Out of Place Read Free Page A

brand new Toyota SUV, which would be welcome with five girls packed inside. They would have made it okay in Katie’s Saab wagon, but this way they’d be totally comfortable, and they’d have air conditioning and a fully working stereo, neither of which were fully operational in Katie’s Saab. The old Saab had an FM radio and a CD player that wouldn’t eject the Linkin Park CD that’s been in there for a year. Granted, Emily liked Linkin Park, but how long can you listen to the same CD?
    The biggest bonus was Emily would get to drive the whole way, which she loved. Being the driver was always more fun than sitting in the back.
    “I don’t need much luggage ,” Emily said as she started tossing clothes on her white bedspread. “I’m packing mostly bathing suits and sneakers.
    “Uh-ya, I don’t plan on taking my bikini off all week.” Ren tossed a red bikini onto the bed. “I’m so borrowing that one.”
    “That top is not going to hide your giant cans.”
    “Duh, that’s the point.”
    Emily wasn’t exactly small on top. She had enough to make the point. But Ren was a solid cup bigger. Emily was much more athletically built, but oddly, they could swap clothes pretty often. Sometimes a size six was too small for Ren and too big for Emily, but other times they could both wear it.
    Trying on a neon orange bikini with yellow stripes, Emily held her blonde hair up on top of her head and posed.
    Ren came up behind her. “Oh, I like that one. I may have to buy some new bathing suits. I don’t plan on wearing anything but for the week. Did I already say that?”
    “Me either. And yes, you did.”
    Ren laughed. “Okay then. I’m going to pack a few nicer things, just in case, maybe like one sundress.”
    Emily nodded. “ I’m going with jean shorts and T-shirts exclusively.”
    Ren gave her a coy smile. “Yeah, who am I kidding?”
    “ I don’ t know. But anything we do will be on the beach or boardwalk.”
    “ Oh, this is so dorky,” Ren said, “But I’d like to rent bikes and ride the whole length of the boardwalk.”
    Emily nodded. “That’s actually a cool idea. I remember how long that thing is. But we might be on our own with that one. I doubt the girls will want to do that.”
    “ So be it.”
    They finished packing.
     
    ** *
     
    They dropped their few bags by the front door. Emily was able to get everything into her backpack and her gym bag. She wore a pair of short denim shorts and an orange V-neck T-shirt. On her feet were her favorite orange and white Reebok sneakers.
    Her father hated these small T-shirts. “Too tight, too much cleavage, and too much stomach,” he’d said, but the older she got, the less annoyed he was. Or he just learned to accept it over the years. Form-fitting clothes were just more comfortable. If she could live in her gym clothes for the rest of her life, she would. She worked hard on her physique and had no shame about her body. A lot of girls struggled with body image—she used to be one of them a few years ago. But being a total gym-rat had some benefits and being fit was something she took seriously. It was a way of life she’d consciously chosen and keeping her body in peak physical condition was fun. It was a daily challenge against herself. She didn’t go overboard in her eyes, but some people felt otherwise.
    Ren wore pretty much the exact same thing , except her T-shirt was black and a bit longer and lower cut; her shorts were a bit shorter, and she opted for pink Nike sneakers.
    They headed into the kitchen to get some snacks for the ride. Harry, her father’s best friend and longtime next-door neighbor, stood in the kitchen. “Ladies,” Harry said. “Getting ready for the trip?”
    “You bet ,” Emily replied.
    Roland came into the room with Erica close behind.
    “ Are you girls almost ready to go?” Erica asked.
    “Almost ,” Ren replied, “just need some travel snacks.”
    “Hey, Harry.” Emily asked. “Is your old Mustang still for