Edward

Chapter Six

Slaters Beach , Massachusetts - 2004

It's a hot day. A day I'm glad to be working on the beach. In this cement cave. In the cement organic looking facilities. The snack bar the biggest. Situated on the beach, these structures molded grey concrete. Sea creatures. Inside the cave snack bar, it's cool. Everything's cool to touch. I can see out the arched, smooth cement doorway the ocean beyond the beach, down to the shore. It's a hot, busy day at the crowded beach. The wall to wall people of the public beaches. Children screaming or crying. Every now and then a group of girls, about my age. Local girls I don't know. Neighboring towns. Pretty girls in bikinis.

Three stand there at that moment. Behind them a line of wet, sandy, salty bodies. I am focused on each one . Taking orders and filling them. A camaraderie with Susan-the other concession worker, Ed, the older guy who manages the entire concrete facility complex and two guys who cook in the back of the cave: Kevin and Mikey.

I notice one of the girls staring at me. She's about sixteen and has translucent eyes. A haunting transparent blue. It is something that marks her as different, unique, but it is not pretty. Her eyes draw my attention. She's glaring at me. She knows me somehow and I don't know her. Her long black hair is still wet and beginning to clump from the salty water. She's tanned and I can see lines from her various bathing suits. The bandeau strapless top leaves bar, strap marks from a halter type suit. These pale areas are reddening from exposure. The two other girls are back-ups to this enigmatic teenager. She's the star.

I hand the change to the little boy who ordered clamcakes and a Hershey bar. The boy is making a show of balancing the candy bar on top of his coke and paper box of clam cakes in the other hand. He's one of those little boys that I can tell wants to do everything himself...He's tough I smile as I watch him navigate the cue, past customers. I look back up and smile to the girl—the girl with the eyes. Turquoise marbles. Has her hair color changed with the light? As she moved out of the sunny spot to the dark cave, lit with incandescent lights that give a candle light glow in contrast the the bright white sunlight out on the beach.

I smile at her, smiling over the boy but she doesn't smile back. She stares. Glares actually.

"Can I help you?" I ask.

She baby talks back. "Can I help you?"

"Pardon?" Now I'm stiffening, ready for an exchange. I don't know this girl.

"You heard me."

"Yeah. I heard you." I say. "I've got a line of people. Do you want to order?"

She turns to her friends they exchange looks, she rolls those blue eyes before she turns back. "What's good here?"

I wait. Now people behind her are clearing their throat. The man behind her says. "hurry up kid."

"Yeah.. I'll have a coke and —let's see. Do you girls want some fries?"
The shorter girl pushes forward. "just stay away from Jack." She sneers at me.

"Is that it?" I hit keys on the cash register. "Two twenty five."

The leader girl hands me three dollars. "Change please."

I lay the coins on the counter. One by one. Making her pick them up one by one.

"Seriously" the short one says. "this is his girlfriend. Have some respect." 

I shake my head.

"They'll call your name. You can wait over there. "

The girls shake their heads, moving closer to each other. A little band of bully girls. I don't realize it bothers me until I fill out the ticket for the cooks. My hand shakes as I write. "Small fry and coke."