mumbled.
“You’re going to get it detailed.”
Boomer didn’t answer. Paul glanced over at him, pulling his rash guard over his head. He was wondering whether he should sit with Boomer for a while when he heard Jones behind him.
“Hey, Paul?” Jones said. His voice sounded urgent. Paul turned to find his friend standing with a bottle of sunscreen between his thighs. He made a squealing noise, screwed up his face, and squeezed his legs together. A stream of sunscreen hit Paul on the chest, and Derrick leaped up and slapped the glob, sending spatters of SPF 30 all over the pavement.
Jones was still laughing uncontrollably when Derrick pulled the bucket of chicken from the back of the truck. He rifled through the pieces briefly before he pulled a face.
“Hey, man, shouldn’t there be twelve pieces in here? There’s like . . . three thighs.”
Paul sighed. “Fat Lani’s at the house. She dug in this morning.”
“Lani’s at the house, huh?” Jones chimed in.
“All the time. She’s Sarah’s best friend,” Paul answered meaningfully. He glanced up and did his best to give a threatening look.
Derrick chuckled as he pulled his board from the truck. “That’s not going to stop Jonesy.”
Jones shrugged. “It might. Not.” He grinned and swiveled his hips.
Paul grimaced. “Sick, dude. She’s sixteen.”
“That’s only five years. My dad is, like, fifteen years older than my mom.” Jones squatted and attached his ankle strap.
“By that logic, toddlers are fair game,” said Greg. He dumped the last of the water on his floorboards and tossed the bucket in the backseat.
“I’m sick of bickering with you bitches.” Jones hefted his board onto his hip. “Pull up your skirts and let’s surf.”
Paul picked up his board, following his friends. He stopped next to Boomer, who still lay against the tree with his forearm across his eyes. His lips were almost the same color as his skin, and his teeth were beginning to chatter.
“You gonna make it, Boom?” Paul asked.
Boomer swallowed hard and nodded weakly. “I’ll be out in a sec. Probably just need some water.”
“Lame!” Jones shouted over his shoulder.
Greg fished his wax and a PowerBar out from under his seat. He tossed the snack at Boomer and motioned for Paul to head to the water. “I’ll get him some water before I head out,” he said. From the beach they heard Jones yell, “Man up!” Greg grinned, crouching over his board.
Paul caught up just as Jones was saying, “Is it just me, or is everyone on their periods right now?” He surveyed the water with an exaggerated expression of concern. “Hope there aren’t any sharks out today. They’ll smell the blood for sure.” A huge smile broke across his face, and he threw a fist into the air victoriously. “Zing!”
~
The street was quiet and still as Kai pulled the truck up alongside the curb in front of Trent’s house. A small shiver ran down his back; he always got the feeling of being watched in this neighborhood.
“You want me to leave the engine on?” he asked Brandon. “It’ll only take a second.”
Brandon was staring straight out the front window, mouth drawn tight. He shook his head tersely. Fighting down the feeling of resentment, Kai snatched the keys out of the ignition and opened his door just as Brandon said, “I don’t get this. What are you doing?”
Kai put his hands back on the steering wheel and squeezed, hoping to vent some of his frustration. Under his breath, he repeated, “You don’t get this.”
They were both silent for one brief second as Kai tried to control his breathing. Then he spoke, saying, “I don’t get it either, man. Dad tells me you’ve convinced him to expand. He’s going to buy that land the Kaapulis put up for sale. We can’t even plant our own plot!”
Shifting to face him, Brandon’s tone was defensive. “I told Gary about this technology that Purdue—”
“Technology costs money, Brandon. Land costs money.
“You’re going to get it detailed.”
Boomer didn’t answer. Paul glanced over at him, pulling his rash guard over his head. He was wondering whether he should sit with Boomer for a while when he heard Jones behind him.
“Hey, Paul?” Jones said. His voice sounded urgent. Paul turned to find his friend standing with a bottle of sunscreen between his thighs. He made a squealing noise, screwed up his face, and squeezed his legs together. A stream of sunscreen hit Paul on the chest, and Derrick leaped up and slapped the glob, sending spatters of SPF 30 all over the pavement.
Jones was still laughing uncontrollably when Derrick pulled the bucket of chicken from the back of the truck. He rifled through the pieces briefly before he pulled a face.
“Hey, man, shouldn’t there be twelve pieces in here? There’s like . . . three thighs.”
Paul sighed. “Fat Lani’s at the house. She dug in this morning.”
“Lani’s at the house, huh?” Jones chimed in.
“All the time. She’s Sarah’s best friend,” Paul answered meaningfully. He glanced up and did his best to give a threatening look.
Derrick chuckled as he pulled his board from the truck. “That’s not going to stop Jonesy.”
Jones shrugged. “It might. Not.” He grinned and swiveled his hips.
Paul grimaced. “Sick, dude. She’s sixteen.”
“That’s only five years. My dad is, like, fifteen years older than my mom.” Jones squatted and attached his ankle strap.
“By that logic, toddlers are fair game,” said Greg. He dumped the last of the water on his floorboards and tossed the bucket in the backseat.
“I’m sick of bickering with you bitches.” Jones hefted his board onto his hip. “Pull up your skirts and let’s surf.”
Paul picked up his board, following his friends. He stopped next to Boomer, who still lay against the tree with his forearm across his eyes. His lips were almost the same color as his skin, and his teeth were beginning to chatter.
“You gonna make it, Boom?” Paul asked.
Boomer swallowed hard and nodded weakly. “I’ll be out in a sec. Probably just need some water.”
“Lame!” Jones shouted over his shoulder.
Greg fished his wax and a PowerBar out from under his seat. He tossed the snack at Boomer and motioned for Paul to head to the water. “I’ll get him some water before I head out,” he said. From the beach they heard Jones yell, “Man up!” Greg grinned, crouching over his board.
Paul caught up just as Jones was saying, “Is it just me, or is everyone on their periods right now?” He surveyed the water with an exaggerated expression of concern. “Hope there aren’t any sharks out today. They’ll smell the blood for sure.” A huge smile broke across his face, and he threw a fist into the air victoriously. “Zing!”
~
The street was quiet and still as Kai pulled the truck up alongside the curb in front of Trent’s house. A small shiver ran down his back; he always got the feeling of being watched in this neighborhood.
“You want me to leave the engine on?” he asked Brandon. “It’ll only take a second.”
Brandon was staring straight out the front window, mouth drawn tight. He shook his head tersely. Fighting down the feeling of resentment, Kai snatched the keys out of the ignition and opened his door just as Brandon said, “I don’t get this. What are you doing?”
Kai put his hands back on the steering wheel and squeezed, hoping to vent some of his frustration. Under his breath, he repeated, “You don’t get this.”
They were both silent for one brief second as Kai tried to control his breathing. Then he spoke, saying, “I don’t get it either, man. Dad tells me you’ve convinced him to expand. He’s going to buy that land the Kaapulis put up for sale. We can’t even plant our own plot!”
Shifting to face him, Brandon’s tone was defensive. “I told Gary about this technology that Purdue—”
“Technology costs money, Brandon. Land costs money.
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