11. Darcy
DARCY
“How about we skip stones?” Darcy tried. She was planted in the sand next to Elly Watson, who was still refusing to go anywhere near the lake.
“No.” Elly didn’t even look at her.
Darcy was losing patience. It was steaming hot out, and for the first time all summer she was feeling pretty hot herself, in her bikini. When she’d stepped on the scale that morning she was down three more. Her stomach cramped with hunger, or maybe it was the pills working, but whatever—it was working! If only she had the chance to actually get near the water and show off her sacrifices.
“What if I twirl you around in the shallow end? We won’t go any deeper than a few inches.”
“No.”
To make things worse, Darcy heard Spencer Delancey coming up behind her. He must’ve come down to the beach to swap lifeguard shifts with Craig, who’d been in the chair all morning. “Hey, man. Sorry, I’m late,” she heard Spencer say.
Darcy didn’t dare turn around.
“You going to Reagan’s tonight?” Craig asked.
“Yeah. You?”
There was the thud of feet landing in the sand as Craig hopped down from the chair. “I’ve got this stupid family dinner with my grandparents, but I should be able to get out of there by nine.”
“Cool. It’s supposed to be a big one. He got two kegs.”
Craig laughed. “That should last an hour. Save me some.”
So, Lily had been right. As soon as she’d arrived at work that morning, Lily was waiting for her. She’d overheard that Reagan Rogers, a senior, was hosting, but so far neither she nor Darcy had been able to get any details. Darcy was pretty sure Ashley Riley would know, but she wasn’t about to ask her.
“What’re you two thinking? It’s too hot not to be swimming.”
Spencer was standing with his hands on his tanned hips, looking down at them. She sucked in her stomach and nodded toward Elly.
“She says she hates the water.”
Elly nodded, unmoved by either of the teenagers staring at her.
Spencer scoffed. “No one hates the water.”
“I’ve been trying all week,” she told him. From down the beach, Lily was watching them. The girl had radar for Spencer. “I’ve got to keep an eye on my other campers,” Darcy said, not wanting to look like she was slacking at the lake, especially in front of a lifeguard.
As she went to stand, Spencer held out his hand and she let him pull her up to her feet. She was especially glad to be wearing her good bikini.
“Thanks,” she said, ducking her chin and smiling like she did for a selfie. She sure hoped he wouldn’t watch her backside as she walked down to the water. But even worse, Spencer started to walk alongside her.
“Can she swim?”
“Who knows? Her parents said she can dog-paddle, but I can’t get her to even take the test.” She stole a glance at him and was surprised to see a look of genuine concern.
“Then I guess that’s what we’re going to have to do.”
“What?” Before Darcy could say anything more, Spencer turned and marched back up the beach to where Elly sat.
Darcy watched as he plopped down next to her and tried to start a conversation. She almost laughed when Elly turned away as if she’d smelled something bad. Apparently Spencer Delancey’s charm did not extend to the six-year-old masses. Well, give Elly time…
And then something unreal happened: Spencer said something and Elly nodded. When he stood up, Elly did, too. Darcy’s jaw fell open as he held out his hand, and Elly Watson took it. She walked with him right past Darcy and to the water’s edge, still gripping Spencer’s hand. At the water’s edge, Elly put on the brakes.
Darcy watched in disbelief as Spencer bent down to her level. His lips moved, but she could not make out his words. And then, after one long pause, the two of them waded into the lake up to Elly’s knees. Moments later, Elly was splashing around with Spencer. Other kids came to join. They shrieked and laughed, and before the other lifeguard blew the whistle for swim time to be over, Elly Watson was soaked, head to toe. She had not yet tried to swim, but she was smiling.
Spencer strode out of the water and slicked his wet hair back like a Greek god. Then he flashed Darcy a thumbs-up.
What did you say to her? she mouthed.
Tell you later, he mouthed back.
Darcy felt herself melting into the sand. Later. Spencer was going to Reagan Rogers’s house party. That meant she and Lily had to go, too, if it was the last thing they did.
“Girls, it’s getting late,” her mother called upstairs. “Didn’t you say your movie started at nine-thirty?”
Going to the movies was a front. No way her parents would let Darcy go to a party without a million questions and rules. “Yeah,” Darcy lied, hurrying downstairs with Lily on her tail. “We’re leaving now. Don’t want to miss the previews.”
“What time does the movie end?” Her mother put the kettle on. That was Ingrid: making tea, when she could be making a martini on a weekend night. Darcy would be so different when she was fifty.
