The Moon and More(95)
Author: Sarah Dessen

“Interesting,” I heard someone murmur behind me.

“Defeat and hope,” someone else agreed. “I wouldn’t have ever gotten that.”

I looked at Clyde again. This time, there was no question what he was feeling, and it wasn’t defeat or hope. He looked pissed. I glanced at Ivy, who met my eyes for a second, then flicked her gaze to Esther, making sure she was filming.

“That’s a lot to get from a plant,” Clyde said to Theo. “Don’t you think?”

“Not necessarily,” Theo replied, confident as always. “You do like to weave symbolism into your work. It’s just a matter of cracking the code.”

Clyde’s eyes widened. Uh-oh, I thought. Then I felt the tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see Morris, his face flushed. Immediately, I glanced over at the bar, still crowded with people.

“Amber and your mom took over,” he told me, before I could even ask. Man, things had changed. “Have you seen Benji?”

“Benji?” I asked. “He left at four, with my father.”

“He was supposed to,” he told me. “He never showed up at the car.”

“He’s gone?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “He’s just not with your father, who can’t find him anywhere.”

“Oh my God,” I said, looking around. “He’s got to be here someplace. You know he wanted to stay.”

“Your mom and Amber looked already. Your dad’s searching now. Me and Daisy are heading outside right now to check the boardwalk.”

“Okay,” I said, trying to think. “Where’s my father?”

“Driving around, I think. But—”

We were interrupted, suddenly, by Clyde’s voice. “Hey! Morris!”

Everyone was looking at us. Whoops. “Sorry for the disturbance,” Morris said. “We just—”

“Can you answer a question for me?” Clyde asked him. “It’ll only take a second.”

Morris looked at me, and I shrugged. “Sure,” he said.

Clyde stepped closer to the painting, pointing to one of the plants. “What is this?”

I saw Ivy look at Theo, who just took another sip of his wine.

“Beach grass,” Morris replied.

“Where is it found, exactly?”

Morris looked at him like he was crazy. “Everywhere. You know that. You’re always complaining there’s so much of it outside your bedroom you can’t even see the water.”

I was pretty sure I heard Ivy snort.

Clyde smiled. “Exactly.”

“Can I go now?” Morris asked. “I have something I have to do.”

“Me too,” I said. “Excuse us.”

He turned, starting for the door, and I followed, taking in the crowd as I went. I was almost outside when I spotted Margo, eating a canapé by one of the gray paintings, and made a beeline for her.

“I need your help,” I told her. “Benji’s run off and my father can’t find him.”

“What?” She put her plate down on nearby table. “How long has he been missing?”

“An hour? Two? I have to go help look for him.”

“Of course. I’ve got my car right outside, I can—”

“No,” I told her. “I need you here.”

“Here?”

I glanced around the room again, then at my watch. “Things are running pretty smoothly right now, but we’re low on food and Clyde still has to make a speech. He wants to do that in about ten minutes.”

“Ten minutes,” she repeated.

“Take this,” I said, pushing my legal pad at her. “It’s got the entire schedule on it. Check in with Ivy and tell her you’re me until further notice. She will probably yell at you, but I know you can handle it.”

“I . . .” She paused, then smiled. “Okay. Thank you, Emaline.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” I said. “I have to go. Call me if you see Benji!”

She nodded, patting my arm as I went past her, towards the door. Right before I left, I turned to take one last gaze at what I’d done, so I would remember it. Then I went to look for my brother.

*   *   *

“I don’t understand this,” my father said, scanning the road again. “This town is tiny. Where could he possibly be?”

I didn’t answer, instead I just looked hard along the side of the road, even though we’d already been through this neighborhood, which was just adjacent to the boardwalk, more than once. Morris and Daisy had covered from the Pavilion to Surfside and were now doubling back, after asking everyone at Abe’s and Clementine’s to keep an eye out as well.

“You called the arcade,” I said, confirming. “And already looked at the mall?”

He nodded. “He’s on foot, anyway. He can’t have gotten far.”

“It’s been over two hours,” I pointed out. “Should we go back to the hotel, in case he somehow got a ride back there?”

“Just called them, they haven’t seen him. Anyway, that’s the last place he wants to be, especially with us leaving tomorrow.”

I turned to look at him. “You’re leaving tomorrow?”

He nodded. “I was going to tell him at dinner tonight, but he overheard me talking to Leah on the way to see you this morning. I should have known he’d pull something like this.”

I scanned the road again. “He probably just was upset, with the short notice and all.”

“Your brother might be young, but he is a master negotiator,” he informed me, turning onto another street. “He’ll try to crack and improve any system to his advantage. Over time, I’ve learned I have to limit his window to do that, or he’ll always find a way to better things in his favor.”

Any other time, I would have been tempted to point out that Benji wasn’t the only one who liked to be in control; he came by it honestly. But right then, all I could think was what an idiot I was.

“Dammit,” I said, gesturing for my father to take the next left. “I know where he is.”

“You do?”

I nodded. “Cut through here, it’s right on the next block.”

He pulled up in front of the office. I jumped out and ran up to the doors. They were locked, as we’d closed about a half hour earlier. I peered through the windows in the doors, looking for lights and movement, then pulled out my keys and let myself in.