High Tide

Chapter 4 [Beach Party]

Chapter 4

Beach Party

Avery got a text from Jo just before dinner reminding her of the party at the beach later that night and making sure she still wanted to tag along. Avery didn't reply until after dinner, still unsure whether or not she really wanted to go.

It was Lydia that brought it up first.

"Are you going to the beach party with Jo?" she asked after they were finished clearing the table and doing the dishes.

Avery had to mull it over for a few moments, still undecided. She didn't really feel like going out to a party, but at the same time she figured spending her summer indoors wouldn't do her much good once school started in a month and a half. She didn't want to be the lonely little freshman without any friends.

She was already way too used to being the new girl from all of those years spent being bumped around from one foster home to the next.

"Yeah, I guess I could check it out," she answered finally. "If it's alright with you, I mean," she added quickly.

"I don't see why not," Lydia smiled. They'd already had a conversation about staying safe and being responsible at parties. "You know the ground rules. Jo's mom will pick you up at eleven... and keep your phone on you at all times, okay? You've got our numbers, so call us if you need anything, no matter what," she added.

"I know, got it," Avery nodded, smiling a little. Lydia was putting her trust in the fact that Avery wouldn't screw this up, and that meant a lot. "Thanks," she added.

"No problem," Lydia grinned.

Avery went upstairs to get ready and Lydia finished sweeping the floor. Charlie was working the overnight shift at the station tonight, which meant it'd be just her and Marissa for the majority of the evening. She looked out of the kitchen window. Marissa was playing fetch with Klondike; when Charlie wasn't around to steal all of the attention, he couldn't get enough of the little girl!

Putting her broom away in the closet in the hall, Lydia went out onto the patio and leaned over the railing, brushing her hair over to one side so that the warm breeze tickled the back of her neck, providing some kind of relief from this abnormal heat.

"Hey guess what," she called out to Marissa. "It's just you and me tonight, so we can do whatever you want to do," she added.

"Um... Can we bake cookies?" Marissa asked.

Lydia laughed; she'd bought the necessary ingredients to make her mother's peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe yesterday but it was way too hot to labor in the kitchen for too long, not to mention with an oven cranked up to 400 degrees. Things were cooling down for the evening though.

"Sounds like a great idea," she answered enthusiastically. "Can I have a turn?" she added, gesturing for the Frisbee.

Jo stood in front of her full-length mirror, turning this way and that. She was wearing a new outfit bought specifically for the beach party, her hair pulled up into a cute up-do. Her lips were painted a cherry red to match her sleeveless top.

She could very well be a little biased, but even so she had to admit: she looked pretty damn fantastic.

Walking over to the bed, Jo grabbed her phone and looked through her recent texts until she found Avery Johnson's name.