Chapters (31)
“How am I supposed to get around all summer?” It’s not like I live in some big city. It’s a three-mile ride just to get to work every day. Which is fine, but other than that, I’m pretty much screwed. There are no buses in beach towns. No subways, no trains, no ride-shares.
“We’ll take you places.” Dad looks serious, like he’s fully committed to carting his seventeen-year-old son around like I’m still twelve.
I laugh. Because my parents are never around. Dad is running between the Depot and his newest project—a riverboat he bought and is turning into a down-river snack station (until he can convince the town that what it really needs is a bar on the river). It’s a huge project: flipping the old boat, and clearing the land he bought along the river, where he’ll dock it and have parking and another small building. They’ll have to rename this river someday. That’s what Dad always says when he’s talking about his plans. He’s hardly ever at River Depot—Ellis is practically running the place—so the idea that he’s going to drive me anywhere is ridiculous. And a few years ago my mom would have been all over this, but now she’s no better. She’s the new president of the Riverton Transformation Committee. They’re working to turn Riverton’s main corridor—an ugly set of peach-tiled buildings with teal awnings—into a more appealing entrance to the downtown area. She spends most of her time working with architects and designers to draw up plans for refacing buildings, proposing ideas for businesses that can move into the empty spaces, and going to meetings where people yell about not wanting to spend money. You have to spend it to make it. That’s what Mom says to the angry local people who call our house at any hour they please.
“Whatever.” I could argue but it’s no use, I’m not going to be driving my car anytime soon. The keys hang on a hook next to the door, taunting me with their silver gleam. It’s not even that I’m one of those guys obsessed with his actual car—an old hand-me-down Honda from my sisters. I just can’t stand being trapped here.
When I get the text message from Ellis after dinner, wanting me to hang out with the crew from work, so I can get to know everyone, my first thought is to say no. The only reason I don’t is because I need to get out of my house. Luckily, River Depot is one of the few places I can still get to.