The Summer Solstice ~ Enchanted by K.K. Allen Page A

last night’s sand
ball fight. I came back to Summer Estates covered head-to-toe in sand. Luckily
I was able to clean up the residue before heading to bed. But at breakfast this
morning, I wondered if my grandmother knew about my escapades. She was grumpier
than normal and excused herself almost as soon as I sat down.
    The knock on the door pulls me out of my daydream.
I sit up straight in my chair and look towards the figure in the doorway. Rose
stands there with a curious look on her face. “You’ve been spending a lot of
time in here.” This isn’t a question.
    I nod. “Is it time for dinner already?”
    Rose shakes her head stepping farther into the room
now. “No, a few hours still. I just wanted to check on you and chat about our
celebration tomorrow.”
    That’s right, I think to myself. I’ve almost
forgotten about the Summer Solstice celebration tomorrow. At least Rose has
given up calling it my 16 th birthday party. “Are people actually
coming? I don’t even know anyone.” I think to invite Alec, but then I remember
his reaction to the books I purchased and think better of it.
    Rose looks too excited to hear what I’m saying.
“You’ll meet a lot of people tomorrow. Neighbors, friends of the church, and
others who want to partake in the Solstice celebration. Isn’t that great? Guests
should be arriving around noon. We’ll have some tea, appetizers, lunch and then
some dessert. You can open presents after everyone has left. All you have to
worry about is having a good time and the day should go perfectly.”
    “You really didn’t have to go through all that
trouble. Is there anything I need to do?”
    “Nope, Charlotte is at the store right now grabbing
a few last things. Just look presentable tomorrow. You bought a dress for the
party didn’t you?”
    I nod my head. From what I’ve read so far, this is
a perfectly reasonable reaction to someone readying to celebrate one of his or
her favorite holidays. And it is Rose’s birthday too. She does have a right to
be excited.
    Rose sits in front of me, placing her hands on her
knee. “Tomorrow – will be a big day. And I’ll be right there by your side if anything happens.”
    My face scrunches together. “What do you mean?
What’s going to happen?”
    She smiles and I can’t help but think that this
Rose is a bit more carefree than the one I’ve gotten to know over the past two
weeks. It must be the excitement of the Summer Solstice upon us. “Nothing dear.
I just want you to have a great time.”
    Rose turns to leave and then hesitates and turns
back to face me. “One more thing, Katrina.”
    My heart sinks into my chest. She knows . But
she’s smiling. “I don’t want you to think that by going for your runs every
night with that Alec boy that you’re pulling one over on me. I know what you’re
doing. I know that you’ve made a friend. But I want you to know that I am okay
with it. What I’m not okay with is the sneaking around.”
    There’s a warning in her voice in an undertone of
her words. Guilt seeps through my veins. I’ve never been the type to sneak
around and I’m not sure why I thought I should start now.
    She leaves me to my thoughts. I think back on the
significant things that have happened since coming to Apollo Beach. The
nightmare on my first night here, meeting my strange grandmother who knows much
more than she’s letting on, the vision on the beach, my improved hearing at the
Island Bar and Grille, the brooding waiter, and Alec. It all seems connected
somehow.
    When the silence settles in, I sink deeper into the
overstuffed chair, made of crimson fabric and handcrafted wood trim, and
daydream. I imagine the next time I will see Alec. And I think about Iris, the
one who’s claimed him. She is the typical popular teen girl who gets what she
wants. Head cheerleader. Blonde bombshell. Why she has taken up such a
disliking to me is a mystery all in itself. And it’s not surprising that the
first guy I meet in