Cohen

I have my back to mystery girl as I finish up my ice cream cone and honestly I am just trying to forget about her. I don't need to know her story. She's got little kids with her. It's none of my business.

Rex pulls a Frisbee out of the back pack I didn't realize he brought with him and it hits the table with a thunk.

"Figured you'd need a distraction today," he says and then shrugs.

He's right. Of course. And playing Frisbee on the beach by the pier sounds perfect. We head down a bit closer to the water. I kick off my flip flops and Rex walks further away and prepares to toss it.

After about ten minutes, I'm sweaty and laughing and I've damn near forgotten about the shitty party and the girl who doesn't have a name.

My phone buzzes and I pull it out of my pocket without thinking. I'm looking down - at a text from my mom - when Rex calls out to me.

"Co!"

I'm not quick enough and the Frisbee glides past me. Oh well. Not a big deal. I'll just have to go chase it down.

"Watch out!" I hear Rex's voice again.

Now I follow the Frisbee with my eyes helplessly as it hits someone right in the back. Shit. The beach is a bit busy but we had found a spot where we thought we could play without anyone being in the way.

When the person turns around my stomach drops. Why does it have to be her? It could have been anyone but it's this girl , with two little kids by her side, both eating chocolate cones. This girl who stumbles and almost drops her own cone.

"Seriously?!" she yells at me, and I can see on her face that she realizes it's me. I can't tell what she thinks about that.

"Sorry," I manage to say. Why is my heart beating so fast?

And then she's gone, turned around and walking away with the kids moving their legs faster to keep up.

"Oops," Rex says, jogging over to me. "She looked pissed."

I shrug. "I said sorry."

"Why'd you have your phone out?"

"My mom texted. She said she's only paying my phone bill this last time. So I... need a job," I explain.

"Oh your mom's not messing around." Rex laughs and takes the Frisbee from me. "Want to walk back?"

I am flustered and I know I won't be able to focus if we go back to playing Frisbee, so I nod. I look out and see the nameless girl and the two little kids walking down the dock, before we turn the other way and start walking home.

Back in my back yard, I throw myself into the hammock and sigh. It's so damn hot outside. Rex unfolds a beach chair and sits, his long legs stretching out in front of him.

"So. You need a job if you want to stay?"

I grunt. "There's no jobs here. I don't have a car so I can't get a job I'm Santa Maria. Plus, no."

Rex chuckles. "Maybe Molly can get you a job at the Creamery?"

"Ugh, no. That sounds horrible."

"You like Molly, don't you? You were friends."

"We were. We had sex a few times before she left last summer. Then I didn't hear from her again," I tell him. I'm sure he knew that I was having sex with Molly Jay.

"Molly broke your heart?" Rex asks and then laughs out loud.

"No. She went to college. Anyway, I don't want to work with her. Talk about awkward."

"You have a lot of other ideas?" he teases, kicking some dirt with his shoe.

"I could go back to San Diego and leave your lonely ass here with no friends," I snap back, but I'm kidding.

"Ha. You wouldn't. Plus, I have friends. Luke texted me today, actually." Rex looks proud of this but it just irriates me.

"Ugh, Luke, really?"

"He's putting together a mock football game tonight and wants me to go." Rex shrugs, but I can tell he wants to go, too. God, this kid loves football.

"Of course he is," I mumble.

"I will only go if you are okay on your own," he teases me.

"Jesus, Rex, we're not dating. I don't care if you go play football with your bro dudes," I yell.

Rex is laughing so hard now that he can't breathe. "It's not until six. So you can keep me for a couple more hours."

"Fuck off," I finish, but I'm laughing, too.

*

I'm watching a movie about a bank robbery after eating a whole box of rice cakes for dinner, when I hear voices out front. It's after 8P.M. but not dark out yet, and my house is on one of the main roads, so it's normal for people to be walking by. But the voices get louder and then someone is knocking on the door. I'm in the front room right by the door, so I get up and go see who it is right away.

Rex is grinning back at me, standing on the deck next to Luke. Rex looks tiny compared to him and Luke smiles when he sees me.

"Cohen Ryder! Dude! I heard you were at the party last night."

He saw me at the party but he was very drunk by that point and obviously doesn't remember. I did get there pretty late.

"Yeah."

"You're back for the summer! My mom told me, and Isaac said he saw Lola yelling at you last night -"

"Alright, Luke, tell him why we're here," Rex says.

"Right. Duh. Well my mom asked me to ask my boss at the rental hut at the pier if you could work a shift or two a week. And I guess Trevor Walker is moving to Nevada next weekend for college..."

"Get to the point Luke," Rex interrupts, rolling his eyes.

"You've got a job! So, I took his Wednesday and Sunday shifts and you get Monday and Friday. It's good money -"

"You got me a job?" I ask, dumbfounded.

