Julie was headed to the beach, because the surf report had just come up, and it was a good one. Tarek and his older sister were going to meet her at the Surf Shack. They were back in town, too, and they’d invited her to go surfing with them. Julie wasn’t great at it, but she knew the basics, and today the waves were just right.

The beach was super crowded with little kids along the shore, and a line of surfers out at the break, waiting to catch a wave. She felt a little thrill of anticipation. There was nothing quite like the sensation of riding a wave, even for a few seconds.

The Surf Shack featured pictures of the youth rescue squad through the years, and she paused to look at the group shot from her mom’s high school years. There was Mom, grinning and surrounded by her friends, proudly brandishing the under-fifteen trophy. She looked so happy there, so triumphant. She looked the way Julie felt when she’d gone off the rope swing in the Calanques.

She brought her board out from the shed. It was her dad’s board, actually, and it hadn’t seen much action since he’d died, but Julie was determined to change that. She remembered Dad telling her it was nine feet of fun, designed for learners, with a stable body and soft top. Tarek and his sister, Maya, were already there, waxing their rented boards. Tarek looked as if he’d grown a foot over the summer. His hair was longer, too, his grin just as friendly as ever. Maya was seventeen and gorgeous, with dark eyes and a flashing smile.

“The waves look perfect, just like they said on the radio,” Julie said, borrowing the sticky wad of wax.

“We’re beginners,” Maya said. “Maybe you’ll give us some tips.”

Julie rubbed her wax over the ID mark on her board. Property of J. Adams. “I’ll do my best.”

“I’m going to get changed,” said Maya. “Be right back.”

Julie put away the wax, then straightened up and took off her T-shirt, tossing it into the basket of her bike.

Tarek stared. Yep, he was totally checking her out. She tried to picture herself through his eyes—no more braces, contacts in place of glasses so she could actually see while doing sports. None of her fat clothes fit anymore, and the stuff she’d found in France looked good on her, thanks to Vivi the supermodel, who had amazing taste.

“Well, look who’s back,” came a too-familiar voice in a sarcastic drawl, startling her out of her thoughts. “Julie and her boyfriend, Aladdin.”

Julie felt weirdly calm as she turned to face Vanessa Larson. As usual, Vanessa was flanked by her squad of hangers-on, including Jana Jacobs. They all wore matching friendship bracelets made of colorful strands of leather and a blingy anchor charm.

“Yeah, go ahead and look your fill. Don’t let me stop you,” she said simply. She wasn’t scared. Her voice didn’t shake. She didn’t let her gaze waver. “We were just going to hit the surf.”