Page 36 of Beaches, Bagels & Babes
It was strange. All the sympathy Daisy had gotten since her parents’ deaths over the last year, all the ‘I’m sorrys’ she hated to hear, but that was her automatic response now. She wanted to ask Candace if it ever got easier, but held back as the other girl continued.
“I don’t remember her all that well. My dad went from being the best dad in the world to a complete wreck of a person. Then he met his new wife. She wanted nothing to do with me, so they sent me to my grandparents on my mom’s side.”
“What a cold witch.”
Daisy’s eyes had adjusted to the darkness enough that she thought she could see the slightest shrug of the girl’s shoulders.
“You can’t make someone want you. That just makeseverything harder. My grandparents tried, at least. But they were too old to take care of me.”
“So that’s how you ended up here with your uncle.”
“Mm-hm,” Candace confirmed with a sigh. “He’s my mother’s brother. I’ve been stuck with him in Wonderwood, where they call me anything but my actual name. Shoobie fits, though, because I’ve never really felt at home here. I can’t wait until I get out.”
Daisy knew Candace could not see her, but she shook her head with awe. She had no idea. All this time, the happy-go-lucky girl who had been the center of town gossip and adoration since her arrival six years ago was living through so much difficulty.
Memory of that anxious, beguiling girl she met one hot summer day came to Daisy. How sad she seemed, how out of place she was. She came to Wonderwood as an outsider and had only ever been welcomed on its terms.
All at once, Daisy snapped out of her thoughts and scoffed. “You know what? Shoobie is a dumb name, anyway. You’re Candace Freaking Perry, and no matter where you are, nothing and no one is gonna hold you back.”
“Thanks, Daisy.”
Since the darkness hid Candace’s face, Daisy could not read her expression. There was something there, though. The sand beneath them vibrated with tension.
A moment passed. Back at the bonfire, the sounds of partying carried over in an odd juxtaposition to their heavy silence. As if she the felt need to fill it, Candace admitted, “I’ve seen you around, you know.”
“You have? I mean, I guess with the pier right across the boardwalk, it’s a given.”
“No, not just at the cafe.” The sound of sand shifting alerted Daisy to Candace’s movement. The inky darkness of her figure turned, almost craning over Daisy’s reclined form. “You hang out around under the convention hall. And near the westside jetty. I’ve seen you with your sketchbook, scribbling away.Demi says your art projects are always the best in class. But I don’t know much about you.”
It was more than Daisy expected. Her pulse pounded in her veins at the thought that Candace ever noticed her as anything apart from the girl behind the bagel counter.
“You want to?”
The words tumbled out of Daisy’s mouth like marbles, clattering between them and rolling along. She felt sostupid. And needy. And—
“I do.”
It came out in a rush. Daisy told Candace about herself, from working at Bagel Bombs! to the driftwood art she made for class. She explained more nature facts, going off on a rant about how the people speeding on Route 9 endangered the nesting turtles. Candace giggled at Daisy’s passion, but offered to bring up the issue to some bigwig on the town council.
It was a boomerang conversation, going from inane topics to heavy ones in an instant. Candace talked about wanting to get away from her uncle’s controlling tendencies and gave a lecture about building a diversified investment portfolio. She surprised Daisy when she made a reference to a show it turned out they both loved. They proceeded to make a series of inside jokes in mock-imitations of the four-fingered, yellow cartoon characters.
Daisy came as close as she could to admitting that she’d been struggling. The weight of it all as she talked about it, the pressure she couldn’t escape, seemed to shrink as Candace’s hand found hers in the darkness.
Eventually, their talk reached a natural lull. It was like coming up after a long dive. They spoke for so long, Daisy forgot all about the fireworks. The party, the other people, were background noise. She was here for Candace, and Candace…
“I’m glad you came tonight. I’m moving right after graduation, so I wasn’t sure I’d see you again before I left.”
Inside her chest, Daisy’s heart performed wild somersaults. What could she say to that? A grand revelation that was asglorious as it was disappointing. Candace wanted to see Daisy, but she would be gone soon. Was there a way to make this moment last forever?
“I’m here,” Daisy whispered, almost to herself. “What were you hoping would happen if I came?”
The sand shifted. Shadow swallowed Daisy as Candace’s form moved over her. Then, atop her lips, she felt a subtle, soft press.
Candace’s lips.
It was Daisy’s first kiss. She felt herself lift up, catapulting into a stratosphere of sensation she’d only dreamed of, while her toes curled into the cool sand to keep grounded. It was a vain effort.
The kiss lasted all but a few seconds before Candace pulled away. But it happened. She wanted to know Daisy inthatway. Not only was she interested in women, she was interested inher.