"My mom sort of did. She knows my boss. But yeah. Dude, it's like four hundreds bucks a week, depending how much you work."

Well shit. Maybe Luke's not a bad guy after all. "Thanks man. Um, so, how do I -"

"Got you covered. I'm going to train you on Monday. It's easy. And Reese will come down to meet you at some point,"

"Reese?" My head is spinning.

"My boss. She took over the rental hut last summer."

"Oh yeah, right."

Rex cheers and claps his hands, and looks so ridiculous that I can't help but laugh.

"How was the game?" I ask, because I assume they came here from that. They are both in football pants and jerseys.

"It was awesome. Hot as fuck, though," Rex answers.

Luke seems to be thinking about something else, now. "July 4th next weekend. Party at Isaac's. Um, if you guys want to come. I gotta go, my girlfriend is waiting at my house."

"You're still dating Naomi?" Rex wants to know.

Luke nods quickly but doesn't say a word.

"Dude. She's crazy," he goes on.

"Yeah. Well, I'm leaving in six weeks, so..." Luke shrugs and then waves to me. "See you Monday, down at the hut. 10A.M."

"Yeah. Thanks," I tell Luke again.

Holy crap. I got a job and I didn't even have to do a thing.

"See, I have your back," Rex tells me in an annoying tone, once Luke is back in his car and driving off.

"I didn't doubt you had my back," I say, shaking my head.

"I didn't really do anything, anyway. I just asked Luke for a ride home from the game and he suggested we stop by here to tell you about the job."

"You want to come in?" I ask, unsure. It's always a surprise if he's allowed to be out late or not. I mean, it is Saturday. He's eighteen. But his parents are a bit over protective.

"Can't. But next Saturday, I think I'll be able to convince my mom to let me go to the party for Independence Day," he answers easily.

I grumble and roll my eyes at my friend. "I don't think I want to go."

"Well, think on it. We can decide later." Rex shrugs and turns around. "See ya, Co."

"Yeah. See ya."

*   

    I don't sleep well, like normal people. I haven't since my dad died, actually. I have this fear that I will die in my sleep or something, says the therapist that I saw for like two weeks in SD. I stay up really late and think too much and literally fall asleep when I can't stay awake for another second. That sometimes results in sleeping half of the next day, which happens that night.

I wake up at noon, confused. My eyes feel like they can't open, and my body is too heavy. It's Sunday and I have nothing to do, but I know it'll mess me up for a few days at least. Damnit. And I have to start my new job tomorrow.

My phone's ringing as I step out of the shower, an hour later. I feel like I haven't eaten in days and I'd rather not talk to my mom for thirty minutes, which is what happens when she calls, but I answer anyway. I mean, it's my mom.

"Cohen!" she shouts into my ear.

I haven't even been gone for two weeks and she sounds like she hasn't heard from me at all. We've talked twice already.

"Hi, Mom."

"I called three times and it just rang and rang. You had me worried."

I swallow hard. "Sorry. I was in the shower."

"Oh. It's not a problem. Anyway , I talked to Kelly last night. She said you look well, but you look thin, are you eating?"

"I'm an eighteen year old boy, mom. I'm eating."

"Right. Well, she said you got a job, too! I mean I was joking when I said I'd cut off your phone. How would I talk to you?" she goes on.

"You were kidding?" I ask.

"I guess sort of. Anyway. The job? With Luke?"

"It's not with Luke. We'd be working different days. But yeah. He works there," I tell her.

"The place that rents the boats at the pier? The couple that owns it always seemed very nice," she says, and I hear some noise in the background.

"They sold it. Some lady owns it now. Kelly knows her."

"Kelly knows everyone," my mom laughs. "Well let me know how it is, okay. I'm proud of you. I thought you wanted to go back there to party and see that girl, but-"

"I just like it here. Avila feels like home. And Rex is here," I tell her.

"Oh yes, how is Rex doing? Tell him I say hello. I want you to have a great summer, Cohen. I just don't know what will happen in September ..." She's totally rambling now.

"I know."

When I begged her to let me come back to Avila for the summer, and she finally agreed, she reminded me that that by the end of August she's likely having the beach house put up for sale. She said there's no point in having two houses and she really prefers to be in San Diego. My sister Margo likes it there, too. By the end of August, Rex will be gone. The house will be gone. I won't have any connection to this place. But I also don't know where I'll end up. It's scary to think about.

"I'll let you go. So good to hear your voice, Cohen," my mom finishes.

And as I end the call and put down my phone, my heart breaks a little. She loves me a hell of a lot and she misses me. I guess I have to show her I'm not going to be a fuck up. Time to figure out what to do with my life, beyond hanging out in Avila for the summer.