someone steps in front of me, blocking the way off the ramp, and I jump backward. I skid on the metal, but I grab the rail in time to steady myself.

It’s Derek. He’s got one hand on each railing, and he’s sneering down at me.

Keeping my eyes fixed on him, I slowly let go of the railing and wrap both arms around my portfolio again so it’s tight against my chest.

“You think there’s anything in there worth holding onto?” Derek laughs in his meanest voice. He moves toward me all of a sudden, pushing with both hands, and I flinch backward and hold on even tighter.

He was just feinting. He laughs cruelly at me, takes another step closer, and then another.

“Just quit,” Derek tells me. “Before I make you quit.”

I lift my chin, stare him right in the eye… and I plant my feet.

“No.”

Derek stops, too. He snorts at me, lifting his lip. “She’s gonna laugh you right out of the room.” He reaches out, taking a swipe at my portfolio, and I twist my body aside so he misses. “Give that here!”

“Maybe she will,” I tell him, keeping my voice cool but raising it to match his. “Or maybe not. I’ll let her make that decision, because your opinion is worthnothing. On the rubric, or to me.”

My head spins as I take a deep breath, smiling at the salty seaweed tang that I’ve grown so used to.

That feels good.Reallygood.

Derek’s jaw drops. “Listen here, twerp?—”

“No,” I snap back at him, and he stops like he’s shocked I’d even say anything back to him. “This isn’t high school. It’s the real world. Obviously we don’t like each other.” I shrug. “So what? We can be fuckings adults about it. We don’t just threaten to beat each other up?—”

“Hey!”

The holler behind me makes Derek almost jumps out of his skin, but I just grin. That’s all it takes for me to recognize Alph.

That, and the footsteps storming up the metal ramp.

“If you don’t get away from him right now, I’m gonna break your nose.”

Oh, my god.

I lean on the railing all of a sudden, my knees going weak. My message might be slightly undermined, but I can’t really bring myself to feel annoyed about it.

Not when I want to swoon right off this ramp.

“Fuck off,” Derek snarls, but he turns tail and hurries off—about as fast as it’s possible to go without actually running. Even at the top of the ramp, when he gets to the sidewalk, he runs flat into several people in his haste to escape.

I turn to Alph with a grin, but he’s already sweeping me up in his arms, hugging me so tightly against him that all the air rushes out of my lungs.

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