A few boys of summer gathered at the water’s edge. It was early in the day for teen tourists to be out. I checked my phone to make sure I hadn’t been sitting there for hours. Nope. Guess they were hoping to catch some waves on their body boards. Maybe take in a show from those surfing.

I moved my gaze away from them and watched Luci paddle out for a wave. The further away from the shore she made it, the more it looked as if she was headed straight into the fireball at the edge of the world.

Today was her first day back in Sterling Beach this year. Summer didn’t feel official until she was here, even if school had been out for days. It didn’t seem to matter she was in college and basically on her own, she was the closest friend I had. What did that say about me?

I dug my toes further in the cool sand and watched the handful of surfers vying for the next wave. They sat on their boards with their legs dangling in the water on either side. With their backs to me, I couldn’t be sure if they went to school with me or not. One guy separated from the pack and paddled further out as a distant swell came in.

The boys near the water shot a few smiles in my direction, but none of them really caught my eye. Besides, it was more fun to flirt when Luci was with me. The boys of summer was a nickname we gave to our summer flings. We had three requirements. First and foremost, they had to be a tourist. Second, we went for drop-dead gorgeous but would settle for above the bar good-looking. Third, kissable lips were a must. It may seem shallow, but kissing the boys of summer was what I did for fun.

I had a love-hate relationship with the vacationers. They were usually rich. Some were demanding, but I needed them, or rather, the money they spent. The boys that came and went were something fun to pass the time without getting attached. Never serious because in the end, the guys always moved on and so would I.

Luci waited for a nice swell and started paddling to stay in front of the wave. At just the right time, she snapped her feet underneath her in one fluid action and cut through the water. It was art in motion.

After enjoying Luci’s show, the body boarders waded out in the water to find their own wave.

Luci got out of the water and hauled her board next to me, grinning.

I looked up at her. “You don’t look too rusty.”

“Yeah, it felt good out there this morning. Where’s your board?”

I’d hoped to pick up some pointers from her, but I may not get any actual practice in this year. “My dad attempted to be productive around the house and busted it.” If he wasn’t drunk as usual, it probably wouldn’t have happened. And I’d be out there grabbing the next wave instead of going to work.

“Bummer. You’re getting another, right?” she asked, drying the tuft of platinum blond hair on top her head. Every summer she had a different hairstyle. She could shave her head and still be pretty.

“I’m working on it,” I said, waving my hand from my head to my feet. Black pants and a white T-shirt wasn’t my normal beach attire. “I had to take on the early shift at Star Diner, plus my regular job. Hope I can save enough up.” I already made pizza’s six nights a week. Surfing was the one thing I got to do for me. And I didn’t have to be a team player to do it. Luci and I had that in common.

The alarm sounded from my phone. I took a deep breath and pulled it out of my jacket pocket to shut it off. “It’s not forever,” I said, telling myself more than Luci. Next year at this time, I planned to kiss high school goodbye and take a one-way road trip cross country. “Catch you later.”

“Later.” Luci tucked her board underneath her arm, crossed the beach, and hit the water at a run.

A couple of locals crossed in front of me, walking their dogs. It was their daily routine. They ignored me, and I returned the favor.