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I dump the bag between us, open the umbrella by my chair, and spread out my towel.
“So are you guys here with your parents?” Hailey asks, hunting through her bag. She pulls out a pair of oversize sunglasses and the National Eagle. I can’t help but wonder what the so-called story is about. Do I want to know?
“Just us,” Liz says, lying back in her chair.
“Wow. Are you guys sisters?” Hailey asks.
“Kind of,” Liz says.
I laugh. “In spirit at least.”
“Was this a graduation present or something?”
“Exactly,” Liz says.
“Lucky you.”
Not yet, but I plan to be. Except what’s the big scary story Hailey isn’t telling? “So tell us what’s in the paper about cruise ships.”
“I’ll tell you, but don’t blame me if you can’t fall asleep tonight. It says, ‘Vampires Attack Cruise Ships.’ Isn’t that insane?”
“Yes,” I say. The boat sways slightly, and my stomach clenches.
“I know, right?”
Liz snorts. “Hello, it’s the Eagle people. It’s worse than the Enquirer. It’s not real.”
“It could be,” Hailey says.
I sit up in my seat. “Wait, what exactly does it say?”
“That people have gone missing from cruise boats in the last six months. They’re blaming vampires.”
“Um, do they know there’s no such thing as vampires?” I ask.
“Apparently not.”
I shake my head. “The Eagle must be having serious circulation issues.”
“You never know,” Liz says. “Maybe vampires are killing people on cruise ships. Who’s to say what’s real and what’s not?”
I lightly kick the back of her leg. “Or maybe some psycho robs a girl who had too many vodka tonics and then shoves her overboard before anyone notices she’s missing,” I say.
“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Hailey says, flipping through the newspaper.
“Or Bloody Marys,” Liz jokes.
“I heard that happens way more than they report. It’s because of the international-waters thing. It’s harder to prosecute the criminals,” Hailey explains.
“Or find the bodies,” Liz adds.
“Scary,” I say, shivering. I wrap the end of the towel around my arms.
Hailey’s eyes are wide. “I’m not walking around at night, I can promise you that.”
“We’ll keep the bad guys away,” Liz pledges, and then flips onto her stomach.
I close my eyes. Rest time.
