Page 51 of Facing the Line

We race so many times I lose count of who wins. Evan and Caleb get in on the action, plus Mateo and Brody show up, too. We slide through the spiral tube until I’m dizzy from all the twists and turns. Then we float around the lazy river loop.

My fingers dangle off the side of my inner tube, brushing against Hadley’s. She doesn’t seem to mind, and there’s no one around to notice.

Head tilted to the sky, she sighs.

“You doing okay, Hads?” I ask.

“Yeah.” She has on sunglasses so I can’t see her eyes to gauge her response. “I am. This is pretty great.”

“It is, but it feels like you have something on your mind.”

Shifting, she puts her glasses on her head, anchoring her messy topknot, and gazes at me. “This summer has been harder than I expected.”

“How so?” I ask. The waves bump the side of my tube, jostling me, and I reach out to grab her hand so we don’t float apart.

She laces her fingers through mine and holds on tight. “Honestly, I’ve been pretty lonely. Kendall isn’t here this summer, Natalie and Jasmine have both moved away. You’re my closest friend on campus.”

Friend. Right. I’m tempted to drop her hand, but she doesn’t let go. I swallow, and she keeps talking.

“I miss my mom sometimes, which is weird, because we’re not super close. I guess I miss the idea of her? My dad obviously doesn’t miss me; I haven’t heard from him since I left early at Christmas break.” She huffs a sad laugh, and a flare of rage heats my chest. How could anyone be so blinded by hockey they would miss out on this awesome woman?

But I shove down my indignation to listen to her.

“These days Hunter is my closest family member, and he’s gone, too. While I didn’t love being at my dad’s every summer, it was great to spend the months with Hunter. We’d go to the pool like this, watch fireworks together on the Fourth of July…” She trails off, forcing a smile. “I guess I feel a little adrift. Ha. No lazy river pun intended.”

I splash her tube, making her yelp and getting her to give me a genuine grin. “That was the worst pun I’ve ever heard. But you know I’m here for you if you need it. And I don’t mean to sound like a wise old oak, but the summer after your freshman year is hard for everyone.”

“A wise old oak?”

“Yeah, like the grandma in Pocahontas.”

She shakes her head. “I love your princess movie obsession. But what do you mean?”

“Maybe it was just my personal experience, but I don’t think so. I went home to Chicago that summer, after being independent and on my own for a year. And my parents didn’t know what to do with me. Give me a curfew? Make me pay rent? It was weird.” I squeeze her fingers, and she squeezes back.“I missed my friends and the guys on the team. Things don’t click the same with high school friends, who all had different experiences and grew into different people. So if it makes you feel any better, it’s a transition time for everyone. Totally normal.”

“That helps, actually. Thanks, Joe.”

We’re quiet for a moment, floating and enjoying the sunshine, when inspiration strikes me.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea.”

I smile at Hadley, and she smiles back. “What’s up?”

“Come on. You’ll like it.”

I maneuver us to the lazy river’s exit and buy her a twist ice cream cone from the snack shack.

“Mmm, this is a great idea,” she says, reclining on her lounger in the sun.

“That’s only half of it.” Digging around in my backpack, my fingers close around my phone, and I pull it out. “You need some girl time.”

Scooting close to her on her own chair, I open the FaceTime app and dial Natalie. Then I give my phone to Hadley.

Her smile gets bigger than when I gave her ice cream.

“Natalie, hi!” she says as her friend’s face fills the screen. Hadley’s posture changes, relaxing, and the happiness vibrates off her.

I wave at Natalie and enjoy watching Hadley while they chat. Her face lights up and her eyes dance. And when she licks a drop of ice cream from her wrist, well, I avert my gaze and mentally recite hockey stats.

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