Page 26 of The Summer We Kept Secrets (The Destin Diaries #4)

Let the record show: I survived three hours of heatstroke, foot blisters, and sunburned sarcasm in the name of civic responsibility. All thanks to Seamus Donahue, who, in addition to being Uncle Artie’s fishing pal is also a Do Gooder, as my father calls them.

And Seamus apparently believes four Wylie-Lawson teenagers are the answer to an environmental crisis.

Technically, this was a beach clean-up event hosted by Seamus’s church or something, and they do it after some huge annual party in Miramar Beach that leaves the place covered in trash.

Seamus wanted “positive role models” for the kids he brought from Destin and Fort Walton.

So naturally, he called Artie and asked for the Wylie-Lawson Dream Team.

Plot twist…it was not a dream. It was a sweaty, chaotic circus, and only one of us showed up prepared to lead it. Three guesses and the first two don’t count…

Kate Wylie, no surprise to anyone, came armed with sea turtle migration charts, two mesh trash bags, and enough facts to host her own PBS special. She all but made flashcards for the younger kids.

And she was good, too. She got this whole group of fourth grade boys to stop whining about the heat by convincing them they were on an undercover mission to save a baby sea turtle named Radar. They loved her.

But you know who didn’t love her—or at least appreciate her?

Eli the Moron who practically tripped himself following Tessa to help her so she didn’t have to break a sweat.

Of course she wore cutoffs the size of a Band-Aid and a tank top that said SUN’S OUT, FUN’S OUT. Instead of helping Kate explain the difference between recyclable and non-recyclable trash, she taught three middle schoolers how to do the Running Man in the sand while holding orange Gatorades.

She did not bring gloves, but she did bring cherry lip gloss and glitter sunscreen.

Eli, in his infinite wisdom, decided his job was to keep Tessa “hydrated” and laugh at every dumb thing she said.

Tessa: “Do cigarette butts even count as trash? They’re like, so small.”

Eli: guffawing like she was Jerry Seinfeld.

Kate’s response? “They’re toxic to sea life and take ten years to decompose.”

Sometimes I love that girl…which makes me wonder how DUMB is Eli that he doesn’t see Kate’s pure quality?

Peter spent most of his time helping a little boy with a stutter. He walked beside him, picking up bottle caps and gum wrappers without a word. I don’t even think Peter knows how kind he is.

It was pushing noon when Seamus called everyone to the picnic tables under a pavilion. He wanted to thank the volunteers and asked if one of the teens wanted to say a few words. Most wanted to get to the waves.

But not our Lady Katie.

She gave this perfect speech about how important it is to take care of beaches and our environment and something about eco-systems and turtles.

Eli clapped politely.

But when Tessa tripped on a cooler, caught herself from face-planting, and bowed like she meant to do it?

He practically gave her a standing ovation.

What is wrong with him?

I shouldn’t care. He’s my dumb brother and I’m just glad I don’t act like that around Peter. (Or that Peter doesn’t act like that around Tessa!!) ‘Cause, trust me, I could. Meanwhile, Eli acts like Tessa invented sunshine.

I think he’s got it backward. And it bugs me more than it should.

Especially because Kate noticed. She watched him watch Tessa. I saw it—just the tiniest flicker in her eyes. I’m the only person on Earth who knows she likes him, so I’ll never tell.

Anyway, he’s too busy handing Tessa his water bottle like she just won Olympic gold in trash collection.

Boys are hopeless.

Love,

Viv