Selena, Beach Girl Chapter Three

3. Saturday, AKA My Last Day1

The rest of Selena’s Friday was uneventful, but Saturday wasn’t so much. She woke up and put on some jeans and a long blue sweater that went down to her knees and then, after some sighs and thoughts, she separated her tangled hair into two braids.2

“Hi, Buddy!” Selena squealed as her shaggy Golden Retriever puppy trotted into her bare bedroom.3

Buddy barked and happily jumped onto her lap. Selena grinned but her bright smile fell when she glanced around the room. Her walls and empty room just made her tears fall faster. “Buddy, why? There’s no reason to move…”4

Buddy whined sympathetically and put his head down, his paws resting gently on his head. Selena smiled sadly and did the same.5

“Selly!!! Wake up!!” Kyla sang through the door.6

“I am,” Selena said, gritting her teeth. Sometimes, her sister was just SO chipper, it made her want to scream.7

“’Kay, well, come downstairs when you’re ready to, ‘cause Mommy wants to talk to you.”8

“All right,” Selena rolled her eyes and, cautiously, waited for the footsteps to disappear.9

She sighed and opened the door. She glanced around the right corner, then the left. Good, no sign of her. Selena slunk like a snail down the twisting, spindly staircase. 10

“Well, there’s the sleepyhead,” remarked Mrs. Hernandez.11

“Mom,” Selena groaned. 12

“It is 10:30.” Jeff pointed out.13

Selena rolled her eyes and said, “What’s for breakfast?”14

“Peaches.” Her mom answered.15

“What?! I was expecting something like, like cereal!” Selena spluttered.16

Mrs. Hernandez chuckled. “I’m kidding, Selena. Have your Cinnamon Toast Crunch.”17

Selena breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t exactly like healthy foods. She got out a bowl, spoon, the milk, and her favorite cereal. As Selena dug in, she remembered the something Kyla told her that her mother wanted to talk to her about. “So, Mom, what did you wanna ask me?” Except she had a mouthful of cereal, so it sounded like, “Fo, Mom, wha di you wanna ax me?” 18

Kyla giggled.19

Mrs. Hernandez replied, “Selena, I’d like you to…explore the town today.”20

“What?” 21

“Well, admit it, for your whole twelve years that you’ve lived in Fresia, you haven’t really seen most of the town. Pennsylvania is wonderful, you know.”22

“I have too!” Selena said defensively.23

“Well, I’m just saying that today, you’re going to walk out of this house with Buddy, and you’re going to have some fun in that town.” Mrs. Hernandez put her hands on her curvy hips.24

“But our town is, like, so small,” she complained.25

“Here’s forty dollars. Enjoy yourself.” Her mother smiled.26

“Whoaa! Bye, Mom!” Selena snatched the cash, put on her sunglasses and Converse sneakers, retrieved Buddy’s collar and the dog, and sped out the door.27

“She was fast.” Jeff remarked.28

“Indeed.” His mom agreed.29

*30

“Havin’ fun, boy?” Selena cooed as she walked down the avenue. She reached down and petted Buddy’s long, matted fur.31

“Cute dog,” panted a passing-by jogger.32

“Thanks,” Selena called back. “So,” she mused, “Where should we go?”33

Buddy woofed. 34

“Ah, I see. To the pet store!” Selena looked left, then right, then left again, and finally crossed the street to Pet Supply Unlimited. 35

As soon as Selena walked inside, she breathed in the familiar scent of the shop. Yes, her mother was right, saying she didn’t get around town much, but about the only place she did go to was this store. “Hiya, Rickie.” 36

“Hey, Selena. Oh, hi, Buddy! So, what are you here for today?” asked the cheerful teenager. She smiled, showing her braces, and popped some of her gum.37

“Bad news. I’m moving tomorrow!” Selena said sadly.38

“Omg, no way! That’s, like, totally not fair!” Rickie’s face fell.39

“Yeah, I know, but I’m actually here just to get some t-r-e-a-t-s for Buddy to hold him over. He’s getting a little restless.” Selena had to spell the word because somehow her dog knew what she was talking about.40

“Oh! Okay, well, you know where they are!” Rickie grinned.41

Selena nodded and headed to the treat counter. After some decisions, she chose peanut-butter flavored bones, beef chews, and little round multicolored circles. 42

“That’ll be it?” chewed Rickie.43

“Yup.” Selena quietly paid the two dollars.44

“Aww, c’mere.” Rickie pulled Selena into a tight squeeze. “I’ll miss you,” she murmured.45

“Me too,” Selena sucked in her cheeks.46

“Well, guess you gotta go. I’ll text ya, kiddo. Have fun.” Rickie gave a sad wave and popped her gum. 47

