At one end of the gathering, closest to where Luce stood, a crowd of hippie guys with long, thick beards and ratty woven shirts had formed a makeshift drum circle. Their steady beat provided a nearby group of kids with a constantly changing groove to dance to. At the other end of the party was the bon re itself, and when Luce stood on her toes, she recognized a lot of Shoreline kids crowded around the re, hoping to beat out the cold. Everyone was holding a stick in the
ames, jockeying for the best spot to roast their hot dogs and marshmallows, their cast-iron kettles full of beans. It was impossible to guess how they'd all found out about it, but it was clear that everyone was having a good time.
And in the middle of it all, Roland. He'd changed out of his pressed button-down shirt and expensive leather boots and was dressed, like everyone else there, in a hooded sweatshirt and shredded jeans. He was standing on a boulder, making riotous, exaggerated gestures, telling a story Luce couldn't quite hear. Dawn and Jasmine were among the captivated listeners; their re-lit faces looked pretty and alive.
"This is your idea of a small party?" Miles asked. "This is your idea of a small party?" Miles asked.
Luce was watching Roland, wondering what story he was telling. Something about the way he was taking charge made Luce think back to Cam's room, to the rst and only real party she'd ever gone to at Sword & Cross, and it made her miss Arriane. And, of course, Penn, who'd been nervous when she rst arrived at the party but ended up having a better time than anyone. And Daniel, who would barely speak to Luce back then. Things were so di erent now.
"Well, I don't know about you guys," Shelby said, kicking o her ip- ops and padding onto the sand in her socks, "but I'm going to get myself a drink, then a hot dog, then maybe a lesson from one of those drum circle guys."
"Me too," Miles said. "Except for the drum circle part, in case that wasn't obvious."
"Luce." Roland waved from his position on the boulder. "You made it."
Miles and Shelby were already way ahead of her, heading toward the hot dog station, so Luce trekked over a dune of cool, damp sand toward Roland and the others.
"You weren't kidding when you said you wanted to make your presence known. This is really something, Roland."
Roland nodded graciously. "Something, huh? Something good, or something bad?"
It seemed like a loaded question, and what Luce wanted to say was that she couldn't tell anymore. She thought about the heated conversation she'd overheard in the teacher's o ce. How sharp Francesca's voice had sounded. The line between what was good and what was bad felt incredibly blurry. Roland and Steven were fallen angels who'd gone over. Demons, right? Did she even know what that meant? But then there was Cam, and ... what did Roland mean by that question? She squinted at him. Maybe he was really only asking whether Luce was having fun?
A myriad of colorful partygoers swirled around her, but Luce could feel the endless black waves nearby. The air near the water was whipping and cold, but the bon re was hot on her skin. So many things seemed to be at odds right now, all shoving up against her at once.
"Who are all these people, Roland?"
"Let's see." Roland pointed at the hippie kids in the drum circle. "Townies." To their right, he gestured at a big group of guys trying to impress a much smaller group of girls with a few very bad thrusting dance moves. "Those guys are marines stationed in Fort Bragg. From the way they're partying, I hope they're on leave for the weekend." When Jasmine and Dawn sidled up next to him, Roland put one arm around each of their shoulders. "These two, I believe you know."
"You didn't tell us you were such big friends with the celestial social director, Luce," Jasmine said.
"Seriously." Dawn leaned in to whisper loudly to Luce, "Only my diary knows how many times I've wished to go to a Roland Sparks party. And my diary will never tell."
"Oh, but I might," Roland joked.
"Is there no relish at this party?" Shelby popped up behind Luce with Miles at her side. She was holding two hot dogs in one hand and stuck out her free one to Roland. "Shelby Sterris. Who are you?"