Free The Shore by Todd Strasser Page B

tense. “We’re getting ready for the clambake. Want to help?”
    “Oh, uh . . .” Sabrina appeared stymied. “I really don’t cook.”
    “You left that to your mom?” Polly guessed.
    “Not really. We’ve always had cooks.”
    “You’ve got to be kidding,” April said, rolling her eyes.
    Even Avery, the model of decorum, looked surprised. They hit an awkward silence. Polly was pretty sure none of them had ever met anyone like Sabrina before. What in the world was she doing sharing a summer house on the Jersey Shore with them? It sounded like she would be more comfortable on the French Riviera.
    “You want to learn?” Avery finally asked.
    Polly thought for sure that Sabrina was going to make some sort of sarcastic remark. Like cooking was for commoners. Instead, she was surprised when the girl said, “Well, okay, I’ll try anything once.”
    The remark about trying anything once reminded Polly of finding Sabrina’s clothes on the stairs the night before. No, no, that’s not nice, she told herself, and tried to clear it from her brain.
    “We’ll start you with something easy,” Avery said.
    “How about you tear up the lettuce for the salad? Rip pieces up and dump them in the bowl.”
    “Don’t you just chop it with a knife?” Sabrina asked.
    “You could, but we’re not eating right away, and if you tear it instead of cut it, the lettuce stays fresh longer,” Avery answered.
    Polly hadn’t known that, and from the look on her face, neither had April. Then Polly realized why: Avery has probably had to do all the cooking for her family since her mother died.
    “So, where are the guys hiding?” Sabrina asked as she tore the lettuce.
    “Curt’s rehearsing with his band,” Avery said.
    Polly noticed that April seemed rather flushed, as though the heat from the oven was making her overly warm. But that seemed odd now that she’d taken the bread out.
    “And the . . . other guys?” Sabrina asked.
    Suddenly Polly had a feeling she knew why Sabrina had agreed to help them prepare the meal.
    “Lucas and Owen said they were going to the beach to get the fire started,” April offered.
    “I guess that must have been some party last night,” Sabrina said, in what sounded like a complete non sequitur.
    “You really don’t remember?” Polly asked.
    Sabrina shook her head. “I think I must have been really tired from moving here and everything. And I hardly had anything to eat. It’s just a blank. I mean . . . was it that bad?”
    Avery and April smiled at each other, but Polly felt bad for Sabrina. She would have felt sorry for anyone in that position. “No, not really,” she said. “And you know what? I think Owen’s a lot nicer than you might think. I know he acted like a jerk last night at the party. But he’s got a sensitive side too.”
    “Would you agree?” April asked Sabrina.
    “How do we cook the clams?” Sabrina asked, avoiding the question.
    “We’ll steam them by the fire,” said Polly.
    “Wait,” said Avery. “Before we totally change the subject. I think that’s something Curt and Owen have in common. I mean, they can both come off gruff, but there’s another side to them as well.”
    “I’ll take the clams outside and see how the fire’s coming,” April suddenly volunteered, scooping the clams out of the sink and into a bucket and hurrying out to the beach.
    Polly watched her go. Neither Avery nor Sabrina appeared to think there was anything odd about April’s behavior. But Polly definitely did.
    Lugging the clams down to the beach, April was glad to get away from the other girls. She wasn’t sure why she’d made the bread, except that she knew she could. She also didn’t know why she’d played that song for Curt. But there was something magnetic about him.
    Don’t get sucked in, she warned herself. You’re not here to try to steal your roommate’s boyfriend.
    But she could see that Curt had liked her music. She wondered if Avery appreciated music the way