Summer's Fun (The Boys of Ocean Beach 2)

“Those two?” Justin asks, glancing at Pete. “They don’t seem the vengeful type.”

Whit rubs his neck. “I don’t know. Isabel was putting the hard press on me tonight. I finally had to bail.”

“And sneak off with Summer to her mom’s office.” Pete says. Whit looks surprised. “What? You think we didn’t notice?”

“We all noticed, dude,” I add. “Including Isabel. Right after you went back there, she dragged Jessica down the hall.”

“Why were you watching them so closely?” Whit glares at me accusingly.

“I wasn’t watching them. Lilah came up to ask me where they went and pointed it out. They were leaving together and my sister was ready to go.”

Justin pulls into my driveway. His headlights arc over the vehicles parked in front of the garage. One is a red Honda. I nod toward the car. “If you want to find out, we can go ask. That’s Isabel’s car.”

“It’s five in the morning,” Pete complains.

I’m about to agree when Whit leans forward. “When Summer and I were in the office, you know after we uh, were finished, something really freaked her out.”

“What was it?”

“I wasn’t sure at the time, but you mentioned those yellow flowers.” He looks at Pete. “There was a vase of them on her mom’s desk.”

“Someone’s definitely fucking with her,” Justin says. He reaches for the door. “Come on, let’s go wake up those girls and see what’s really going on.”

I leave the guys outside and go inside, quietly making my way to my sister’s room. They’re all asleep—the three of them crammed into Lilah’s double bed. I locate Lilah in the dark and nudge her shoulder.

“Hey, wake up.”

She groans and doesn’t open her eyes. “What do you want?”

“I need to talk to you—all of you.”

My tone must convey my seriousness because she blinks and rubs her eyes. “All of who?”

“Isabel and Jessica. Wake them up and meet me outside.”

“Dude, come back in three or four hours.” She starts to roll over but I stop her.

“Now, Lilah. I’m not kidding.”

I leave the room but the light on the bedside table flips on. Five minutes later, they come straggling outside. All of their eyes widen as they see the four of us in the driveway.

“What’s this about?” Lilah asks, touching her hair self-consciously.

“Tell us about the notes,” Pete says.

“And the flowers,” Justin adds. Whit leans against the car with his arms crossed over his chest.

“What are you talking about?” Lilah asks. “Are you high?”

“We’re talking to them,” Whit says, nodding at the two girls behind my sister. “What kind of shit have you been pulling on Summer?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jessica says. “We haven’t done anything to her.”

“Except try to make a move on her boyfriend,” I say. Jessica glances at Isabel and the girl crosses her arms defensively.

“That’s not a crime.”

“It’s bitchy, though,” Lilah says with a frown. “Dude, you know better.”