Um. Hello.”

Best I could manage. I briefly considered fleeing into the ocean, like my turtle friend, but decided that wasn’t very practical.

“How do you know so much about sea turtles?” Shelton was sweeping sand from his polo shirt with distaste. Hi looked curious, while Ben was still as a stone.

“I read a lot.” Then I worried that sounded snotty. “About animals, I mean. For a while I wanted to be a vet.”

Hi nodded sagely. “Cool. I want to be a talk show host. If Andy Cohen had washed up on this beach, I’d have handled it.”

Ben said nothing, but watched me with those intense brown eyes. I fidgeted, pretending to search for something in my pockets. Uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

“Sorry about the yelling,” I mumbled. “I got carried away when I saw the turtle.”

“Pssh.” Hi flapped a hand in dismissal. “I like a woman who takes charge.” Then his face reddened as he processed his own joke. “I mean, I’m not saying that—”

“It’s nothing,” Shelton interrupted smoothly. “I’m just glad we could help. A dead turtle would’ve ruined my weekend.”

“You knew what to do,” Ben said quietly. “We didn’t.” He shrugged as if that explained everything.

“So you’re Kit’s daughter, huh?” Hi yawned, stretching his arms. “How come we haven’t met you before? I’m sure you’ve noticed it’s a pretty small circle out here.”

Here it comes. “I only met Kit this morning.”

Three confused stares.

No escape. “My mother, she recently, um—” My pulse quickened, but this wasn’t the first time I’d had to explain. “She died. In a car accident. I didn’t even know about Kit until after it happened. So here I am,” I finished, shoulders rising and falling.

Hi looked stricken, as if he’d committed a terrible error. Shelton was studying his shoes.

Surprisingly, Ben spoke. “Sorry. That sucks. Will you live here now?”

I was grateful for the change of subject. “Yes. I just moved in today, as a matter of fact. I’ve been a Morris Islander for roughly an hour.”

“Well, nice to meet you,” Shelton said, meeting my eyes again. “It’s not so bad out here, once you get used to it.”

“Consider us your welcoming committee,” Hi added. He nodded toward the remaining backpacks, and we made our way up the beach. “Not that there are other options, since the four of us are the only kids living on this island.”

“Really.” I didn’t know what to make of that. No girls at all?

“What grade are you?” Shelton asked. “Hi and I are freshmen. Ben’s a sophomore.”

“Freshman.” I was hoping they wouldn’t ask my age. I hated being the baby of every circle.

“Then you’ll join us at Bolton,” Hi said brightly. “We can spread the pain.”

The pain?

“That’s the school Kit mentioned on the phone,” I said slowly. We reached the bags and the boys slung them on. “It’s a good one?”

Ben snorted, kicking a pile of shells. Shelton just shook his head, removing his glasses to clean them on his shirt. “What’s Kit told you?” Hi asked.

“Almost nothing. It’s a private school, but that’s all I know.”

“Bolton Preparatory Academy is one of the finest academic institutions in the country.” Hi spoke in an officious voice, fussily straightening his crumpled Hawaiian shirt. “A wellspring of leaders and great scholars throughout the history of Charleston. Admission is extremely difficult to attain, and a Bolton Prep diploma is worth its weight in gold. Truly, our school is a celebrated treasure of the Old South.”

“Okay,” I said, confused. “That sounds good.”

“It’s a nightmare,” Shelton moaned.

“Horrible,” Hi added with a wide grin.

“A jerk factory.” Ben’s lips had curled in a snarl. “Nothing but trust fund jackasses.”

Ah. “That sounds . . . less good.”

Hi smacked a fist into his palm. “First thing you gotta know is, everyone there hates us.”

My eyes popped. “Oh, great!”

“These are some seriously rich kids,” Shelton explained, looping his thumbs under the straps of his backpack. “Not sure if you know this, but LIRI pays for us to go there. Otherwise our parents couldn’t possibly afford it.”

Kit’s job sends me to private school? “Your parents all work at LIRI, too?”

Ben nodded, but held his tongue. I could see it was a habit.

“My dad’s a lab technician,” Hi said. “Don’t ask about my mom, she’s crazy. Thinks she runs Morris Island. Ben’s father runs the ferry that shuttles everyone there and back.”

