Teegan
It would be way easier if I could actually be mad enough to forget about him.
But, alas, it's been like twelve hours since I found out about Cohen and Lola and while I'm still pissed that he kept that from me, I'm realizing it's not really that big of a deal. Also, I've almost called him like three times already.
I let Lola get to me, which I shouldn't have done. She made it seem like it was the worst thing ever that I'd been hanging out with her ex, and, honestly, it's not. She's had sex with three other guys since then and has a new boyfriend. She shouldn't care. But then I realized that he knew our connection and kept it from me. And while I should have waited to call him, I called while I was still fuming.
Now, I see him cut out through Mr. Jackson's yard and onto the beach while I'm out for a walk with the kids and my heart literally starts thumping. Oscar is filling his bucket with dry sand and Josie is talking about how Lola is going to buy her some make up and then all of a sudden there is Cohen. He looks like he's surprised to see me, and like he's on a mission. By the time our eyes meet, he's practically running to get away.
"C'mon, let's walk back," I say to the kids.
"You said we could go far," Oscar tells me. "I didn't get any shells yet."
"Yeah my legs aren't tired yet," Josie agrees.
I told them I'd take them for a walk so I could tire them out. Since I begged my mom to get my shift at the hut covered for today, she said I had to babysit while she went out for a drink with Kelly and another friend. Kelly's niece, Katrina, who I've never met, was available to work. Not being at the rental hut right now feels strange, and I want to know why Cohen seemed to be heading back in that direction. But I can't keep walking that way, because he'll think I'm following him.
"I'll make some popcorn when we get back," I tell them, hoping that does the trick.
"Yay!" Josie yells and spins around.
"Fine," Oscar says and goes a little further to get a rock before coming back and following me.
We're less than ten minutes from the house, so when we go in the back door, I remind the kids to wipe their feet and then go wash their hands. As they are running off, my phone buzzes.
I haven't talked to Kiara in a few days and now that I see this text from her, it hits me that I haven't updated her on any of this. She doesn't know that I kissed Cohen or that we're fighting because he didn't tell me that he dated Lola. It's a lot.
Hey girl. Miss you. What's going on?
Heyyy! Miss you too. I'm good. Maybe we can chat later? I send back.
Kiara: Yes, let's do that. Let me know when!
The kids are settled in eating popcorn and watching a movie when I finally decide to call her. She's my best friend, but I feel like I've been in this all alone. The past three weeks have flown by, too.
"Hey," she answers, and there's a lot of background noise where she is.
"Hey!" I call out, moving to the kitchen.
"I'm just at a party!" Kiara yells and my stomach tightens. It's only a bit after 7:30P.M. so I'm sure it's not a crazy, wild, drunken party. She's never been interested in parties like that. "I don't think I'll be out late. Can I call you back?"
"Of course," I say quickly. "Have fun!"
She hangs up without another word.
An hour later, I put the kids to bed without giving them baths because they were both yawning and Josie was half asleep on the couch. After two books, Oscar's eyes are finally closed so I slip out of his room.
Back downstairs, I go back to the living room, which is at the front of the house. I watch a bit of a hospital show that is on and then because my stomach is growling, I pour myself a bowl of popcorn and eat it slowly. It's after 9P.M. when my mom gets home, and she pours herself a coffee and sits in the living room, glancing over at me. I wish Kiara would call me back. I wish I hadn't yelled at Cohen. But I can't run away from this now, so I just shrug and wait for her to say I told you so.
"Are you feeling better?" my mom wants to know.
I told her I had a bad headache and I couldn't work, but she knew I was lying. She might not have been around much when I was younger, but she knows me.
"Yeah, the Tylenol helped," I say quickly.
"How were the kids?"
"Good. We went for a walk. They went to bed fine," I answer.
She nods and waits. I don't know what she's waiting for me to say, but I don't think I'm going to say it. She sips her coffee and looks at me again.
"So... Lola told me something last night, before she left."
Damnit. Lola is such a snitch.
"Okay?"
"Teegan, I wasn't sure about you being friends with Cohen, even last weekend... I know he dated Lola for a long time and-"
"Mom, stop." I shake my head and look away. I can't believe she's bringing this up.
"Lola said someone told her that you've been hanging out with him, that's all. I don't want it to cause anything between you and Lola..."
"Mom. Please," I say. "It doesn't matter anyway. I yelled at Cohen and I didn't have a headache, I'm avoiding him."
She smiles and then tries to hide it. "I figured."
"He should have told me, right?" I ask her, finally giving in. I might as well talk about it with someone.
"He should have told you," my mom repeats, nodding. "But I can understand why he didn't."
"Really?"
"Guys don't think stuff like that is important. He was probably just trying to avoid drama."
I swallow hard and consider this. "You know when he got into that fight? He was actually fighting this guy that Lola dated, after he left."
"Okay?"
"This guy... he was walking me home that night. I was... I had too many drinks and..." Why am I admitting this to my mom?
"Teegan..."
"Cohen was walking past and thought that this guy... that he didn't have good intentions... you know? And that sort of caused the fight," I finish. I'm not looking at her.
"What guy?" my mom asks right away.
"It doesn't matter. Nothing happened. Except the fight. And Cohen's best friend, Rex, he was there and they ended up walking me home."
