intended.
Jack’s smile wasn’t as wide as before. There was a vulnerability in him that she hadn’t noticed before.
“Listen,” he said. “I didn’t mean to intrude on your party. I just moved here and don’t know anybody and if you don’t want to talk to me that’s fine. Even though I’m not quite sure what your problem with me is. I haven’t done anything to you and I only tried to be helpful. But don’t worry, I’ll finish my beer and be on my way.”
Kasey didn’t expect him to be so honest. Something in her opened up a bit. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to… Actually, I did mean to. I’m just not in the mood for anything remotely related to your kind. Right now.”
“Fair enough. Apology accepted.”
“I didn’t apologize.”
“Oh. My bad.” His smile was back. Kasey couldn’t help but return it, despite herself. But it was short and she caught it before it got too wide.
“I’m gonna go for a swim,” Jack said. “By myself. Or not. It’s up to you.”
He took off his shirt and walked toward the water. Then he turned.
“You coming? Or you just gonna stand there and watch me walk?”
Kasey wanted to say no but began to feel ridiculous about it. She took off her shirt and pants. Then she opened the necklace with the amulet, took it off and stowed it away in the pocket of her shorts.
Jack smiled widely. “I’ll race you,” he said.
She hesitated a moment but then ran toward the water. Jack ran beside her, letting her have a slight lead. How gentlemanly of him. They reached the water at the same time and ran a few feet into the surf before Kasey dove headfirst into a wave. She swam out to get behind the larger waves. For a moment, she couldn’t see Jack but then he appeared right next to her.
“So, where you from?” she asked.
“Albuquerque,” Jack answered. “My dad was transferred to Brooklyn a few months back and we just moved here two weeks ago. You?”
“I’ve lived on Long Island all my life.”
“Cool. I’d never even been in the ocean until a few days ago.”
“I’ve never been to New Mexico.”
“It’s dry there.”
They treaded water while watching the others on the beach.
“You like the desert better than the ocean,” she said.
“How can you tell?”
“You don’t seem to feel comfortable in the water. At all.”
“I’m not.”
“You wanna go back?”
“Sure.”
“Okay.”
“Happy birthday,” Jack said.
“Thanks,” Kasey replied.
“Friends?” he asked. He reached his hand out toward her above the surface of the water.
She took it. “Friends.”
“I’ll race you back,” Jack said and started swimming toward the shore.
“What’s with you and racing?”
Even though he had a few feet on her, Kasey gained on him easily and was out of the water before him. The others had started a fire and were gathering around it.
Bernard, a tall, thin boy with glasses wearing a Minecraft T-shirt, got up. He made a grand gesture signaling everyone to quiet down.
“We are all gathered here tonight,” he said in the most dramatic way possible. “To celebrate the end of our prison sentence and the first day of freedom from slavery. Nevermore… Nevermore shall we live under the rule of Principal Chester!”
“Yeah!” some yelled. Others laughed.
“Bring forth the binders,” Bernard continued. “Those cruel and unearthly tools of torture. They shall now burn and may all their torturous teachings disappear along with them.”
“Yeah!” others shouted. “Burn those suckers!”
“Let us therefore—”
Before he could finish, one of the girls threw her binder into the fire.
“Enough said!” she shouted.
“ The class of 2015 is dismissed!” Bernard screamed and threw his binder into the fire. “Wooohoo!”
Everyone cheered and applauded and each of them threw their binder into the fire pit. The flames crept higher and higher until the pile was ablaze. The music got louder and people started dancing around the
Jack’s smile wasn’t as wide as before. There was a vulnerability in him that she hadn’t noticed before.
“Listen,” he said. “I didn’t mean to intrude on your party. I just moved here and don’t know anybody and if you don’t want to talk to me that’s fine. Even though I’m not quite sure what your problem with me is. I haven’t done anything to you and I only tried to be helpful. But don’t worry, I’ll finish my beer and be on my way.”
Kasey didn’t expect him to be so honest. Something in her opened up a bit. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to… Actually, I did mean to. I’m just not in the mood for anything remotely related to your kind. Right now.”
“Fair enough. Apology accepted.”
“I didn’t apologize.”
“Oh. My bad.” His smile was back. Kasey couldn’t help but return it, despite herself. But it was short and she caught it before it got too wide.
“I’m gonna go for a swim,” Jack said. “By myself. Or not. It’s up to you.”
He took off his shirt and walked toward the water. Then he turned.
“You coming? Or you just gonna stand there and watch me walk?”
Kasey wanted to say no but began to feel ridiculous about it. She took off her shirt and pants. Then she opened the necklace with the amulet, took it off and stowed it away in the pocket of her shorts.
Jack smiled widely. “I’ll race you,” he said.
She hesitated a moment but then ran toward the water. Jack ran beside her, letting her have a slight lead. How gentlemanly of him. They reached the water at the same time and ran a few feet into the surf before Kasey dove headfirst into a wave. She swam out to get behind the larger waves. For a moment, she couldn’t see Jack but then he appeared right next to her.
“So, where you from?” she asked.
“Albuquerque,” Jack answered. “My dad was transferred to Brooklyn a few months back and we just moved here two weeks ago. You?”
“I’ve lived on Long Island all my life.”
“Cool. I’d never even been in the ocean until a few days ago.”
“I’ve never been to New Mexico.”
“It’s dry there.”
They treaded water while watching the others on the beach.
“You like the desert better than the ocean,” she said.
“How can you tell?”
“You don’t seem to feel comfortable in the water. At all.”
“I’m not.”
“You wanna go back?”
“Sure.”
“Okay.”
“Happy birthday,” Jack said.
“Thanks,” Kasey replied.
“Friends?” he asked. He reached his hand out toward her above the surface of the water.
She took it. “Friends.”
“I’ll race you back,” Jack said and started swimming toward the shore.
“What’s with you and racing?”
Even though he had a few feet on her, Kasey gained on him easily and was out of the water before him. The others had started a fire and were gathering around it.
Bernard, a tall, thin boy with glasses wearing a Minecraft T-shirt, got up. He made a grand gesture signaling everyone to quiet down.
“We are all gathered here tonight,” he said in the most dramatic way possible. “To celebrate the end of our prison sentence and the first day of freedom from slavery. Nevermore… Nevermore shall we live under the rule of Principal Chester!”
“Yeah!” some yelled. Others laughed.
“Bring forth the binders,” Bernard continued. “Those cruel and unearthly tools of torture. They shall now burn and may all their torturous teachings disappear along with them.”
“Yeah!” others shouted. “Burn those suckers!”
“Let us therefore—”
Before he could finish, one of the girls threw her binder into the fire.
“Enough said!” she shouted.
“ The class of 2015 is dismissed!” Bernard screamed and threw his binder into the fire. “Wooohoo!”
Everyone cheered and applauded and each of them threw their binder into the fire pit. The flames crept higher and higher until the pile was ablaze. The music got louder and people started dancing around the
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