I EXAMINED THE SIGN F7~OM ALL ANGLES AND FINIALLY NODDED’THANKS DAD”.
           “SURE HONEY.” I REREAD THE SIGN.
               “OCEAN PINES TEENS AGAINST ~PIME,OR O.P.T.A.G..” IT USED TO BE O.P.S.C.
           ~C~AN PINES SENiOR COPS.BUT WE WERE CHANGING IT.CR ALREADY HAD.I’M
           SHAWNA TAFT.I LOCK LIKE ALMOST EXACTLY LIKE ARIELLE ELLIOTT.SHE HAS
           REALLY LIBHT BRO ‘N HAIB,PRACTICALLy SANDY BLCNDLIKE ME,SNIE HAS BLUE EYES
           LIKE ME,SHE’S A SIZE SIX,LIKE ME.AND WE BOTH HAVE BASICIALLY THE SAME TASTES.
           I GO WITH HER BROTHER JAMES OR JAMET.I’M NOT THE QUIET TYPE AND SHE ISN’T
           EITHER.WE DEFIWIATLY EXPRESS CUR CPINION.I STEPPED INSIDE THE HUGE OFFICE.
           IN THE LAST CASE WE SOLVED WE HAD RECIEVED A REWARD CF 5G!AND.AND WE BUILT
           THIS OFFICE~WITH IT.IT HAD 2o DESKS AND SWIVILING CHAIRS.BECAUSE THERE’S
           BREE GORDAN,KIMBER 1VIASON,,JILLIAN KNAPP,JORDAN EASTMAN’,JESST WAEF,LIZ SCHULTZ,
           ‘EDDY CAPMAN,spu~3B MACENZIE,NANCY DUNCAN,BESS DUNCAN,LILA McGILL,JULIE EIZ-
           ENHOWER,KIM’ PUESY,TCDD AND MARK DAVIS,TAMARA ASHLEY,KERI-LEE STROMM,TRACI H-
           AWKS,AND THE GUYS NEW ~NES I EN1EAN~ TONIC,LEOI~ AND3DDDD~DDD GREG~.
           I HURRIED UP STA.IRS AND GOT MY BATHING SUIT OUT.I BROUGHT THE USUAL COOLER,
           AND RADIO..I WALKKED OVER TO API’S HOUSE AND GOT INTO MY BATHING SUIT, WE
           ARE NEXT DOOR NEIGIIBOIRS.WL ALWAYS WORE IDENTICAL SWIM SUITS,TCDAY WE DECIDED
           ON A SKIMPY FLOURESENT GREEN BIKINI.WE STYLED CUR HAIR IN BRAIDS AND GOT OUT
           THE BLACK SUN GLASSES.OTHEP THAN HER CHEEK BONES ARE HIGHER WE LOOK LIKE
           T7INS.I’M A TOUCH MORE UNDRESTANDINGTHOUGH.WHEN THEIRS A FIGHT BETWEEN
           TWO FREINDS SHE JUST POUNDS ON BOTH OF THEN.SHE IS MY BEST FRIEND AND HAS
           BEEN SINCE WE WERE BORN~I’M TWO HOURS YOUNGER THOUGH.I CAN11~ SAY~ ANYTHING
           BAD ABOUT HER THOUGH.Bey CAN’ SHE FIGHT,AND SHE NEVER LOSES HER000L.WE LOCKED
           LIKE TWINS I ADMIT WITH NO PROBLEM.WE CAME DOWNSTAIRS AND HER DAD WAS SEATED
           AT THE TABLE,HE LOOKED AT ME.
           “API PLEASE GET ME SOME ORANGE JUICE.” I SMILED ~ND REFILLED HIS GLASS.
           “~‘MR.EIJLIOTT IT’S SHAWN.” I STIF1’1LED A GIGGLE AND LICKED THE ORANGE JUICE
           FROM MY FINGEPS.HE SHRUGQEDF
           “RIGHT.” I PUT MY ANKLE ON THE ThBI E AND SHOWED HIM MY HALF OF THE BEST FRIENDS
           ANKLET.