"Why are you telling me this?" she wants to know, so I finally look up and meet her eyes.
"I don't know. I guess... Cohen was looking out for me. He didn't really know me then, but he... we sort of became friends after that. And I was mad when I found out that Lola is his ex, but I don't really care about that, just that he didn't tell me, I guess."
"The summer is short, Teeg. If you want to be friends with Cohen, tell him. But I think that not getting too attached would be a good idea, too."
I know what she means. I'm already feeling attached to the kids, this house, this place. And to her. Getting attached to Cohen would be worse than all of that, maybe. But I do know that I have five weeks left here, at the beach, and I don't want to sit around hoping that my best friend calls me back.
"There seems to be a party going on, next door," my mom goes on, her eyes giving me a look that I don't really understsand.
"A party? At Mrs. Conner's?" I ask, because that's more than a little confusing.
The only next-door neighbors are a pair of 70-somethings who are sweet and cheerful, but don't live here year round. I've only met them a couple of times.
"I don't think Sam and Mary are here this weekend. I think they likely have grandchildren who are staying at the house, though." My mom smiles and goes back to her coffee. "Teenagers, I mean. Maybe some you know?"
It's unlikely, but I nod and tell her I'm just going to go sit outside on the back deck for a few minutes before I go to bed. I have no intention of going over to a random party. It's still warm but there's a bit of a breeze as I step outside and drop into a beach chair. I can already hear the party, which isn't huge, like Isaac's parties seem to be. I look over and can see maybe ten teenagers on the back deck, and the lights are on inside, where I can see a few more. Checking my phone, I see that it's now after 10P.M. and Kiara hasn't texted or call me back. What the hell?
Deciding I'll try calling her again once I'm in my room and in my pajamas, I stand up a few minutes later to go back inside. Just as my hand reaches the door handle, I hear some commotion which sounds closer to me than it should be.
"Yo! Girls you should not be swimming!"
My head immediately snaps over to the water, where at least two teenage girls are out pretty far, bobbing around. At this point, no one knows that I'm there. But everything happens fast over the next few minutes.
"Is that Naomi and Taylor?" someone yells, their voice a bit frantic. It's a girl.
"Yeah," a guy says, and I realize that it's Luke. "I just realized they are out there."
"They are so high," the girl says. "Like, really messed up."
"Shit." I hear Luke's voice but I can't see him now. "Go call Isaac, and Rex!"
I walk down the deck and towards the water, but I'm still mostly out of view of the party-goers. My heart is pounding as I realize I can only see one girl now, and they are out even further. The waves are pretty big, too.
All of a sudden three guys, maybe four, are taking off their shirts and dropping them into the sand, then running out to the water. It's up past their waists pretty fast and then they are swimming, and I'm breathing heavily, watching this unfold. They are okay. They have to be okay.
"I got Taylor!" one of the guys yells, and I can barely make them out but I see they are coming back towards the shore.
All I know for sure is that there's a girl out in the water and two large, teenage boys can't get to her. I walk out closer, my bare feet almost at the water's edge. I feel like I need to help, and I'm sure it's because of my lifeguard training. My dad make my take so many swimming lessons and do lifeguard training when I was old enough. I never worked as a life guard but I know CPR and I've seen one too many rescue videos.
Finally, after what feels like hours, I can see Rex and Luke standing and walking back towards the beach, carrying a body over their shoulders. The girl has dark hair and she's limp. I'm already getting closer as they gently place her body on the sand, then step back.
I look between the two of them as a crowd of teens gather nearby. Rex looks like he's in shock and also doesn't seem to understand why I'm there. Luke is staring at the girl - Naomi, his girlfriend. She's unconscious. Without saying a word, I just start doing what I know I need to do. I prop her head up with a t-shirt that's near by and then I start compressions. I blow breaths into her mouth. I wait. I check her pulse, which is there. No one is talking. Everyone I just silent, and waiting.
Finally, Naomi takes a big gasp of air and water shoots out her mouth and nose. Her eyes pop open. She looks so confused as she tries to sit up.
"What the-"
"Naomi, you almost drowned!" Luke yells at her. He looks terrified.
"Fuck," she says, looking around. When her eyes land on me, as I'm standing up, she's squinting like she's trying to figure out who I am.
"Teegan saved your life," Rex says, looking from her to me. "You saved her life."
"Uh, I just... I mean... you guys went out there and got her," I stutter, not wanting the attention on me. "I have to go."
I know there are so many eyes on me as I walk away, but I don't look back. My heart is racing and I just want to get back inside my mom's house. I'm on the deck, so close to getting inside, when I hear someone behind me.
"Teegan!"
I turn slowly, knowing it's Rex.
"Yeah?"
"How did you... where'd you come from?" he asks, still in shock.
"I was sitting out here when I heard Luke yell about the girls swimming and... I just saw what was happening so I came down to help," I say quickly. "I took lifeguard training."
Rex finally exhales, like it's the first time he's taken a real breath in ten minutes. "Jesus, Teegan, thank god you were here."
"I'm glad she's okay," I say, ignoring his comment. "Goodnight."
"Teegan." Rex isn't ready to let me leave yet, but I don't turn back this time. I just listen. "You should talk to Cohen."
I pull open the door and go inside, and as the door closes loudly behind me, I still feel like I can't breathe.