“Uh, around eleven-thirty? You don’t have to wait up. We’ll come straight home and be super quiet coming in.”
She was ready for Ingrid to object, but to her surprise her mother handed her a Ziploc bag of cookies. “Sneak them into the movies in your purse.” Ingrid had been on the phone all day with her client from Boston who might be making an offer on the stupid Tree House. When her mother got stressed out she baked. Darcy was not about to risk her progress by stuffing her face, but at least the cookies had distracted her mother from sticking her nose in their plans.
“So cute,” Lily teased, when they were safely in the car. “Your mom made your favorite cookies!”
Darcy groaned. “First of all, those are Adam’s favorite, not mine.” She buckled herself in and checked her hair in the visor mirror. “Second of all, it’s suffocating and needy.”
Lily shrugged. “At least she gave you something nice.”
Darcy turned to her best friend. “Didn’t your mom recently give you a box of condoms?”
“Yeah, and in the same breath she told me not to use them. What kind of messed up message is that?”
“At least she knows you’re not seven.”
So far, they’d done a drive-by past Reagan’s house, twice. There were only a few cars parked in the driveway, none of which they recognized.
“It’s not crowded yet. If we go in there it’s not like we can blend into the crowd,” Darcy worried aloud.
Lily checked her lip gloss in the mirror. “I wasn’t made to blend in. I say we go.”
“Fine.”
They were just about to get out of the car when a navy blue BMW blew past them and swung into the driveway. “For real?” Lily said, yanking her door closed just in time.
Darcy craned her neck to see who it was. Spencer Delancey slid out of the car carrying what looked to be a six-pack of beer. His friend Blaine and two others joined him.
“Looks like the party’s started,” Lily said. “Let’s go.”
The door had been left ajar, but Darcy hesitated. “We weren’t exactly invited.”
“No one’s going to notice,” Lily said, pushing past her. She was right. The foyer was packed with people from school holding Solo cups and talking in clusters. Music blared from the living room. Darcy spied Spencer and his friends by the keg. But Reagan was working the tap.
“What if he asks us to leave?” Darcy whispered.
Instead, when they got to the front of the line Reagan asked, “One or two?”
“Two,” Lily said. Darcy threw her a look. They’d agreed that Lily was designated driver. “Relax,” Lily whispered. “It’s just one. We’ll be here awhile.”
Just as Reagan handed them their beers, someone cut roughly in front of them. It was Ashley Riley in a short pink dress that left nothing to the imagination.
“Uh-oh, party’s just started and she’s already blitzed!” Blaine shouted.
Ashley shrieked with laughter as though this was the funniest thing she’d ever heard before stumbling backward, right into Darcy.
“Look out,” Lily warned, but it was too late. Darcy’s beer sloshed up over the rim of her Solo cup, soaking her arm and spraying the front of her denim shorts. It looked like she’d peed her pants.
“Ashley, look what you did.” It was Spencer, spinning Ashley around by her shoulders so she could see the mess.
“Oops. Sorry!” Ashley didn’t look sorry, with that fake smile on her fake-tanned face. “I didn’t notice you there.”
Spencer stepped in. “I’m really sorry, she’s had a few.”
“It’s not your job to apologize,” Lily said. She glared past him at Ashley.
“It’s okay,” Darcy said, swiping at the beer stains with her hands. But it wasn’t okay—on top of being told she was basically invisible, now she smelled like a keg.
“Don’t move,” Spencer said. He trotted off toward the kitchen and returned with a handful of napkins. “Ashley’s usually a lot of fun,” he said. Then, “Sometimes too much.”
“She should work on that,” Lily said, grabbing a napkin and dabbing at Darcy’s shorts.
“Thanks,” Darcy told them both. Spencer was being so nice, just like at the beach. “Hey, that was pretty impressive today with Elly Watson.”
“That camper of yours who hates camp?”
“I’ve been trying all week to get her in the lake. What did you say to her?”
“Luckily she doesn’t feel the same way about ice cream as she does about swimming. I told her that the ice cream truck was coming, but it was only for kids who went in the water.”
“You lied to a little girl at summer camp?” Her voice came out much flirtier than she’d intended. The last thing she wanted was to sound like vapid Ashley.
But Spencer was grinning back at her, and she basked in the glow. (God he had so many perfect white teeth.) “Technically, the ice cream truck is coming,” he said. “It just doesn’t come until next Friday, at the end of the first session.”
“Technically, there’s no swimming requirement for a cone,” she added.
Spencer laughed. “Personally, I think Elly looks like a kid who likes a lemon Italian ice. She’s got to keep that sourpuss going.”
