"Hey." Ashley said. "what kind of boat is that coming toward us?"
Roger sat up to look. "Damn." he said. "Quick, throw it all overboard. Quick!" he screamed. "It's a Coast Guard boat!"
Everyone scrambled to the other side and threw their pot into the water. Roger dropped the plastic bag over the edge and went to the controls. He started the engine and turned the boat slowly toward the dock.
The Coast Guard patrol boat followed alongside, a cadet watching us through binoculars.
"Nobody do anything stupid." Roger ordered. "Look like we're just out here having fun."
"Aren't we?" I mumbled.
The Coast Guard boat veered away as we drew closer to the dock.
"That was close," Roger said.
'We just wasted everything. Roger! We didn't have to throw it all overboard!" Phoebe shouted at him.
They started to bicker louder. Everyone else tried to ignore them. Wally jumped onto the dock and tied the boat down,
"Thanks for bringing us good luck," Phoebe snapped at me as she stepped past me.
"What are you blaming her for?" Roger asked. smiling.
"We threw away a few hundred dollars' worth of dope." she reminded him with her hands on her hips and her head wagging. She turned to me. "I bet you're satisfied."
''Did you ever wonder why they call it that?" I asked her. "What?"
"Dope," I said.
And Randy laughed so laud everyone but Phoebe did, too. She just walked off in a huff.
7
A Game of Secrets
.
Phoebe was unforgiving. She was obviously
used to lording it over her friends. She was pretty, sophisticated, and bubbling over with self-confidence. The new girl on the block, me, wasn't supposed to present any sort of challenge, especially a younger girl. Recognizing that. I tried not to say or do anything else that would annoy or challenge her. I was afraid of what she would tell Dallas about me. and I was afraid of how it would affect Mommy.
Now that their pot was gone, they turned to the bar. Posy and I went to the cabana and changed out of our bathing suits.
"I can see Randy really likes you." she said. "He's never had a girlfriend because of how he talks."
"That shouldn't matter so much. He's nice."
"Was it true about your father? He was shot down in his airplane?"
"Who told you that?"
"Wally said that's what Phoebe told him."
"No, it was a terrible helicopter accident. He was an instructor atthe naval base.*
"Oh. Were you close?"
"Yes, of course. Aren't you close to your parents?"