Selena nodded silently and made her way out the door, and across the street to the park. “Sit, Buddy!” she commanded. 48

Buddy obeyed. 49

“Good boy!” Selena praised. She threw a beef chew in his mouth. He nearly missed it.50

“C’mon, let’s have lunch!” Selena tugged her dog gently along to the Café Bistro. It was the best place to have lunch, and it was way cheaper than going to Olive Garden where you could get the same things.51

“Hi, table for one outside.” Selena approached the hostess. 52

“Sure, follow me.” The hostess led Selena to a small, pretty table with curvy ironwork details next to a fence with similar looks.53

“Thank you,” said Selena, sitting down at the table. She tied Buddy on the fence gently to make sure if he pulled away he wouldn’t get choked.54

About two minutes later, a waitress came to Selena’s table. “Hi, I’m Julia, can I take your order?” 55

“Sure, I’ll have the raspberry lemonade and…the ham hoagie, can I have lettuce, tomato, peppers and Ranch dressing on that?”56

“Of course. I’ll be back real soon with your order.” Julia jetted off.57

Selena leaned back in her chair and glanced around the small town. True, it was small, but there was a market, and a Wendy’s, a McDonald’s, Subway, Quizno’s, a small bookshop, and many small clothing shops. Unfortunately, Selena never ventured into one of the clothes shops; she preferred the mall. 58

Sure enough, Julia was back with Selena’s food, which she gobbled down in less than ten minutes. Buddy, however, whined her whole meal. 59

“So, any desserts for you today?” Selena looked up and there was Julia, right when she was going to call her and ask for it.60

“Um, okay, I’ll have the blueberry frozen yogurt.” 61

“Sure, I’ll be right out with it.” Which, she was.62

“Thanks!” Selena said brightly. To her surprise, Julia sat down at the seat across from her. 63

“So, I haven’t seen you around here much.” Julia smiled.64

“Oh, yeah, well, I’m in seventh grade at Rosa Sanchez Middle, and, uh, actually, you’re pretty lucky, because I’m moving to Myrtle Beach tomorrow.” Selena bit her lip.65

“Ohh! Really? Man!” Julia’s eyes widened.66

“Yeah.”67

“Well, you’ll enjoy the sand, sun, and surf.”68

“I guess.” Selena looked down in her frozen yogurt, spinning her spoon about.69

“You sad?” Julia suggested. 70

“Uh-huh.” Selena patted Buddy on the head.71

“’Life will bring its sadness, and its joy, but always together.’ My English professor in college always said that. So you remember that. Now, I gotta get to work. Have a good life.”72

Selena sat there, stunned, for a moment, then called for the check (only ten dollars!) and walked some more around town.73

Selena came to one of the clothing shops’ windows and admired it for a second. Then she stuck her head and said, “Can I bring in my dog?”74

“Sure,” said the clerk.75

Selena grinned. “Come on in, Buddy!” Her dog followed close behind.76

“Wow,” she breathed as she walked inside.77

“Yep,” the clerk gloated. He looked about in his late forties, with a graying brown ponytail resting limply on his back.78

Selena immediately started pawing at the beautiful clothes, amazed at how clean they were to be so vintage. “Ohh, this is wonderful,” she sighed, gazing at a navy blue knit poncho-shawl thing.79

“Only five buckaroos,” the clerk, whose nametag read BENNY, remarked, not looking up from his TV Guide magazine.80

“Okay,” Selena shrugged. She was also marveling over a pink crocheted skull cap. “Only two dollars!”81

“Yup. Ooh, new episode of House!” 82

“Thanks?” Selena stifled a giggle and paid the seven dollars for her things. 83

The next minute she was walking around town square, swinging the bag by her fingertips on one hand and holding Buddy’s leash on the other. Suddenly, her pink LG Chocolate vibrated in her jeans pocket. “Hello?”84

“Selena, honey?”85

“Oh, hi, Mom. What’s up?”86

“Come home in a hour, okay?”87

“Sure. Bye!” Selena slid her phone down, ending the conversation.88

She walked back down the street, absentmindedly adoring the ironwork gates that surrounded the town statue. Selena got a pit in her stomach. No longer would she live in this town. Well, maybe when she grew up and got out of Myrtle Beach.89

Aimlessly Selena walked back to her house but somehow found herself following the path to Lilly’s house. She walked up the path and back into the backyard, where she knew Lilly would be sitting, on the wooden tree swing.90

“Lil?” Selena croaked.91

“Sel! Oh, it’s you! I was hoping to see you before you were…gone.” Lilly started sobbing.92

“Sh-hh, it’s okay,” Selena ran to the bench and side-hugged her best friend to comfort her. But soon she too was sobbing.93