Down the Shore
Authors: Kelly Mooney
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Teen & Young Adult
Wings ePress, Inc.
www.wings-press.com
Copyright ©2011 by Kelly Mooney
First published in 2011, 2011
We drove along the Garden State Parkway heading south and my entire body felt euphoric with the sense that something was laying in wait for me. I had traveled this road every summer since childhood. Every time we started to cross over the bridge to enter the shore, I closed my eyes, and let the smell of the bay consume me.
There truly is no smell like the seashore. I can't explain it, but it always made me feel serene, like I was home. Of course my father always joked that it was the smell of the sewer, not the bay that we loved so much, but we never paid him any attention. As I reopened my eyes, I saw the ocean ahead and knew we would arrive at our little piece of paradise in a matter of minutes.
DOWN THE SHORE
by
Kelly Mooney
A Wings ePress, Inc.
Contemporary Romance Novel
Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
For Philip and my children for being so patient while I wrote this. To my mother who always makes sure that our family gets down the shore every year.
When I woke up in the morning it was already warm outside, and I smelled the first hints of breakfast my parents had prepared for me. The aroma of the pancakes and bacon drifted its way upstairs. I jumped out of bed and ran to brush my teeth, quickly getting dressed. I tossed my hair up into my usual ponytail, just as a strange feeling of both excitement and butterflies stirred around in my stomach.
"Wow, that's a new one,” I said out loud.
I grabbed my handbag and ran downstairs to face the tears of my parents and to devour my last perfect breakfast for a while.
I'll probably eat stuff like pop-tarts and cold cereal from now on.
Of course I would only be an hour from home. If I needed to come back I could, but something inside told me I wouldn't want to.
"Morning, Abby. How's it going, kiddo?” my dad asked as he stood there flipping my breakfast. He still wore his pajamas.
"Great, Dad, how ‘bout yourself?"
He looked up from his spatula and batter and gave me a reassuring wink and smile.
"You know me, I'm always great,” he replied with a gleam in his eyes.
It was the same response he gave whenever I asked him. I loved that he had such an eternally optimistic outlook. I sat there watching him flipping the heap of pancakes, tossing each one in the air ever so lightly, never once letting one fall. I knew neither one of us would ever forget this moment. It would be a long time before I would see him like this, standing in his pajamas, making my breakfast. A feeling of sadness pierced me instantly watching him, but the excitement of the summer took over just as quickly. I put on a happy face, one for him to remember.
He paused, turning to me, “Your mother has been baking all morning so you'll have some of your favorites to take with you. Make sure you show your appreciation, kiddo.” He turned back to his batter and pan.
"Absolutely! She's the best.” I woofed down four of the pancakes he placed in front of me.
I saw my mom in the laundry room finishing up the last of my clothes. If it weren't for the aroma of the pancakes and bacon, I was sure I would be able to smell her from here. She had worn the same perfume since I was little, never changing. Her signature fragrance was Chanel # 5. She told me once, every girl should have one. I still hadn't discovered mine.
"Hey, Mom,” I yelled out to her. “Come and get it, Dad's cooking up our favorites."
"Be right there,” she said in a voice that sounded a bit hesitant, shaky.
I glanced at the kitchen clock. It was already nine and my lazy brother hadn't shown his face yet. I had two hours to wait before Makenna would be here to pick me up. No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than Michael came barreling down the stairs in his usual manner, loud and boisterous. Still wearing his flannels, he made sure everyone knew of his immaculate presence. He never wore a shirt, as he was very proud of his maturing body. At fifteen, he had finally grown into himself. He'd been a short and scrawny kid, but over the last year, even I had to admit the changes happened fast. He'd matured quite nicely, although I would never tell him that.
In the last year, the phone constantly rang off the hook with girls calling for him. It drove my parents crazy.
"Hey, sis, you ready to escape high school hell?"
"I enjoyed high school, Mike,” I teased and stuck my tongue out at him.
"Well, it won't be the same without you here. Who am I gonna pick on?” He leaned over and punched me softly on the arm.
My parents always used to laugh at the two of us. You couldn't have two more different kids—Michael, the outgoing, class clown kind of kid, while I, more of an introvert, went through an awkward stage from middle school straight until the end of my sophomore year. I blossomed junior year, and that's when my confidence grew. Boys took notice and suddenly I wasn't that girl no one took notice of.
"Try someone your own size. I may be older than you, but I'm also a lot smaller, muscle man,” I laughed, tugging on his biceps.
