Free Under the Surface by Katrina Penaflor Page A

when we got a chance to live
here years later. It was a wreck when they first got it, but my mom saw the
potential and over the years they turned it into this.”
    It’s so
incredible that Ren’s parents got to move into a house so close to where they
first met. “If you had me pick out the ideal beach home, I definitely think
this would be it.”
    “Make sure to
tell my dad you think that, he’ll love it. Now come on, we have to be quiet
when we get into the house. The firewood and stuff are in one of the back
rooms.”
    I grab the
blankets from the car and carry them to the house. Ren unlocks the door and we
quietly step inside.
    We step
directly into the living area and doors covered in windows make up the back
wall. They look like they lead out to maybe a deck or the backyard. To the
right is a large kitchen, covered in white cabinets and granite counter tops.
To the left is a staircase and a small hallway.
    Ren leads me to
a laundry room just past the kitchen. Opposite of the washer and dryer is a
large stack of wood.
    “I’ll get all
the stuff for the fire. Can you go to the kitchen and get stuff for s’mores?
Everything should be there. The food is in the cabinets right next to the fridge.”
    “Alright. Do
you want anything else besides stuff for s’mores?”
    “Yeah, get
some beer out of the fridge.” He smiles at me.
    “Got it.”
    I go into the
kitchen and start grabbing ingredients. I find graham crackers next to the
fridge, but no chocolate or marshmallows. I open a few more cabinets, but no
luck. I check above the stove, but several metal bowls fall out. I move out of
the way to avoid getting hit, but the bowls hit the floor with a loud clang.
They continue to make noise until they stop spinning on the ground.
    “Shit.” I quickly bend down to pick them up, hoping I didn’ t wake Ren ’s dad. I
stack the bowls back together. When I stand up, I’m no longer the only person
in the kitchen.
    Ren’s dad is
standing across the counter from me.
    “Do you want
to explain to me why you’re standing in my kitchen at four in the morning?”
    “ Uhh ,” he’s going to be pissed. If I woke my dad
up in the middle of the night, and that had happened before, I knew how he
would react. It would not be good.
    “Emilie, how
many fucking times are you going to make noise while I ’ m trying to sleep?” I feel the shove to my shoulder to get my
attention. “I’m sorry,” I tell him. I didn ’ t mean
to drop the glass. It was an accident. My father grabs another drink from the
fridge before going back upstairs.
    “I’m—uh, so
sorry Mr. Warren. Ren sent me in here to get things for s’mores. I was looking
in the cabinets but some things fell out. I’m sorry I woke you up. I’ll put
everything away.”
    I’ m stammering. I can ’t stop myself from saying sorry repeatedly. Mr. Warren’s look of
concern now looks more like curiosity. I turn around to put the things I
dropped away.
    “You’re a
friend of Ren’s?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    He steps around
the kitchen island and next to where I’m standing. “When I heard a noise I
thought someone had broken into the house. I was a little shocked to find a
young woman standing in the kitchen. Where’s Ren?”
    “He’s getting
firewood.” I don ’t know what
else to say to him. I still can’t judge if he’s mad or not so I’ll watch for
his reactions.
    Please don’t
be angry.
    “I’ m Richard, ” he reaches his hand out to me. I look at it and hesitantly shake his
hand. I can see the resemblance to his son. The green eyes, the brown hair, but
with some gray in it. His skin is much lighter than Ren’s, pale in comparison.
Also his warm introduction is much better than what I was expecting after
waking him up.
    “I’m Emilie,” I say, still nervous.
    “Dad, what
are you doing up?” Ren places a bag full of wood on the
counter and another bag right next to it.
    “I heard a
noise and came downstairs. Instead of an intruder I found your