Lumen Cove Page 4

  “Man, Sully is great, isn’t he? How do you know him?” she asked, checking her hair in the mirror behind the door.

  “He’s my dad,” Kelsey replied and the girl stopped her preening to stare wide eyed at her, her jaw stopping it’s orbit to hang open for a minute before resuming it’s chewing.

  “Oh… wow how cool. My dad would never let me party with him,” she said with a roll of her eyes and a slicing gesture.

  “Yeah well,” Kelsey muttered. There was a pause before she grabbed the door handle and opened it. “You… uh you better get back out there. Don’t wanna miss anything!” she chirped enthusiastically and the blond grinned scrunching her shoulders as she sashayed out the door.

  Kelsey quickly shut it behind her, mouthing oh my God to the room as if it were bearing witness to this absurd turn of events. She could not deal with this. Absolutely could not, she decided as she stepped over to the chair in the corner that held all of her clothes. She plucked out some things at random, retrieving her overnight rucksack from under the bed and shoving things inside. She checked the side pockets finding a toothbrush and stick of deodorant and she was about to head back out into the living room but she hesitated her hand on the knob. She didn’t think she could handle seeing her dad - Sully, he wasn’t her dad - hitting on some blond that was only a few years older than herself. She sighed flicking the lock and walking over to the sliding glass doors.

  She stepped out onto the balcony, the wind whipping her hair wildly. A storm was brewing out there, the sea tumultuous and gray underneath the frothy waves. She shouldered her rucksack, not even glancing in the glass doors of the living room as she passed and walked over to the railing separating her deck from Mrs. Konig’s. She threw a leg over, spinning awkwardly and quickly crossed. She saw Mrs. Konig in the kitchen and gave her a wave. The woman looked very displeased and Kelsey gave her an apologetic smile. The old woman waved a hand at her as if to say, “not your fault” and Kelsey moved on, climbing over the railing on the other side onto the Sarno’s deck.

  She tapped lightly on the glass so as not to scare Mrs. Sarno who was shucking peas and watching Wheel of Fortune on television. Lavali Sarno looked up at the noise and gave a small start at finding Kelsey on her deck but immediately stood to let her in.

  “Kelsey come in before you’re washed away,” she exclaimed, her Indian accent light but present and Kelsey smiled.

  “Hey Lavali. Is Reva home?”

  “Yes,” the small woman said, her eyes cutting toward Reva’s door with disapproval. “She’s getting ready for her date tonight. I tell her this morning that I am making kachoris and she says she has a date.” Lavali sniffed, flinging a hand in apparent disgust.

  “You know Reva,” Kelsey said trying to cover for her friend even though she herself would never choose some boy over Lavali’s kachoris. “Never wants to miss an opportunity to make…” she paused, horrified that she almost told her best friend’s conservative Indian mother that her daughter never missed an opportunity to make out with boys, “memories,” she fumbled lightly. “Always about the memories for her.”

  “Yes. Are you going on the date too? You double?”

  “Oh no,” Kelsey said with a wave of her hand and Lavali looked oddly disappointed. “I’m just here to tell Reva about my AP test today.”

  Lavali’s face lit up. “Oh good for you Kelsey. I’m so glad you are doing the AP.” She scowled at Reva’s door again. “This one could do AP but does she? No. She chases boys and plays make believe in that theater”

  Kelsey burst out laughing at this and Lavali smiled as well. Lavali liked to pretend she was hard on Reva but when it came down to it she was front row center at every play or musical Reva starred in and was the first one to say she needed a new dress for date night.

  “Go in,” Lavali said finally, waving a hand at Reva’s door and moving to sit back down on the couch, pulling her bowl into her lap once more.

  Kelsey knocked softly on Reva’s door and heard a muffled “come in” from inside. Reva was sitting at a vanity that was covered in makeup. Her face reflected in the mirror was a flat cappuccino canvas, flawless but without color. Her eyes danced as she put down her highlighter and spun in her chair.

  “How was AP with Mr. Danvers? Tell me everything.”

  Kelsey rolled her eyes sitting on the end of Reva’s bed, letting her rucksack slide to the floor. “It was just a presentation and a test.”