My mom came in to eat breakfast. She grabbed a box off the kitchen counter packed full of the cakes and muffins she had made for me to take down the shore. Others may have called it the beach or a vacation on the Jersey shore, but locals from Jersey never called it anything but what it was. If you headed down the Parkway, you were going ‘down the shore.’ She placed them on the counter, fumbling with the lid.
"Thanks, Mom. I really appreciate all the baking. It'll probably all be gone before we even make it to the beach.” I reached over, hugging her.
"So, peanut, are you all ready to go?” she asked between taking bites.
"I'm hardly a peanut anymore, Mom. I'm a grown woman now, you know,” I stated with a small show of confidence. She glanced up at me, looking confused or maybe scared. I couldn't tell.
"I know, but you'll always be ‘peanut’ to me.” She stared back down at her plate, pushing her blueberries around, and tried to cover her emotions.
"I know.” I nodded.
I secretly always loved that she called me that. It made me feel like a little girl. At this moment, I didn't know how I felt about it. At eighteen, going out into the real world felt a little scary. Having my best friend, Makenna, with me made me feel safer. We'd been joined at the hip for the last nine years—and we would spend one last summer together before going our separate ways. In just over two months that would all change. I hated to even think about the two of us not seeing each other, but in the end I knew that was all part of growing up. We would always remain friends, no matter what road each of us decided to take.
We finished breakfast and I excused myself, running back to my bedroom to finish up any last minute packing. I ransacked my room looking for anything and everything I would possibly need. The clearing of her throat made me look up. I saw my mother standing in the doorway, just staring at me holding an old teddy bear I used to sleep with when I was younger. I saw the tears brimming in her eyes.
Not again
. The tension of her body made me uneasy. She looked down and then back up into my eyes.
"Baby, I need to talk to you."
I sat on the corner of my bed. “Okay, Mom, what's up?"
"I'm nervous for you and Makenna, going off on your own like this. I know your father and I agreed to it, but I guess I'm just questioning our decision.” She ran her fingers through my hair, pulling at it like she did when I was a little girl.
"It's a little late for that, don't you think?” I felt the sweat starting to bead on my forehead.
Was she changing her mind?
Was that even possible?
Would she do that, when I expected Makenna to pick me up in an hour?
"I know. It feels like it was just yesterday when I was putting pigtails in your hair and running you to soccer practice."
I studied her face, reminding myself that it had to be hard for her and my dad to say goodbye. I had been here every day for the last eighteen years, and now her ‘peanut’ would be gone.
"Mom, please trust me and know that you raised me, and you raised me great. I will call you all the time and if you need to talk you can call my cell. It'll be okay! Really,” I promised. I tried to put some conviction in my voice so I could ease her fears.
She kept her fingers locked in my hair. “I know. I just won't be there to remind you to do the most basic things, like to eat and put on sunblock.” She let out a wistful sigh.
When she said that, I realized I'd be baring my ghostly white skin in my bikini very soon. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out the tube of sunblock.
I flicked her a reassuring grin. “Got it covered. I'll be fine, Mom."
It was only early June, and the shore didn't really start jumping until the Fourth of July. That would give me a few weeks of sunbathing. Thank God for that.
I peeled my eyes away from her and stared out the window.
"Abby."
I quickly turned back to her, “It's all packed, Mom, no need to worry."
"Great!” She looked at me with eyes wide open.
"Mom is there something else?” I didn't know why I would ever ask that. Her eyes focused on mine, freezing momentarily, then she blurted out what was on her mind.
"I know we don't usually discuss boys, Abigail, but I feel I need to say something to you. I can't let you leave without making you're aware of some things, about safety and the boys down the shore, and what they might be expecting from young girls like you.” Her face wore a look of concern and panic all at the same time. “Just be careful, Abby, you're getting older and so are the boys. They're going to want things from you that I hope you're not ready to give.” She regarded me with a curious expression on her face, waiting for some kind of response.
I couldn't help but wonder if she were going to come straight out and ask me if my virginity was still in tack.
"Eww Mom, I really don't want to talk about this right now.” I turned my head.
Ugh, what was she thinking?
"I don't care, Abigail, you need to know that college boys are much different from those you're used to, trust me on this,” she paused. “I know it's hard to believe, but I was your age once, not so long ago."
"I know this already, but really, have I ever given you a reason to doubt me?” I looked back at her in complete shock, mouth hanging open. I couldn't believe she wanted to talk about this now. We never needed to discuss this before, why the urgency?