Page 15 of Surfside Sisters

On the way to the beach, Keely and Isabelle talked about school stuff. Keely’s ruffled emotional fur smoothed out. Isabelle was still her best friend, just so busy.

At the beach, waves reared up and plunged down, whipping their tips into frenzies. The sea pounded, the wind wailed. The moonlight transformed the girls and the entire world into silver. As they had done so many times before, Isabelle and Keely danced on the sand, screaming and laughing and running along the jagged shoreline until they were breathless. They fell down at the edge of the waves.

Isabelle burst into tears. She reached out toward the white froth, as if to pull it up over her, and sobbed.

Keely knelt next to her. “Isabelle! What’s wrong?”

“I hate myself! I hate my life! I want to die!”

“What? How can you say that? You have everything! You’re beautiful and smart and popular—”

“I’m in love with someone and he doesn’t even know I exist.”

Keely was stunned. “Inlove? Who’s the guy?”

“I can’t tell you. It’s too stupid. He’s way out of my league.”

“How old is he?” Keely asked. Her heart swelled with sympathy for Isabelle. She could understand. She was in love with Sebastian, who seemed to be playing a kind of game.

“It doesn’t matter. He hasn’t even looked my way.”

“Stop it. All the guys look your way and you know it.” She took Isabelle’s shoulders and pulled her away from the water, farther up onto the sand.

“You’re so cool about guys,” Isabelle said. “I wish I could be like you.”

Keely shrugged. “I think I’ve turned off my love switch. I want to concentrate on getting good grades so I can get a scholarship to college. I want to write a book before I even think of going nuts over some man.”

“It’s too late for me,” Isabelle said.

“Who is it?” Keely pleaded. “Come on. I’ll keep it secret.”

“Oh, God, I’m such a loser!” Isabelle turned toward Keely with fury. “It’s Tommy Fitzgerald! The guy who can have any girl he wants.”

“Wow.” Tommy Fitzgerald, with his black hair and ebony eyes, looked like a pirate who knew he could steal anything he wanted and get away with it. “I don’t know what to say, Isabelle. You’re as gorgeous as Tommy. And probably way smarter.”

“Yeah, because I’m sosmartall I can think about is him.”

“Have you tried, I don’t know, catching his attention? Maybe, um, flirting?”

“Why no, Keely, that didn’t even occur to me,” Isabelle answered sarcastically.

“Okay, let’s think. Who does he hang out with?”

“Anyone he wants.”

“You’re beautiful,” Keely stressed. “You’re popular. You’re—”

“Stop it, Keely. Just stop it. You have no idea how it feels to be in love with a guy. Seriously, truly, painfully in love.Hopelesslyin love.”

If only you knew,Keely thought. She flashed on the foolish vow she’d made with cooking sherry and seashells, her vow never to tell Isabelle that she loved Sebastian. “Let’s go to my house and eat everything in the kitchen.”

Isabelle snorted. “Food as therapy. I’ve got a better idea. Let’s go to my house, sneak some of my parents’ booze, and get drunk.”

“Not my favorite thing to do,” Keely said.

Isabelle sighed theatrically. “Fine. Let’s go stuff our faces.” Linking her arm through Keely’s, she said, “I don’t know what I would ever do without you, Keys.”

Hey, Keely, how’s it going? I’m buried under homework. I’m taking an introduction to art class that’s great. Wait till you get to college. It’s like another universe here.

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