         “I KNEW THAT.~”I SMILED.AS API FINISHED MAKING SANDWHICHS AND GETTING PIZZA
         WE LEFT IN HER OONVERTIABLE.I A1VI RCWDY.ARI Is~; DEDICATED TO SPUDS AND SC
         I’M DEDICATED TO JADdIEV.I LIKED TO SHOW OFF IN A WEIRD WAY.I’VE TAKEN KARATE
         MOST OF M~ LIFE.
         “SC SHAWN,READY FOR THE BIG DAY?” SHE MEANT CUT? UP COMING BIRTHDAY’.IN TVVO
         DAYS WE WOULD BE IN~ SNOWY~ VERMONT.ALL THE GROUP WAS GCING.I PLAY THE
         SYNTHISIZER AND KEY BOARD IF YOUR WONDERING.I STUCK MY’ LEGS OUT THE WINDOW
         TH~ REALLY ANNOY~S HER.SHE SHOCK HER HEAD.AND MUTTERED ‘WHY DOES SHE HAVE TO
         DC THAT’. ALLRIGHT I’LL TELL YOU WHY.ONE DAY I HAD MY LEGS CUT THE WINDOW
         AND WHEN SHE DODGED A CAR SHE PRACTICALLY HAD A CRASH COLLISION WITH A POLICE.
         PERSON.WHEN WE GOT TO THE BEACH WE TOCK OUR USUAIJ.WE FOUND A SPOT BESIDE
         LILA AND NANCY.I LOVE TC PLAIN OLD SWIM BUT API ONLY SUR~S AND THE GUYS
         REALLY GO POP IT.BUT JAIVIEY’S THERE AND HE’S REALLY PROTECTIVE OF HER.WHICH
         ISN’T NORMAL BECAUSE BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE SUPPOSED TO FIGHT.BUT NCT
         THEM.NO WAY.IF A GUY EVEN TRIES TC FLIRT WITH HER HE PCUNDS THEM TO MUSH2.
         “HI Li,HI NAN.” API SAID TOSSING THE STUFF DOWN,AND PUT~ING IN HER EARINGS.
         “HI,SHAWN,HI API.” WE ALL HAVE CODE NAMES:LILA’S IS SHOPPER,MINE IS GREAT
         WHITE BECAUSE I LOVE SHAR~,NANCY’S IS DREW BECAUSE EVERYONE TEASES HER
         ABOUT BEING A DETECTIVE,AND API’S IS LADY HAWK BECAUSE SHE CAN PICK UP ON
         THINGS THAT N~ ONE WOULD DREAM OF~ I WALKED DOWN TO JAMEY’S CHAIR WHILE
         A!I SURFED.I SHADED MY EYES WITH A HAND.
         “HEY JAY;IT’S ME:” TWO HANDS STRETCED OVER THE SIDE AND I GRABBED THEM.HE
         PULLED ME UP.I SAT ON HIS LAP FOR AN HOUR DLOWING IN HIS WHISTLE AND TELLING
         PEOPLE TO GET BAcK.THE WORST THING ABOUT API IS SHE IS A SHOW OFF,MAKING
         JAMEY HOT UNDER THE~LLAR.TAKE THE INNCIDENT THATS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.HER MOST
         FAMOUS.SHE’S IN A CROUCHING POSITION GOING INTO A WAVE.SHE COMES CUT DOES
         THE ~ROFASSIONAL ROUTINE CF SWERVING CNTOP OF THE CREST AND JUMPS THE BOARD
         LANDS UNDER HER AND SHE BIDES THPCUGH THE COLLAPSING WAVE SHE ACCIDENTLY
         LOOSES BALANCE AND THE WHOLE BEACH STRANDED GUYS COMES TO TEE RESCUE.
         
         
         
         “SWEATERS?”
         “CHECK.”
         “BOOTS~ ?“
         “CHECK.”
         “PANTS,DRESSES,SLEEPING BAGS,P,JS?”
         “CHECK.”
         “SKIS?”
         “CHECK.” I HAD EVERYTHING.I HANDED MY AND API’S BAGS TO MR.AKONMTT.ARI AND I
         CLIMBED INTO THE BUS WITH EVERYONE ItLSE.I SAT BESIDE JAMEY AND HE HANDED ME
             A HUGE BOX I CAREFULLY’ UNWRAPPED IT AND INSIDE FOUND A CASMERE SWEATER