Chapter 2

I enjoyed my job as a teacher and most of the week went by quickly except for Fridays. It always seemed Friday afternoon dragged as I anticipated my walk on the beach. And this Friday was no different. A little after 3:30, I packed up my briefcase and headed home. I had a salad for dinner. Changed my clothes. Did a few errands and vacuumed the living room.

I got in my car a little after dusk and drove the twenty minutes to the beach. There was no rush. The kids did not sneak up to the dunes until the sun had fully set.

I was about a half mile down the beach when I heard my name being called.

“Hey, Miss Thompson, wait up.”

I stopped, turned and saw Adam Bainbridge jogging toward me. Adam is in my advanced math class and one of the brighter students in the senior class. I stopped and stood in the surf with my slacks rolled to just below my knees and my sneakers in my hand and waited.

Adam caught up to me. “Hey, Miss Thompson, I did not know you came to this beach.”

“I didn’t know you came here either, Adam,” I replied as I returned his friendly smile.

“Right. Do you come here often?”

“Yes. I enjoy walking on the beach at night and often come here to relax and enjoy the night air. How about you?”

Adam pointed up the beach halfway toward the dunes, “I’m with a few friends at that campfire. Why don’t you join us? I’ll toast you a marshmallow.”

“Okay, for a few minutes. Who can turn down an offer like that?”

I followed Adam to the campfire. There were two girls and two boys sitting in their bathing suits and light jackets, toasting marshmallows. They are all honor students, so I recognized them all. Olivia Miller and Tom Hardy were sitting close with their arm around each other and obviously a couple. Terry Wilson and Bob Jenkins were seated beside each other, but not intimately.

“Hey guys, look who I found wandering on the beach.”

I was greeted with smiles and a “Hey, Miss Thompson, what brings you to the beach?”

I acknowledged their greeting with a wave and a smile as I quipped, “I came because I was promised a toasted marshmallow.”

Adam put a marshmallow on the end of a skewer and started toasting it, “Have a seat, Miss Thompson. You can sit on my beach towel if you want.”

I sat and thanked Adam.

Tom reached into the cooler, took a beer, and offered it to me. I held up my hands and shook my head, “No. I better not. School policy, you know.”

“Do you mind if I have it while you’re here?”

I thought about it for a few seconds, “No, go ahead. I will be leaving in a few minutes anyway.

Five marshmallows, a beer and an hour later, we were swapping funny stories of what went on behind the backs of teachers and students. How all the boys were lusting after first-year teacher Bonnie Rogers, The rumor that the football coach was shagging the cheerleading coach, and how the teachers and students were glad Mrs. Warren the witch was retiring.

Apparently, they did not have a lot of beer. The girls and Adam each had one. Tom and Bob had two.