Three Coast Calling
It was a quiet August day in the Palisades section of Los Angeles. There, in a slightly cramped, science-themed bedroom, five best friends were eagerly awaiting the bi-weekly phone call from their missing sixth member. He was their unofficial leader, for better or worse, and he always made life interesting-especially at school. His schemes were the stuff of legend, equaled only by his dating history. But now it was summer break, and he and his family were away in Santa Barbara. Every year around this time, the Morris's co-rented a beach cottage with another family who lived up north in Monterey County. Santa Barbara was right between the two communities, so it only made sense to have a second home there so that neither group had to feel like an intruder. They'd been going on this trip for the past four years, but Zack had never told any of his friends the reason for the excursion. Each day a call was scheduled, they hoped this time would be the one where he finally revealed his secrets. So once again they sat around waiting for the phone to ring, anticipating the moment when they would at last have their answers.
Meanwhile, in the small Monterey community of Marlowe, another pair of high schoolers waited beside another phone, this one in a bedroom decorated with various surfing memorabilia. The owner of the bedroom, a boy who slightly resembled Zack but with a darker tan and more muscles, lay relaxed on his bed while his companion, a tall blonde girl with slightly wild hair, clung one hand to the phone as if her life depended on it. They too, were anxious to her from their missing friend, who like Zack had also kept secret the purpose of her family's trips to the southern county. They too hoped this call would be the one where the truth would at last become known.
"Man, what's taking Preppie so long?" asked A.C. Slater impatiently. It was already after 10:00 PM, and they all had to be home before 11:00-or else.
"Maybe he and that girl he's with snuck out to sea to go shark surfing-they really should stick to dolphins, they're a lot safer." suggested Screech in his usual way. Jessie quickly let him know what she thought of that idea with a good bop on the head. "Shut up, Screech." She added to drive the point home. "But seriously," she added, "they must be having some kind of fun if he still hasn't called yet." Kelly quickly started biting her fingers, knowing full well what Zack's kind of 'fun' usually entailed. Lisa rushed to comfort her friend before she broke down.
"I can't take it anymore!" Lindsey yelled as she reached to unhook the phone and begin dialing the number. Before she could, she felt a firm hand pull hers away from the phone altogether. "Calm down," Chris reassured her. "She's a sensible girl, she probably just forgot. If she doesn't ring in the next 15 minutes, I'll take you home and you can come back tomorrow." "But I can't wait for tomorrow! Don't you want to know what's with her and the Hollywood boy" she inquired as if to imply something devious. "Can it!" Chris almost yelled. "Evie would never do anything like that, I trust her completely." "But Chris, he sure sounds cute." Lindsey added in a tone which sounded like she desired the mystery boy herself. Chris only grew angrier. "Say that again and I'll take this message myself!" Lindsey wisely went quiet.
Finally, when the clock reached 10:45 and everyone was ready to pack it in and come back the next day, the telephone at last burst into sound and all of the Bayside gang began rushing for the receiver to greet their missing friend. Lisa, with gossip-catty reflexes, easily snatched it out of Jessie's hand, pressed the speaker button, and set it to her ear. With no hesitation, she spoke "Hey Zack, how it's hanging up there?"
"Zack can't come to the phone right now, he's out collecting from his dune buggy pool, may I leave a message?" answered an obviously female voice.
"It's the girl." Lisa whispered to her curious friends.
"Ha Ha, hand over the phone." spoke the familiar voice of Zack Morris. "So, how are things back at Bayside?" he began.
"Things are mighty good, Preppie" replied Slater as he took control of the phone. "With you being gone, there's more babes left for the rest of us." Jessie instantly shot her boyfriend a death glare before letting him continue. "Anyway, it's been the usual. Hit the beach, checked out some good flicks, hung at the Max, and the girls did some ace summer shopping."
"Sounds like something to check out when I get home." Zack replied slyly. "Anyhow, the lady and I have been having quite the good time ourselves. Swimming, surfing, Volleyball, and we've even been blading around the parks a few times."
"Sounds like my kind of summer." Added a male voice none of the Bayside friends could recognize, but who had apparently also pressed the speaker on his own phone. "Speaking of which, it's been kind of lonely without you here, Evie. Sure, I've gotten in a bit more tanning time, but taking your place at the mall has been just a nightmare."
"I heard that!" yelled a girl's voice "I do only have two hands, you know!"
"Sounds like my kind of girl." Lisa whispered in Kelly's ear, and the cheerleader could hardly suppress a giggle at that comment.
"Mine too" replied Slater. "Say, if I'm ever in town, why don't you and I chat over some shakes."
"Sure, if you look as hot as you sound. I'll save us a table at the Goodie Goodie."
Slater practically barreled over if laughter at hearing that name. So did Screech, Lisa, and Jessie. Kelly bit her lips practically against her gums to keep from joining in.
"It's not that funny…." Lindsey started in protest, then thought about it for a few seconds. Before long, she too released a few belly laughs of her own. "Ok, maybe the name is a little silly" she admitted to herself.