  “What was it like having his complete and undivided attention?” Reva asked intensely. Kelsey blinked at her. “Oh gosh, I know, my face,” Reva exclaimed with a wave of her hand, turning to look back in the mirror. “You talk while I contour.”

  “Erm,” Kelsey said, reaching to tuck her hair behind her ear. “Well, I mean it was awkward.”

  Reva paused looking at her through the mirror. “How?”

  “I mean it was just him sitting there and me… presenting. Like you think giving a presentation to the whole class is bad, try giving it to just the teacher. Just that teacher.” A shiver rolled down her spine at the recollection of looking directly into his eyes as she spoke.

  “His eyes, right?” Reva grinned at her through the mirror. Kelsey nodded.

  “Yeah, I mean, I never saw the big deal until he’s like staring right at me, ya know? Like who has eyes that blue?”

  “No one,” Reva said slamming her brush down on the table dramatically. “Ugh I am so jealous,” She shook a tube vigorously before applying its contents to her eyelids. “This opportunity is wasted on you.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Kelsey asked with a laugh and Reva gave her a wry look in the mirror.

  “You are the only girl in the senior class that wouldn’t ever do anything with Mr. Danvers,” Reva said authoritatively and Kelsey’s mouth fell open, not sure if she should feel offended or shocked by Reva’s brazenness.

  “You’re saying that any other girl in my situation would… would… put the moves on Mr. Danvers???” Reva burst out laughing.

  “Kelsey, you are so naive. No, no one would put the moves,” she snorted, “on him. You just…” She trailed giving Kelsey a sly smile. “Flirt a little,” she gave a little shrug of her shoulder. “Bat your eyes, little touches here and there.” She mimed touching his hand lightly and Kelsey shivered, remembering herself doing just that. “It’s more like you let him know the door is open.”

  Kelsey’s mouth dropped open. “Is it???”

  “Oh my God. Kelsey,” Reva said turning around again. “Yes. It is.” Reva shook her head. “Will it happen? Of course not, Danvers is wound so tight you’d need to shove a flashlight up his ass to get him to lighten up,” Reva said turning back around again. “But is it fun to think about?” Another sly smile. “You bet your ass it is.”

  Kelsey found her heart thumping hard in her chest and swallowed dryly. Reva was a lot more forward than she was, especially with boys, but this seemed unfathomable. She wanted to inquire further but felt that Reva’s head might shoot off if she did. Apparently, she was the only girl in the senior class who wasn’t actively trying to get in Danvers’ pants. The irony.

  “Hey, can I stay here tonight?” Kelsey asked and Reva’s eyes met hers through the mirror.

  “Yeah sure,” she said eyeing her. “Mom’s making kachoris. Maybe if you’re here to eat them she won’t bitch at me quite so much.” They laughed and were silent for a moment, Kelsey watching Reva apply eyeshadow. “Any reason you need to crash here?” Reva asked finally, her eyes cutting to Kelsey.

  “Sully’s Discotheque has opened for the weekend,” Kelsey replied and Reva rolled her eyes.

  “Gross,” Reva commented, dropping an eyeshadow in disgust. “You can stay here as long as you need. I’ll be out late though.”

  “No worries,” Kelsey said with a sigh, laying back on Reva’s bed and staring up at the glow in the dark stars they had stuck there when they were seven. “I like hanging out with Lavali and Ezio.”

  Reva snorted. “You ar
e the perfect Indian-Italian daughter Kelsey. You were born to the wrong family.”

  Kelsey’s smile faltered and she sighed. “Sometimes I think you’re right.”

  Kelsey was nearly out of breath but she didn’t dare stop running. When the library had closed it had been a mere drizzle but within a block it turned into a steady rain and by the time she reached the north end of the boardwalk it was pouring. She struggled to see through the blinding rain, feeling her knapsack thump hard against her hip, irritating the bruise there. Her sneakers slapped against the boardwalk as she flew past Ezio’s Pizzeria and Sandy Toes Nail Salon, thunder rumbling maliciously in the distance. She was wet to the skin, her hair plastered to her face and neck as she took the stairs down to the beach, being careful not to slip but trying to hurry just the same. Waves crashed loudly against the sand and she could see the narrow strip of shoreline that separated her from the Cove illuminated by a streak of lightning that made it bright as day for a split second. Kelsey ran for it, not trusting herself to wait to see when the next wave was coming in. She felt it splash against the rock just as she cleared the space, ocean water sprinkling against her back to mix with the rain.

