Her younger brother was running along the beach playing tag with the tiny waves that crawled inland Alex ignored him and pulled the phone out of her back pocket She texted Simone her best friend back home in Minnesota with one hand as she finished the bagel in her other hand Simone and Alex both had the day off and Alex hoped they could talk later Hey ALEX Waiting Waiting Waiting SIMONE ALEX Waiting Waiting Waiting SIMONE ALEX SIMONE Hey What’s up No school Going 2 movies w Chase You Beach Perfect weather here He’s here Gotta go A pang of jealousy struck Alex as if she had been punched in the stomach Chase was a guy they both liked She closed the text window 3
and shoved the phone back into her pocket She had only been gone from Minnesota for a month and Simone already had a boyfriend Alex felt like she had hardly met anyone Well that wasn’t exactly true She had made two friends on the island Sienna and Maia But they already had a history together so even though they tried to make Alex feel at home she was still the new girl She didn’t get any of their inside jokes and she didn’t know any of the places or people they talked about They just kept saying Sorry and You’ll go there sometime or You’ll eventually meet so-and-so Alex Mom called Get off your phone You’re in Hawaii Alex pushed up off the ground She dusted the damp sand from her legs and shorts before wandering down to the ocean’s edge The blue-green water was clear enough to see coral and the sun reflected orange and yellow off the waves farther out Seagulls swooped and cawed The air was warm and balmy It would be another perfect day in Hawaii 4
Bet your friends back home are jealous that you’re wearing shorts and T-shirts all year Dad said They’ll be all bundled up in parkas right now Brrrr Dad fake-shivered and sipped his coffee The truth was that Alex liked having seasons that changed It made every few months feel like a new beginning Mom had put their winter clothes in storage including Alex’s favorite navy blue V-neck sweater saying You won’t need that where we’re going The waves crashed against the shore Drew raced back from the waves as though the water touching his feet were hot lava A sign posted along the beach said Preserve Our Natural Landscape Please Leave All Lava Rocks and Other Natural Elements Where You Find Them Alex picked up a black rock carefully holding it between her index finger and thumb She jogged over to her dad who was smiling at the beautiful colors spread across the sky Look at this She showed him the lava rock Tiny craters covered its surface their 5
edges rough like charcoal against her skin His smile disappeared Alex the sign says Leave rocks where you find them Besides it’s bad luck Remember what the guide said You mean the guy in the Hang Loose tank and flip-flops Is that the best news source Alex asked The locals know what they’re talking about her dad said We need to respect their traditions I thought you weren’t superstitious Mr Science Alex kidded him Then look it up on your phone he said Mom shot him a dirty look and he added When we get home They had moved because Alex's dad Michael Reyes was invited to be a visiting professor in the marine biology department at the University of Hawaii Mom was a writer for a test scoring company that let her telecommute which meant she worked from a table in a coffee shop The Reyes house had always been bookish and a bit Big Bang Theory nerdish so anything the slightest bit 6
