Just A Summer Love

PART 1 FIRE ISLAND: Chapter 1

Angelica Braderman settled herself comfortably in an arm chair at her family's beach house. She propped her legs up on the coffee table and sighed happily. "I love the rain", she said, looking at the streaming windows.

"You're weird, you know that?" said Michael disustedly.

"You tell me so several times a day", replied Ange.

"And it never seems to do any good."

"Maybe it's because you're the one who's weird," Ange opened an Agatha Christie mystery and got prepared for a long, leisurely read.

"Mom!", yelled Michael. "Ange said I was weird."

"I did not, Mom!" shouted Ange, putting her book down long enough to stick her tongue out at her brother. "But you are a pest. You're the Grand Pest of the World, Ruler and Leader of Pestilence, Head of--"

"Angelica! Michael!" Mrs. Braderman stuck her head out of the kitchen. "One more corss word and you can both spend the rest of the day in your rooms. You're giving me a headache. It's too muggy to argue."

"Yeah", said Ange. "This argumet's forfeited on account of mugginess."

Mrs. Braderman smiled and came into the living room. Michael kept quiet. He wandered over to the screen door and stared outside at the rain.

"How long is this supposed to go on?" he asked crossly.

"No one knows," replied Ange, not looking up from her book.

"Mom?" asked Michael again.

"Honey, I don't know," said his mother. "Where are the Reeders? Where's Austin?"

Michael shrugged.

"Well, why don't you go next door and find out?", she suggested. "You too, Ange."

"Are you trying to get rid of us?" asked Angelica. "I'm very happy here. Miss Marple is on the verge of cracking this whole case wide open. And the police don't have a clue as what's going on.... Get it? A clue?"

"When I was your age," replied Mrs. Braderman, "I was still reading Nancy Drew.

"Times are changing, Mom."

"I guess so." Mrs. Braderman sat down on the couch, curling her legs underneathe her. She picked up a large needlepoint canvas and began stitching carefully.

Michael slipped into his yellow slicker. "Okay," he announced. "I'm going to look for Austin. If I can't find him, I'm going to the Harbor Store." 

"All right ,sweetie."

"Bring back some Peanut M&M'," called Angelica.

"Ange, your teeth, your complexion."

"I know, Mom," said Ange. "Mint condition. And all thanks to chocolate."

Michael left, allowing the screen door to bang shut. Angelica could hear his bare feet slap along the wet boardwalk that lead to Sea Gull Walk, which ran front their house.

"Mom?" asked Ange. "Do you get bored out here? Or lonely?"

"Oh, I suppose I do sometimes, sweetie. But I wouldn't want to give up the island."

"I know what you mean."

The Braderman had been spending summer in their little beach house on Fire Island since before Angelica was born. Summer was spelled B-E-A-C-H as far as Angelica was concerned. She loved Fire Island, she loved the sun and sand and ocean, she loved their cottage. It was just right for her family. There were three small badrooms, one for her parents, one for Michael, and one for Angelica and her older sister, Eleanor (who preffered to be called El). There was the living room with its wood-burning stove and the many windows that faced the bay. On hot days, it could be heated cozily by the stove. And there was the kitchen. That was all there was to Moonrise House, and Angelica thought every square inch of it was perfect.