Jessica and Matthew.”
Lindy guessed that someone Jessica’s age probably didn’t care about meeting someone her age. And she could already tell Matthew was the kind of boy she wouldn’t like.Loud, messy, and annoying.
Jessica gave her a friendly smile. “Hi, Lindy,” she said. “You’re going to love living here. Little Hermit’s Island is the coolest place in the world.”
“Hi.” Lindy couldn’t think of anything else to say. Sure, the island seemed kind of cool. It would be a nice place to visit on vacation. But how would she ever get used to
living
there?
“This is it.” Mr. Michaels spread out his arms and turned in a circle. He had a big smile on his face. “Our new office! Isn’t it great?”
The Michaels family, Jessica, and Matthew were standing on a wooden pier. Small waves lapped against the pillars. Boats tied to the pier bumped gently against one another as the water rocked them back and forth. Overhead, seagulls circled and swooped, letting out a chorus of noisy cries. Everything smelled like salt and seaweed. At least Lindy guessed it was seaweed.
“What do you think, Lindy?” Mrs. Michaels asked. “With a little luck, your father and I will turn this place into the best boat dock in South Carolina!”
“The dock used to be really popular with tourists,” Jessica said. “Then Mr. Lewis got sick and moved to the mainland. Nobody wanted to take it over until you guys bought it.”
Jessica had left the mermaid-suited babywith Matthew’s dad so she could show Mr. and Mrs. Michaels a shortcut from the bug house to the dock. Matthew had tossed his starfish back in the water and tagged along.
The boat dock was about a quarter of a mile from the house. They could walk there on the road, or they could take Jessica’s shortcut, a twisty, sandy path along the edge of the cove.
Now here they were. Lindy looked around. The sun was so bright she had to squint. The dock was right in the middle of the cove, a blobby inlet cutting into one end of the island. Houses lined the shore of the cove. A cluster of shops and restaurants stood just south of the dock. People strolled around looking sunburned and happy. More people were swimming in the shallows off a narrow strip of pale sand. Half a dozen boats floated on the sparkling, sunlit water. One was a big sailboat heading toward the open sea beyond the cove, and another was a rowboat with a pair of kids rowing it.
“Hey! Earth to New Girl.”
Lindy blinked. Matthew was waving his hand in front of her face. There was dirt under his fingernails and a grubby Band-Aid on one thumb. It looked like it hadbeen there for at least a month.
Lindy’s parents were walking farther down the pier, checking out the boats. She hoped they wouldn’t fall in. “Are there sharks out there?” she asked.
Jessica smiled. “Don’t worry. Sharks hardly ever come into the cove. At least not the big ones.”
“You’ll probably see some by your house, though,” Matthew said. “You’re right at the mouth of the cove. There are tons of sharks out on the ocean side.” He smirked. “So don’t go swimming alone, or you might come back with one leg missing.”
“That’s not funny!” Lindy shivered.
“He’s just trying to scare you,” Jessica said in a soothing voice. “Still, you probably shouldn’t swim in the ocean. Not until you get used to being near the water, anyway.”
“I
am
used to being near the water,” Lindy said. “Chicago is right on Lake Michigan. That’s a huge lake. Like,
really
huge.”
Jessica didn’t look very impressed. “Okay. But the ocean is different. You’ll see once you’ve been here awhile.”
Lindy didn’t answer. Instead, she walked a little farther out on the pier.
“Ow!” she cried as her toe caught on a loose board. She stumbled forward. When she put out her hands to catch herself, she realized she was falling straight toward the water! Just in time, she staggered sideways onto her other foot.
“Are
Lindy guessed that someone Jessica’s age probably didn’t care about meeting someone her age. And she could already tell Matthew was the kind of boy she wouldn’t like.Loud, messy, and annoying.
Jessica gave her a friendly smile. “Hi, Lindy,” she said. “You’re going to love living here. Little Hermit’s Island is the coolest place in the world.”
“Hi.” Lindy couldn’t think of anything else to say. Sure, the island seemed kind of cool. It would be a nice place to visit on vacation. But how would she ever get used to
living
there?
“This is it.” Mr. Michaels spread out his arms and turned in a circle. He had a big smile on his face. “Our new office! Isn’t it great?”
The Michaels family, Jessica, and Matthew were standing on a wooden pier. Small waves lapped against the pillars. Boats tied to the pier bumped gently against one another as the water rocked them back and forth. Overhead, seagulls circled and swooped, letting out a chorus of noisy cries. Everything smelled like salt and seaweed. At least Lindy guessed it was seaweed.
“What do you think, Lindy?” Mrs. Michaels asked. “With a little luck, your father and I will turn this place into the best boat dock in South Carolina!”
“The dock used to be really popular with tourists,” Jessica said. “Then Mr. Lewis got sick and moved to the mainland. Nobody wanted to take it over until you guys bought it.”
Jessica had left the mermaid-suited babywith Matthew’s dad so she could show Mr. and Mrs. Michaels a shortcut from the bug house to the dock. Matthew had tossed his starfish back in the water and tagged along.
The boat dock was about a quarter of a mile from the house. They could walk there on the road, or they could take Jessica’s shortcut, a twisty, sandy path along the edge of the cove.
Now here they were. Lindy looked around. The sun was so bright she had to squint. The dock was right in the middle of the cove, a blobby inlet cutting into one end of the island. Houses lined the shore of the cove. A cluster of shops and restaurants stood just south of the dock. People strolled around looking sunburned and happy. More people were swimming in the shallows off a narrow strip of pale sand. Half a dozen boats floated on the sparkling, sunlit water. One was a big sailboat heading toward the open sea beyond the cove, and another was a rowboat with a pair of kids rowing it.
“Hey! Earth to New Girl.”
Lindy blinked. Matthew was waving his hand in front of her face. There was dirt under his fingernails and a grubby Band-Aid on one thumb. It looked like it hadbeen there for at least a month.
Lindy’s parents were walking farther down the pier, checking out the boats. She hoped they wouldn’t fall in. “Are there sharks out there?” she asked.
Jessica smiled. “Don’t worry. Sharks hardly ever come into the cove. At least not the big ones.”
“You’ll probably see some by your house, though,” Matthew said. “You’re right at the mouth of the cove. There are tons of sharks out on the ocean side.” He smirked. “So don’t go swimming alone, or you might come back with one leg missing.”
“That’s not funny!” Lindy shivered.
“He’s just trying to scare you,” Jessica said in a soothing voice. “Still, you probably shouldn’t swim in the ocean. Not until you get used to being near the water, anyway.”
“I
am
used to being near the water,” Lindy said. “Chicago is right on Lake Michigan. That’s a huge lake. Like,
really
huge.”
Jessica didn’t look very impressed. “Okay. But the ocean is different. You’ll see once you’ve been here awhile.”
Lindy didn’t answer. Instead, she walked a little farther out on the pier.
“Ow!” she cried as her toe caught on a loose board. She stumbled forward. When she put out her hands to catch herself, she realized she was falling straight toward the water! Just in time, she staggered sideways onto her other foot.
“Are
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