“Both my parents work for the institute,” Shelton said. “Mom’s a vet, Dad works in IT.”

I nodded. “One big family.” I glanced at Ben. Nobody mentioned his mother, so I didn’t either. “And this place pays for us to attend some crazy prep school?”

“Yep.” Hi and Shelton, in unison.

“But it sucks,” Ben muttered. “Hard.”

Hi shifted on the sand. “I mean, it’s not all bad. The curriculum is really good, we just don’t fit in with the other students. They call us ‘boat kids’ and ‘island refugees.’ I think some of them are legit mad that ‘lesser’ people have infiltrated their ivory tower.”

“Bolton has killer science labs,” Shelton chimed in, his voice warming to the topic. “Computer programming classes, too. And you should see the library. It’s a freaking cathedral.”

Ben chucked Shelton on the shoulder. “She doesn’t want to hear about that stuff.”

“No,” I said quickly. “Honestly, that’s what I care about most. I want to study forensics in college, which means I need a ton of bio and chem.”

The boys fell silent for a moment, exchanging glances. I straightened, suddenly worried I’d said too much. I didn’t want them to think I was some kind of science geek.

Even though, you know, I was.

Then, suddenly, Hi stuck out his hand. “Hiram Stolowitski, confirmed nerd. Same with these two. You’re going to fit in just fine around here.”

Amused, I shook. Then did the same with Shelton.

“Shelton Devers,” he said formally. “What this doofus means is, we like learning new things, too. Don’t feel weird around us.”

I looked at Ben. He simply nodded. “Ben Blue.”

“His dad’s boat is named Hugo,” Hi cut in. “It takes us to school every day. Don’t be late to the dock on Monday. Mr. Blue sticks to his schedule.”

My eyebrows quirked. “We take a boat to school?”

“To school, to town, pretty much everywhere.” Shelton turned and pointed across the island. “Bolton Prep is all the way downtown, over there. It’d take forever to drive.”

“I plan on buying a boat,” Ben said suddenly. “Soon.” Then he clammed up once more.

Strange kid. But there’s something about him . . .

“Until that magical day, don’t miss the ferry.” Hi stroked his cheek, looking skyward in thought. “Hmm. What else don’t you know?”

“Downtown Charleston is pretty cool,” Shelton said. “Old. Historic.”

“I’ve heard.” Plus I’d studied a billion pictures online.

“We sometimes go into Folly Beach to hang out,” Hi added. “You drove through it on the way here.”

That flyspeck town? “I remember. Quaint.”

Shelton aimed a finger north along the beach. “Some ruins up that way. Civil War stuff, pretty cool.”

“Oh!” Hi exclaimed. “The lighthouse! Have you seen it?”

“Not yet.” My head was spinning.

“Guys, slow down.” Ben shook his head. “Tory’s been here an hour.”

“She needs survival skills, Benjamin.” Hi flared an eyebrow my way. “We’re on the edge of civilization, Brennan. Exiles. Nobody else within miles. To make it out here on Morris Island, you’ve got to know when to hold them and when to fold them. Capisce?”

My smirk was genuine. “Understood.”

An air horn blasted behind me. I turned to see a cruise ship split the horizon, no doubt heading for the harbor. Dolphins were cavorting in its wake, leaping and diving as they followed the massive steel vessel into town.

“Island life does have its perks.” Shelton grinned as we watched their fins cut the waves. “You won’t see that in the Great White North.”

“I’m from Massachusetts, not the North Pole. It’s not that cold there.”

Hi shook his head seriously. “North of Maryland, people live like animals. It’s all igloos and coal mines. And sadness.”

I shoved him lightly, rolled my eyes. Though I was enjoying the warm weather.

“Assault!” he howled, rubbing the offended limb.

Without looking, Ben reached out and slapped the back of his head. “Dope.”

As we watched the cruise ship glide by, a feeling of peace settled over me. A sense of belonging took hold. Shelton and Hi were eyeing me surreptitiously—I could tell I still made them slightly uncomfortable—but they were sweet. Smart, too. It was obvious. Ben seemed more reserved, but no less pleasant company.

They’d spent their Saturday morning on the beach, trying to rescue an injured animal.

Exactly what I would’ve done.

I have friends here. Good ones, I can tell.

This might be okay.