The Shore Read Online Free PDF Page A

room, and Polly turned to Avery. “Thirsty?”
    â€œYeah, actually,” Avery said. She and Polly went into the kitchen. It was apricot colored and cheerful. An island in thecenter provided extra counter space. On the refrigerator were a few colorful magnets holding menus from places that delivered. One showed a slice of pizza with legs and arms dancing with a can of soda and proudly proclaimed: “Even the pizzas are partying at Pop’s!” Avery had a feeling she would definitely be dialing that phone number.
    Since her mom had died Avery had spent a lot of time in kitchens and she moved through this one easily. There were six cabinets, and she opened all of them before she found the glasses. She handed one to Polly and grabbed one for herself. They filled them up with tap water and raised them toward each other in a toast.
    â€œTo a great summer,” Avery said.
    â€œThe best ever.”
    They both drank, then made faces.
    â€œNot the best tap water I ever tasted,” Polly said.
    â€œWe better add bottled water to the shopping list,” Avery agreed.
    â€œThink I could have a bedroom downstairs?” they heard Lucas ask Fred.
    â€œHow come?” Fred said.
    â€œI’d rather not have to carry my board up and down the stairs,” Lucas explained. “And there’ll be less chance of dinging your walls.”
    Considerate, Avery thought. She sometimes wished Curt would be more like that.
    â€œOkay, you can take the second room on the ground floor,” they heard Fred tell Lucas.
    â€œSweet,” was Lucas’s answer.
    In the kitchen, Avery leaned close to Polly. “How long until Fred asks Lucas about the bong?” she whispered.
    Polly grinned.
    A moment later, as if Fred had heard her, they heard him ask nervously, “You’re . . . um . . . not planning on using that thing in the house, are you?”
    â€œThe bong? It’s just for show. Artwork, you know?” they heard Lucas reply.
    â€œSomehow I doubt that,” Avery said under her breath.
    Polly looked at her with eyes wide. “You think!?”
    In that moment, Avery realized that Polly was even more naive than she looked.
    â€œDidn’t look like any artwork I’ve ever seen,” Avery whispered.
    But from the sound of things, Fred was satisfied with the answer because he and Lucas moved on to other subjects.
    â€œHe seems awfully nice for a stoner,” Polly said in a low voice, not that she’d known many stoners in her life.
    Avery nodded. “You never know.”
    The front door opened, and a girl walked in carrying a large blue backpack and a guitar case. She had long, straight black hair framing a pale face, and a silver nose stud. Her eyes were heavily mascaraed, and she wore a tight-fitting black shirt, high blacklace-up boots, and striped leggings under a black skirt cropped to reveal a belly button piercing.
    â€œIt’s Morticia from the Addams Family,” Polly whispered, and Avery giggled.
    The new girl had not yet noticed Polly and Avery in the kitchen. Inside the front door she put down the guitar case and unslung the backpack. “Hello? Anyone here?”
    Avery watched as Fred left Lucas in his room, dashed across the living room, and greeted the new girl. “Hi, I’m Fred, the landlord,” he said.
    â€œApril,” the new girl said, and offered her hand.
    â€œHere, let me help you.” Fred reached for her backpack. “Whoa!” It must have been heavier than he’d expected because he nearly fell over backward trying to pull it on.
    â€œTell you what,” April said, taking the backpack from him. “You carry the guitar.”
    Avery and Polly watched as Fred escorted her upstairs.
    â€œOnly one roommate left,” Avery mused out loud.
    â€œI thought there were two more,” Polly said. “I counted three girls and two guys.”
    â€œYou missed Sabrina. She left before you got