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“Yeah, that’s right She said she had one last thing to do A good-bye she should have said a long tio ”

Zach grabbed his keys and ran out of the house

Lexi tried to wait until ht, but she couldn’t do it She was anxious, sick to her stomach about what she had to do Finally, at about nine-thirty, she couldn’t stand it anymore She left Scot’s warm, love-filled home and rode the bicycle out to LaRiviere Park There she stood at the water’s edge The sound of waves whooshing forward, reaching for her and receding, would forever reo

She walked the bike up the hill and pedaled onto the ht, Main Street was full of people ed between and around theirl in a tourist town A faded melancholy assailed her as she passed the places that would forever define her youth She would always reirl who laughed with her best friend and waited for a boy in a white Mustang

On Beach Drive, she slowed down and coasted up to the Farradays’ driveway Hiding her bike in the salal, she stayed close to the tree line until she was close enough to see that the house lights were off

No one was home

Breathing a sigh of relief, she walked down the driveway and around the side of the house

Night clailowed above one of the doors, splashed light onto the glittery gray stone patio Moonlight illurassy lawn blue

She eased past the barbeque area and around the pair of chaise loungers that overlooked the Sound Flicking on her borrowed flashlight, she pointed a beauarded this bit of land fro water

At the base of the tree, she scanned the ground with her flashlight, wondering exactly where she should dig first

“We should have used a hosts of the kids they’d been

It’ll be a pact

We’ll always be friends

Never say good-bye

They should never have buried the stupid Therht up in nostalgia