Page 75 of The Beach Shack Summer
“Cereal doesn’t count. Neither does toast.” Stella stared out the window. “Maybe that’s the problem. She feels stuck because we’re useless without her.”
“We’re not useless.”
“Name one actual meal you’ve made since I got here.”
Tyler thought. “I made pasta.”
“You boiled noodles and opened a jar.”
“That counts!”
“It really doesn’t.”
They pulled up to the café. Inside, the early morning crowd was mostly surfers and fishermen, people who understood that dawn was the best part of the day.
“Hot chocolate?” Tyler offered.
“Coffee,” Stella said firmly. “I’m sixteen. Again, not six.”
“Coffee it is.”
They found a corner booth. Stella dumped sugar into her coffee with teenage abandon while Tyler watched, amused.
“So,” she said, stirring vigorously, “think Meg’s presentation will go well?”
“She’s been preparing for weeks. She’ll nail it.”
“Yeah, but what happens after? If she gets more clients?” Stella took a sip, made a face, added more sugar. “More bathroom conferences?”
“We’ll figure something out.”
“We need to learn to cook. Like, actual food. So she doesn’t feel responsible for keeping us alive.”
Tyler considered this. “I can make eggs.”
“Barely.”
“I can learn.”
“Can you though?” She stirred her coffee thoughtfully. “Maybe we could take a class. Bonding experience. Cooking lessons.”
“At 6 AM?”
“Good point. YouTube it is.”
They finished their coffee, the café filling up as the morning progressed. Tyler noticed Stella checking the time.
“Want to head back? See if Meg needs anything?”
“She’s probably gone already. Luke was picking her up at nine-thirty.” Stella stood, then paused. “Hey, want to do something?”
“We are doing something.”
“I mean after. Since we’re already out.” She looked unusually hesitant. “Unless you have work stuff.”
“No work stuff. What did you have in mind?”
“I don’t know. Whatever.” The studied casualness was back. “Beach maybe? You could take some pictures?”
