Return of the Perfect Girls

One Amy Candler opened her bedroom window and gazed out at the early morning with satisfaction. It was going to be a perfect day. First of all, it was a Saturdayno school and no schedule, no special chores or errands to run. The sun was shining, the sky was blue. There wasn't a cloud in sight; there wasn't even a slim chance of an unexpected shower. The air was warm but not uncomfortably hot, and there was barely a trace of humidity. Amy took a deep breath. For a second, she thought she caught a whiff of salt water. Of course, that was just her imagination. Even with her highly acute sense of smell, and despite the fact that the Pacific Ocean wasn't very far away, there was no way the scent of the ocean could penetrate this far inside the metropolis of Los Angeles. But it wouldn't be long before she'd really be breathing in that lovely salty aroma. Just an hour or so from now. With that in mind, she left the window and went to her closet for her backpack. She stuffed a towel inside, tossed in suntan lotion, a hairbrush, a bathing cap, and her camera. She was in the process of choosing between three swimsuits when she heard her mother call from downstairs. "Amy, I'm leaving." "Okay, Mom," she called back. Then came the question she dreaded. "What are you up to today?" Nancy Candler wanted to know. Amy hesitated, debated, and finally replied, "Just hanging out with Chris." She heaved a sigh of relief when there was no further interrogation. Her mother merely responded with, "have fun," to which Amy echoed, "you too." As she heard the car backing out of the driveway, she assured herself that she hadn't really lied to her mother. She was planning to spend the day with Chris Skinner, her new boyfriend. What she had neglected to mention was their destination, and the fact that they would be traveling there on a boat. Actually, she herself didn't know the destinationthat was part of the surprise. The note had been sticking out of her locker door at school yesterday, after her last class. Mr. Christopher Skinner cordially invites Miss Amy Candler on a mystery cruise, it began. This was followed by a date and a time, and directions to the wharf where the boat was docked. Amy had no idea where, how, or why Chris had managed to get his hands on a boat. He didn't usually ask her to do things by way of a formal invitation. But even though she hadn't known Chris all that long, the one thing she did know about him was that he was full of surprises. She imagined that they would be going to some secluded, remote beach for a picnic, a swim, and a long, lazy day in the sun. It would be a nice change from the popular, crowded beaches where she normally went with friends. And even if Nancy Candler knew what she was up to, Amy doubted that her mother would mind. She liked Chris. He was the responsible type. Amy had no doubt that he'd make sure their adventure would be a safe one, and that she'd be back home at a reasonable hour. She checked her watch. It was time to take off. Almost an hour later, and after three bus changes, she was finally walking along the wharf. There were no beaches along this stretch of shoreit was more like one big, wet, parking lot for boats. Crafts of all types, shapes, and sizes bobbed in the water alongside the piers that stretched out from the shore. She wasn't sure what kind of boat she was looking for, but she had a nameMaster of the Waves. She supposed she would just have to look at every boat until she found the one with those words painted on its side. It turned out to be one of the medium-sized boats, not a yKaye, Marilyn is the author of 'Return of the Perfect Girls' with ISBN 9780553487466 and ISBN 0553487469.