Page 67 of The Girl Who Was Taken

“If you keep thinking you’re going to end up fat and ugly, you will,” Nicole said. “Self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Rachel took a seat and they all sipped their smoothies, staring off at the bay and the boats and the wakeboarders ripping white streaks across the water. Occasional cotton-ball clouds spotted the blue sky. The scent of barbecued burgers sat on the shoulders of the afternoon breeze and mixed with traces of freshly cut grass, chlorine, and coconut sunscreen. A lawn mower buzzed from next door and, far off, an ice cream truck chimed as it chugged through the neighborhood. It was summer in Emerson Bay.

“Are you guys coming back here next year?” Rachel asked.

“Back where? Emerson Bay?” Jessica said.

“To my house. Are we gonna hang out next summer?”

“Why wouldn’t we?”

“I don’t know. New friends. Maybe one of us stays at college for the summer. Takes classes or something.”

“Not me,” Jessica said. “I’ll be home. And if you’re not, I’ll sit right here with your mom all summer and text you pictures of us. But I don’t think I’m the one you’re worried about.” Jessica looked at Nicole.

“What’s that mean?” Nicole asked.

“You’ve been MIA all summer, preoccupied with the guy you won’t let us meet.”

“You guys wouldn’t get him, and I don’t feel like trying to explain him.”

They had pushed all summer until Rachel and Jessica decided to finally give up. The closest they’d come to information on Nicole’s boyfriend was a picture she showed them—a selfie of Nicole and Casey. They got some background one day when Nicole explained that Casey’s brother had been abducted when they were kids. Jessica and Rachel knew immediately to back off the issue. Nicole had a strange childhood that included a cousin who had also gone missing. The mysterious summer fling made more sense to them.

“Before we get too concerned about next summer,” Jessica said, “let’s concentrate on this weekend. We’re all still going to the beach party, right?”

“We have to go,” Rachel said. “It’s the unofficial end of summer in Emerson Bay. It’s a tradition.”

They waited until Nicole looked at them.

“What?” Nicole said.

“Are you going?”

“I guess.”

“What are you going to do when Casey doesn’t follow you to school?”

Nicole gave a fake smile. “I’ll deal.”

A boat cut through the water and drew its engine down as it entered the no-wake zone in front of Rachel’s house. They all shielded their eyes from the sun as they looked toward the water.

“It’s Matt,” Jessica said. “That’s another issue we need to discuss. Does Casey know you’re hooking up with him?”

“Ha! Matt’s too whipped by the princess to do much besides butterfly kisses. But I’ll break him. He’s a guy.” Nicole sat up from the patio chair and adjusted her bikini top. Took off her sunglasses and held them in front of her to admire her reflection in the lens.

“Tyler and Mike are with him.”

“Ah,” Nicole said in a pouty voice. “It was so cute the other day when they ambushed you on the boat and threw you in the bay. It had been such a boring summer for you guys. But now . . . summer bummer to summer hummer?”

“Gross,” Rachel said. She stood up and waved as Tyler and Mike jumped onto the dock and walked up the stairs toward Rachel’s pool.

“Ladies,” Tyler said.

“What’s up?” Rachel asked.

They wore swim trunks without shirts, their chests carrying a bronzed glow that suggested they’d been on the bay for most of the day.

“Wanted to make sure you guys were going to the beach party on Saturday.”

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