|r o s e|
🌹

The walk with my parents lasted about fifteen minutes before they got bored and decided to head to the beach. They asked if I wanted to join them but I declined; I need to talk to Teo. I figured I'd stop by his house to see if he was home but his house was empty, so I walked back to my family's rented home, only to find Teo on the doorstep. He turned around and smiled at me when he noticed me.

"Rosie Posie!"

"Please don't call me that," I say, then ask, "What's up?"

"I was headed to the bay and figured I could use the company. You in?"

"Sure, just let me change into my bathing suit inside." I turn the knob on the door and swing it open. Cool air rushes out to greet us, mixing with the humid Florida air outside. I glance over at Teo and add, "You can come in and cool off if you want."

A smile plays on his lips as we emerge inside the beach house. Everything still looks exactly like it did when we arrived since we haven't spent much time indoors.

Teo, who is poking at some antique decorations on the shelves, lingers in the living room as I duck into the bathroom to change out of my t-shirt and shorts and into my black swimsuit; the only one I have. I slip my jean shorts back over my swimsuit bottoms for the walk to the beach and then head back to the living room. Teo is nowhere to be found. I poke my head around the house until I meet up with him in my room. I peer up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you doing?"

Teo stands on my bed, my bedside lamp clutched in his hands and brandished above his head. He looks down at me. "I swear I just saw the biggest spider to ever walk on earth."

I burst out laughing. "You're scared of spiders?"

"Shut up, it's a manly fear!" He sets the lamp back down and crosses his arms.

I move to stand beside him. "I don't think any fear is manly."

"Oh!" he suddenly screams, pointing to a small black speck in the corner. "There it is!"

"That's the monster spider? It's tiny!" I exclaim, stomping on it with my bare heel. Teo jumps down from my bed and lifts my feet off the ground, twirling me around in circles.

"You saved my life! How could I ever repay you?"

"By letting me go and taking me to the bay," I reply and he immediately retracts his arms. I take his hand and start pulling him along behind me towards the door. "Now, let's go—"

He suddenly pulls his hand free from my grasp. "Hang on, where have I seen this before?" Teo mutters, mostly to himself as he examines the turquoise cross necklace on my nightstand that guy dropped last night.

I step towards him and take the necklace into my hands. "Do you know whose it is? I saw some guy drop it on the street, but he was too fast to catch up with."

"I swear it looks familiar." He shrugs, tossing the cross necklace back onto my nightstand. "Oh well, let's go to the beach!"

With the mysterious necklace mostly forgotten, we step out of my room and towards the front door.

"So, where's your family at?"

"My parents are at the beach and my brother is working at Monsoon Lagoon now," I reply. I twist the doorknob and turn around when I notice Teo isn't following me. His eyebrows are furrowed and his lips are pressed into a straight line as he thinks. Suddenly a lightbulb goes off in his head.

"Darcey Harrison," he murmurs, then repeats louder, "Darcey Harrison!"

"What?"

"That's who the necklace belongs to; Darcey Harrison! She works at the Monsoon with Will and my stepdad," Teo explains. "She never goes anywhere without that necklace."

"Then why did that guy have it?" I wonder out loud. Teo jumps up and jogs back into my room, then stumbles back into the living room with the necklace in his hands.

"Forget the beach, we should return the necklace to Darcey and see if she's okay."

I take the necklace from him with a raised eyebrow. "Why wouldn't she be?"

Teo shrugs unconvincingly. "Uh, maybe someone stole the necklace and she's been looking for it everywhere? I don't know, but we should hurry up and return it."

I can tell there's something he's not telling me, but I let it slide. "Sure, let's return the necklace. But how're supposed to know where Darcey lives?"

"I'll call Aspen and ask her; she should know," he says, sliding his phone out of his pocket and dialing a number. I watch Teo, who looks excited and nervous at the same time, make the call, and I can tell something's off.

🌙

"This is it," Teo announces as we slow our bicycles in front of a quaint blue house. We drop our bikes on the sidewalk outside and amble up to the front door, the turquoise cross necklace clutched in my hand. Teo rasps his knuckles on the door and steps back. He glances at me, his blue eyes filled with worry. I hold his gaze for a few seconds, then peer curiously at the house when no one answers the door.

Teo knocks again. "Hello? Darcey Harrison?"

Still no response.

Teo anxiously peeks through the windows, running a hand over his hair. I set a hand on his shoulder.

"Maybe she's just not home? We can leave her necklace on the porch."

Teo nods distractedly. I send him an encouraging smile and drop the necklace onto the ledge at eye level beside the door.

We hop back on our bikes and start off down the street. I turn to Teo and ask, "Do you still feel like going to the beach?"

He forces a smile. "Yeah."

We turn around in the road and start pedaling the opposite way than both of our houses. Around the cliff that drops off suddenly to the bay Teo makes us stop. The sound of police sirens fills my ears as three squad cars come into view at the top of the cliff. I squint at the scene.

"What's going on?"

Teo gulps, obviously knowing what we're seeing; nevertheless, he shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly. I huff in frustration and flip around to face Teo, my mouth set in a frown.

"What aren't you telling me?" I demand.

He sighs, flickering his eyes between the two of mine as he has an internal battle with himself. Finally, he responds, "This town isn't as perfect as you think. That's why hardly anyone lives here besides the tourists."

"So you know what this is about?"

Teo hesitantly nods.

"Well?" I prompt.

"It's Darcey Harrison," he confesses, and focuses on something over my shoulder. I turn around and watch as a body is hoisted up from over the side of the cliff and laid in a body bag.