Free Kristen by Lisi Harrison Page A

party where no one showed up.
    All of a sudden a loud splash reverberated in the distance, followed by a boom of coed laughter. The familiarity of the sound filled Kristen with comfort and cramps at the same time.
    “Can I wait by the pool?”
    The shadow considered this while tapping her black Montblanc pen on a thick, waterlogged reservations book. Computers must have given off too much light.
    “Fine.” She sighed lightly. “But no swimming. And stay off the green.”
    “Given,” Kristen said with an eye roll and then hurried toward the heavy oak door, pushing it open before the receptionist changed her mind.
    Outside, the bright sunlight was in sharp contrast to the dim foyer. The smoky gray lenses of Kristen’s red Fossil sunglasses were useless—it felt like someone was throwing nail polish remover in her eyes. But when Kristen’s pupils finally adjusted, things became a little too clear.
    A cluster of shirtless boys in boldly patterned surf trunks was sharing green chaises with blondes in citrus-toned bikinis. Their chairs were pulled right up to the edge of the saltwater pool, and the girls’ thin cover-ups lay drenched at their tanned feet. A tangle of headphone wires, fashion magazines, and half-eaten club sandwiches surrounded them like a fortress. And it was doing a great job at keeping the rest of the world on the other side. The scene looked like an ad from Roxy’s old line, Foxy:
Why be a surfer when you can date one?
    Kristen watched it all unfold from across the pool, like an LBR who couldn’t find a seat at the movies and was forced to stand at the back. She felt like her life was being lived without her. And if she didn’t get it back soon, she’d die.
    “Hey,” Dune shout-waved at Kristen. He sat up and smiled, but Skye quickly pulled him back down onto her lap.
    Kristen thought about pretending she hadn’t heard him, but her legs overruled her brain. Next thing she knew, she had zigzagged through the forest of green deck chairs and was standing above them. “What’s up?” she asked, as if they had been hanging poolside together for years.
    “Heard Dune saved you last night,” Skye said, tying a pink elastic around a tiny braid she’d made in the back of Dune’s blond hair. She wore a lemon yellow string bikini with ruffles along the cleavage.
    “At least someone did.” Kristen smirked.
    Skye lifted her blond brows in a did-you-
really
-just-talk-to-me-like-that sort of way.
    “What’s
that
supposed to mean?” asked Tyler, who was getting his cast decorated with napkin flowers by two of the DSL Daters. “If Skye hadn’t shown up, we’d all be in juvie.”
    “Is
that
what you think happened?” Kristen glared at Ripple, who was crouched down by Jax’s chaise, massaging his callused feet. “Because I have another theory.” She glared at Ripple’s cell phone, wondering if the text messages she’d more than likely sent to Skye were still on there.
    “Let’s stop talking about last night.” Dune removed the braid.
    “What are you doing here anyway? You’re not a member,” Skye whisper-announced just loud enough for everyone to hear. Ripple and the DSL Dater in a melon-colored bikini snickered.
    “I have a meeting with the manager, Garreth Ungerstein.” She lifted her nose in an eat-your-heart-out sort of way.
    “Why? Are you gonna rat us out for last night?” Tyler lifted his cast at her in annoyance, sending three tissue flowers into the pool. Everyone watched helplessly as they sank.
    “No!” Kristen snapped. Did they think she was
that
lame?
    “Trying to join?” Skye smirked.
    Kristen shrugged coyly. Why not let them think she could if she wanted to?
    “I thought you hated this place,” Dune whisper-insisted, sounding slightly disappointed.
    “I thought
you
hated this place?” she whisper-hissed back, dodging Skye’s question. At that moment, Kristen didn’t care if she came off bitter or angry. He had sold his soul to Skye, Katie