Sandcastles

Written by Garner Simmons

Hobie becomes enamored with a homeless girl whose mother has disappeared.

It is another warm day on the beach, and people are frolicking in the
sun, counterpointing the plight of the homeless gathered nearby. Eddie arrives at his lifeguard tower and sees that a homeless man, Hector, has set up housekeeping inside. When he tries to throw Hector out, he attacks Eddie with a shard of glass and steals a picture of Shauni.

Meanwhile, Hobie meets a homeless girl, Charlie, only slightly older than he, who is trying to survive on the street. Eddie identifies Hector, who Mitch points out is a mental patient that is on the streets because
of funding cuts.

Charlie’s diary is stolen by Hector “the Collector.” She and Hobie return to an abandoned power plant where Charlie slept the night before. They are caught by Hector and narrowly escape. Mitch finds them and takes Charlie back to the house. There, Charlie tells him that she and her mother have been homeless for about a month. When Mitch does some investigating and learns that Charlie’s mother June was wrongfully jailed, Mitch gets her released and brings her back to his house to reunite her with Charlie. But Charlie has snuck in order to retrieve the diary. She finds Hector asleep and tries to retrieve it, but he awakens and struggles with her. Charlie tumbles into the water, just a s M e i b e s n o t b i e h o w o t s w mi . o s M h t i e ms e m e d u l n g s i v e s f o t h a t high bridge to save her, while Eddie chases after Hector. Eddie tackles him to the ground, and recovers Charlie’s diary, as well as his picture of Shauni. That evening, Charlie reads one of her poems to the Baywatch gang. Kaye Morgan is so impressed, she not only offers to publish it, but offers June ajob on the paper as well. Charlie gives Hobie a big kiss, and Mitch realizes it is time he discuss older women with his son.