"If I could get back to what I was saying," Chris insisted, "I really miss you, Evie. I know it's only been ten days, but it feels like a lot longer. I hope the boy's treating you right, and I'll be waiting for you when you come home. With a very special surprise…"
"Awwwww!" Lindsey cooed alongside three other girl's voices to form something like a semi-recorded quartet.
Jessie, remembering the real purpose of the call, walked up to take the phone from Slater and start asking the big questions.
"So, Zack, I know it's not really our business but we've been wondering, why have you been going out to this cottage all these years, and why with some family you barely know. Is there something between you two you're not telling us?"
"Yes, but it's not what you think. Evie's just a friend, nothing more." was the reply, with an unusual tone of seriousness that none of them saw fit to question. "I wish we could tell you all everything, but here's what I CAN say….."
With that, Zack and Evie alternated telling the tale of how the Morris-Garland beach cottage came to be. It all began when Zack's father Derek attended a business dinner which happened to be catered by Evie's mother Donna. Before long, the drinks started to flow and, as Derek had put it the night he first told Zack, "none of us were thinking straight, and some things slipped out that shouldn't have." It was Donna who first had the idea of sharing a summer cottage, and the Morris parents, while initially hesitant, eventually agreed it was a good idea for all involved. Zack, is his usual way, had tried to talk his way out of the trip the first year, arguing that the secrets they had revealed were impossible lies and that they were throwing away their money over nothing. The elder Morris's would have none of it, and insisted on the trip "for your own good." Zack knew there was no arguing with those words, and looking back…
"….I've never been so happy to lose an argument in my whole life. Don't get me wrong, you guys are my best friends, always will be. But when I'm around Evie its like, well,…." Zack struggled to find the correct words, something he rarely had trouble with.
"It's like what?" yelled Screech as he grabbed the phone out of Jessie's hands. "Like you're possessed, like you're in pain, like you've become some kind of space creature, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT?"
"Would you calm down, Screech!" Zack replied in annoyance. "What I mean is, Evie makes me fell more, well, more comfortable with myself. Like I can just be me, instead of having to put on a big show of being the big man on campus just so no one starts thinking I'm a freak. When I'm at home, all I can ever think of is how the more attention I get, the less attention I'm paid. If that even makes sense. But here, none of that matters. Sure, I still get looks from some of the ladies and all that, but with her around it feels like there's no more secrets, and no more holding part of yourself back. That's there's no record doesn't much hurt either. He slid back into his usual bravado before continuing. "And I think she feels the same way. Sure, we have our families to talk to, but it isn't the same. There's just something special about being able to share a secret with someone who doesn't just know, but understands. For me, Evie is that person. You do feel the same, don't you?"
"Like none of you would believe." she replied "Someday, we promise, we'll find a way for all of us to meet up sometime. Zack's told me a lot about you guys, and I'm really looking forward to seeing you in person one day, and having you meet my friends. But until then, so long everyone." Evie finished, hung up the phone, and turned to the cube-device from which she communicated with her Anterian father, Troy.
As the call ended, both sets of friends sat in stunned silence. "Zack Morris…..a freak?" asked Kelly and Slater in almost unison. They couldn't believe someone of his looks, his popularity and his self-confidence (arrogance?) was even capable of seeing themselves as something less-something different. But why? Sure, some of his schemes and scams went a bit overboard, but otherwise he nearly personified coolness. People like him seemed to define and even decide what was and wasn't "normal". And as for Evie, well, she may not have been as popular at her own school as Zack but she was still well-liked and respected. She was pretty, nice, reasonably smart, a true all-American girl. What about her made her feel different? Sure, she occasionally acted a little weird, but they'd just chalked that up as a family thing. What else were they missing? How had none of them noticed this side of their friend before? And still they had no answer to the question of what drew them to each other. What were these secrets they were talking about? What was so sacred between them that neither felt like they could tell anyone else? All anyone could do was sit….and wonder.
Meanwhile, back at the cottage, Evie walked to the cube and asked her dad "Say, I've been meaning to ask, how did you learn to tag people in through the phone line?"
"Sorry, sweetheart, but there are somethings about us you're just not ready for yet. Maybe when you're 35 we'll talk about it." Troy answered.
"Okay, I guess. Good night, Dad. See you in the morning."
"Good night angel, and you too you little Earth devil." With that, the pink light went out and the cube closed once more. Then Evie clapped her hands to unfreeze time-just as Donna came barging into the room.
"Zackary Rhonda Morris!" Donna yelled in her usual way, "You know you're not allowed in Evie's room after dark! And besides, it's almost 11:00! I am giving you 20 seconds to get out of this room or you're grounded for-
"-Nice try, but this isn't our house and unless Evie here's done anything, you're not my par-
"ents are out at a wine tasting, therefore I'M in charge here, mister! Get out of this room and get to bed right now or else….."
"Time Out!" Zack made his motion and walked right to his own room, calling "Time In!" as soon as he was under the covers. "And just how many seconds was that, Mrs. G?"
Donna looked at her stopwatch. "Eighteen, I hope you're pleased with yourself."
Zack wisely said nothing as he fell into one of the most peaceful sleeps he'd ever had, dreaming of a time when people like him and Evie would be accepted, secrets and all.
The End.