  She paused, leaning against the rocky crag that shielded Lumen Cove from the rest of Lambency, taking a break from the howling wind if not the water. Her clothes were heavy, sticking to her skin and weighing her down while the denim of her jeans had chaffed her thighs nearly raw. She felt as if she couldn’t run another step. She could barely even breathe. She reconciled the fact that she was already drenched and close enough to home that her panic was ebbing; she could walk the rest of the way. Reluctantly pushing herself away from the rock she stepped back into the gale, trudging through wet sand as rain and wind whipped her face. Another crack of lightening illuminated the complex and she saw a man on his deck struggling to reign in an awning that was being pulled this way and that by the raging wind.

  “Mr. Danvers?” She found herself hollering over the swell and he whipped around as if startled, squinting his eyes to see who had called to him from the dark. “It’s Kelsey! Kelsey Charming! Do you need help?”

  But her words were drowned out by an earsplitting crack of thunder and in his distraction Alex neglected to pay attention to the outhaul which swung around with violent force, catching him just above the eyebrow. He slumped to the ground immediately and Kelsey didn’t even pause to think, just ran up the stairs to his deck, fumbling with the latch on the gate before rushing in.

  He was sitting on the ground, supporting himself on one arm while his free hand prodded gingerly at his forehead. Kelsey ripped her bag over her head and let it fall to the deck before sinking to her knees next to him. Lightening lit the sky once more and in its light she saw a stream of red coursing down his face before it went dark again. She asked if he was okay but her voice was drowned by another heavy clap of thunder. She could make out his grimace in the dark as he tried to say something to her, but the wind was howling and she couldn’t make it out. He pointed to the sky and she looked up just in time to see the outhaul swing wildly towards them again. She ducked on instinct and felt a large hand cup the back of her head, his body moving to shield her the best he could from his clumsy position. The outhaul banged against the side of the building. Kelsey felt the wind of it against the back of her neck as it swung over their heads.

  “We have to secure it,” she heard him yell, feeling his hand leave her. She looked up to find him trying to stand but he wobbled dangerously.

  Kelsey surged upwards, her arms hooking under his as his knees gave way, his head colliding painfully with her collarbone. His hands went to her back, clutching at her shirt to try to catch himself. She couldn’t hold him, he was too heavy. She was able to lower him to the deck with as little of a jolt as possible before she straightened to reach for the rigging. She grabbed the rope and held on tight but it slid through her grip, setting her palms on fire. She cried out, letting go and hugging her hands to her chest, eyes stinging as the burning surged before waning into a dull heat that throbbed with the beat of her heart.

  Mr. Danvers was trying to stand but he slipped down again. She pulled the sleeves of her jacket over her burning hands and reached for the rope again. She caught it, holding fast and the sail drug her forward into Mr. Danvers' prone form. He plastered his hands on her stomach, keeping her upright as she threw all of her bodyweight backwards and the sail finally turned, losing some of its wind and became easier to manage.

  “Wrap it around the winch!” Alex yelled over the din, his head throbbing painfully. Kelsey swam in his vision as lightning lit up the sky, followed immediately by a deafening boom of thunder.

  Kelsey struggled to tug the rope to the railing of the deck, fumbling as she slipped it around the pulley system. She cranked as fast as she could, her hands feeling as if they had been set aflame. The rain stung her eyes, her hair clung to her cheeks and blew into her mouth but finally the sail was closed and secured. She quickly threaded the end of the rope around the railing securing it with a buntline hitch before scuttling over to Mr. Danvers.

  “Can you stand?” She yelled over the wind as it battered them both, trying to send them to their knees.

  “I think so,” he hollered back. Kelsey slid her arm around him, his arm going around her neck automatically as they stood together, swaying against the force of the storm.

