Chapter 3
The TV was still on when Valarie woke, and she sleepily stood and turned it off. Taylor was still sleeping; they both had dozed off halfway through The Haunted Mansion. Scratching her head, Valarie picked up the two paper plates they’d left on the coffee table then threw them away. She wouldn’t wake Taylor up, but Valarie was going to her own bed. Her back was already starting to ach from lying on the floor (she’d let Taylor take the couch) and all she wanted to do was fall back asleep.
Valarie stumbled blindly down the hall, wrapping her fingers around the cool door handle, and walked into her room. She closed the door behind her, collapsing onto her bed. She didn’t even manage to get beneath the covers before she was asleep, dreaming of beautiful music drifting up from the beach below, and impossibly blue eyes.
When Valarie awoke, she was greeted by the scent of bacon. She walked from her room and into the kitchen, sitting down at the table beside a wide awake and angry Taylor.
“You ditched me last night.”
“Yeah, I know, I didn’t see why I should wake you up. You were on the couch, after all.” Taylor mumbled something unintelligible, raising her coffee cup to her lips.
“You hungry?” Linette asked from the stove.
“Yeah.”
“I’m making bacon, scrambled eggs, and fresh biscuits. We have jam, butter, and marmalade on the island and,” Linette paused, dipping her finger into a pot then popping it in her mouth, “gravy on the stove. If you want anything to drink, we’ve got basically everything. Taylor can show you where the glasses are.” Taylor pointed at a cabinet by the sink, then went back to nursing her drink.
“Thanks a lot.” Valarie said, rolling her eyes.
“Hey, no eye rolling. I need my morning coffee. Do you want me to be a,” a quick glance at Linette, “witch all day?” Valarie laughed.
“Oh, don’t worry, you’re a witch every day.” Taylor squeaked, making Valarie smile. She poured herself a cup of coffee, heavy on the creamer, then went to sit down just as her father came in. He didn’t greet either Valarie or Taylor, but went straight to Linette. Taylor glanced questioningly at Valarie, who shrugged.
I know as much as you. She mouthed. They both glanced cautiously back at the adults, trying to hear what they were saying.
“It was just on the news…happened again.” her dad murmured.
“What!” Linette turned to look at Valarie and Taylor, who immediately became very preoccupied with their cups. “What do you mean, it happened again?” she said more quietly.
“They found…by the beach. Just like the other murders.”
Murders?
“..Find it this morning?” Linette asked, leaning in closer to her husband.
“Yes. She was…she lived only a couple minutes…near here.”
“Oh God. You don’t think he’d attack during the day, do you?” Linette said, voice rising. Taylor gasped, and both Valarie's father and Linette turned towards them.
“Come on, let’s go to the other room,” her father said, gaze meeting Valarie’s.
“Good idea.” Linette picked up her smoothie glass. “Will you girls watch the food? It will only be a couple minutes.
“Of course.” Valarie and Taylor said in union. Linette smiled, and then they walked out of the rom. Valarie instantly turned to Taylor.
“Did you get that?”
“Yeah I got that! There’ve been murders? Here?” Truthfully, Valarie wasn’t surprised, she’d known that the little island they lived on went through periods like this, where there would be a string of murders, and then nothing for years at a time.
“But my dad said that the body was found near here.” Valarie said. That was the part that interested her most. A memory tickled the back of her mind, but she pushed it away. She didn’t need the past right now.
“You’re right!” Taylor cried in delight. “Maybe we can solve the mystery of who the murderer is, like in Nancy Drew!” Valarie snorted.
“Yeah, you go with that Taylor. I think you put too much faith in yourself.”
“Too much faith in us, dear Valarie. Too much faith in us.” And with that, their conversation ended, because Linette re-entered the room.
“Thank you girls. I think the biscuits are ready. Once were done with breakfast, who wants to go down to the boardwalk for some sun bathing, maybe even a little shopping?” Valarie glanced at Taylor, who made a begging gesture with her hands. Valarie sighed.
“Fine, sounds great.”
By late afternoon, Valarie and Taylor were sitting at the edge of the dock, eating ice-cream from Coldstone. Linette had taken them to every store by the beach, then left them some money for food while she went home and dropped their bags off, with a promise to pick them up around four o’clock. It left them with about thirty minutes to themselves, before they would be forced into more family activities.
“Have you ever met Amy?” Taylor asked after a moment.
“No. I haven’t seen my father since my parents divorced. Well, not until yesterday at least.” Valarie replied, finishing off her bacon.
“What do you think she’ll be like?” Valarie bit into her cone, thinking.
“Well, hopefully not like Linette, two of her would be way too much bounciness. I guess she’ll be nice. Hopefully.”Valarie replied. Taylor chuckled.
“Yeah, hopefully.” They sat in silence for a moment, before Valarie felt a push and went tumbling into the water. She cried out as she hit the icy cold barrier, the nearly finished cone flying out of her hands. Taylor’s laughter filled the air.
“Payback for yesterday! Now, that’s what I call karma!” Valarie glared up at Taylor’s feet, leaping up and giving them a tug so that she too fell into the water.
“Ha. What was that you were saying about karma?” Taylor glared, splashing water at Valarie’s face. They both turned, swimming towards shore. It was hard to do; their wet clothes dragged them down. Valarie felt her heart pound with every sweep of her arms. She could hardly see the lower half of her body through the murky water. What lay beneath those dark waves?
They climbed out of the water just as Linette pulled up. She sighed as they walked up, shaking her head.
“You really couldn’t help yourselves, could you?” Linette opened her door, sliding back into the black leather seats. “Well, get in. You better be glad leather is easy to clean, or you two would be walking home.” Valarie followed Linette's orders, sliding into the seat with a series of squeaks, then buckled herself in.
“It wasn’t my fault. Taylor started it.” Valarie said in her defense.
Taylor snorted.“Yeah right. You started it yesterday!”
“Girls, girls! I don’t care who started it. All that matters is that the minute we get home, you need to take showers and dress nicely. We’re having a surprise guest over and I want you both to look your best. Just, look your best quickly. He’s arriving in less than an hour. Taylor. You can use my bathroom.” Linette pulled into the driveway, and waved at the girls to get out.
“Go! Hurry!” Valerie laughed, running from the car and into the house, Taylor at her heels. She felt like a little girl playing a race: who would finish first.
Tag, you're it.
Just joking. Anyway, I thought it was great. I like how you developed your characters- at first I found Valarie a bit confusing- throughout your novel. I would love to see this continued.