Something in the Way (Something in the Way 1)

“Of course they are—to her,” Vickie said. “She’s not in high school.”

Mona drew her eyebrows together. “Maybe they are lame.”

“Oh, did you hear?” Vickie asked excitedly. “Kim left the party with Jack Firestone, and I guess they were sitting outside in his car for, like, ever.”

I gave Vickie back her oil, lay down on my towel, and picked up my book. I read two paragraphs before my mind wandered. Jack Firestone had graduated with Tiffany. Kim was my age. They’d probably had sex. I doubted nineteen-year-olds sat in parked cars with virgins.

As if the sun were a heat lamp directed at me, sweat beaded on my upper lip. I liked to think I was above sex, that I had more important things to worry about. That I’d have no trouble holding onto my virginity long after my friends had caved. But last night, I’d dreamed about Manning, about his big hands around my waist, and his dark, humorless eyes that sometimes weren’t so humorless around me. I’d woken up in the middle of the night and masturbated. I’d never done it thinking about someone I knew.

All morning, the thought of Manning had come with a tightening in my belly. And it wasn’t weird or bad or shameful. The opposite, actually. I liked it.

When water droplets fell onto my shins, I put down my book. Someone stood over me, silhouetted by the sun.

“Hey, girls.” I recognized Corbin’s voice. “What’s up, Lake?”

Vickie and Mona stayed quiet. I doubted either of them had ever spoken to a Swenson. I lowered my sunglasses. Corbin held a surfboard under one arm. “Hi,” I said.

“You see me out there?” he asked.

“I think so. I wasn’t sure which one you were.”

“The handsome one, obviously,” he said, peeling down the sleeves of his wetsuit. He pushed it down to his waist. Between surfing and baseball, sports had done him well. He wasn’t buff, but his muscles were cut, defined, and his skin golden-brown like his hair.

“What’re you guys up to?” he asked.

“Just this.” I waited for Vickie or Mona to jump in, but they just mutely stared at Corbin. “You?” I asked.

“It was a late surf today. Summer vacation and all.”

He laid his short, cream surfboard upside down in the sand. The underside had a sticker of a frog smoking weed and 420 in graffiti. He shook out his hair, dusting me in ocean droplets.

“How was it?” I asked.

“Decent.” When he glanced at my chest, I realized my nipples were hard from the cold water. Turning to the other girls, he said, “I’m Corbin, by the way.”

“Hi,” Vickie said.

“Hi,” Mona repeated.

I could see we weren’t going to get much else, so I said, “These are my friends, Vickie and Mona.”

“Cool.” He nodded at me. “Wanna take my board out?”

Remembering my fib about my surfing experience, I hoped my sunglasses hid my blush. “I’m working on my tan.”

“You got a hot date tonight?” he asked.

“No,” I said, almost defensively.

“You want one?”

Mona gasped and Vickie giggled nervously, looking from Mona to me to Corbin and back again.

I studied Corbin, trying to tell if he was joking around. He grinned pretty hard but waited for an answer. If one of the most popular guys in school was asking me out, I’d be an idiot to say no, but I didn’t feel that tightening in my stomach like I did for Manning.

Corbin squatted next to me. “Come over tonight. Watch a movie.”

He really was as good-looking as everyone said and surprisingly nice, too. All last year, he and his circle of friends had seemed larger than life, but sitting right next to him, all I could think was how different he was from Manning. Corbin was golden, sunny. Manning was dark, shaded. Despite the fact that Corbin looked strong and healthy, Manning still dwarfed him, maybe because Manning’s presence was even larger than his body. But even if Corbin were dark and large and sexy like Manning, I’d still say no. I wouldn’t miss tonight’s dinner for anyone. I never knew when I’d get time with Manning.

“I can’t,” I said. “Sorry.”

He smiled crookedly. “Another time then.”

“Sure.”

“I’ll give you a call. Corey has Tiffany’s number.” He stood, picked up his board, and flashed us a wave. “Nice to meet you, girls. Lake . . . I’ll see you at camp, if not before.”

“Later.”

Once he’d walked away, Vickie pinched my elbow.

I yanked my arm away. “Ow. What was that for?”

“Since when do you know Corbin Swenson?”

“Since when do you turn down Corbin Swenson?” Mona added.

I rubbed my arm. “I met him the other night at the Fun Zone.”

“But I saw him at the party.”

“He must’ve done both,” I said. “Not so dorky now, am I?”

“Um, yes,” Vickie said. “You are. Because you said no to a date with a Swenson!”

The girls giggled, and I couldn’t help from joining in. “They’re just people, not gods.”