  They walked slowly to the sliding glass door that led into his condo, trying not to trip over each other’s feet. Kelsey grimaced, a thin whine sounding through her gritted teeth as she gripped the handle and pulled. They tumbled inside, Alex letting go of her to fall against the bed directly inside the doorway. He struggled onto his back, his feet landing on the floor with a heavy thump. Kelsey was struggling to get the door closed and when it finally latched it was as if someone had spun the volume to low, the dull whistle of the wind and pattering of the rain against the windows the only indication of the storm raging outside. She too collapsed then, her legs giving way as she sat down hard on his entry way rug, her back thumping against the side of the bed, resting her head against it.

  The only sound was the raging wind and the panting of their breath as they tried to get their hearts back to a normal rhythm. Kelsey felt as if the dark were pressing in on her eyes and that’s when she realized the power must have gone out. It was never this dark in the Cove. Alex’s head was pounding and he feared if he removed his hand from his head it might fall right off his neck and bounce away like a basketball. He could feel blood seeping through his fingers, knew he should move, get out of his water-logged clothes, find bandages but he could barely form a full train of thought much less stand.

  “Do you have a first aid kit?” A small voice asked from the floor next to the bed and Alex, startled, sat up a lot faster than his bruised brain would allow. His vision tunneled and his stomach rolled violently. For a minute, he was sure he was going to be sick.

  “Easy,” Kelsey chided softly and he felt a hand grip his shoulder, guiding him back into a laying position. “You’re bleeding pretty bad.”

  “Head wounds bleed a lot.” He grimaced, pulling his hand back to look at his palm but it was so dark he literally couldn’t see his hand in front of his face.

  “I know,” Kelsey replied simply. “First aid kit?”

  “In the laundry,” Alex replied, as lightning lit up the room so Kelsey was able to catch his vague gesture towards the dark condo. Kelsey opened her eyes wide to the darkness, trying to make out the shapes in the unfamiliar space. “There’s a flashlight on the counter.”

  She nodded, taking small shuffling steps around the end of the bed and within a few short steps she had bumped into the end of the counter. Her hands fumbled over the surface, encountering what felt like a wire basket with fruit in it, a wallet, a ribbed drinking glass then finally the flashlight. She let out a slow breath of relief as she flicked it on. She swung the light around the condo, trying to get her bearings. A cased opening was directly in front of her leading to a t
iny room no bigger than a closet that had a stackable washer/dryer on one side and a tall wardrobe unit on the other. A door, which she assumed led outside, was between them. She stepped through his kitchen, peering around the small space, and she marveled at how much stuff he managed to get in here. The wall next to the washing machine, where there was maybe half a foot of space, was covered with racks and pegs to hold mops and brooms, fishing gear and the first aid kit. She grabbed it and a fresh dish towel that was tucked in a rack with cleaning supplies. She carried the kit with both hands trying to hold it just with her fingers, her palms still blazing almost unbearably.

  Mr. Danvers was half laying on the bed still, though he had relocated to the end so that he was facing the room. He was holding his head and as she ran the light over his face quickly she found him to be a gruesome sight, blood smearing his forehead, trickling between his fingers and down his arm. She set the first aid kit on the bed next to him and pressed the towel to the hand covering his wound, lightly tugging on his wrist to get him to move it and hold the towel in place. Kelsey moved to climb onto the bed then but caught herself before her knee hit the mattress. This was very unfamiliar territory. She’d never been in a teacher’s home before, much less in their bedroom and Mr. Danvers…well…while she wasn’t falling head over feet for him like the other girls, she certainly wasn’t blind. This was certainly the most extenuated of an extenuating circumstance, but she needed to stay within the realm of propriety as much as possible. And climbing into bed with him did not fall into that realm.

  “Can you sit up?” She asked as she knelt on the floor next to his knees and a low grumble sounded in his chest before he struggled into a sitting position. “Dizzy?”

  “A little,” he muttered, keeping his eyes closed to prevent the room from spinning. He heard her rustling in the first aid kit, the light of the flashlight dancing behind his closed lids.