She came towards us on the beach, hands waving like she was the only one in the class who knew the answer. I couldn't see who it was but she was too short to be Lorraine. It couldn't be Tonya either. She was too fat to run. I thought for a moment it might be the Chinese exchange student. But it wasn't her. Not unless she'd died her hair blonde since last week.
I looked up at Dad but he didn't see me. He'd already sucked in his stomach and stuck out his chest. I tried doing that once but I couldn't talk at the same time. Dad can suck in his belly, puff out his chest and talk all at once. I think he learned that in doctor school.
It was a new one, all flashing teeth and tanned arms.
"Professor Morgan!"
That's what they call Dad because he's a doctor but he doesn't make people better. Not by giving them pills and stuff.
She came close, close enough to pluck out the hairs around Dad's nipples. The sun was setting behind the university tower and the surfers were getting out of the water already. I found a patch of her shadow and waited for her to go away.
I thought of marbles and sea shells, my two best things in the world. After Mom. Then the shadow moved away and when I looked up she was skipping backwards and waving again. Something about getting together after class.
"Why are you so quiet?" He'd let his stomach out again and his voice had gone back to normal.
"I don't know."
"You really should speak up. You're not a little girl anymore."
I looked for another shadow to hide in but then I'd have to stand behind him and that would only make him more cross.
"That was Jamie. Would you like Jamie to come over and spend the night?"
What did I care? He'd never asked me before.
"How about Tonya?"
I kicked up a spray of sand to show I didn't care.
"And Gillian? You remember Gillian don't you?"
Something snapped in me at the mention of that name. I dropped my bucket, spilling the marbles all over the sand. I ran into the sea and didn't stop until the water came over my head.
I looked up at Dad but he didn't see me. He'd already sucked in his stomach and stuck out his chest. I tried doing that once but I couldn't talk at the same time. Dad can suck in his belly, puff out his chest and talk all at once. I think he learned that in doctor school.
It was a new one, all flashing teeth and tanned arms.
"Professor Morgan!"
That's what they call Dad because he's a doctor but he doesn't make people better. Not by giving them pills and stuff.
She came close, close enough to pluck out the hairs around Dad's nipples. The sun was setting behind the university tower and the surfers were getting out of the water already. I found a patch of her shadow and waited for her to go away.
I thought of marbles and sea shells, my two best things in the world. After Mom. Then the shadow moved away and when I looked up she was skipping backwards and waving again. Something about getting together after class.
"Why are you so quiet?" He'd let his stomach out again and his voice had gone back to normal.
"I don't know."
"You really should speak up. You're not a little girl anymore."
I looked for another shadow to hide in but then I'd have to stand behind him and that would only make him more cross.
"That was Jamie. Would you like Jamie to come over and spend the night?"
What did I care? He'd never asked me before.
"How about Tonya?"
I kicked up a spray of sand to show I didn't care.
"And Gillian? You remember Gillian don't you?"
Something snapped in me at the mention of that name. I dropped my bucket, spilling the marbles all over the sand. I ran into the sea and didn't stop until the water came over my head.
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