Down the Shore Read Online Free

You really are a beautiful girl.” She paused and said, “You should look at yourself once in a while, and I mean really look at yourself.” She added, “You're fabulous and you don't even know it."
    "Thanks, but you have to say that, being my best friend and all,” I giggled.
    After a few hours of sunbathing, the beach started to clear for the day.
    "Are you ready to go? I'm starving.” We hadn't eaten since breakfast, and my stomach had been growling since the beach.
    "Pizza?” She jumped up, we shook off our towels and headed toward the dunes.
    It's funny walking back to the house without your parents, you suddenly notice things you didn't pay attention to when you were younger. The decks were full of people at this time of the day, playing cards, drinking beer, kids kicking pebbles. Men were staring down at grills, flipping hamburgers and hot dogs, yelling out to their kids. Small children were drawing hopscotch on the sidewalk with chalk. Occasionally, we saw the college guys challenging each other to arm wrestling matches and hanging over their balconies whistling at the girls going by. “Hey, baby looking good down there!” or “Whew, look at that piece of ass.” It was insulting, but at the same time we took pleasure in the fact that they found us attractive enough to break away from their beers to notice us. How does someone respond to that? We just gave a smile and kept walking, not looking back once.
    We got back to the house to take much-needed showers. Makenna ran inside, but I preferred to use the outside shower at the beach house. It was always something I enjoyed, and I had been doing it every summer since I was two. Since my mom would threaten us with death if we went inside covered in sand, it had become second nature to me.
    If I closed my eyes, I could hear all the showers running simultaneously. I loved seeing the soapy water flowing into the streets, smelling the fragrance of various shampoos. I couldn't wait. I opened the wooden door, turned the rusty knob once and cranked on the water, letting it gently wash all the sand off my body. I closed my eyes and breathed in the aroma again.
    As I fumbled back to my room, my towel folded around me, trying not to show too much to the people roaming the streets. I couldn't help but smile. I flung the door open and hit ‘play’ on the clock radio Mr. Barton had conveniently placed in the kitchen.
    Looking for some good music, I turned the dial until I found what I wanted, and danced my way back to my room to get ready for the night.
    As I approached the mirror hanging over my closet, I noticed I hadn't used as much sunblock as I should have. My skin had turned slightly pink in the sun and now my shoulders started to ache at a single touch. I quickly rubbed some lotion onto my skin, hoping it wouldn't hurt too much. I flinched slightly when I felt the cool lotion touch my skin.
    I hated being red, but I knew the results would be worth it. I liked the way I looked in the summer. I always tanned well and it made me feel prettier for some reason. There was nothing like a little color to make you not only look better, but feel better.
    "Geez, Mom wouldn't like this,” I mumbled to myself. I placed my pink tank top carefully over my shoulders and pulled on a pair of denim shorts; clothes that were not too tight. I could only hope the color and pain faded by tomorrow. I grabbed my silver Havaianas and ran out of the room to find Makenna.
    "We don't have all night, Mac, let's get going,” I yelled loudly enough so she could hear over the music. It was almost seven and we had to be at Clancys early in the morning for training. I wanted to get a good night's sleep, and besides, I was already exhausted. I noticed whenever I laid out for the first time in the summer that it drained me by the end of the day.
    "I'm coming!” she roared back.
    She glowed; one day in the sun and she already looked like she had been down here all summer.
    We were only a few blocks