Page 3 of How We Fooled

“I’m still in school,” I respond.

At six foot five, two hundred fifteen pounds, I definitely don’t look like a high school kid, so I’m not surprised she thinks I’m in college.

Technically, I was supposed to have graduated already, but with my birthday in June, my parents didn’t want me graduating at seventeen, so they kept me back from starting kindergarten that first year I was eligible.

So, here I am. My birthday just passed, making me eighteen already, and I still have an entire year of high school to go.

It hasn’t been too bad though because our family friends had kids my age, so Dalton, Ben, Maya, and I all go to school together, which I think had a lot to do with their decision-making too.

Our dads all grew up in Leighton River, then moved to California to attend Stanford together. They started a gaming company called TimeLand that did well, but when cell phones came out and people could download it to their phone, it exploded in popularity.

They decided to move the company back to Leighton River so us kids could grow up here. Not everyone is happy they moved here, but I’m glad they did. I’ve been to California once, and I’d much rather have the quietness Leighton River provides.

“How long have you been in town?” I ask.

“About a week.”

“And?”

She laughs. “And what?”

“And you’re already bored out of your mind. Admit it.”

She shakes her head. “How can someone be bored when you have this around you?” She opens her hands out wide.

“They didn’t have hills in Stockton?”

She lets out a breath, looking out in front of us in thought. I can tell there’s more to the story of her moving here, but I don’t pry.

“No,” she finally responds. “At least nowhere you’d want to walk, especially alone. I remember coming here as a kid and feeling like it was a different planet.”

Now, it’s my turn to laugh. “Yeah, my mom says the same thing. She grew up in California.”

“Really?” She turns to me, surprised.

“Yeah. My parents met at Stanford. My mom grew up in Southern California though.”

“Southern California is nothing like Northern. That’s why everyone wants to make it two different states, if not more.”

“I get the feeling you didn’t like it there,” I ask, hoping I’m not prying too much. I just get the feeling there’s this hurt inside of her.

“It’s not that I didn’t like it. Just wanted something different.” She inhales a deep breath. “It’s so beautiful here. The air alone is intoxicating.”

I lean down and nudge her. “Talk to me again in winter when it’s negative ten degrees out. You won’t like the air that freezes your nose hair by just breathing in.”

She laughs out loud, and I have to admit, it’s super cute, and it makes me smile. Not many things have that effect on me.

“I guess you can ask me then how much I still like it here, but until winter, I’ll enjoy what we have now.”

“I like it. Living in denial of what’s to come,” I tease.

“No. It’s more like enjoying the moment while it’s here.”

“What else have you done in this week you’ve been here?”

“Not much really. Just hanging out with family. My cousin, Justine, has a daughter, Emily, so it’s been fun, getting to play with her. Other than that, I’m just getting settled in. I have to start looking for a job this week. At least I have a few months to find one and get situated. What about you? What’s your goal in life?”

I let out a hard laugh. “I’m an athlete. To me, school is just the vehicle to make that happen. My mom always jokes that she knew when I was in kindergarten that sports were going to be the only thing that kept me in school. And she’s right.” I pause with a sigh. “I hate school. Give me a class that’s hands-on, and I’m all in. Give me a book to read, and you’ve lost me.”

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