“That’s not very camp counselor–like.” Spencer was funny. And maybe he was flirting just a little bit, too? Was that even possible?
“Hey, let me relieve you of that and get you a fresh one.” He gestured toward her Solo cup.
“Oh, no. It’s fine.”
“Then let me get you the next one?”
Darcy’s breath caught. “Okay. That would be great.”
“Hey, Delancey!” It was Spencer’s friend Eric, shouting across the room. “You’ve got to see this. Reagan is racing Ashley with the funnel.”
Spencer winced. “Great.” He lifted his cup. “Cheers. Was good talking to you, Birch.”
Darcy raised her cup to his. “You, too, Delancey.”
He’d barely left the room before Lily was in her face. “He likes you!”
“No he doesn’t. He just felt bad.”
“He rescued your shorts.” Lily lifted her cup to Darcy’s. “See? I told you, Darce. This is our summer. And it’s just the beginning.”
After that, Darcy’s first beer turned into a second. Spencer did not deliver as promised, but she didn’t mind. What she did mind was that Lily was also having another. “What’re you doing, Driver?”
Lily shrugged. “I’m only sipping. And the party’s good—we’re staying awhile, right?”
Darcy didn’t love the fact Lily wasn’t keeping to her word, but she let it go. The night was fun. They would be there awhile.
They popped into the kitchen to watch the funnel races. When Lily’s favorite Taylor Swift song came on, they joined a small group of girls dancing in the living room. When it got too hot, they stepped out onto the deck.
Darcy leaned against the porch railing, letting the beer set tle into her limbs. Overhead the sky was dark, the stars popping. For the first time in a long time, she felt lighter. “I have the best buzz,” she said proudly.
“I’m jealous. I want to join you.”
“You already have!” Darcy reminded her.
“I know, but I could have more if we stayed over.”
Darcy sobered just a little. Coming to the party was one thing. Crashing there was another. “My parents would freak out.”
“Fine.”
“And you really can’t drink any more,” Darcy said, studying her friend. Maybe she should have driven.
“Unless we stay.” Lily raised her eyebrows. “We could tell your mom we’re going back to my house.”
Darcy glanced around, uncomfortably. “Where would we sleep? It’s not like we’re tight with Reagan. Or anyone else here, really.”
“Looked like you were getting a little cozy with Spencer Delancey.” Darcy knew what Lily was really doing, coaxing her along to get her way. But she also felt bad for her best friend. “I don’t know, I guess maybe we could stay over.”
Lily’s eyes popped. “Really?”
It was so hard to say no to Lily. Darcy shrugged. “Fine.”
“Oh, Darce, I love you, I love you, I love you.” Lily squeezed her hard, then let go just as fast. “I’m getting a drink! Be right back.”
So they were staying. Darcy took a swig of her beer and looked around, wondering if Spencer was staying, too. And just like that he appeared in the doorway. When he saw her his face fell. “Damn. I never got you that beer.”
“I can get my own, thanks.”
This got his attention. He joined her at the railing and their shoulders brushed. “Alright. I like an independent woman.”
Woman. No one had ever called her that before. Unable to meet his eyes, Darcy looked down at her almost-empty cup, then at his. “Looks like you need a refill, too. Let me.” Before he could reply she took his cup from his hand. It was bold for her, and for once she was genuinely feeling it.
She found Lily in the kitchen, waiting for Reagan to finish mixing some frothy concoction in a blender. Yellow foam was pouring out of the lid. Both Reagan and Lily found this hilariously funny. “What is that?”
“Fun juice,” Reagan said, gleefully holding up the pitcher. “We tried to make pi?a coladas, but I didn’t have any rum. Or pineapple juice.” He made a face. “So we mixed gin and bananas and 7UP. Want some?”
“I’m good.” She leaned in to Lily. “Maybe skip that concoction?”
“Okay, Mom.”
Darcy stood in line again for the keg feeling pleased to be carrying Spencer’s cup along with her own.
“Double fisting?” Lily asked, joining her. Darcy noticed she was holding a cup of Reagan’s nasty concoction.
“One is for Spencer.”
Lily narrowed her eyes. “You are getting cozy.”
“Relax, we’re just talking. Come join us.”
Back outside, with two fresh beers, Darcy tried to listen as Spencer told them about his father’s new boat on Mayhaven Lake. But she couldn’t stop staring at his long eyelashes. She wondered if he got his blue eyes from his mother or father. She wondered if they had kids if their eyes would be green like hers or blue?
