Free The Brightest Stars of Summer by Leila Howland Page A

water, creating dark patches on the bright-bluesurface. She squinted into the sun to check out the wooden sign for the general store. The red letters had been repainted since last summer. She noticed the grass growing through the cracks in the sidewalk, the station wagon that drove by with a wet, happy dog leaning out the window, and a pile of lobster traps in the back of a truck. She saw the details and she made notes in her notebook, but without imagining wind spirits in the clouds or fairies in the stone walls or the voice of that dog shouting out a joke, she just couldn’t find the stories.
    â€œHoly moly, is that who I think it is?” Ashley called from behind the snack bar as Zinnie and Marigold placed their towels on their old spot at the town beach.
    â€œYup!” Zinnie called back as she kicked off her sneakers and headed toward the snack bar. With the warm sand between her toes, a cool breeze on her face, and the sight of her old friend waving at her, Zinnie couldn’t stop smiling. It was good to be back. She and Marigold had come to the town beach almost every day during their visit last summer. Here the water was perfect for swimming, the sand was ideal for lounging, and there were cold, delicious treats when Zinnie was thirsty or had a snack attack.
    â€œHi!” Zinnie said, running the last few steps to greet her friend. “You didn’t forget about me, did you?”
    â€œUh, no,” Ashley said, reaching into the freezer andhanding her a red ice pop. Last summer, Ashley had always saved a red one for her. They were the most popular flavor and often sold out before lunch. “You’re unforgettable. How long are you in town for?”
    â€œTwo weeks,” Zinnie said, taking the delicious treat. “My aunt Sunny is getting married and I’m a bridesmaid. My sisters and I came early to help her get ready. Today we’re collecting shells for decorations. What have you been up to since you won first place in the talent show?”
    â€œI joined the chorus at school and I was even asked to sing at the mall last Christmas.”
    â€œThat’s so cool!” Zinnie said, proud that she’d had a role in her friend’s success. After all, Zinnie was the one who’d organized the talent show.
    â€œWhere are your sisters?” Ashley asked.
    â€œLily is at camp and Marigold is right—” Zinnie looked toward where their towels were, but Marigold wasn’t there. Zinnie scanned the beach until she saw a flash of her sister’s hot-pink bathing suit in the water out by the floating docks. “Oh, there she is,” Zinnie said, pointing.
    â€œShe’s doing laps?” Ashley asked.
    â€œI guess so,” Zinnie said. She’d hoped Marigold would be her old self once they’d arrived in Pruet, but she was still acting totally strange.
    â€œAt the beach? Weird. That’s what the old ladies usually do,” Ashley said.
    â€œShe hasn’t really been herself lately,” Zinnie said with a sigh as she watched Marigold switch to the breaststroke. “Anyway, I have to go collect shells.”
    â€œThere aren’t a lot of good shells around here. You have to climb over the jetty,” Ashley said, pointing to the long line of rocks that extended into the water. “And look on that part of the beach where there aren’t as many people.”
    â€œGot it,” Zinnie said. “See ya!”
    Even though Marigold called them “the ugliest things on the planet,” Zinnie was so glad she was wearing her water shoes, which were like tight-fitting mesh sneakers, as she climbed over the jetty. The pile of rocks was uneven and a little jagged, and she nearly stubbed her toe as hopped to the other side. There were hardly any other people over here, just a couple of ladies reading magazines in beach chairs. She picked up some shells as she waded in the water.
    Farther away was a boy who appeared to also be