It didn’t matter that she was distracted: she’d already heard the boat story. Apparently Mr. Delancey had purchased a racing boat with an engine too big and too loud for lake regulations. When her father reminded him of this, Mr. Delancey bypassed him and used his clout on the board to launch the boat from the club dock. Now there were all kinds of problems with the lake authority threatening to take the club’s boat slip rights away. She decided Spencer must not know about what his father had done.
“Maybe you guys can come out on the boat sometime,” Spencer said. It was a casual statement, more than an invitation. But Lily took him literally.
“When?” she asked, tipping back the last of her fun juice.
“Maybe,” Darcy interjected, coolly.
Make no mistake, she would be on that boat if Spencer was serious. Even if it killed her poor father. She was just imagining herself roaring across the lake next to Spencer when Ashley Riley stumbled out onto the deck. She looked around, her drunken gaze landing hard on them.
“There you are!” She wobbled up to Spencer and threw her arms around his neck. Darcy couldn’t help but notice that despite being trashed not one hair was out of place or an eyelash smudged.
“Here I am,” Spencer said, catching his balance. “Whoa, looks like you’re having a good night.”
“Even better, now that you’re here.” Ashley gazed up at him like they were all alone, and Darcy’s stomach sank. She could already feel the cloak of invisibility falling over her.
“I’m grabbing another,” Darcy said, turning quickly to Lily. Her beer was full, but she had to get out of there. Thankfully Lily led the way.
“Wait, little girl!” It was Ashley calling after them.
“What did she just call us?” Lily halted and spun around.
Darcy knew the look on her best friend’s face. “Ignore her,” she implored. “She’s drunk.”
“Not you,” Ashley called to Lily. “I’m talking to your little friend.”
The deck went quiet, and Darcy could feel everyone staring. She could go inside and pretend she hadn’t heard. But it was too late, everyone else had.
Ashley, one arm still slung around Spencer’s neck, was staring right at her. “Sorry, I don’t know your name, little girl, but grab me a beer?”
“Excuse me?” It took everything in Darcy’s voice to keep it from shaking.
“I said, grab me a beer?” Ashley snorted. “Jesus, is she deaf?”
Someone laughed. Darcy’s heart thudded in her ears.
Spencer took the cup from Ashley’s hand. “I’ll get it.” He didn’t correct Ashley and offer up Darcy’s name. He didn’t offer to get Darcy one, too. Instead, he ducked his head like he had no idea who she was and slipped by her in the doorway.
The scent of his cologne filled her nose. “Lily, I need to get out of here,” she whispered.
But Lily had other ideas. “What is your problem?” Darcy could feel her friend leaning toward Ashley, ready to close the space on the deck between them. Lily was fierce.
Darcy had had enough. “Let’s go.” She tugged Lily’s hand, whisking her back inside and through the crowd. They bumped into people in her haste.
“Ow, slow down,” Lily cried.
But Darcy could not slow down. She threw open the front door and pulled them both over the threshold and outside.
“Darcy!” Lily huffed, struggling to keep pace, but Darcy was halfway down the steps and across the driveway before she let go of Lily’s wrist and burst into tears.
“Hey, c’mere.” Lily tried to pull her into a hug, but Darcy held out her hand.
“Why did she call me that? What the hell have I ever done to Ashley Riley?”
“I don’t know, Darce. Because she’s a bitch. Because she saw you talking to Spencer and she’s jealous?”
Darcy hated that she was crying. She hated that they were stuck in Reagan Rogers’s driveway, her clothes reeking of warm beer. Most of all she hated that she’d allowed herself to believe that someone like Spencer Delancey would be interested in someone like her.
“They’re all drunk,” Lily reassured her. “No one will remember.”
“I will!” Darcy cried. Little girl. It was worse than being sworn at. Worse than being called a bitch or a whore or a slut, the usual names they all threw at each other. Because the truth was, that was exactly how Darcy felt among that crowd.
“I know you want to get out of here, but I don’t think either one of us should drive yet,” Lily said, softly.
It was vinegar in a bleeding cut.
“Let’s get in my car. We’ll listen to Taylor and wait it out.”
Numb, Darcy followed Lily to the car. They rolled down the street a bit, away from Reagan’s house and any view of the party, and parked in the cul-de-sac. Lily rolled down the windows and “Cruel Summer” spilled from the speakers.
“Here,” Lily said. She reached into the back seat and handed Darcy the bag of cookies.
Darcy didn’t know what was sadder, sitting in the car hostage to this hellish night, or the fact that the taste of her mother’s chocolate chip cookies made her wish that she really was a little girl again.